Winning Streak

 

I could not resist. I walked past and there it was on the pavement outside the shop. I know it is the wrong time. I know that I do not really need it and I know that a fruit tree outside a supermarket will have been having to tolerate extremes of temperature. It was the last one, so it had been rejected by lots of other customers.

But I bought it, despite all the danger warnings in my head. Was it because I felt sorry for it being left on the shelf (literally)? Was it because of the attractive presentation and flashy label? Was it because it was cheap? No, I think because it was a ‘chancer’.

I remember that my father who was a farmer used to buy animals that no one else wanted in the market. They were in the ‘bargain basement’ so to speak. He could afford to buy the fit animals, but he could not resist the challenge of a ‘chancer’. He sometimes used to buy a ewe cheaply because it had not ‘taken’ with the tup that year and did not have a lamb. But he was nearly always lucky and the following year the ewe lambed and Dad felt good. He had taken a risk and won.

I wonder if I will have that winning streak and see my bargain basement tree flourish and fruit?

Last week I certainly did not feel to have a winning streak. I had to go to A&E in the middle of the night. Mr T. rang 111 they were very helpful and questioned him carefully, then they told us to go to the hospital in Shrewsbury. So, we slithered through the silent sleeping streets, full of anxiety.

“There is a nine-hour waiting list,” was the greeting when we arrived. How could that be?  Some patients had blankets over them, some were served breakfast of toast and butter. I was quickly triaged and sent back to wait. But where was the doctor? Obviously busy with people who were sicker than me. Patients came and went as we settled in for the long wait. The searing sun rose and someone who had been waiting twelve hours cheerily waved as they went. Some left without being seen.

My time with the doctor eventually came and I was with her for a while and everything was checked. We came out into bright daylight but how did we pay for the car parking? We could not find out. Apparently, you pay at the correct machine allocated to your area. You cannot choose any machine to pay.

Eventually we met a friendly car park attendant and he sorted it all for us. Luck at last.