Chapter Five
June walks with Ofglen through a quiet, museum‑like street of large houses. A Guardian mows a lawn while the neighbourhood feels frozen in time, reminding June of pre‑Gilead walks with Luke. She notes the absence of children and the new “econowives” in varied dress, and recalls Aunt Lydia’s lessons about “freedom to” and “freedom from.” The pair passes the former Lilies of the Field theatre, now only a wooden lily sign marking a shop, and turn toward the Milk and Honey grocery store (three eggs, a bee, a cow sign). In the line they watch for orange tokens, see the scarcity of oranges, and remember their own tokens. At the counter two Guardians scan their tokens and hand back milk, eggs, and other purchases. While waiting, a heavily pregnant Handmaid appears – June recognises her as Janine, a former Red Centre inmate, now visibly swollen and guarded. Janine offers a brief, tense glance before June and Ofglen move on. They then enter All Flesh, a meat shop marked by a hanging pork chop, where Ofglen receives steak and June buys chicken, noting the rarity and expense of meat. Outside, a group of Japanese tourists approaches, led by an interpreter in a blue suit with a red‑patterned tie. The interpreter asks if the Handmaids may be photographed and then inquires whether they are happy. June, aware of Aunt Lydia’s doctrine of modesty and invisibility, looks down, nods, and murmurs a cautious “yes,” while Ofglen remains silent. The encounter highlights the stark contrast between Gilead’s controlled interior life and the curious, colorful outside world.