Just 10p

Today at work, I walked to the local shop to buy milk, I bought a large bag of Hula Hoops for £1, I love nibbling on them during work, I first noticed a co-worker with them about 3 months ago and I’ve been hooked on them ever since.

I had not used my handbag but my tiny little bag I’d bought last year to put my mobile in so I could count my steps when I had no pocket for my mobile. I don’t usually keep any money in this tiny bag but earlier I’d brought a £2 coin to the local shop so I knew I had £1 left and later on I’d planned to remove the coin as more than likely it would eventually fall out as there wasn’t a zipped section to stop the coins from falling from the pull string to close bag, all of the bag is gray, soft suede.

I was then asked to go get an item from our local doctors, it was a lovely sunny, warm, day, today and was looking forward to the leisurely walk there.

Opposite the doctors is Morrison’s store, I hadn’t shopped there in ages, I thought I’d pop in and see what they had in the reduced sections, my favourite parts of the supermarkets.

There I saw tubs of wonderful green olives, I looked at the reduced prices, they were various prices from £1.35, £1.30 and saw some at £1.20 it looked like there was about 20 tubs which was from the delicatessens section of the store, but was not reduced. I looked through them all and found one tub reduced to £1.10! I felt in my tiny little shoulder bag for other coins, but there was only the £1 coin. I did think of asking another Customer near me if, “I could have 10p as I wanted to buy this item,” But I decided against it. We are all sick of ‘beggars’ in our Town.

I often see money on the ground 2p, 5p, and 10p sometimes I pick up the 5p’s sometimes I leave them for someone, who might need them.

I decided to walk around the store, and look to see if I could find 10p on the store floor, I saw nothing then I went to the self service section, people often leave money there, but a Staff was nearby and I didn’t want to look at all the parts where the money falls for the change, so instead I looked on the ground there and still there was nothing, not even a 1p! I was gutted. It was SO frustrating, yet I knew I couldn’t even say at the till, “Can I have it for £1?” For the sake of 10 pennies I was unable to buy that lovely tub of green olives.

All the way back to work I looked periodically on the ground for 10p but didn’t see any, and the further away I came from the store, I thought how far away from the store will I actually go back if I found 10p? Fifty yards from work? Thirty yards? Ten?

Crestfallen, I arrived back at work, it almost consumed me, it was silly, really for when I thought about it, for I was very close to asking my co-worker, “Can I just pop to Morrison’s in my car?” He would have said, “Yes, of course.” But 1, I have olives at home and 2, the small jar that I have cost only £1 and the tubs at Morrison’s a lot less was in them, and 3, if I’d gone, I would have bought a least 5 tubs….. or more! So, I’m glad sense prevailed, and like a temptation, I was able to win and not give in, because I didn’t need them.