The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3415 by Angharad Copyright© 2023 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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Trish and I were in one of the superstores, apparently, there would be a delivery tomorrow for David's usual online order which would be a pre-Christmas one and was larger than usual. However, we needed some items before that so Trish and I got volunteered She was pushing the trolley and I was mostly filling it with the things David had told me we lacked which I'd I had turned into a list. When it was concluded I began to think it was nearly as long as the one they'd be delivering tomorrow but Trish was happy pushing it and I would be paying it with one of Simon's cards, so really it was just the time factor that was the issue.

I happened to be looking for the next thing on my list and I noticed a girl grab something and put it inside her coat. I told Trish and sure enough the girl lifted something else and shoved it in her coat. I looked at her, her coat certainly had seen better days as had her jeans and shoes. Trish watched her as she looked for red kidney beans, "She just took some cheese."

"Is she just thieving or can't she afford the goods here?"

"She'd probably say that anyway." Trish seemed quite hard towards someone who for all we knew might be trying to feed two little ones without sufficient money to fund it.

"Wait here, I'm going to speak with her."

"Be careful she might have a knife."

"Thieves are rarely violent it's only robbers and muggers who are and she doesn't strike me as one of those."

"Nah, I'll give you that," said my daughter as she watched the woman. "If she starts anything, I'll finish for her," she continued although she couldn't really punch her way out of a paper bag.

I strolled over to the woman pretending to look for something. "Are you going to pay for all that?" I asked her.

"What do you mean?" she asked me trying to maintain eye contact but signally failing.

"I think you know what I mean, I've been watching you for about ten minutes, I'm sure if I spoke to a member of staff, they soon prove if I was wrong."

"Alright, so you've caught me, make you feel good does it?"

"No it doesn't but shoplifting raises prices for everyone."

"Yeah well if they gave me enough benefits I'd be able to pay like everyone else."

"Let's go and have tea, I find that helps difficult situations become a little easier."

"I ain't got no money."

"Oh, well It looks like I'm buying then." I led her to a table and she sat down looking very apprehensive but too tired to fight back. I got a couple of teas and some tuna sandwiches. I handed her the food and one of the cups of tea.

"You not having any?" she asked.

"No, a cuppa's enough for me," I replied whereupon she tore into the wrapped pair of the fishy morsels and began wolfing them down. "Hungry?" I asked.

"Yeah, not had anything since yesterday."

"Would you like a hot meal?"

"Nah, these'll do."

"Okay, now give me a good reason why I don't give you up to the store?"

"Buying me a sandwich gives you the right to judge me does it, have that one back." She handed me the second sandwich.

"I'm not here to judge you, I'm trying to stop you getting into more trouble, because if I saw you, I'm sure the store detectives did ages before, just waiting for you to exit before they strike." Just then Trish arrived. "Get yourself a cuppa, sweetheart. and while you're there get another empty trolley." She went off to get the trolley, which she brought back to me and then went for her tea, I gave her some money and she came back with a tea and a cake. By then I'd managed to get the young woman to eat the second sandwich.

I introduced Trish and the girl gave her name as Emily, so I said I was Cathy. As Trish scoffed her cake and drank her tea I pushed the empty trolley to Emily, which I doubted was her name, and suggested she put her purloined goods into it. She thought for minute before complying with my request and I had to ask her again before we had them all. It was quite a haul. However, instead of reporting her I led her around the store filling up her trolley with all sorts of goodies and necessities like meat, fish, fruit and veg as well as bread and pasta and tinned meats and fish as well. We stood in the checkout queue and she started to look frightened, I laid my hand on her shoulder, "I can't pay for all this," she said.

"No, but I can." I said quietly to her.

"But why would you do that?"

"It's my Christmas present to you," and I transferred the chicken from my trolley to hers asking Trish to get us another one. We had to buy half a dozen bags but hey, I didn't expect to need them beside the several we'd brought for our own groceries.

I paid for both trolley loads and we went back to my car and loaded them in the boot, the bags were completely different so shouldn't be mistaken. Then I insisted we take her home.

She was reluctant to tell me but I eventually persuaded her to do so before her ice cream melted. She eventually guided me to one of Portsmouth's most run-down council estates. Reluctantly she opened the front door and led us in. Under a pile of coats by a single bar electric fire sat an older lady who looked frozen and ill.

"Mum, this lady has bought us a load of groceries,"

The older lady nodded and said thanks before a really chesty cough. "You taking anything for that cough?" I asked and she shook her head. Her daughter said she'd had Covid and never seemed any better but the doctor wasn't interested. I listened to her distressed breathing and asked who their doctor was, I looked for a phone but the daughter explained that they had been cut off for non-payment.

"Who is your doctor?" she told me and Trish looked up his number on her iPhone. I took it and dialled; it answered and a not too helpful receptionist answered.

I got the older lady's name and the address we were at and asked for an urgent house cal., On hearing her name and address the receptionist became very defensive. "Who are you?" she asked me.

"I'll tell you who I am if you'll tell me who you are?" I offered

"Why?"

"Because if this lady gets worse then I'll know who to sue along with the rest of the practice."

"Surely, there must be an easier way?"

"Oh, It'll be easy for me; my legal team just need a target and off they go, if the name Jason White means anything, he leads it and I can't remember when he last lost a case, Hampshire Police lost to him for damages in excess of half a million, and I'm not joking.

"I'm not paid for this level of responsibility, I'm putting you through to Dr Goodwin." I heard the click as she transferred me.

"This had better be important," said a male voice.

"Oh, it is, I'm with ... ", and I gave the old lady's name and address.

"Not her again, what's wrong this time?"

"You're the doctor, but I suspect a chest infection and long Covid."

"Okay, I'll put her on tomorrow's list."

"And I may contact my legal team and sue for negligence."

"Who are you to be making such threats?"

"I'll ask a doctor friend to see this patient and see how ill she is and if he'll stand as an expert witness.

"Okay, who are you before I report you to the police?

"I'm the Lady Catherine Cameron, now you tell me you are coming tonight or I'll phone my doctor friend and he'll come and we'll sue. Nice speaking to you." I rang off and before Emily could make us a cuppa the doctor rang back and said he'd be here in an hour. I thanked him and shivered despite wearing a coat. I enquired about the heating and again like the phone bill it was not paid so they had a pay meter. I asked where they got it charged, they have electronic cards so you pay in advance. It's dearer and to me self defeating because expecting defaulters to pay extra for their electricity sounds poor logic but remember shareholders are more important to the power companies than poor customers.

I sent Trish with Simon's card and told her to put a hundred pounds on it. Emily showed her the way to the shop and the old lady just coughed and looked sicker. She did manage a cup of tea and I turned up the fire, the room started to warm slightly. The girls came back and they were laughing and joking, Trish enjoyed playing Santa's little helper.

The doctor arrived and we stepped out of the room for him to examine her. He agreed she was quite poorly and admitted her to hospital. I thanked him and said I would withdraw the lawsuit, he shrugged and said she was quite ill so thanked me for getting him here.

"You're not really Lady Cameron, are you?"

I showed him my university identification badge. He shook his head how come Professor the Lady Cameron, is here, how do you know these people?"

"I know lots of people and Emily is a friend of my daughter, Trish, isn't she sweetie?" Trish nodded as I knew she would. "We just happened to meet in the supermarket and I gave Emily a lift home as her shopping was too heavy to manage by herself."

By this time Emily had put it all away in a cupboard and freezer fridge. I asked to see the telephone account and spoke to them advising reconnection immediately, I paid their bill which wasn't very large as they were scared to use it. An ambulance came and carried the old lady away and the doctor left as well.

Emily sat by the fire and burst into tears, "How can we ever repay you?"

"Take it as a Christmas present, my husband is quite wealthy and he won't miss much of it besides he fully supports my actions tonight if it got you mum hospitalised, she was clearly quite sick."

"She was but the doctor didn't want to know, I think she'd given up hope so she was preparing to die."

"Well, don't let her do that, tell her she's got to get better for Christmas."

"I will, Lady Cmeron, thank you so much for you generosity."

"What work do you do?"

"I was made redundant a year ago, I used to work in a solicitor's office."

"Well, you keep this place spotless, and I could do with some help at home."

"I'd love to pay you back a little but if I earn too much I lose my benefits."

"Go and see the CAB and see how much you can earn and of course you'll need to look out for your mum, but I'll take whatever you can offer me and I'll pay £15 an hour for what you can do."

"Wow, that's more than the solicitors paid me."

"Yeah, I've heard that they are quite mean until they send out their bills."

"Right, let's go, young lady," I said to Trish and she followed me out to my car, "Merry Christmas," I wished Emily and her mum.

"It's going to be the best we've had in years, " she smiled at me.

"You enjoyed playing Mrs Christmas, didn't you?" enquired me daughter.

"Yeah, we don't do it often enough." I answered.

"Shoulda seen the guy at the newsagents when I asked him to stick a tom on the meter key. I thought his eyebrows were going to lift off." Trish began to laugh and I joined her as I drove us home hoping the ice cream hadn't melted.