The university operates a flexi-time system, so I decided I might as well stick around the house and wait for the village chemist to open this morning to collect a missing item from my prescription.
I waited patiently for the chemist's assistant to open the door (9:06) and presented the assistant with the slip I’d been given, who rooted about a few minutes then came back to the counter:-
Assistant: "It wasn't on the van Saturday and will be here later today."
Me: "You told me on Saturday it would be here today."
Assistant: "Yes, but it wasn't on the van. It'll be on the van later today."
Me: "If it was supposed to be on the van on Saturday and wasn't, how do you know it will be on the van today?"
Assistant: "We're expecting it."
Me: "But you were expecting it on Saturday and it didn't come."
Assistant: "It's not my fault. It'll be here when the van comes."
Me: "And when will the van come?"
Assistant: "Later on today."
Me: "So what time should I come back?"
Assistant: "Oh I don't know. You could try this afternoon."
Me: "What time this afternoon?"
Assistant: "After the van's been."
I took my slip and walked out the door....
