Four Thousand

4000

‘I’ve been thinking.’

‘Mmm?’ responded Dan, halfway to the sleep he’d been dreaming of all night, his head blissfully sunk into his memory foam pillow bought from BHS just before the dreadful closures.

‘Perhaps we should change the cooker.’

No response.

‘The cooker,’ repeated Jayne. ‘You know, that big yellow thing in the kitchen that can get all hot and cook your food.’

‘Right,’ offered Dan, steadfastly refusing to turn his head away from the ‘stormy sky’ (grey) painted wall and toward his wife. To do so at this stage would show a modicum of interest and be a fatal error.

‘You see the problem is, our cooker isn’t really that big and it’s yellow. I’ve often wondered why we bought a yellow cooker.’

‘Your Mum bought it,’ responded Dan, delighted to drop his Mother-in-law in it but immediately fearing he may be opening a larger conversation. He’d had so little sleep over the last week. Work related as ever. Retirement still seemed like a lifetime away and little triumphs were becoming less frequent. Mind you he did like his food and a new bigger better cooker would be good. He turned to Jayne, carefully keeping his head on the pillow as though super glue was involved and keeping his eyes firmly shut.

‘Have you seen one?’ he muttered, as sleepily as possible.

‘Well yes I have actually. I popped into ‘Fabulous Lookers’ on the way home from work tonight and they had the one I wanted.’

‘The one you wanted?’

‘Yes, I’ve been researching it!’

‘Of course you have,’ replied Dan, reluctantly opening his eyes and pulling himself up out sleeps welcoming arms.

‘The reviews agree that the Rangemaster Nexus is five star and, wait for it,’

‘I am,’ smiled Dan.

‘I can get it in ivory!’

‘Wonders never cease.’

‘I know!’ exclaimed Jayne in a squeaky high voice that made them both laugh.

‘And will it fit?’ asked Dan.

‘Well it will after you’ve moved a cupboard out.’

‘Right.’

‘But it’s fine, you’ll see. I’ve measured it up and everything,’ said a pleased with herself Jayne.

‘So the deals done?’ asked Dan.

‘Well not quite, you see there is the small matter of how many pounds it will cost.’

‘And how many pounds will it cost Jayne?’

‘Four thousand…’

‘And how’s our banking crisis?’ asked Dan.

‘We don’t have one,’ replied Jayne, ‘but this will take us a little too close to next years holiday fund.’

‘Well,’ replied Dan thinking about Sunday roast dinners, ‘I think we should make the investment, don’t you?’

‘Yes!,’ replied Jayne, turning to her side table and triumphantly turning off the bedside lamp.


4,000. Only a number but without Blip Towers it would be zero. To everyone of them & my kind blippers who visit me - you rock.

A X