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Shopping List

Kathy hates the Shopping List and it's a good job, because the Shopping List fucking hates Kathy.
   Kathy's Kids love the Shopping List, 'cos the kids love Saturday morning TV, especially the adverts, and the adverts, for sweets and pack-lunch-fun, love the shopping list and does so vicariously through the Kids. The Shopping List pretty much ignores the children. On this point, Kathy and the List agree for once.
   Saturday morning seem like such a bad time for the birth of the Shopping List but this is Dave, the Dad's, day off so he can pick Kathy up after she's finished.
   Dave the Dad's position regarding the List is stoically unemotional and dad-like. As long as it's complete and checked Dave the Dad gives it no further thought.
   Kathy and the List both hate Dave looking over their shoulders. They could do without him interfering.

At the supermarket the Shopping List's work begins. Kathy knows each aisle inside-out. The Shopping List is bored. Every item is in order.
   “Too simple,” the List spits, wrestles, tries to escape.
   When Kathy does have to look down at the List she hates the fact that this breaks her flow, reminding her of what a pain it was to write it in the first place. By contrast, the actual shopping is a breeze; the placing of the items in the trolley and the movement up one aisle and down the next. She gets a small thrill as the fresh, new food piles up. She smiles at the other shoppers, the food and cleaning products on the shelves, and finally the checkout girl.
   Once outside with the trolley she loves that ten minute wait before Dave turns up. Especially because the Shopping List is dead.

Once home the reminders kick in, “Mum! Mum! Did you get this or that?” “You haven't forgot this or that, have you Kath?” And it’s that List again, like a bad disagreement from years ago which should have been erase from memory. Kathy hates that Shopping List.

Kathy hates that List.

And that week's Shopping List is left disregarded in it's silver cage - spent - unnoticed by the next shopper with his or her own agenda, emotions regarding shopping and tastes. The next shopper might not even have a list. And then the List is nothing.

The Shopping List fucking hates Kathy. Kathy does too.

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