Hundred and Seventeen

'Look, the bus is coming. No George don't sit down, we're getting on the bus'.
It is one thing to tell me you are going to be buying a cheaper brand of food but it is another to mix it with my favourite dinner in an attempt to sneak it in without my noticing.
'All right here we go'.
That is despicable behaviour it really is.
'Let's get on the bus George'.
You should know by now that I have an excellent sense of smell and I know very well when my favourite rabbit or chicken gourmet dinner has been ruined by having cheap rubbish mixed into it.
'Come on George. Don't be stubborn'.
On top of which we are supposed to be saving money by walking to work/
'Quickly! Or we'll be late'.
but oh no, you decide to cut back on the basics like good quality food/
'I don't want to have to pick you up'.
which is completely irresponsible/
'Hey George it's the World Cup Draw at work today!'
No it's not Pips. It's tomorrow.
'Simon's going to be doing it himself at teatime'.
Really? Well you should have said. In that case... But just this once.
'Oh I see, you're coming now are you?'.
ENG-ER-LA-AND! ENG-ER-LA-AND!



'OK everyone so I'm going to pull out your names from this bowl here and Jason is going to be pulling out the teams from the bowl over there. All the match results and the table of who is winning after every round will be pinned up on the noticeboard by the coffee machine. So good luck everyone. Here goes. First up is......... Judith!'.
'Thanks Simon. And Judith's team is...... who screwed up these little pieces of paper so tightly?... OK it's coming... Judith's team is... the USA!'
'OK well we'll all be hoping you lose your first match Judith!'
'They won't win. We'll kick their arses!'
ENG-ER-LA-AND!
'Sssh George'.
'Next up is....... Mahinder'.
He only got his name right because he was reading it Pips, didn't he?
'OK and Mahinder's team is..... Argentina!'
'Yesss!'
'They'd better not think of cheating as usual!'
'All right quieten down everyone. This can't take up the rest of the afternoon, there's work to be done'.
'Boo-ooo'.
'I know, I know, so moving on... The next one out of the hat is...... Nadine!'
'Your favourite George'.
Nadine Nadine with the sparkly shoes.
'OK Nadine. And your team is...... England!'
'Whoah!'
'You go girl!'.
ENG-ER-LA-AND!
'Sssssh George'.
'Next we have....... The Sickbag!'
'Hey it's George's turn!'
'OK George. And your team is..../'
'New Zealand!'
'North Korea!'.
'Outer Mongolia!'
'Oh George they're making fun of you'.
'Come on Jason. Get a move on!'
'I can't undo.. OK no, I've got it. George's team is.... France!'


'I don't know if Mexico are any good so I'm not sure whether I should be pleased or not. But France isn't too bad George'.
I will think of Mathilde and Colette and Bijou when they are playing Pips - all the lovely girls I met on our trip to Paris.
'I can't believe Simon got Brazil'.
I can Pips. He cheated.
'I mean he can't have cheated. We all saw the draw'.
Hey Pips! Since we're walking home can we stop in Bloomsbury Square and play 'fetch' for a while? That would be terrific.
'Are you going to stop your hunger strike and eat your dinner this evening?'
No Pips, because if I do we will both be in la merde.