This, Not That

Imagine having ebola. I've got a heavy cold, thick head, gungy chest and I feel ill, really dreadful. All my joints ache, especially the ones already strained from heavy gardening. And my stomach feels sick. But it's nothing, nothing compared to how terrible ebola must be. Imagine being a Syrian refugee in a freezing field somewhere that you're not wanted, and you have flu, or worse. Or your baby is sick. I feel bad but, god, how much worse could it be.
 
I went into Jewsons the other day and asked for four cheap and nasty paving slabs measuring 450x450. Utility rather than cosmetic would be their function, so I didn't need anything fancy. We've got a special offer on at the moment, I was told, £1.49 per slab including VAT. Well, job done then. I paid, and we went outside so he could load up the car. But what manner of evil articles were these? Dark grey, forbidding and horrible, not the bland beige I'd imagined. I shuddered. Oh no, I said, these won't do at all. I feel depressed just looking at them. With an air of having heard it all before he lifted the offending first slab out of the boot and showed me what else they had. The next cheapest started at £4.99 , but it was much more bearable. OK, I told my friend, I'll take four of those and then come in and pay the extra. He loaded up the car then gave me a wink. I'll do a like for like swap, he said. If you come into the shop and we go through a refund and recharge you'll be there for 20 minutes, all that paperwork. I'll balance the books somehow. Thanks Jewsons. Now I know what to do when I install a wet room next to the cloakroom.

I hear voices outside and jump up to see who's invading my space, but it's only two passing cyclists, gone by in a flash of colour. In the sky hovering over the field beside me is the sparrowhawk who often works that same patch. He hangs in the air for nearly a minute before flying off. I've never actually seen him dive and emerge with a mouse or vole. I wonder if he's just putting on a display of power for me. I wish the Irish had shown its power earlier. But they're out of the Rugby World Cup now. Commiserations.