Late this afternoon, I went to the grocery store to buy meat for tonight’s meal. I was halfway through my shopping when an announcement came over the loudspeaker.

“It is 5 o’clock. This store is now closed. Please make your way to the checkout.”

Darn! I forgot about the stupid Sunday trading laws.

So I joined the sea of people lining up at the checkout. Suddenly, I spotted Jon, who I know from our scholarship group.

“Jon!” I cried.

“Joan! Wow. You wouldn’t believe who else I saw, too…”

I looked past him. “It’s Krish!”

“And there’s Anne!” Jon pointed to the other side of the checkouts. Krish and Anne are Scholars too.

“Hey, guys,” Krish said, lining up behind Jon. “Man, I haven’t seen you in a month.”

“I am so glad this week is over,” I agreed. I put my groceries on the converyor belt and did a quick calculation in my head. I didn’t have much but the lamb was going to be expensive. I pulled out my wallet to get my bank card.

No bank card.

I must have left it on my desk when I used it this morning to buy a bus ticket.

There was only a £10 note in the wallet. There was also a long line of last-minute shoppers waiting to go through. What to do?

I turned around and put on my damsel-in-distress face. “Jon, can I borrow some money?”

“Joan, you’re cleaning me out,” he laughed. “How much?”

“Ten pounds?”

“There you go.”