within earshot

The lovely certified fitness trainer and I hopped over to the mainland yesterday, and picked up some tools, a few miscellaneous necessities, a little organic produce from a local haunt, and lunch. And, just before heading back to the boat, we realized that we had time for a latte and a walk through the local antique mall.

So, after picking up a medium skim latte, we headed to Rockland Antique Marketplace, and we began meandering the hallways and booths.

Nothing of note as I was about halfway through, but across the room and near the cash register I heard, “…what you have here is a corkscrew, see how this pulls out…”

Corkscrew?

What could it be?

I walked briskly to towards the source of the corkscrew conversation, and asked if I could see it; only a Clough with sleeve. Still, what the heck, I asked if it was for sale.

It was explained that it was for sale, but the dealer added. “I have a bunch more in my car.”

Bunch?

What else could there be??

I suggested that they bring them in, but instead I was invited outside to see all of them…

And, so I walked over and got quite an eyeful.

Not a bunch of different corkscrews however, the dealer had several of the exact same corkscrew.

I picked all of them up, and asked how much. The dealer responded with 10 dollars, having only 7 dollars in my pocket, 7 bucks took the lot.

As I was digging in my pockets however, the dealer said, “do you know where I found them?”

Of course not. I mean that is fairly obvious, but I responded with, “no… where?”

“At the dump,” she explained. “There was a whole box of them…”

My mind began to race, and I looked at the time. Could I manage to get from the antique mall, over to the swap shop (at the dump, wherein the aforementioned box of corkscrews was located) and make it to the boat before it left for the island.

Knowing that it wasn’t possible, and there was indeed the likelihood that someone else decided that when you see an entire box of corkscrews, you can take them all, and not just five…I went back inside to find the lovely, and we shortly headed over to the boat.

However, whilst inside, I strongly suggested to the dealer that if they happened to find others–from the dump or otherwise, that she save them for me. She smiled, and said that she would.

I wonder if while we were on the boat back to the island, if she was speeding towards the “Swap Shop?”

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