Oneup(pen)manship: A good pen is hard to find

CAN I borrow your pen?” asked the man in the bank queue. I tensed visibly. Searching my pockets for another pen, I realised that I had to give him the one I was hiding. My good pen.

He must have sensed my chagrin. “I’ll take good care of it”, he joked. I struggled to smile, convinced he wouldn’t.

He filled out his lodgement slip and handed back the pen. I nearly snatched it.