On a cold, wet day, I reach the supermarket, numb. In front of me at the cash register is a man with half a brownie and a carton of juice. 2.78 euros, says the young cashier. A beep sounds, ‘no balance’. The man does not seem surprised, resignedly accepts his fate and walks outside. Then the girl picks up her phone and holds it in front of the PIN machine. It sounds beep-beep, and then she runs after the man to give him his groceries. “How sweet!” I exclaim to her colleague. “Welcome to the Albert Heijn Westermarkt,” he says with a grin. I leave the building warmed up.
Readers are the authors of this column. An Ije is a personal experience or anecdote in a maximum of 120 words. Submit via [email protected]