A True Story

True, to the best of my recollection

Thinking back now, I can remember an incident which took place back in August of 2012.

It happened at the local mega-food conglomerate type grocery store, whilst buying a few items, the way most people did at that time in Earth's history.

The store was very busy at quarter past four, unusually so. 

When I strolled in, I noticed a very tall blonde and statuesque woman, of non-burundian descent, waiting patiently in the 'express' line (which in those days simply meant, that if you had an express bus or train to catch, you were fucked!) 

I meandered throughout the complex picking up various items I intended to eat over the next few days.

At one point, I stood facing the frozen juice section next to an attractive young woman, more or less of average height, also possessing no discernible burundian qualities.

As I crouched down to grab a few cans of juice off the lower shelf, I remember being delighted how she had held the freezer door open for me. Her father had been waiting patiently, shopping cart in hands, for their turn to grab some juice for themselves.

I then moved over to the lineups (and they were extensive), three different cashiers were being besieged by demanding and anxious grocery shoppers.

I was standing at the end of a long line which I was convinced would be the most 'civilized'. 

As I waited patiently, I glanced over and noticed that tall blonde woman, of non-burundian descent, was still waiting stoically, in pretty much the same order of lineup she had been in when I first observed her upon entering the store. So needless to say, the lineups were just not moving on that day.

I then caught a break, and noticed the empty checkout in front of me had suddenly erupted with a flurry of activity. 

A new cashier, just back from her 'smoke break', was about to alleviate some of our collective suffering, (and goody for me)  I was closest, therefore to become the first in line… right?!?!

I waited politely for the cashier to insert her cashbox into the machine and punch up whatever code was necessary to begin processing her transactions. I had simply been waiting for her to remove the 'cash closed' sign and officially re-open for business. 

Swiftly, like some kind of nimble poltergeist, that young woman, who had so patiently held open the freezer door for me minutes earlier, was now standing in front of me, frantically urging her father to weave his shopping cart past yours truly (and the three other people in line in front of him), and right to the front of the newly opened cashier.

I looked backed, her father remained motionless, in fact he even looked away. 

What kind of monster had he created, he must have thought to himself:  to have such a beautiful daughter disrespect those patiently waiting in line in front of her. 

This was the kind of guerilla queuing tactic that had worked so well at night clubs, but in the unwritten rules of civilized society, the young woman had 'broken the code', a code which had been dying a slow death during the first few decades of the 21st century, that is of course until our inevitable rendezvous with destiny

So the young woman stood there frozen for a moment. 

My eyes, those of the cashier, and the others waiting in line, gazed down quizzically upon her. A dozen penetrating eyes were soon fixed upon this hungry heretic, with the exception of those of her embarrassed father, and perhaps the statuesque blonde woman, of non-burundian descent, still standing motionless way over in the 'express' line.

The young woman then lowered her head in disgrace, and walked quietly to the back of the line. 

Future CT   Village 5, Nova Avalon.   Year: 17 P.T.E.