Sunday, February 21, 2010

MR. GREENS SUPERSTORE by John Townsend

I was waiting for a bus to return home, I recall that day well 20 May 2009, left an impression in my mind. The coach was not due for another twenty minutes so I went into Mr. Greens Superstore which was nearby.
It was the wierdest of places, like going back to a time when, well before I was a kid. All the sweets in jars and a long counter behind which a royund man beamed a smile so big you had to smile back. 'Good morning sir how can I help you?' he asked me. I was stil messmerised by the time capsual appearance of this shop, then I asked, 'Excuse me this is just one great shop, I'll have some Humbugs if I may.'
The man reached to a shelf and grasped a jar of stripped Humbugs, ' A quater or a half sir.' he asked me, I replied unsure, 'A half please.' I could hear the Humbugs falling into the wieghing machine tray as I looked out of the shop window, but all elese that I thought, heard or said fell silent. What I could see through the shop window was a world passing by of horse drawn carriages and people in clothes of the 1920's.
'That will be 4 cents sir.' the man behind the counter told me, and I dipped into my pocket gave him dollar. He looked at then he said, 'Oh your from the other side sir, this is not valid here, but you can have the Humbugs on the house.' He then handed the dollar back to me and gave me the Humbugs in a small paper bag, as he did saying, 'Be safe on your way back sir.'
Nervously I took the Humbugs as I still half looked at the world outside of the shop window. Then I thought about his words, 'your from the other side.' With that I said, 'Thank you very much.' and quickly headed for the shop door, still staring at the odd array of people and transport passing outside.
The man behind the counter called out as I opened the door, 'Have a good day sir.' I gestured a wave as I caustiously stepped outside, clutching the Humbugs.
To my relief, the world outside was as it was when I was waiting for the bus; I looked at my hand holding the bag of Humbugs, then feeling a little silly I looked back inside the shop.
As I peered back in I was shocked, it was a smart modern supermarket, rows and rows of goods on shelves, no counter and no man behind it.
I heard a bus arriving and quickly looked across, it was my bus, so I turned away from the shop and ran to the stop to board the bus. As I stepped on I looked at the bag of Humbugs in my hand, then I looked through the bus window as I sat down, 'Greens Superstore?, what was that all about?' As the bus left the stop I stared at the shop then tucked into a Humbug. 'That was really wierd.' I said to myself. 'Really wierd.'

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