One Thing at a Time
Tomas walked into the furniture shop on a Saturday morning. He had just moved into a small flat in Manchester, and it was completely empty.
“Can I help you?” asked the sales assistant.
“I hope so,” Tomas said. “My new flat has nothing in it. I'm going to need everything.”
The assistant smiled. “Well, let's start with the big things. What about a bed?”
“I'm going to sleep on the floor until next month,” Tomas said. “First, I need somewhere to put my clothes. Do you have any cupboards?”
“We have these two,” the assistant said, pointing. “This one is wooden, and that one is metal.”
Tomas looked at them. “The wooden one is nicer, but it's more expensive. The metal one is cheaper, and it's lighter too.”
“That's true. But the wooden cupboard is stronger. It's going to last much longer than the metal one.”
“Hmm. I think I'll take the wooden one, then. And those shelves over there. Are they wood as well?”
“Yes, the same wood. They're going to look great together.”
“Perfect. Now, the big question,” Tomas said. “I don't have a car. Can you deliver all of this?”
“Of course. We deliver on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Which day is better for you?”
“Thursday, please. I'm going to take Friday off work to build it all.”
The assistant wrote it down. “One wooden cupboard, one set of shelves, delivery on Thursday. Anything else? A table? Some chairs?”
Tomas laughed. “One thing at a time. My wallet is going to need a rest first.”