WRAPPING PAPER

This morning I went shopping. To be more accurate, I ran along behind Little Girl, carrying a purse and the bags. As she scoured the shelves, I observed the other shoppers, laden with gifts and rolls of wrapping paper.

It reminded me of an occasion when, once upon a time, I was standing in a local supermarket just before Christmas idly considering the various choices of gift wrap on sale. A client passed by, waved cheerily and commented that she always bought her wrapping material in the next aisle. Curious, I pushed my trolley along it. There were stacks of household detergents, mops, brushes and then I spotted them: bin liners! Rolls of great big black bin liners and I realised what she meant, for this was the lady who against my better advice had decided to leave her husband’s personal possessions in bin liners on the driveway to their garage.

She at least did him the kindness of calling him to let him know what she had done and pursuant to which he made his way to their home relatively promptly. In the meantime, however, a local charity shop had arranged to collect unwanted possessions in that same street, that same morning and you will not be surprised to learn that husband’s worldly goods were pretty soon in a van heading for sale in aid of a good cause! Of course my client was blissfully unaware, until her husband arrived on the doorstep. I seem to recall, and this is putting it mildly, that he was not very understanding about the situation.