The Vomar was the only supermarket in the center of Wormer, when we lived there the atmosphere was like that in the entire village: stiffly bourgeois. I thought I had gotten rid of it, but now I practically live in a Vomar branch in Amsterdam. Same chain: a completely different experience. This Vomar makes me feel like a man of the world. It could also have been Berlin, Istanbul or New York, I think as I walk in with Frida van Roosmalen (4). Cantas parked incorrectly in front of the door, sometimes with a pet inside. Walking into a supermarket behind the pram with a cigarette in your mouth, put on the right music and it is art.
Upon entering, Frida van Roosmalen immediately runs to the plastic container with croissants. We once met a man eating there, who said that you can taste everything in the Vomar. Cashiers who throw keys at each other over customers’ heads because an extra cash register needs to be opened urgently. Savings promotions for a discount on Tefal pans or Van der Valk towels, in Wormer they counted out the stickers, here they will give you a whole roll if you ask for it. People who sift through receipts because there is a difference of 20 cents, twenty cans of private label beer on the conveyor belt. At Vomar they sell toy helicopters from China for 14.99 euros and the largest bags of chips.
Walk into Vomar behind the stroller with a cigarette in your mouth, put on the right music and it’s art
Because of Children’s Book Week there was a promotion, fortunately no books, there were cardboard boxes with cuddly toys that appear in children’s books: Gruffalos, Miffies and Hazeltjes (known from the book Guess how much I love you).
Frida van Roosmalen had taken a Hazeltje and did not want to put it back. She lay down on the floor, Hazel in her arms. I kept saying ‘no’ until I said ‘yes’. She immediately got up and helped put products on the conveyor belt and carry the plastic bag. Before we left, she spread her arms and asked loudly: “Daddy, how are you so sweet?”
A few melted in line.
A woman came up to me to say that I am a very sweet father, and that she hoped I would be rewarded for that later. She no longer had contact with her daughter. Especially that is the Vomar.
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