An Unsuccessful Shopping Trip

 

An Unsuccessful Shopping Trip

As usual in my family, our grandmother assumed the role of leader when it came to Deepavali shopping. The reason was very simple: she had the first strings-literally. We sat around and rolled out a two page shopping list. Grandmother and youth sitting there concentrating intensely with her glasses balanced on the tip of her nose. She wrote slowly and that gave us a lot of time to think carefully.

“Sunday,” announced the Grand Old Lady. When we finished and looked at my sister, the designated driver for all expeditions. My sister nodded and beamed her usual ear-to-ear grin.

Finally, we arrived and we were excited at least 4:00 p.m. approached and were dressed and ready to out before. As they would be in the wake, my grandmother decided not to take our parents along. " they are too old-fashioned," declared Grandma. We agreed. Shopping with Grandma would be more fun and we look forward to it. Our parents were likely to look for the ‘cheapest and the best items’. Grandma looked at Graham and determined as she emerged from her room dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. The slide result did not dampen our spirits as we set off. I wondered why our parents had such broad grains on their faces as we waved goodbye.

It was a bad decision: we only realized that when our car left the CTE and turned into Bukit Timah Road: Sunday was Foreign worker's day! As usual, they were there in their thousands. The field every sidewalk and spill into the main road. Anjali had to drive very carefully to avoid men who walked on the road as if they were walking in their living rooms. Honking was not a factor as apparently all of them were deaf. Some looked curiously and turned their heads away, but did not move inch to give a way. With a great deal of patience and ardent prayer, Anjali managed to drive us to the car park behind the temple. What a hope! There were at least 10,000 of them together there, and they were actually sitting in the car park. Finally she gave up honking at them and turned into Race Course Road. After some clever maneuvers and near murders, we managed to arrive at that Legendary Street. I am still wondering how Anjali did it. We were ready to give up, but the determined looked on grandma's face encouraged us. Suddenly, the reason for our parents' broad cranes dawned on me.

 

We got out of the car and began the one kilometer walk to the shopping area. We were particularly interested in the clothes shops'. After more clever maneuvering, this time on foot, we managed to arrive. Grandma smiled triumphantly. However, his Triumph was short-lived: most of the shops were closed! Apparently the shop owners had less patience than we did. We looked at our great leader for a sign. He gave a big sigh; the biggest we had ever heard. "Let us get the hell out of here," she said in despair, letting out a swear word. we were glad to agree. 

Pic to cause half an hour to get back to the car stop it was nice to set an air-conditioned comfort. Anjali- the most careful driver I have ever known-  drove so fast on the way home that I was worried. Suddenly grandma said, " next Sunday," we looked at her Incredulously. " Saturday,"  she corrected herself. Enlightened from GCE O'Level Examination Past Paper Book