The saturday prior to labor day weekend, Irene wheeled her grocery cart to where the hot dogs were available.

Holy Hannah!  A pack of four, of the good ones ran about $13.  She looked over the few items she needed to buy.  The bag of six rolls ran about $10; the two cartons of oj about $15, and the total of some five or six other items would run about $50.  So, she'd end up leaving the best end of a $100, and maybe - just maybe - that would fill two bags.  Meanwhile, back at her little three-storey, her frig contained about three or four eggs, half a small jar of mayo, three sticks of butter, oh and and some fruit spread.  Her freezer?  That contained mostly juice cartons of frozen water.  A small loaf of bread, three donuts and a half pound of hamburg about made up the rest.  Her pantry?  Not much within, other than a box of crackers and a few cans of soup or beans.  

In her purse, was a little bag, containing a small bottle of about 20 Slimleys Appetite Suppressants.   The label showed a young person - Irene wasn't sure if the thong-bikini'd individual was female or not.  Didn't matter.  The pills ran about $7 - cheaper than buying food.  A half bottle of them sat on her kitchen counter.  She'd taken three that morning, with her coffee, and a glass of watered down juice.  And then, a fouth before leaving the house.  The recommended dosage was three per 24 hours.  She had left the house, just shortly before 10 am. 

Her vision's corner caught at a cart, loaded with all sorts of things.  Within, was a bag of grapes - they ran around $15ish...maybe next time - a couple packs, around $50ish, of cold cuts, two or three bags, about $20s worth, of tater chips, several packs of hotdogs, a few pounds of burger - hhmm, how much was that, nowadays? - rolls for both - had to run about $30 - a long sleeve of napkins.  

Paper products were doubly insane - but that was because of the footprint tax...and Irene had to side with the gaias on that one.  They were one of the Six-faction - well, af least here of late.  Anyway, had she the extra money, she'd of bought one; throwaways are more convenient, when you don't have a washing machine...died a few years back.  Oh but to swipe a phrase, from a movie she and her late Husband had seen, back around '95, "Life finds a way."  The cart also contained soda - lots of it.  Strange, but over the past decade or so, carbonated beverage prices didn't go completely hop-head, like about every other thing.  Bottled water did - that ran nearly $10, for a 36 pack.  

Peeking from behind the rickety cardboard display of plastic bowls, spoons and other picnic things, an inky sleeve of Six proclaimed to any eyes - who had the misfortune to look upon - you MUST accept.  Then a flip-flopped lower leg stepped forward, revealing ... yep, more ink.  But not only that.  But a pair of short cut offs, riding up the woman's inner thighs.  A somewhat careworn child then darted in front, his or her fingers pointing to something.  "Mommy, can we get..."  The kid's request was met with ... well, a snarl.

I.e., move along, nothing to see here.

Still, left the old woman feeling rather sad.  Seeing all this time after time, the woman was probably receiving government assistance - tax dollars at work, including those paid by the old woman.  That bit of reality wasn't what brought on the sadness - and moreso, quiet rage, having for...well, decades really, been on slow simmer.  After all, someone had to provide - that 's what civilized ... yep, once again, it was quite obvious, that some certain pee-freaking-wee hadn't stepped up.  What was the 30-ish woman supposed to have done?  Gone and had a vac job?? 

"Gone."  That was the magic word.   Irene wheeled her few items toward the checkout queue - the furling frayed hems of her skirts jostled some random items which sat, out of place, upon a lower display rack.  The line was long - two of the checkout kiosks were out of order.  At least #5, which had been  down last week, had been fixed.  

"...ef no!" a base voice snickered, "not my place, did'er in the parking lot."  He added some other comments about "them" being all the same, good for a "pump and dump."

Maggot.

"...ghostin like that," cautioned the co-maggot, coming from the cad's phone, "dude, ah dunno..."

"...no worries," he reassured his buddy, "child-free route." cadly snickered at his own wit.

Gross.  

Having seen and heard enough ugliness for the day, irene simply wanted to get home.