POER FOREVR continued

Where was I? Oh yes, under the clock in Burnside Village. It was only half past eleven, and mum wanted lunch.

It wasn't her fault. She had a dental appointment at two o'clock and I suppose she wanted to get lunch out of the way and brush her teeth in the ladies' washrooms before large numbers of ladies began to flood them. I say washrooms, because I don't like to say toilets in this context, but of course, I mean toilets. And of course, I don't literally mean flood them.

Now I was determined to delay a little because I don't like to eat lunch at half past eleven. But I agreed to start looking around. We looked at Jardines on the Square, VP's, and Ushi Sushi, and the Village Bakery. We chose the Bakery. Then we looked at quiches and muffins and pies, cakes and smallgoods and cheeses until quarter to twelve. Oh, let's eat now, said mum. Alright I said. I said it because I am and have always been perfectly willing to eat lunch at quarter to twelve.

The Village Bakery is small and almost entirely filled by the counter. Customers have to sit at a long table half in and half out of the shop. Mum sat in the shop and I sat jutting into the mall. I was eating a vegetarian sandwich with squashy vegetables inside the bread. Mum was eating a quiche and salad, with brown stuff drizzled over the top. Two seats down from mum in the corner was wedged an old lady drinking coffee and slowly eating a scone. It was obvious she didn't think it was lunchtime.

To be continued.....