A wasted chance
These two categories are defined by the differ- ent direction of the gaze of their components, through the space of the supermarket. Hunchbacks are the species that assume an arched spine posture. The head is the end- point of the curve and is oriented downwards. This is because the gaze is constantly attracted to a point close to the floor. The Hunchbacks’ arches can have different curves, depending on the personal flexibility, the age and the mood of the day. The speed of the gait is not affected by this posture. They still feel a real interest
in the object, determined by the material and immediate need that takes them away from the distraction of the perpetual superfluous choice. But this trend was imposed on them by the supermarket system: the Shelving.
The Erectus differ from the Hunchbacks in their perfectly vertical posture. Their eyes are turned towards a point that is always straight in front of them. This is due to the low flex- ibility of this species: extremely rigid, the Erectus can only rotate their heads from right to left and from left to right. They could bend their legs to make a top-down movement, but, they are not fit for effort, so this is a function they are losing with the passage of time. Unlike the Hunchbacks, the Erectus have abandoned the vulgar interest in the object as such, to fo- cus on its “meaning”. In front of the Shelving, they are not driven by an immediate mate-
rial need but by an attraction to the surface
of things. They move between the colors of product packaging, taking the terrible risk of buying the goods that have the wrong concept. In fact, the personality of the Erectus is con- tinuously created and kept stable thanks to the meaning of the products they buy. From this, it can be deduced that this operation is extremely stressful.
In order to better understand this rigid divi- sion of behaviors, we have to shift our atten- tion to the structure of the supermarket. The grid of the shelves encloses the different focal points of the two categories of consumers, and thanks to it the order is respected.
The items to be purchased are always posi- tioned from the bottom upwards according to an increasing price. The aesthetics of the prod- ucts also change according to their position: the larger, basic-colors packages are located at the bottom, while as you look up you are faced with an explosion of shapes and colors. Hunchbacks and Erectus know exactly what they want, thanks to the grid, they point straight to their goal with determination, without uncertainty, and quickly dismantle
the rows of packages. In their eyes, there is no reflection of fascination for those treasures, but the faces and gestures are impatient and eager to respect the laws of the system, concerned about what they have and what they do not have. Joyless greed. Yet a deep bond is created between them and the products. You can’t really talk about choice, but rather about being chosen.
But what would happen if there were no Shelving to show the way to consumers or if there were no objects to have already chosen the consumers?
Probably, the only difference is in the number of circuits that people should involve: they should have to deal with the irregularity of feelings, conditionings, ties between person and person,becoming prisoners of a machine that they wouldnot know how its work, while with this predetermined system the human choice follows absolute spiritual laws.
Each movement is monitored by the central structure of the Shelving, which is responsible for maintaining order. Everything has already been said unless it is decided that words should change their meaning. All the actions are planned to reduce the unknowns of the fu- ture. This system has never encountered prob- lems, except once, in 2011, when an ordinary, middle-aged man decided he didn’t want to be a Hunchback anymore.
The following happened.
6:07 p.m., a man enters the supermarket that is located near his workplace to do the shopping: he had received a call from his wife around 5 p.m. to warn him that she intended to prepare excellent hot dogs that evening, but to accom- pany them there was no mustard at home.
So the man with a decisive step arrives at the sauces department. Its curved hunchback po- sition allows him to buy only the bottom row of mustards. An action that would only take a few seconds. But, inexplicably, a sharper and sharper image begins to appear in his mind: the bistro in the French countryside where he had stopped to eat with his wife on a warm sunny spring day of their first holiday togeth- er. He remembers that delicious mustard. The grains squeezed by hand. The color of gold. The scent of flowers. He can certainly find a surrogate on the top shelf, but his hunchback position doesn’t allow him to. He gets stuck and tries his best to lift his head, it’s useless. The desire is too strong. He begins to pray to the central system so intensely that he forgets to follow the flow of consumers, thereby hin- dering the smooth movement. For this reason, the system decides to put this little mishap in order, listening to the prayers of man, to avoid major complications. But first, it would have to ask him some questions.
A godly voice begins to resonate in man’s mind:
«What is your name?»
«Ivan Johnson», the man answered. «Where were you born?»
«External countries.»
«What kind of car do you use?»
«Ford Galaxy.»
«What do you like most about all?»
«The sea and women.»
«What do you do at the supermarket?»
«I’m buying mustard for the dinner of today.»
«You look scared.»
«No more than I am every day.»
«You have to know that my decisions will always be based on the final good, now I’m going to ask you some test questions for secu- rity measure: you came from foreign countries, how did you feel crossing the departments that have brought you here?»
«Loneliness and frustration.»
«What is the privilege of the dead?»
«Not being able to die anymore.»
«What turns night into the light?»
«Poetry.»
«What religion are you of?»
«I believe in the laws of Shelving.»
«You are not telling the truth. I will consult with the other members of the supermarket government and we will make a decision.» Man feels the hope of a change in his condi- tion, he cannot move, quivering with excite- ment.
The voice echoes in his head again, now it laughs.
«If you feel ready, as you say, you will have the upright position you so desire, but if you are not, a terrible thing will happen to you.»
«I’m ready.»
The supermarket lights are shaking. Darkness surrounds the sauces department for a fraction of a second. The man’s spine begins to change, it stretches out and slowly rises to an up-
right position, now he can look at the middle shelves, then the high ones.
He sees the bio mustard, so much dreamed of, he is about to take it but in that moment he feels overwhelmed by the colors and he blocks, a new world is opening up in front of him: the mustard of Dijon, the honey one, à l’ ancienne one... This is what happens to those who are not used to staying focused on the surface of things but immerse themselves in them, no longer being able to come out of them.
Time passes and he stays still, his eyes shine, he cannot decide again, he already feels all the tastes in his palate. The flow of consumers is blocked. A name attracts him but he doesn’t know what it is, he starts to fantasize. A line of people is behind him, waiting for him to move from there, but he is enchanted. In his mind every dream is swept away by the reproach of the divine voice. The curse, which he had been warned of shortly before, is about to come true.
«You had your chance and you wasted it be- cause of your indecision.»
The back that had reached the upright position begins to bend in the opposite direction: the head is pushed backwards, always lower.
The man, unbalanced, loses his stability, now he creates like a bridge with his back: his hands on the ground in, the belly facing up- wards, the supermarket is upside down. From that position nothing can be reached. Unable to get up, the man began to move convulsively back and forth, looking like a scared cock- roach. The gods of the shelves laughed at his fate. The man screams with horror, the people next to him look at him terrified, he’s unclean, an opposite hunchback.
The protagonist of this pathetic and obscene show decides that the only solution is to
leave the supermarket. With demonic action, he approaches the exit, moving with his legs and arms. He cried and asked for forgiveness. Finally, he manages to get out of the supermar- ket. Without mustard.
After this fact, no one can forget that the Shelving system is right and perfect.
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