It was 11:30 in the morning and Mabel had just arrived on the high-street. It took her a little bit longer to arrive compared to usual as the bus got stuck in traffic along the way.
She first visited the news agents to pick up the Liverpool Echo and to choose a birthday card for her friend. Her eyes scanned the shelf of cards until she found one which she knew was perfect. Mabel then made her way to the till.
"Mornin', Mr Brown" she said.
"Hello, Miss Mabel" he replied with a smile on his face. Mabel's Grandmother had been good friends with Mr Brown, so they always had a quick natter whenever they saw each other. "Are you alright?"
"Yes thank you, not too bad. Yourself?" she asked as she handed over the paper and card.
"Well, you know me. Thanking God every morning for another day"
"Oh, don't say that!" Mabel shook her head.
"Anyway, that's one-twenty then please". Mr Brown slipped the items into a paper bag and exchanged them for coins with Mabel.
"Thank you very much. I'll see you next week" she called behind as she made her way to the door.
"Bye, love" he responded.
When she had closed the door behind her and was surrounded by the rumbling of cars and the mumbling of chatter, Mabel took a quick glance in the news agent's window at the job offers available. She liked her current job but she wished to do something more exciting. It was repetitive, the same thing day after day. She simply wanted a bit more excitement in her life. None of the job offers in the window were really what she was after. There was cleaning, shop assistance, gardening, receptionists and so many more that she simply did not care for.
Mabel carried on down the road, occasionally scanning around to see if there was any sign of Bernard. The newspaper and card she had just bought poked out of the top of her bag which bobbed alongside her as she continued down the street. Her mind was lost in thought, wandering and pondering, until she was snapped out of it by someone calling her name.
"Alright, Mabel?" he said as he approached her.