Stillwater Creek (2010)
“She had asked the sales assistant if she could try it on in the small cubicle at the back of the shop.
‘That’s not allowed for reasons of hygiene,’ the woman had explained very slowly, as if Ilona were stupid instead of foreign. Her height made looking down her nose seem natural.
‘I could wear it over my undergarments,’ Ilona had offered. The assistant had refused, as if her undergarments might be unhygienic too. But Ilona had fallen in love with the soft emerald fabric and bought the swimsuit ...regardless. It was cheap and it looked as if it had hardly been worn, and she could always use her needle and cotton to make adjustments if it turned out to be too big.
This morning, when at last she tried it on, she discovered it was far too large, two sizes at least. It needed drastic needlework before it was presentable. The side seams would have to be taken in and the straps shortened. In the meantime she could wear it as it was, held in with a couple of safety pins, and hope there was no one on the beach when she went swimming, for she was determined to swim today.MoreLess
‘That’s not allowed for reasons of hygiene,’ the woman had explained very slowly, as if Ilona were stupid instead of foreign. Her height made looking down her nose seem natural.
‘I could wear it over my undergarments,’ Ilona had offered. The assistant had refused, as if her undergarments might be unhygienic too. But Ilona had fallen in love with the soft emerald fabric and bought the swimsuit ...regardless. It was cheap and it looked as if it had hardly been worn, and she could always use her needle and cotton to make adjustments if it turned out to be too big.
This morning, when at last she tried it on, she discovered it was far too large, two sizes at least. It needed drastic needlework before it was presentable. The side seams would have to be taken in and the straps shortened. In the meantime she could wear it as it was, held in with a couple of safety pins, and hope there was no one on the beach when she went swimming, for she was determined to swim today.MoreLess
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