I’ve been spending time on the tills recently at work due to staffing issues (basically we don’t have any) which gives me ample opportunity to listen in on other people’s conversations as they wait in the queue.

I love doing this.

It’s the only perk of being a till drone for a few hours; well that and watching people’s reactions after asking them if they want to pay a penny for a bag… anyway.

So picture the scene if you will; I had a queue a mile long. Well, that’s not quite right, it was a mile long AND wide – damn passengers with all their carry on crap. There should be a rule… if you can’t CARRY it in your hands, then you shouldn’t be allowed to take it onboard with you.

Anyway, standing in the queue was a tired but very sweet looking kid who was waiting patiently for his mum to pay for their books. Like all greedy good retailers, we have a selection of products strategically placed around the till area to entice customers to buy them. Because we’re a bookshop, you might think we have, I don’t know… say bookmarks or pens placed around ours. But no, we have chewing gum, nail varnish and card games.

Clearly our retailer knows its market.

Eventually the little kid and his mother reach the counter and as I’m ringing up their items, the kid turns to his mother and says: “Mum I love you know.”

Aww. How sweet I think, as does the mother, who returns the sentiments and says: “I love you too.”

The kid looks confused, I merely wipe my forehead… by god it’s hot… as the mother simply smiles.

“No, no. I mean, I love you know,” he states again whilst pointing to the counter.

The mother looks at the counter.

“UNO? You mean OOH-NO - the card game?”

“Yeah. You know.”

I swear, that fucking kid made my day.