SCENES FROM LIFE: A SHORT PLAYETTE
THE CHERRY PICKER
by Eleanor Tylbor
SCENE:
PRODUCE DEPT. OF SUPERMARKET. PEOPLE ARE GATHERED AROUND A DISPLAY OF
CHERRIES
AT RISE: A WOMAN APPROACHES THE CHERRY
DISPLAY, STOPS AND STUDIES THE PEOPLE GATHERED AROUND
FEMALE SHOPPER
Excuse me…um…can I get in here?
Excuse me, people…could you make space for
me?
Hello? Earth to cherry pickers! An outsider
would like to join you all!
Ouch! That hurt!
I tried asking politely to get close to the
counter but everyone seemed deaf to my request, so I had to take things in my
own hands or with my shopping cart as the case may be
You could have tapped me on the shoulder, y’know
Would it have made any difference?
Probably not but you could have tried
Good price for cherries. Guess that’s why
there’s so many people hanging out here. Hmmmm…where are the plastic bags. ‘Anybody
tell me where the plastic bags are?’ Anyone want to give an opinion?
(mouth full of cherries and oozing juice)
…are…none…left… Have to…ask…manager for…more…bags
Are those cherries you have in your mouth?
…uh-huh…
Would it be presumptuous of me to assume
you didn’t pay for them?
…hav’ta taste them, first…
You do realize that in some circles that
would be considered stealing
Everybody does it
And that makes it right? What are you
doing! Did you just spit out that cherry pit back into the display?
Yeah…I mean, I didn’t wanna dirty the floor
or anything. Somebody could slip and hurt themselves. Anyway, everybody does it
But…your saliva has germs, which you are
depositing on the cherries
What else am I supposed to do with the
pits?
You could refrain from tasting the cherries
or at the very least put them in your pocket and take them home with you or
something
Everyone else is doing it. Check out the
display
Oh Gawd! |You’re right! To think I was
about to put my hand inside there
You’re in luck. Here comes the produce
manager with a roll of new plastic bags
‘Okay everyone - move aside! I’m gonna clean up all the cherry
pits at the bottom! Not healthy.’
Aren’t you going to take a bag for cherries?
Somehow I’ve lost my taste for them. There’s
a sale on strawberries on the other counter, if only I can get near it…
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