Mary Thompson received a phone call. The management of the factory where she worked for 50 years wanted to congratulate her and present her with a gift for her 75th birthday.
She was thrilled! After ten years of retirement, they remembered her! Even if they just handed her a card, it would make her day.
Finally, the day arrived. Mary dressed up nicely, even put on some lipstick, and set out early to ensure she wouldn’t be late. There were six others like her being celebrated. They all knew each other and were delighted to reunite! The Deputy Director gave a congratulatory speech and handed out envelopes containing a £50 note. Then, a woman from HR led them to the factory’s canteen for lunch. It was a chance to relive the days of factory meals.
At the end, they were given a “grocery pack”: five types of grains, a bag of flour, three cans of fish, and a large bottle of apple juice.
It was all lovely and useful, but how was she going to carry it all home?
The friendly HR lady said, “Ladies, don’t worry. You can leave things in my office and come back for them later. Nothing will get lost!”
Mary, having seen it all in her life, just chuckled to herself. Yeah right, leave it and never see it again! She decided to take everything at once. She always carried a supermarket bag with her. It claimed to hold up to 10 kg, so she packed the grains, flour, and cans, while tucking the juice bottle under her arm. Off she went, carefully navigating the icy pavement.
Mary lived two bus stops away from the factory and had always walked. She didn’t bother with the bus, especially with both hands full. It was heavy, but her heart was light. She didn’t even need the juice; she had plenty of her own as apples were plentiful this year. But since it was given, she’d make use of it. And though they didn’t usually eat those grains, they’d still come in handy. After a brief rest at the corner, Mary prepared to cross the road.
There were cars waiting for the green light. To save time, she crossed diagonally over the icy ruts.
In a sleek car sat a young man with his girlfriend, watching Mary’s awkward struggle with growing amusement. Suddenly, he honked—the noise was sharp and surprising!
Mary jumped, slipped, and elegantly sprawled to the ground. The juice bottle broke.
As she landed, two grain bags burst open, spilling their contents on the road. The flour bag split too.
Getting up, Mary faced the beautiful car. Through the wipers sweeping away snow, she could see the young couple laughing hysterically, waving her to move along.
Amidst the blaring music inside, they couldn’t hear her indignant words, just see her angry red face. As she bent to gather her belongings, the young man hit the horn again. Something snapped in her mind.
She recalled her father’s war stories—how he taught her to stand up for herself, never to be pushed around. Fiercely, she picked up a bag of grain, made a small hole with her finger, and lobbed it at the car’s windshield. Then another.
The young man kept honking but didn’t dare to get out. Mary continued until she was out of grains, then took the flour bag and launched it onto the car roof, where it burst, covering the car with white powder. Satisfied she had exhausted her “ammunition,” Mary picked up the cans. As she contemplated her next move, she saw the terror in the young man’s eyes—perhaps akin to that of enemies during wartime. She put the cans in her bag, dusted off her hands, crossed the road, and shuffled home. She felt calm, her heart lightened. They didn’t eat those grains anyway, and they had better juice at home.
The green light had long since come and gone, and the fancy car was being circumvented by smiling passersby. The young man remained in his car, frantically calling someone. The wipers continued to smear the white paste across the windshield.
Later that evening, her grandson dropped by unexpectedly with a cake and champagne. “Gran, I thought you were just a wiz at baking, but you’re a force to be reckoned with! You’re all over YouTube!”
Mary Thompson was now a local legend.
Who can predict what the “old guard” might do in a moment of desperation? Best not to find out!
