The Late Prescription
A free A1-level English story for language learners, readable online in English, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Hollis discovers an unexpected use for his wait at the pharmacy while his father's prescription is filled.
Hollis stops at the pharmacy after work. He picks up medicine for his father every month. Today the line looks very long.
He checks in at the front desk. The worker checks the computer twice. "Your prescription needs ten extra minutes," she says.
Hollis looks around the store. He usually waits in his car. Today he walks through the aisles instead.
He finds a shelf of greeting cards. His father's birthday is this weekend. Hollis picks a card with a garden on it.
He reads a few jokes inside a different card. This one makes him laugh. A woman nearby laughs too.
"That one is funny," she says. "I always read the jokes first." Hollis smiles and puts the card in his basket.
A worker calls his name at the counter. He pays for the medicine and the card together. The worker hands him a small bag.
Hollis drives to his father's house with both gifts. His father opens the card first. He reads every joke twice.
