Jerry’s

I love Jerry’s. I walk in and I feel at home.

Jerry’s isn’t actually called Jerry’s. The sign above the store says EZ Convenience. Jerry is just one of the four people who work there. But he’s always in there whenever we go in so that’s why we call the shop Jerry’s, even though it’s not his shop and Jerry isn’t his real name. I asked Jerry once what his real name was and he told me that I would find it too difficult to remember. I made him tell it to me anyway. He was right. Jerry it is.

The counter in Jerry’s is on the left of the shop as you enter, next to a stand of newspapers, and the rest of the shop is divided into two narrow aisles by a row of shelves running down the middle. Along the right hand wall there are fridges for milk and dairy, cold meat, sandwiches, sausage rolls, Scotch eggs and other chilled snacks. Along the left hand wall are fridges for alcohol and soft drinks. The right hand aisle contains bread, eggs, tea, coffee, flour, sugar and tinned goods. The left hand aisle has cereal, toilet paper, crisps, nuts, biscuits and cakes. In the far right corner of Jerry’s you can find cleaning products, toiletries, light bulbs, stationary, TV guides and celebrity magazines. In the far left corner is a door that leads to a storeroom. Keeping Jerry’s well-stocked is a 24 hour job.

Jerry has a baby daughter. She keeps him up at night. He works twelve hour shifts and sleeps at whatever time of day he can. Jerry likes working in the shop. He likes the customers. He says hello to us by name and we say “Hello Jerry” back.

Jerry’s is one of two convenience stores situated just two doors apart. Between the two stores there is a bar and a dentist’s surgery. The dentist’s has an all glass street-front so you can see the receptionists behind their desks, the people waiting for their appointments, and all the awards that the dentist has won for oral hygiene excellence. The bar has regular size windows but it’s always dark inside so you can’t see who’s in there or what their oral hygiene record is like.

Even though it offers more choice and better quality stock we rarely ever go to the other convenience store. It’s a few yards further walk, the aisles are too cramped and no one knows us there. Besides, we can usually get everything we need from Jerry’s. If ever we do have to go to the other store we feel guilty and ashamed, as if we have done something wrong; betrayed a friend, lied to a lover. We walk back past Jerry’s with our heads down, hoping he doesn’t see us, hiding our purchase, swearing we will make it up to him, that it will never happen again.