Thursday 21 June 2012

Soliloquy of a Pill Counter


You came in on a busy Friday afternoon to hand in a prescription for Cialis. The way you handed over the prescription to the nice shop girl is akin to you chucking ten cents to the local beggar on Courtenay Place.

The first words out of your mouth weren't "Hi, how are you?" or "Is it possible to fill this script?". It was "I expect to only pay $25* a tablet and that's what I am paying". And with that, you have established that you are very good at blowing smoke up your own behind.

You reminded me of the middle-aged white man that went into a Chinese restaurant (coincidentally also on Courtenay Place) to order a heavily marinated meat dish. Like those annoying people who order quarter strength soy milk decafe at your local barista, he proceeded with the belligerent "don't you dare add any MSG." When the clerk tried to tell him that the meat are all pre-marinated (hinting that he should perhaps order another dish), the subtlety flew pass him like a fat guy bypassing the fruit & vege section in the supermarket. So he said "did you get my order? Yes? Then why are you still talking?"

We took in your prescription, and finished it in ten minutes. Interestingly, you managed to substitute "Thank you, here's my money" with "What took so long?". It took every ounce of me not to say "I do apologise for our droopy performances, I am sure you can understand". But that double entendre would fly past you just like the fact that there were already two people waiting in the shop before you came in hence explaining the non-instant service that you were accustomed to.


After you left, the little boy in the shop asked his dad: "Why didn't the pharmacist say anything back to that asshole?"

Dad: "Because he can't, he's a professional"

Boy: "But he was so nice to him, why can't he just give that guy a taste of his own medicine?"

Dad: "Because he's the hero that the people deserves, but not the one they need right now. So he'll continue to be professional, because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian of our pills. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight."

*Equivalent of $20USD

1 comment:

  1. Well written. Ill definitely be back. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete