People Are Annoying, Especially Old People Who Are Convinced They Are Right

Bruno does his slow walk along the front of Woolies, stopping every step, resisting going on. It is really frustrating when he does it. I think it is something to do with the smells of a wall close by, him not being able to get enough of the piss aroma, I don’t know? He is a dog. He does it from time to time. The solution is to pull him away from the wall, away from all the smells, and then he walks normally. 

So, I am telling him to move it along, but we are nearly at the Woolies door where we are going to stop, so I don’t pull him away from the wall, I just try to coax him along. It’s not working, but we don’t have far to go.

“Bruno, come on!”

Suddenly, I have this old woman in a mask telling me Bruno is worn out. She is shorter than me, so she is right next to me looking up at me.

“Oh Bruno, will you move.”

“He’s worn out, he can’t take another step,” she says.

“He’s fine. Come on Bruno,” I say.

Bruno takes a step and then resists again.

“I’m telling you he’s worn out, he can’t go on,” she says. She is getting up in my face. “He can’t go on.”

Through gritted teeth by now, I say, “Bruno, will you come along.

Bruno takes a step and then resists, again.

“He’s worn out. He can’t go on. He’s struggling, can’t you see that,” the old woman says.

“Bruno!”

“Oh, jees,” she says. She is very dramatic. “He’s tired. He’s worn out. He can’t take another step. Can’t you see that?” She is like an 80 year old blow fly.

“He’s fine.”

“Oh, no, he’s not…”

Our eyes locked, she is a wiry little whippet with lank grey hair parted in the middle, with beady blue, rat eyes. Her face wore a look of total belief in what she was saying. 

I wanted to slap him. I wanted to slap her.

The thought that flashed through my mind and then was gone, as quickly, if I just pushed you over, you and your rat face you annoying little busy body, I’d be the villain. Go figure. 

I almost smiled at that, but fortunately for all concerned, Bruno got a wriggle on, and his lead took up the slack and he led me away by the hand from Beryl of the blue polyester frock and yellow pinnie. I could hear her tut tutting as Bruno and I left.