LUCK WITH THE BRACES

‘One minute it’s raining, the next it’s sunny,’ I said to the man in the lift. ‘It’s difficult to know what to wear.’
We walked the same way from the building, I thought I could manage a short distance and, as I did so, plotted the point of departure.
‘I’m going to the House of Fraser sale,’ he said.
‘Is it open today? It looked like it was private a couple of days ago.’
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘It was cardholders only.’
Alongside the park he said, ‘I’m looking for some braces.’
‘Braces?’ thinking about his trousers.
‘I bought some a few weeks ago, cost twelve pounds, they’re really nice so I’m hoping to get another pair, cheaper too,’ he said, ‘in the sale.’
‘You know why it’s closing down?’
‘They’re relocating.’
‘To the new end?’
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Then they’re going to re-do the inside and Primark’ll have it.’
‘Twelve months is a long time to be closed?’ at the bottom corner.
‘They want to take out the escalators in the middle, make more room. You remember how it used to be?’
‘John Lewis?’
‘Yes.’
Opposite the top of King Square Avenue I said, ‘Good luck with the braces.’