In the Co-op, I was forced to pick up a box containing ten cans of Fosters, along with the Brioche which had been requested by Junior. At the tills, one was operational and the attendant was attending to a customer, so I waited in a line of ..... me. Yes, I was not going to be kept long - but long enough to espy some flowers that were in a small bucket on the till that was not in use. Of some mild interest and attraction were the orange stickers used to denote a price reduction. I leaned to the right, and set about establishing the price of each of the two bunches on offer, loitering in the aforementioned container. One was a fairly bulky gathering of flora, and I clocked the £1.65 price, substantially less than the original £6.00. But they looked like they were already toying with the idea of dying soon. Plus, £1.65 was out of my range of interest. The other bunch posed more of a conundrum.
The interest level was mildly enhanced by the price tag - 65p rather than an original £3.50. The temptation was immense. However, it was not immense enough to reach purchasing status. Delightful as the 5 or 6 buds were, in their plastic wrapper, I was in two minds. Mrs MWSC has received flowers from me on perhaps a handful of occasions - ever. These little closed buds were sweet if not numerous. I struggled internally, and held out. I decided that it would in fact be a poor show to buy discounted flowers, and as the till became free, I moved forward to complete my purchase.
In the kitchen, I took two items from the carrier bag, and relayed to Mrs MWSC my very recent experience, encounter with tulips, and conundrum regarding the possible purchase.
"I decided that I would actually save a further 65p and not buy them at all," said I to Mrs MWSC.
This led to an unusual state of affairs. A perception of romanticism on my part by Mrs MWSC, mixed with acknowledgement of pragmatism as a result of my reticence to part with 65p and the derived contribution to joint finances at this 65p level. Her chuckles were themselves rewarding, and I felt I'd done well, even though I was reminiscing and considered that I really ought to have bought them. We embraced, and agreed that it was the thought that counted, and we were 65p better off, while having enjoyed the benefit of tulips without their actual arrival at the house.
Mrs MWSC then pointed out that should I have bought the tulips, it would in fact have been herself who would have parted with the paltry 65p, as I was carrying her debit card! So it turned out that she did not buy for herself a small bunch of lovely pink tulips, and would not be locating a vase on the window sill. I was content in the knowledge that I'd done well. I had come close to buying the flowers, which was itself a nice gesture. I had then enhanced the overall outcome buy saving an extra 65p.
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