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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