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Just ahead of me at the check-out in my local Winn-Dixie were an older couple -  he rather gaunt and skinny, she quite short and needing to use a walking stick.

I soon sussed that they were French Canadians, with but a smattering of the English language. 

Their transaction took a long time as they tried to figure out how many American dollars were needed.  The shop clerk stood impassive, with not a hint of expression on her face.

The older woman dropped her walking stick.  I retrieved it. 

The shop manager had inadvertently removed their cart, so the old man walked slowly to get another one. 

They began their walk out of the store.

The woman, wearied by all of this sat down to rest a while on a bench near the store front.

As I walked passed them I summoned my limited French language, and uttered a cheery “au revoir, bon chance”.

That will not secure my nomination to L'Académie française, but it did evoke warm smiles from these Canadian shoppers.

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