Tom was a quiet man who lived in a small house in a busy town. He liked simple things: a cup of tea in the morning, reading his newspaper, and waiting for the postman. One day, Tom ordered a special parcel online. It was a new mini grinder, something he wanted for a long time. The website said the parcel would arrive in a few days. Tom was excited.

On the delivery day, Tom sat by his window. He watched the street, waiting for the delivery van. Hours passed, but no van came. By evening, Tom was worried. He checked his phone for messages, but there was nothing. The parcel did not arrive.

The next morning, Tom called the company. A woman answered. “Hello, this is Fast Delivery. How can I help?” she said.

“My parcel didn’t arrive yesterday,” Tom said. “Can you check where it is?”

The woman asked for his order number. Tom gave it to her. She was quiet for a moment, then said, “I’m sorry, sir. We can’t do anything now. You must wait two weeks. Sometimes parcels are delayed.”

“Two weeks?” Tom asked. “But I need my mini grinder now!”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s our rule. Call us again after two weeks.”

Tom was not happy, but he had no choice. He waited. Every day, he looked out his window, hoping to see the delivery van. But it never came. The days felt long. Tom missed what he could be doing with a good mini grinder.

After two weeks, Tom called Fast Delivery again. This time, a man answered. “Your parcel?” he said. “Go to the post office. They have it.”

Tom felt hopeful. He put on his coat and walked to the post office. It was busy, with a long queue. When it was his turn, Tom told the worker about his parcel. The worker looked at a computer and shook his head. “I can’t find it,” he said. “We’ll look into it. Come back in a few days.”

Tom went home, disappointed. A few days later, he returned to the post office. The same worker was there. “Any news about my parcel?” Tom asked.

“We’re still looking,” the worker said. “It might be in the warehouse. Come back next week.”

Tom felt frustrated. He went back the next week, but the answer was the same. “We’re looking,” they said. Each time, they had a new excuse. One day, it was, “The system is down.” Another day, it was, “The manager is on holiday.” Tom was tired of waiting.

Weeks turned into months. Tom called Fast Delivery again. They said, “Until the post office says the parcel is lost, we can’t refund your money.”

Tom went back to the post office. “Please,” he said, “just say the parcel is lost. I need my money back.”

The worker sighed. “We can’t say it’s lost until we’re sure. We’re still checking.”

Tom felt stuck. He couldn’t get his mini grinder, and he couldn’t get his money. He was in the middle, with no way out. Every day, he thought about his parcel. Where was it? Was it in a warehouse? Was it on a van? Or was it gone forever?

Tom learned a hard lesson. Sometimes, things don’t go as planned. He decided to be careful when ordering online again. For now, he used his old big grinder. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked for some of the jobs. And Tom was grateful for that.

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Vocabulary Notes

Parcel
Meaning: A package or item wrapped and sent through the mail or delivery service.
Part of Speech: Noun
Example: “One day, Tom ordered a special parcel online.”
New Example Sentence: I received a parcel with books from my friend yesterday.
Similar Words:
Package: Another word for a parcel, often used for items sent by mail. (e.g., The package was heavy and hard to carry.)
Delivery: Refers to the act of bringing a parcel or the item itself. (e.g., The delivery arrived at noon.)
Shipment: A group of items sent together, often used for larger orders. (e.g., The shipment of clothes will arrive next week.)

Delivery
Meaning: The act of bringing goods or items to a person or place, or the items being delivered.
Part of Speech: Noun
Example: “On the delivery day, Tom sat by his window.”
New Example Sentence: The pizza delivery was late because of traffic.
Similar Words:
Parcel: As above, refers to the item being delivered. (e.g., The parcel was left at the door.)
Dispatch: The act of sending something, often used in business. (e.g., The company will dispatch the order tomorrow.)
Transport: The process of moving goods from one place to another. (e.g., The transport of food took two days.)

Delayed
Meaning: When something happens later than planned or expected.
Part of Speech: Adjective (past participle of the verb “delay”)
Example: “Sometimes parcels are delayed.”
New Example Sentence: The train was delayed because of bad weather.
Similar Words:
Late: Happening after the expected time. (e.g., The bus was late again this morning.)
Postponed: When an event is rescheduled for a later time. (e.g., The meeting was postponed until Friday.)
Held up: Delayed because of a problem. (e.g., I was held up at work and missed dinner.)

Frustrated
Meaning: Feeling annoyed or upset because you cannot achieve what you want.
Part of Speech: Adjective
Example: “Tom felt frustrated.”
New Example Sentence: She was frustrated when her computer stopped working.
Similar Words:
Annoyed: Feeling mild anger or irritation. (e.g., He was annoyed about the noisy neighbors.)
Upset: Feeling unhappy or disturbed about something. (e.g., She was upset when her phone broke.)
Irritated: Similar to annoyed, often with a sense of impatience. (e.g., I’m irritated by the long wait.)

Excuse
Meaning: A reason given to explain why something was not done or why something happened.
Part of Speech: Noun
Example: “Each time, they had a new excuse.”
New Example Sentence: He made an excuse for not doing his homework.
Similar Words:
Reason: A cause or explanation for something. (e.g., She had a good reason for being late.)
Justification: A reason that defends or explains an action. (e.g., He gave a justification for his mistake.)
Pretext: A false reason used to hide the real one. (e.g., She used a pretext to leave the party early.)

Refund
Meaning: Money returned to someone when they are not satisfied with a product or service.
Part of Speech: Noun (can also be a verb)
Example: “Until the post office says the parcel is lost, we can’t refund your money.”
New Example Sentence: The shop gave me a refund for the broken toy.
Similar Words:
Repayment: Money given back, often for a debt or purchase. (e.g., She asked for repayment of the loan.)
Compensation: Money given to make up for a loss or problem. (e.g., The airline offered compensation for the lost bag.)
Return: The act of giving something back, sometimes including money. (e.g., I made a return of the faulty item.)

Stuck
Meaning: Unable to move or make progress in a situation.
Part of Speech: Adjective
Example: “Tom felt stuck.”
New Example Sentence: I’m stuck in traffic and will be late.
Similar Words:
Trapped: Unable to escape a situation. (e.g., She felt trapped in her job.)
Caught: Unable to move forward due to a problem. (e.g., He was caught in a difficult situation.)
Stranded: Left without a way to move or continue. (e.g., They were stranded at the airport.)

Story written by Grok 3 and SteveUK

Image created by Grok 3 AI

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads

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