Joseph and the last Orange

Joseph woke up early. The shops weren’t even open.
His wife had left him a month earlier and he was finally
ready to face the world. Even though he lost his house
and his job all he wanted was an orange.
He had no money so he took a plastic toy gun.
The idea was to demand an orange or he would shoot!

He reached the Supermarket on Mule Street and sat out the front.
It had rained the night before and Joseph could
see himself in a puddle in the car park.
The reflection in the water was sad. He hadn’t shaved for a month and
his hair was matted.
Just then the glass doors of the Supermarket slid open.
Joseph jumped to his feet.
“All I want is an Orange.” He said proudly.
Once inside the noticed that he was all alone.
He held the Gun up and said: “I don’t want any trouble”
Mandie the Check out girl screamed:”He’s got a gun”!
She pressed the alarm and the Police were on their way.

Joseph smiled at the shop keepers and went straight to the fruit section.
He broke off one of those plastic bags and counted out
10 shiny Valencia oranges all the way from California.
Suddenly he found it difficult to stand. The plastic bag
broke and all the oranges fell to the ground and rolled away.
Joseph sat down unable to move.
He starred at the bag. It only had one orange in it.
He started laughing.
An old lady called the Paramedics and
 kept shouting that he was having a heart attack.
She said her husband had done the same thing. Just collapsed.
Joseph kept laughing as they lifted him into the Ambulance.
“All I wanted was an orange. Is that asking too much?” he said.
The Police officer just smiled and said:
“I’m afraid it is my friend, I’m afraid it is.”