Romane in the Supermarket

Once upon a time there was a man, called András Szeremley , who was buying food at evening on 17th November 2015. He bought some ham, some rolls and a package of Lays wasabi chips. There were counters for five-piece item buyers, called fast counters and András went to one of them where he caught a sight of a black beauty, who was working fast and was always smiling. Guys often chose her to pay at this counter because she had a slim figure, charming brown eyes and a cheerful look. She had a nice and kind personality so András simply fell in love with her at the first sight. When he got her counter, András payed by cash an she asked at the end of payment. ‘Have you got a five?’, meaning 5 forints to be able to give the change back. ‘Yes, I have’, András eyes were focusing upon her eyes and mouth. ‘Here you are’, he said and gave her the coin. In the meantime, he quickly looked at her glittering eyes. Some sparkles were in the air and she was laughing at him, ‘Thanks, see you.’ He was excited in the next weeks. He went to the supermarket every day and tried to find out when she is working, in the afternoon or the morning shift. Then when he was in the small town on a Thurday’s afternoon, András went into the flower’s shop. ‘I’d like to buy a single red rose with a short end without throbs, if it is possible.’ The owner smiled at him a little bit and told him, ‘Please, choose one of these’, ‘Shall I wrap it for you?’ ‘No, thanks.’, he paid and put the precious bright red rose inside his jacket to his heart. At about five o’clock in the afternoon, he was at the supermarket again. When he entered the safety gates he quickly examined the counters where the unknown beauty was working at. She was a simple girl, Romance in the supermarket by Balazsh Branyi 2 working long hours but she never seemed unhappy, she was 23. She was kind to every customer and young men adored her. As András did. The he bought five items, exactly five ones and rushed to the cashier, he payed by his debit card and suddenly, in front of safety cameras and a long queue behind him, took out the rose and gave it to her. ‘A flower to a flower’ and András smiled at her. ‘Oooohhh, thank you very much’, she said , and she was surprised a lot. On another occasion he thought he would buy a silver necklace to her, András went to jewellery’s shop and choose a nice piece, ‘She probably would love it.’ It was a late December evening, near Christmas and it was snowing.. András parked his car in front of the supermarket and rushed into the store. Fortunately, the girl, L.L. was on duty, scanning articles and counting money. She had a hard job but she was always happy, it seemed that she had been happy. She was a working class girl with a big heart. András hit the necklace in a box and when he got the girl, he gave it to her, ‘Happy Christmas to You.’ ‘It was very kind of, you, thank you.’, she replied and she accepted the little black box with golden decoration. András stared at her eyes and was happy, too. András trembled and shivered at once and thought, ‘It means something that she had accepted my Xmas present.’ ‘Maybe, I can invite for a date on the next occasion.’ When New Year’s Eve came, he went again to the supermarket and she was there again, she was busy working, as always. He bought five items and rushed to her counter, he wanted to invite her to a date on the last day of 2015. ‘Will you go out with me to celebrate New Year’s Eve?’ She was hesitating and told him, ‘Sorry, I’ll be with my girlfriends, sorry to say.’ Romance in the supermarket by Balazsh Branyi 3 András’ face became sad and said nothing. His instincts hinted him that the girl was just playing with him. I’m not attracted to her, he was 46, she was 23. ‘She could be my daughter.’, he thought. Then on the last day of 2015, he went to a ball in the village, he put a suit, a shirt with tie, bought some spirits and snacks and tried to enjoy himself, lonely. But his face radiated sorrow and he was thinking of her. ‘Undoubtedly, I have lost her.’ ‘Where she could be now, what could she do, who could kiss her now?’, that was a terrible thought so he left the ball lonely and miserably. On 1st January 2016 he went out of the house to check his car in the garage. It was freezing cold and the concrete was slippery in front of the garage. He tried to open the gate when he slipped and fell down to the icy surface on his left shoulder. He was not able to stand up so he was shouting for help to his mother. Later it turned out that his left shoulder bone and muscle was hurt, the bone had a fracture. He was not able to sleep at night, which he spent in the hospital, the next day he was released. The doctor warned him he should be operated instantly. But András refused this and asked the doctor, ‘How much chance do I have to recover without operation?’ ’15-20 percent to be frank.’ ‘You can leave the hospital on your responsibility but you’d better be operated, I suggest.’ But András went home and he tried to fall asleep in the evening. But he was unable to sleep, every movement of his upper body was painful and he also suffered from mental pain, the notion of not being liked the girl in the store. ‘I’ve asked her a date and she refused me. I don’t want to catch a carriage which does not let me pick me’, he thought. Several months have passed. Slowly, step by step, his shoulder and upper arm has been recovered but his heart was full of sadness. ‘I’m unable to forget her, the angel of the supermarket.’ Romance in the supermarket by Balazsh Branyi 4 Then he revised his relationship with her. She accepted the red rose, the silver necklace and he lost the love game and she refused the date. She must have found a young man to be her boyfriend. ‘But why has she accepted the rose and the necklace,’ The he read a passage from the Holy Bible. The most precious present in life is giving love and help to others. Presents are just objects but love is powerful. ‘Can’t buy me love’, he thought of his favourite Beatles’ song. ‘I’ve lost her’, he was sure. Then on 15 March 2016 he went to the supermarket again to find the girl. Then another cashier told him that she had quitted the job in the store. ‘I’ll never find her again’, András thought. He also was thinking about how many mistakes he had committed. he wanted to buy love with presents but a girl’s love cannot be won by silver, gold or diamond or ruby or emerald. A real woman’s heart can be gained by love, woos and smiles. ‘Let she be happy with the young guy, I’ve lost the love game again.’ And he was crying without tears. This story happened around Xmas and New Year’s Eve, and András learned he must find a girl who would love as much as he would love her. ‘Money can’t be me love.’, and he felt he had learnt the lesson. Love is a mysterious game and it is only Fortuna can tell that a love affair would have a happy end, so András became wise and stayed lonely, 2 multiply by two sometimes results in five, that was the sad story of L.L. and András in a supermarket of a little town, somewhere in Hungary, which town let it remain a secret..