A shopper's day

A shopper's day as told by a shopper ...Me

Short story about a day at BWC i.e. Bright water commons

There I was shopping….yes yes I know I’m a recovering shopaholic no-one said I was fully recovered…work with me. The kids were happily playing soccer with their new founded friends, Tyreque actually ran after a ball…I was amazed that my dubbed “lazy” child was actually enjoying this active playing.

I thought for a moment if this was a vital part of he's development as a child, proud mommy moment! Smiling....I darted off to the nearby shops one of which sms’d me earlier in the week TWICE! To tell me about the sale that started where I have an account and which I shouldn’t miss…..if you got that sms too…you understand don’t you, that I had to go and check it out.

So off to Identity I went, a couple meters away from my now rosy cheeked little loved ones. I started looking at the labels trying to scan them and see what the “was” price was and the now “new” price in red. I summed most of them up as….1. Can get it cheaper elsewhere, 2. Their pants don’t fit my hips anyway, 3. This color would make me look like I just threw up on myself. I went back to the kiddie’s soccer game looking a little depressed; I soon began to smile as I noticed the few men having a friendly game next to the kids. Aaah ya even as they get older and are in their early thirties they still make weird noises and hurt themselves while trying to get your attention alas making fools of themselves. Shame it’s cute, adorable….BUT I’m recently single and considered vulnerable I really shouldn’t be looking at that. But the one guy has these tight really tight shorts on….and those legs! Oh my gawsh! Uh erm…okay back to the story of shopping…I mean soccer he he he.

I sat there in the sun wondering how much longer the kids are going to play because there was no official referree nor was there a time keeper, the only thing that I could depend on was the machine that inflated the goal post. I figured it was about 4pm I should take a look around. I told the kids to have fun I’m around the corner…they didn’t seem to care it was a wave and an okay. Should I be concerned? Or is this normal when they with friends?

I looked through the flea market aisles but felt uneasy because I couldn’t see the kids from where I was…so that wasn’t very pleasant. Besides those leggings/ tights were R45 each! I’m sure at China mall I can get them cheaper with more elasticity! You know what I mean.

Back to the sun filled spot now the eye candy had even left….kids still playing…boredom killing me.  So I looked across from me…how could I have missed  it! I’ve been there before. It’s a safe place…well so the email says. My favorite color in big bold writing, I had to go into Mr. Price.

I had often on many previous occasions found very good bargains at Mr. Price and their size 3* actually fits like a 3* …yes that’s an asterix….what?!?!  Do I look like a size 3*? Or don’t I? Don’t answer that.

Walking through Mr. Price….I started wondering if I was taking too long and I kept darting my head at the window to check on the kids. I’ve never left them alone unless it was signed in and paid for with professionals etc. where there was someone I could sue for negligence or loss etc. Oh gosh I’m so paranoid.

There I found a great red check pants….guess how much R29.99! Can U believe it! The exact same pants I saw at Mr. Price in Cresta and it was R89.99 in the “PRICED TO GO” section. Why the difference. And to top it all off the last one was my size 3*! I took it, I mean 30 bucks…that’s like lunch which I will easily go without to get this pants.

I quickly dashed through the rest of the isles hoping to find another good catch. My eyes scanning to look for a top or something to match the pants. Preferably black….or red but then that’s too much red. Or grey…red and grey go very well together. Grey seems to be in for this season.

Darting my head at the window again…kids intact. So I came to terms with the fact that this lunch deal pants, was it. That was my fix….I should be glad I can’t afford to shop right now…but I needed a fix and this was it. As I was walking towards the clerk to pay I turned my head left and right while walking hoping to see that red sticker saying “PRICED TO GO” I knew if I just saw that sticker there would be some hope of something else cheap to buy.

I noticed this blazer which I saw a few weeks ago at Campus square…it’s called a boyfriend blazer…it was R90 and I said No…it’s before pay day and I came here to buy a gift not shop…..I was strong that day, that and the fact that I had my eye on the boot at Awol for R80! Special! Of course…the clerk i.e cow didn’t keep it for me as arranged…I should have offered to pay her but then the boot would have cost more than R80 then would it have really been a special?? *confused look*

Back to the BB i.e.: Boyfriend Blazer it didn’t have a “PRICED TO GO” sticker on it but I just thought I’d check the price. And there it was the moment I was waiting for …in Red…R29.99 I couldn’t believe my eyes. At that moment there was a woman next to me looking at the other blazers next to it….the ugly one’s…she could tell by the look on my face that something was up. She grabbed the price tag and looked at it…there was this moment between us….I don’t know what she felt but I felt like “if you try and take this jacket….You are going down!” I casually smiled and said great hey and grabbed it…it was my size! The last one….lucky for her she’s skinnier than me and she found a smaller size also the last one.

I felt like I got myself a good outfit for R60 and I helped a fellow shopper put a smile on her face. She didn’t leave that area, I left her there scrounging through looking for more deals mxm ….amateur…she will never know the secret to scanning and looking for specials and stickers like I do. But alas she got herself a BB for 30bucks! And she was grateful to me…saying thank you with this glee on her face. I have no doubt she will go back again and look for more….not if I get there first!

At that moment of victory I darted again at the window and noticed the inflated goal post was down! My heart sank, I felt empty and torn! I looked at my items in my hands with the doors closed if I leave now I will lose them forever! That skinny lady is going to buy it for her mother or sister I can’t have that. So I went up to the lady at the door and I gave her the shopper’s oath…”I swear I will be right back to pay for this, I won’t do any more shopping I will just pay for this I just want to fetch my kids” she didn’t even argue she just said okay peeped at her watch and opened. I ran over there and they were still playing with their friends , such good little boys so proud of them I was worried they would move from that area clearly they are getting bigger now and I need to give them some credit. So they said their goodbyes and went back to the shop with me. I paid for my items and we left BWC they had a good day, my day ended peacefully and not too stressful as I only spent R60! I’m proud of me. And we were all happy ….Now I just gotta find the right shoe to go with this pants! J