186 'GRANNY'S SHOPPING'
by Roderick Lovesey (B. 1944)

Her smock was freshly ironed this morning, and her little tip-toes tap-tap on the well-worn floor boards with anticipation and uncertainty. What to have? What to have? Unfortunately in her great haste, she forgot to bring the list. "Oh! botherkins! that was silly of me, - but I think I've remembered everything. I daren't forget the main errand!"

But Granny has also suggested she buys something for herself for a ha'penny. Will she buy a sugared mouse? -or a piece of chocolate cake? She certainly won't buy biscuits because her Granny's biscuits are so good - you can't stop eating them.

Our little friend recites to the shop-keeper the shopping list from memory. She's been repeating the items all the way. She daren't get it wrong, for her mother will scold her; Granny won't say anything, but mother will. "What do I really want this time?"

The whole place is packed full of so many temptations; - all the brightly coloured labels - and different shapes of jar and tin. The shop has everything anyone could ask for!

This little girl, whose fair curls are all her own, glances familiarly up over the counter to the high shelves, trying to spot if anything new has come in, - anything exciting? But no, not this time, perhaps next week? On the counter itself there are many different sweets. She often wonders if, with all the money in the world, she could buy the whole lot for herself and her best friends. What a day that would be!

She holds on to the edge of the counter making herself as tall as she can, and in an uncertain manner and looks up again. There is just so much choice.

The shopkeeper smiles and tells her that she needs one shilling and tuppence three-farthings. Granny has sent her with the exact amount, except for her own reward. The decision must be made now or never. What to get indeed?

The dark chocolate bar is very tempting, but no, not this time. She decides finally to get as many boiled sweets as she can for this ha'penny. They will last longer than anything. That's the fun of shopping for Granny. Not only the warm smile she gets when she returns with the purchases, but the secret sweet money she gets. She will sit all afternoon in her hidden place gorging on them, even saving some for later. For when they are gone, it will seem forever before she next goes shopping for Granny again.