Q & A #6
by Colleen Hillerup
She guided the buggy through the heavily laden aisles. Her daughter's little legs dangled from the front of the cart; her feet swinging the tiny running shoes. "Can I have some chocolate bars?"
"No, honey. Not good for a little girl."
"Can I have some Sugar Pops?"
"No, sweetie. We're getting Cheerios."
"Can I have some Pop Tarts?"
"No, baby, too much sugar."
Aisle after aisle the questions continued, desires left unmet. Buffy was determined to raise her child to be healthy and strong, despite the temptations of the modern supermarket. Despite how much she wanted these things too.
"Cookies, mommy. I want cookies. Please?"
"Sweetheart, Auntie Willow bakes enough cookies. And they're better than these. So, no."
Finally, weekly ordeal at an end, they headed back towards the checkout lane.
"But mommy," Meredith exclaimed in a too loud voice, "We didn't get any blood for daddy!"
"Not here, honey. The special butcher shop. You remember."
"But I want to get daddy blood now!"
The grocery clerk turned his head and stared. 'Oh, great,' Buffy thought. She tried to improvise. "Blood sausage. She wants to get her daddy some blood sausage. He's, um, British. You know how they love that stuff." She looked down at her daughter. "But they don't have that here."
The clerk was delighted to help. "Sure we do. In the deli meat section. I'll take you over and show you."
"Oh, great," she replied without enthusiam. "Thanks."
Groceries paid for, including the unwanted sausage, Buffy looked down at her daughter. "That thing is disgusting. Your father better eat it. Next week, daddy can do the shopping."
by Colleen Hillerup
She guided the buggy through the heavily laden aisles. Her daughter's little legs dangled from the front of the cart; her feet swinging the tiny running shoes. "Can I have some chocolate bars?"
"No, honey. Not good for a little girl."
"Can I have some Sugar Pops?"
"No, sweetie. We're getting Cheerios."
"Can I have some Pop Tarts?"
"No, baby, too much sugar."
Aisle after aisle the questions continued, desires left unmet. Buffy was determined to raise her child to be healthy and strong, despite the temptations of the modern supermarket. Despite how much she wanted these things too.
"Cookies, mommy. I want cookies. Please?"
"Sweetheart, Auntie Willow bakes enough cookies. And they're better than these. So, no."
Finally, weekly ordeal at an end, they headed back towards the checkout lane.
"But mommy," Meredith exclaimed in a too loud voice, "We didn't get any blood for daddy!"
"Not here, honey. The special butcher shop. You remember."
"But I want to get daddy blood now!"
The grocery clerk turned his head and stared. 'Oh, great,' Buffy thought. She tried to improvise. "Blood sausage. She wants to get her daddy some blood sausage. He's, um, British. You know how they love that stuff." She looked down at her daughter. "But they don't have that here."
The clerk was delighted to help. "Sure we do. In the deli meat section. I'll take you over and show you."
"Oh, great," she replied without enthusiam. "Thanks."
Groceries paid for, including the unwanted sausage, Buffy looked down at her daughter. "That thing is disgusting. Your father better eat it. Next week, daddy can do the shopping."