She wasn’t so much sweet as determined. She didn’t even smile at me – she simply appeared at the Pick ‘n’ Mix area where, incidentally, I happened to be at the time. You see I had felt a bit peckish (even though I had shared a “Big Mac” with Chris a little earlier – because we were out and about looking for a new bed) as I was passing the sweet department. I had thought I might purchase a few red sweets (my favourite) and had already popped six miscellaneous red jelly things into a large paper cup when Chris informed me that you couldn’t buy a small amount from the Pick ‘n’ Mix section.
“They are bought by the cup at £1.89 a time,” he informed me, pointing at the sign (with small print).
“Oh dear,” I replied, “I suppose I could put them back…”
“Or you could cram in as many as you can and make it worthwhile,” my husband suggested.
That seemed like quite a good idea so I stood there for a fairly long time selecting everything red or chocolate (for Chris, who had wandered off to look at car accessories, or electrical wire… or whatever men like to look at). My cup was crammed to overflowing (but if I pushed them down the lid would go on – the prerequisite of the deal) when I realised I was not alone. I observed a little girl with her beady eyes on my full cup of sweets. The child was extremely short, leading me to believe her no more than two years old, and she had blonde wispy hair held back from her chubby face with hair slides. She had a pugnacious expression, which told me that she would brook no dissent and I was in no doubt that she had a stronger will than me.
“Can I have one?” she asked in surprisingly good talk for one so young.
I paused to consider – I hadn’t paid for them yet. A store detective might lead me off to await the arrival of a policeman… On the other hand, if I promised myself not to replace the missing sweet… what difference would it make? I was going to have to pay £1.89 anyway. Whilst I was considering these things the little girl’s mother came along the aisle to find her child.
“Come on Caroline. You don’t want any sweets,” the mother said smiling apologetically at me.
The child didn’t budge. She knew I had given in and she waited for the bulging cup to descend to her level. She took the big red jelly strawberry on the top, which was so big that it left a indentation in the pile underneath, but I didn’t replace it because I had made my pact. The little tot ran off to find her mum and I joined Chris who, having found a much needed car accessory, was eager to press on to the bed department.
“I picked up some chocolate sweets for you,” I tempted.
“Oh, I hate those Pick ‘n’ Mix chocolates – they aren’t even chocolate,” he answered scathingly.
I popped a red jelly sweet in the shape of a dog’s bone into my mouth (well, I was going to pay £1.89 for the cupful). It didn’t taste very nice so I tried a different variety- and that wasn’t very nice either. One of the big red strawberries was quite tasty but altogether too big and jellified. One of the crushed yellow bananas (put in as a nod to childhood memories) was incredibly sweet and one of the sour red twists was really too sour. Meanwhile, we had done our business (found a new bed to our taste) and we were walking back to the bathroom department by way of the Pick ‘n’ Mix shelves…
“I don’t think I really want these after all,” I said.
“Not now that you’ve had something sweet,” Chris laughed.
“Well we have spent lots of money here today,” I said.
And I pushed the nearly full cup of sweets onto a shelf near to the place from whence they had come. The lid was still on. I ran to catch up with Chris who had disowned me. Sh! Mum’s the word!
(In order not to disappoint those who came across my blog in the hope of finding the lyrics to Sweet Caroline I have copied and pasted them – also a link to Youtube Neil Diamond singing -below.)
“Sweet Caroline”
I can’t begin to knowin’
But then I know it’s growing strongWas in the spring
And spring became the summer
Who’d have believed you’d come along.Hands, touchin’ hands
Reachin’ out, touchin’ me, touchin’ youSweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
I’ve been inclined
To believe they never would
But now I…
…look at the night
And it don’t seem so lonely
We fill it up with only two.
And when I hurt,
Hurtin’ runs off my shoulders
How can I hurt when holding you?
Warm, touchin’ warm
Reachin’ out, touchin’ me, touchin’ you
Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
I’ve been inclined,
To believe they never would
Oh, no, no
Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
Sweet Caroline,
I believe they never could
Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
Sweet Caroline…
Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline (with lyrics) – YouTube
Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline (with lyrics) …. I love him but elvis version is more better…elvis gave life to …