Four times I tried

We'd finished dishing up meals in the kitchen at Zac's so I popped out to the serving area to get a cup of tea. Someone getting food asked if we had any jogging trousers. I said I'd go and look, and told the man to go to the other door and wait.

I found him some brand-new joggers and took them down, opened the door, and was faced with a crowd of people all asking for a jumper, a coat, shoes, socks, trainers, joggers, oh, "and a bag to put my things in."

One poor man, three times I went upstairs to get clothes and came down without what he'd asked for. My brain was over-loaded. I did finally find him the 'tidy jumper' he wanted. But another man, who asks for clothes every week, turned down the shoes I offered him - "they're women's" - because he wanted a pair of Converse shoes I'd offered to a woman earlier. I said to him, "But those were women's."
"No, they're not."
"I think they are and I'm keeping them for a woman."

We know for a fact that sometimes people who beg us for shoes or clothes because they're "desperate" will later be found selling them so sometimes we have to be strict. I'm not good at it though, and I'm gullible. But not as gullible as I used to be. And Converse are a popular make, probably a good seller.

When I finally escaped back to my now-cold cup of tea I returned to the kitchen and spent the next hour and a half washing pans and pots. I don't know why we had so many today; it seemed more than usual. I think we fed about eighty people.

* * * * *

Big night tonight: the start of this year's Six Nations rugby tournament. France versus reigning champions, Ireland, tonight then England v Italy and Wales v Scotland tomorrow afternoon.

Lots of big names have now retired so Wales especially will be going through a formative stage. I say this to prepare myself for disappointment of course, because no matter the odds Welsh fans always hope.