GIVING AND ASKING

I took some magazines to the Lunch Out cafe corner of Thomas and Jamaica where they’re giving away and asking for clothes. I gave two pairs of jeans on Saturday and some books that were by the tea and coffee when I walked in today.
About ten people there some sitting on the sofa and chairs. A couple of men, one muttering to himself, looking through the clothes were in boxes on table tops on shelves. A woman in a corner talking on a mobile caught my eye.
Split level.
Up a few steps set central through balustrade to the raised back floor where I put the mags on a table by an A4 sheet of orange paper that had messages on it, two or three lines long, written in black felt tip pen.
The woman with the mobile watched as I left. I thought she might say something to me but she didn’t.
The newsagent next door picked up each of the three packs of Best-in biscuits - bourbon creams, shorties, shortcake - put the price into the till.
‘I’ll have an Evening Post too,’ I said.
‘And an Evening Post...that'll be one ninety-nine thanks.’
Gave her two one pound coins.