Wiggles Car

One winter’s day, all out of entertainment ideas, I decided to shop at a different supermarket in town. I chose this supermarket specifically for the Wiggles song-playing cars for toddlers to ‘drive’ which have a shopping basket on top.

Safely across the busy car park the twins made a beeline for said cars and climbed into one each.

That wasn’t part of the plan.

I stood there a while, humouring them, while concocting a plan to get them into one.

“Go mummy, go,” they chanted, urging the cars forward. It was at this point I noted money was required here. Emerging from my purse empty-handed, I eyed the cashpoint but realised that would only disperse $20 – not the required $2.

After drawing out $20 and miraculously having got them into one car a man approached and, seeing my plight, gave one a push. The wheels began rolling.

“They actually go for a little while before you put the money in,” he said with a wink.

We had motion and were off.

But not for long. Halfway to the door, they froze. “Go mummy, go,” the twins insisted.

I stood helplessly watching people emerge from the exit and toyed with the idea of ducking in and approaching a check-out operator for change. I knew there was no way the twins were going to give up their car but then, eyeing the passing traffic, instantly dismissed this as a dumb idea.

Then a uniformed woman walked past and I pounced.

Obviously on a break, she reluctantly took my $20 and went indoors. Seconds later she was back with change so I profusely thanked her and we were rolling. Wiggles music blaring, Jai and Jayla were happily ensconced in their car while I freely perused the aisles.

Until aisle four.

Jai began climbing out the window while I tried to gently push him back in. By aisle five he’d lost the plot and I decided to call it quits and queue in the checkout line after depositing him into a ‘naughty spot’ at the bottom of aisle five.

I tried my best to ignore him while shoppers rounded the corner, saw a little boy sitting alone and glanced around for his parent. Finally it was our turn to go through the checkout and we rolled forward – and stopped.

It seemed the time limit had expired and the car seized. Now I was faced with a boy in the naughty spot, a conveyor belt-full of groceries and a little girl who didn’t want to give up her stalled Wiggles car.

I pulled a screaming Jayla out as an employee retrieved the car, and dug in my purse for my credit card while a redeemed Jai clung to my legs. It was whilst plotting my next plan of action – how to get kids and groceries safely back to the car – when a kind elderly man offered to bring my groceries out.

It wasn’t till I had the kids strapped into their seats that I noticed he was pushing my trolley while pulling his own.

I learnt two lessons that day: One, there are kind people out there and two, stick to your local.