Go Shopping

All this time free and you haven’t had a chance to go shopping. You pop into the car and head to the out-of-town supermarket. It’s surprisingly busy for a Sunday evening. You expected it to be empty, but there’s more than a few people around, although everyone there is surprisingly quiet.

Except for one shopper, a large blond male, who clearly doesn’t want to be in the shop and is making that attitude obvious to everyone else. He’s draped over his half-filled trolley, berating his partner who is down the aisle and out of sight.

“You know what I like. Does that look like something I like? Come on, does it?”

You know, that man looks familiar. It’s surprisingly how few familiar faces you’ve seen since you’ve been back. You didn’t expect to meet any school friends. Like you they left for university and never came back. But this guy rings a bell.

Yes, tall but muscular, classic handsome face with a dimpled chin. That’s Chad Mano, your old high school bully. Just seeing him again makes your skin crawl as memories flood your mind. Chad Mano gloating. Chad Mano pushing you around, sometimes with fists, mainly with snide words and put downs and insults. You choose another aisle.

Except before you do you catch a glance of the woman he’s berating. Spencer. That’s Spencer.

Hang about Spencer said her new married surname was Mano. Is she? She must be. Spencer’s married to your high school bully.

Definitely avoid them. Except it’s too late. She’s looked down the aisle. She’s seen you. She’s seen you watching her. Running away now would just look wrong.

You try to put on a brave face as you push your trolley towards them. Spencer doesn’t look happy. Chad is noticing your approach, his wife’s attitude and eyeing you suspiciously.

“John?” Spencer is the one to break the silence.

“Spencer. Out shopping?” You quash the quavering of your voice. This close to Chad the memories of his actions are so strong, you can almost taste them.

“Who’s this?” Chad asks in that condescending voice you remember so well.

“This is Mr Smith, the new history teacher. You remember, I told you about him.”

“Oh, yere, I remember. The beta your school’s brought in.”

Spencer flinches at Chad’s comment and raises her eyebrows as if to say sorry. You hardly notice. This close to Chad Mano, with your name mentioned and he hasn’t reacted. Does he not remember you? Obviously not. He’s left a greater impression on you than you did on him.

“This is my husband, Chad,” Spencer tells you needlessly. “Don’t worry about him, he’s in a bad mood. He doesn’t like shopping.”

“I am not in a bad mood. I’m being very calm and collected. I just don’t see the point of me being here. You could’ve come while I was watching the rugby.”

“We’re husband and wife. We should go shopping together. Shouldn’t we. You’re eating this food as well. Your opinion is important.”

Chad turns you to. “Typical woman, can’t make a decision. Needs her man around.”

“You remember the last time I went shopping without you. You complained about everything. Didn’t like what I bought. So, we need to do this together. Anyway, I’m sure John doesn’t want to hear about our shopping woes. You here shopping as well?”

“Yes, suddenly realised I didn’t have enough food.”

“And you don’t have a woman to buy the food for you?”

“No, I don’t. And even if I did have one, I’d come with her.”

“To check she’s buying the right stuff.”

“No, because it’s the right thing to do. As Spencer said, we’d be eating the same food, we ought to decide together what we’d want.”

“Yere, beta.” He glances at his watch. “Come on honey, we need to get a move on. We need to get back for the Rugby Show.”

“Well good to meet you,” you lie. “I’ll see you in school tomorrow.”

Spencer looks apologetically at you before speaking. “Yes, see you in school tomorrow.”

The two of them set off, and you deliberately head to a different part of the store. You don’t know whether you could cope with any more Chad. He doesn’t appear to have changed. Which just begs the question, why did Spencer marry him?