My Stories: Personal Writing

A Most Embarrassing Experience
by
Vasudev Seeram

The day started like any other. I was awakened by my mother calling me. She wanted me to go up the road to buy a few things at the supermarket. Yes, it started like any other day. Little did I know that I would remember this day, Sunday, April 6th, 1997 for a very long time.

After eating breakfast and bathing, I walked up the road to the supermarket. It was very busy as usual, since it was the only one that opened on Sundays. I arrived there in about ten minutes just as the sun was beginning to get hot. I was eager to get back home so that I could watch X-MEN, my favourite cartoon.

I briskly entered and proceeded to get a trolley. I soon had all the goods I needed. I went to the lines to cash my goods. I made a mental check of the goods to see if I had all my grocery. I think I had all, but I was only checking to see how much time I had remaining.

Eventually, I reached the cashier. "Hurry up!" I exclaimed. "I have to get home to see a show." The cashier frowned at me. "That will be one hundred and seven dollars and twenty five cents," she replied. I put my hands into my pants pockets for my wallet. I swallowed hard. "I forgot home my wallet," I said slowly and stupidly. Everyone stopped and looked at me. I know I had a very embarrassed look on my face. "I forgot home my wallet," I said again. I felt small and dejected. "Are you trying to be funny? Stop wasting our time and put the goods back on the shelves," I slowly backed out my trolley and did as they said. I avoided people’s looks since they were laughing and murmering about me.

I reached home about an hour later. "What took you so long?" my mother yelled. I told her what had happened. I got a long lecture on doing things right and not rushing since you can forget things.

That day, I learnt a very important lesson: Buy a VCR and learn how to program it; you’ll never know when it will come in handy. Now I have a VCR and whenever I see it I think of that day: it was certainly my most embarrassing experience.