Chapter 17

While waiting for the chicken to cook, because you have to cook them yea know. A wave of tide of hunger caught him and he began to drift further from himself, it would only get worse, something needed to be done.

Taking out the credit card and not thinking of the many ways a card of its dimensions and specifications could function, he put it to immediate use to lighten the burden of life, and cut 10 perfect slices, his technique was getting better, for sure, 'but the new card cuts through so well' he whispered to the bacteria, known collectively as feta, or was it a bacteria bed time story?

Now that he didn't need to find someone to mind the chickens, he felt a wave of relief come over him, who did he even know experienced in chicken management, as he?

A list of names rolled from his lisps, but none of the candidates seemed good enough, 'no', he reflected, 'they are much better off where they are, living free', but where that was, was a good question, maybe an out of sight, out of mind rule was applied, as far as chickens were concerned as Senior Pepe's name came to mind, 'nope' he thought licking the crumbs of cheese from the card, 'wouldn't be his thing and anyway he's vegan, i think?' And Pepe's name was struck from the list floating about among the cells in his brain.

The note was clear, he would be needing that card he thought, as he licked the second side, better break it in slowly, as he inserted it back into his wallet.

And also, as per the instructions, were to enter the shopping centre at 10am, stroll into the supermarket, 'your mission, if you choose to accept it', he murmured to his reflection while driving to shipping centre... and produce the card, and say the words, displayed at the bottom of the letter.

Sounded simple enough, anyone would have thought and by now we catch up with him as he's entering the centre, glancing briefly and nodding, with the duck on his wrist as if to confirm, 'bang on time' he recanted as he strolled passed a $2 shop and noticed a wonderland of goodies where everything was the same price, 'i'll be back for you' he babbled as he passed a box of liquorish

'The licorice plant is a perennial herb and a member of the pea family', he demurred as he made his way  to the trolley bay, he liked to think of selecting the shopping trolley as selecting a fine steed, 'things could get nasty in there', he thought as he imagined what it would be like to be part of a supermarket trolley demolition derby, one thing for sure he reflected deeply. 'It would be great' he envisioned as a trolly wheeled his in the main door and into the fruit section.

Of course you should never go shopping while your hungry, everyone knows that, not that this would have mattered to him, it would all be on the card, as he picked some bananas, known as 'food of the monkey' in Brazil, he liked the way 'put it on the card' sounded, but he was a bit old fashioned when he thought the financial system  as he munched on his first banana. 

He remembered he had to get some cash out, it might be fun to throw a few dollars here and there later, just to experience the money in the old fashioned way, a piece of plastic people is a very unemotional way of parting with any money you might have acquired by trading your time in the wage slavery racket

Throwing items in, no longer in a position where he needed to consult the mouse at the wheel on his brain, calories, nutrient value? They were never questions that popped into his head, and now he had a stride of respectability about him, anything could be his, even stuff he didn't want, 'Do rich people feel like this all the time?' He wondered as he reflected a lifestyle of 'If you have to ask the price, you cant afford it?' as he selected food at random, selecting each item for purchase on the power of persuasion presented to him, based on the packaging, idea and promise made by the item, he wanted to be seduced, the tide was turning, look out world as he smilingly walked up to the check out.

'Hello, how are you?' began the girl as his bill was totted up, as one question after another came up to explain the purchases, and hell, if she had to explain to people to not eat in the store one more time, she was fit to scream.

The bill was calculated and before signing, Caruso turned to the girl, and peered closely at her chest and read, 'Clare', 'Hi Clare, he began, and i'll pay for everything in the store for the next 10 minutes' he didn't write them words, they were printed in the letter, well more or less, he did throw in 'My good man' to the service attendant.

All he had to do was read them and before long, ears were pricked to attention, this was a turn up for the news.

'Is the billionaires club in town', replied an old man at the back of the line, awaiting his financial fate, if it was going to be free he mused, 'I might as well go and get the beef sausages' as he turned around after an announcement was made of the generous offer.

Of course, before any offer was announced, the credit was checked on the card, the money was there, it would take the full load, as some cheese half covered his face on the card, he shifted his legs while waiting for the manager's call to the bank.

Time was beginning to feel precious, was it not money after all? Well, this is how he felt before he was allowed to make the announcement over the PA.

'Dear ladies and gentlemen, for the next 10 minutes, everything is on me and free to you, just bring whatever you want to the checkout and i will put it on my card', towards the end of the announcement the walking speed of the supermarket, declined until everybody stood still, you could have heard a pin drop after the announcement finished.

A jam jar breaking resonated from isle 5 as people looked at each other as if to say, 'Did you hear that too?', the crowd suddenly became a feeding frenzy as people gave themselves up visually, emotionally, mentally and physically as people reached out to grasp consumer items that they could only ever dream of buying, with appealing, seductive packaging, you knew you were paying for that packaging and this was a-ok now, for the next 10 minutes, someone else would be picking up the tab.

'Hell's bells, kid', said the old man with his beef sausages you win the lottery or something?', 'no i have  a benefactor' came a carefully rehearsed reply, as he swiped the precious card and signed on the dotted line, turning to as if appease the fans saved from parting with precious wage slave earnings. 

'Did someone say hero?', he allowed himself to muse, but only briefly, the day wasn't over yet

But not before taking one packet of beef sausages, 'gratis' as the Spaniards would say, the old guy did have 10 packets and after all, it wasn't like he didn't have the money and he took a packet of biscuits from another fan as he strode out the door, feeling like a king, but wanting to miss out on the windfall of the chosen ones

'Why did you do it?', came another probing question, 'Because i can afford it', came a reply from his lips, almost surprising himself with the feeling of euphoria he began to sense creep up on him as he experienced yet another time what it was like to be revered in captive awe

Exiting the building, he threw an empty drink can in the bin, missing his target but not missing a beat as a cleaner watched him, the music was too good to stop, hadn't he done enough for the world?

Not wanting to break his stride, to shoot from a closer distance, the cleaner shook his head and sighed to himself, 'Whats the world coming to? Who does he think he is?'

'What it must be like to be rich?' Caruso remarked and gave a security guard a nod as if to approve his great work in protecting the goods that could be traded with the swipe of a plastic card and thought about how the good guy always gets the girl in Hollywood anyways and then he remembered......'The liquorish!!!'