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“Chelsea is here already.
She called earlier. We are off to the flea market.” Dee called over her
shoulder as she slipped out the front door.
Sam looked up from his
newspaper. “Have fun! Don't spend any money.”
“I won't.” Dee answered
him and she was gone.
“He told me not to spend
any money.” Dee laughed to her friend, Chelsea.
“Did you tell him you
wouldn't?” Chelsea had a half smile and a questioning expression.
“Oh yes, oh yes.” Both
women giggled like girls.
“It's toys. You know. I
cannot afford those expensive things. Anyway just for a little while they
use them and then they're outgrown like old shoes or pants that are too
soon too short.”
The “fleas” spread out over
a number of parking lots. Every booth had their own speciality and it was
hard for Dee to remember she had come for toys. “Oh look! Look at these
gorgeous cobalt blue dishes. Wouldn't they be absolutely right on the
shelves with my other blue dishes?”
“Hmm.” Chelsea made no
comment.
As they strolled along Dee
had to glance around repeatedly in order to keep up with her friend. She
was quick and alert while Dee preferred to gaze at this and that or
whatever caught her eye. Of course, she felt she needed a soil fork, the
blue dishes, an amber glass dish, but did have to remember Sam's parting
words. “Don't spend any money.”
Again she had to search
around to find Chelsea who had temporarily disappeared. When she located
her friend, she was standing in front of the nicest chalkboard easel. It
was the perfect height for her Ada.
“Look Dee. She only wants
ten dollars for it. Isn't it just perfect. If Ada had this, she could
mark with her chalk on a chalk board instead of the doors.”
“It is really perfect,
isn't it? I don't mind her marking on the doors, large muscle control,
you know. And, it isn't hard to wipe off. This on the other hand would be
so special. No more wiping off doors.”
“You know Chelsea. I
should have stopped for change. All I have is a check.”
The girl standing in front
of her told her. “Oh he will take a check from you, even though he
doesn't usually.”
Dee felt so totally
dumbfounded. This woman standing in front of her knew who she was. But,
for her life she couldn't recognize her. “You obviously know me, and I
did know someone who looks like you? Rena?”
“I am Rena.” The woman
looked directly in her face.
“Oh no. I can't believe
it. Am I losing my mind? I did not know you.”
While Dee was feeling so
foolish, another woman walked by. She said, “Well Rena, I wouldn't have
known you. He has you all dressed up flea market style.”
It was true. The usually
sharp dressing, beautiful, petite woman was all “uglied up ” for the
flea market. She was wearing a ball cap over her twisted up beautiful
blond hair which otherwise would have been styled and softly flowing
about her face. She had on a pair of dark glasses and one could in no way
see her lovely blue eyes. The clothes she wore were almost old in
appearance, certainly softly worn.
After the two women had
purchased the chalkboard, they were on their way. “I thought I was
certainly going senile. Do you know I did not even recognize Rena? Don't
you just love it? Everyone had a culture, even the flea market people. I
remember when I brought some stuff down here once and was almost nailed to
the spot because I didn't dress down. I was totally unaware that they had
a code of conduct.”
“Oh sure. It's fun. Can't
you see we are just poor folks trying to make a buck?” Chelsea kidded.
“Sure, sure. I happen to
know some of those “poor” folks and with ease they could buy and sell some
of the rich folks.”
Dee carried her find home
and put it in place. The next day when the kids showed up they even played
with good manners taking turns while one after another had fun with the
chalk.
“Did your kiddo's have fun
with the chalkboard?” Chelsea called later in the evening and wanted to
know if the toy had gone over.
“You should have seen them.
They were all over that thing like flies on sugar. Couldn't have been any
better if I'd have paid the whole price for it.” |
