Oh, Good Grief!

[poliphilo]

 So how about this for a dream? 

Ailz had sent me down the bottom of the hill in Oldham to buy a copper pan from the junkshop there. It cost me £45.

On the way home I went into the junkshop at the top of town and found a wooden skeleton- half life sized- and decided to buy it.

I went to the desk. The shop girl said."The copper pan will be £22."

"No," I said. "I bought that at the other shop."

"Sorry," she said, "But if you bring things to the desk I have to assume you sourced them from here."

 "Please " I said, "I'm asking you accept my word of honour as a gentlemen and a Oldhamer that I bought it in the other shop."

 "Can't do that," she said, "We have a policy."

"Alright, you win," I said- and reached for my credit card.

It wasn't there. I had put it down on the desk and one of the other customers must have stolen it.

"Did I give you my credit card?" I asked the girl.

"No," she said.

And I left the shop empty-handed.

Ailz met me outside. "That pan," she said. "It won't do for boiling milk. It won't do for cooking curry."

"Just cancel my credit card," I said...