In Summer, it's the perfect time of year for family days out. Alas, the place we visit more frequently than anywhere else is the supermarket. So, I figured... I may as well write a story about taking a trip, there.
You can listen to the podcast version of this story here.
You can listen to the podcast version of this story here.
Supermarket Sam
"It's boring!" Sam groaned. "I don't want to go to the supermarket! Why can't we go somewhere fun, instead?!"
His mum rolled her eyes. "We need to buy food, or you'll have no dinner, tonight," she told him.
Sam trudged to the car. "It's no fun doing the weekly shop!"
Mum smiled a wry smile. "I could have told you that," she said. Holding the car door open, she motioned for him to climb inside. "Come on. The sooner we get there, the sooner we'll be home again."
Sam watched houses and trees whizzing by, through the car window. He pulled a face, when they finally pulled into the supermarket car park.
"Less of that grumpy face," his mum laughed. "If you're going to be all cross about being here, I'm going to put you to work!"
Sam frowned back at her. "What do you mean?"
Mum pulled a trolley out from the bay beside the supermarket and handed it to him. "You're in charge, on this shopping trip. That means you have to push the trolley."
Sam grinned. Pushing the trolley sounded pretty good fun!
They entered the supermarket and headed for the fruit and veg aisle, first. "We need carrots, potatoes and oranges," Sam's mum told him. "I'll hold the trolley, whilst you go and find those things and bring them back."
Sam went darting off, in search of the groceries. He liked having a job to do! Usually, he spent shopping trips just lagging behind his mum and wishing they were finished, already. He grabbed all of the things Mum had asked him to get - they were quite a struggle to carry all at once - and he dropped them into the trolley.
"Next, you need to go to the fish counter and ask for three pieces of cod, for tonight's dinner."
Sam rushed to the counter and stared at the fish on display. A man in an apron appeared and smiled at him. "Can I help you?"
"I need three pieces of cod, please," Sam told him. He waited, whilst the man selected the fish and wrapped it up. The man stuck a little label on the package and handed it to Sam, who went dashing off back to the trolley.
"I'm going to cover the fish in breadcrumbs, just the way you like it," Mum told Sam, when he returned. "What would you like with it?"
"Chips!" Sam cried.
"Then you need to push the trolley to the frozen food aisle," Mum replied.
Mum had put several bottles of milk, a block of cheese and a tub of butter into the trolley, whilst Sam had been getting the fish, and it was starting to get a little heavy to push, now. Still, Sam was determined to do it by himself. He heaved and shoved his way to the frozen aisle and picked a big bag of chips out of one of the freezers. He dropped them into the trolley and glanced up at his mum. "What next?"
"Dog food," Mum replied. "Do you want me to push the trolley, now?"
Sam shook his head and pushed with all his might, until they reached the pet aisle. "What kind of dog food do you think Pepper would like?" Sam asked, scanning the shelf.
"You have to choose," Mum answered. "You're in charge today, remember?"
Sam frowned at the cans, pouches and boxes of dog food. They all looked pretty disgusting, if he was honest. But he seemed to remember that Pepper usually had food from a pouch and that the pouch was usually yellow. He grabbed a couple of pouches that looked familiar and held them up to show his mum. "Are these okay?"
Mum smiled and motioned for him to throw them into the trolley.
Sam was getting a little tired, now. The trolley was really heavy, too.
"Just cereal and bread left to get," Mum assured him, noticing that he had definitely slowed down.
They reached the cereal aisle and once again, Mum told Sam to choose which one to buy. His favourite cereal was on a very high shelf, so Mum had to lift him up so that he could grab a box. Even though Sam was enjoying being in charge, he was quite relieved when they'd put a loaf of bread into the trolley and were heading to the checkouts.
"Now, do you think you can lift everything out of the trolley and onto the conveyor belt?" Mum asked. "I can help you..."
"No, I can do it myself," Sam insisted. It took him a while, but he managed to get everything onto the belt.
"Don't forget to put a divider down behind the shopping," Mum told him. "That way, the person coming behind you knows they can start unloading their things onto the belt."
Sam leaned up and stretched to grab a divider.
The lady on the checkout began scanning all the items that had been in Sam's trolley, whilst Sam and Mum packed everything into bags. When the checkout lady was finished, she told them how much it would all cost. Mum glanced down at Sam. "Are you paying, since you're in charge?"
Sam's eyes widened. "I don't have any money!"
Mum chuckled to herself. "I'm only kidding," she told him, as she paid the lady.
By the time Sam and his mum arrived back at the car, Sam was feeling much perkier than he had when they arrived. "I liked being in charge, Mum," he told her. "In fact, I think going to the supermarket is a lot more fun, now." He climbed into his seat and put on his seatbelt. "Actually, I think I should always be in charge when we go shopping, from now on."
Mum smiled. "Really?"
"Yep," Sam replied. "I'm looking forward to the next trip." He paused, yawning and stretching his arms. "Although maybe we should leave it a few days," he added. "It's hard work doing the weekly shop, you know."
And Sam settled down in his seat, closed his eyes and, as the car rumbled homewards, he was soon fast asleep.
Sam trudged to the car. "It's no fun doing the weekly shop!"
Mum smiled a wry smile. "I could have told you that," she said. Holding the car door open, she motioned for him to climb inside. "Come on. The sooner we get there, the sooner we'll be home again."
Sam watched houses and trees whizzing by, through the car window. He pulled a face, when they finally pulled into the supermarket car park.
"Less of that grumpy face," his mum laughed. "If you're going to be all cross about being here, I'm going to put you to work!"
Sam frowned back at her. "What do you mean?"
Mum pulled a trolley out from the bay beside the supermarket and handed it to him. "You're in charge, on this shopping trip. That means you have to push the trolley."
Sam grinned. Pushing the trolley sounded pretty good fun!
They entered the supermarket and headed for the fruit and veg aisle, first. "We need carrots, potatoes and oranges," Sam's mum told him. "I'll hold the trolley, whilst you go and find those things and bring them back."
Sam went darting off, in search of the groceries. He liked having a job to do! Usually, he spent shopping trips just lagging behind his mum and wishing they were finished, already. He grabbed all of the things Mum had asked him to get - they were quite a struggle to carry all at once - and he dropped them into the trolley.
"Next, you need to go to the fish counter and ask for three pieces of cod, for tonight's dinner."
Sam rushed to the counter and stared at the fish on display. A man in an apron appeared and smiled at him. "Can I help you?"
"I need three pieces of cod, please," Sam told him. He waited, whilst the man selected the fish and wrapped it up. The man stuck a little label on the package and handed it to Sam, who went dashing off back to the trolley.
"I'm going to cover the fish in breadcrumbs, just the way you like it," Mum told Sam, when he returned. "What would you like with it?"
"Chips!" Sam cried.
"Then you need to push the trolley to the frozen food aisle," Mum replied.
Mum had put several bottles of milk, a block of cheese and a tub of butter into the trolley, whilst Sam had been getting the fish, and it was starting to get a little heavy to push, now. Still, Sam was determined to do it by himself. He heaved and shoved his way to the frozen aisle and picked a big bag of chips out of one of the freezers. He dropped them into the trolley and glanced up at his mum. "What next?"
"Dog food," Mum replied. "Do you want me to push the trolley, now?"
Sam shook his head and pushed with all his might, until they reached the pet aisle. "What kind of dog food do you think Pepper would like?" Sam asked, scanning the shelf.
"You have to choose," Mum answered. "You're in charge today, remember?"
Sam frowned at the cans, pouches and boxes of dog food. They all looked pretty disgusting, if he was honest. But he seemed to remember that Pepper usually had food from a pouch and that the pouch was usually yellow. He grabbed a couple of pouches that looked familiar and held them up to show his mum. "Are these okay?"
Mum smiled and motioned for him to throw them into the trolley.
Sam was getting a little tired, now. The trolley was really heavy, too.
"Just cereal and bread left to get," Mum assured him, noticing that he had definitely slowed down.
They reached the cereal aisle and once again, Mum told Sam to choose which one to buy. His favourite cereal was on a very high shelf, so Mum had to lift him up so that he could grab a box. Even though Sam was enjoying being in charge, he was quite relieved when they'd put a loaf of bread into the trolley and were heading to the checkouts.
"Now, do you think you can lift everything out of the trolley and onto the conveyor belt?" Mum asked. "I can help you..."
"No, I can do it myself," Sam insisted. It took him a while, but he managed to get everything onto the belt.
"Don't forget to put a divider down behind the shopping," Mum told him. "That way, the person coming behind you knows they can start unloading their things onto the belt."
Sam leaned up and stretched to grab a divider.
The lady on the checkout began scanning all the items that had been in Sam's trolley, whilst Sam and Mum packed everything into bags. When the checkout lady was finished, she told them how much it would all cost. Mum glanced down at Sam. "Are you paying, since you're in charge?"
Sam's eyes widened. "I don't have any money!"
Mum chuckled to herself. "I'm only kidding," she told him, as she paid the lady.
By the time Sam and his mum arrived back at the car, Sam was feeling much perkier than he had when they arrived. "I liked being in charge, Mum," he told her. "In fact, I think going to the supermarket is a lot more fun, now." He climbed into his seat and put on his seatbelt. "Actually, I think I should always be in charge when we go shopping, from now on."
Mum smiled. "Really?"
"Yep," Sam replied. "I'm looking forward to the next trip." He paused, yawning and stretching his arms. "Although maybe we should leave it a few days," he added. "It's hard work doing the weekly shop, you know."
And Sam settled down in his seat, closed his eyes and, as the car rumbled homewards, he was soon fast asleep.
THE END
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