Yard Sale Purchase a Three-Page Story About

¶ … Yard Sale Purchase

A three-page story about a yard sale. The women want to buy a pair of shoes but the owner does not want to sell them to her sister.

NOT THOSE SHOES

The garage sale is going to be tomorrow. It will be a kind of family gathering. My daughter-in-law, Dilly, is providing the garage. Dilly and I are sorting through things to get ready for the garage sale. There is a lot of stuff to be sorted. There is no price on half of the items. I hate it when people come early before it is quite ready. Some things are better thrown away than sold.

Oh Dilly, is that my older sister, Trish? Did you call and tell her we were having a garage sale?" I asked.

Trish walks up and starts looking at different things and says, "You can't be selling those books! That's the Berenstein Bears Collection." thought, "How many times does my oldest sister drop by -- I ask you! I can't stand know-it-alls -- even when their family."

We don't need the books, I answered.

Well, we do." Trish answers.

Johnnie's read them all a million times."

Well, we have other children in our family. Gracie has little Heather and she is just four," Trish says.

They have dozen of books!" I answer.

Gracie's due any day."

Well, that kid won't be reading for another five years!" I answer thinking how ridiculous it would be to keep those books.

Ah, you can read to them before they're born. It's good for them. I'll buy the books. How much are they?" answer, "You don't have to pay for them."

Trish answers, "Well, I'll give you a quarter a piece. They're worth much more. How much are these shoes?"

Oh, you don't want those shoes!!" I answer.

Why not. They're cute."

Those are cheap shoes." (This is my sister now I'm talking to. The shoes are white tennis with a little braided effect around them. They're really cute -- but they weren't finished right on the inside and they're miserable to wear. Knowing my sister she'll wear them until they wear out and by then she'll be crippled. They're cute for show if you're not going to be on your feet much. I wish I'd trashed them."

Trish, those shoes are awful."

Well, you have them out here for sale. What were you going to ask for them?"

It's not a question of price. They're not good shoes." I answered,

They could not be that bad, or you wouldn't have them out here for sale. How much do you want for them?" Trish asked.

Sisters are a pain. Do you have any? Doesn't she understand I don't want her to buy those shoes because they will hurt her feet? Now she's insinuating that if I had any ethics I wouldn't be selling them. I consider it a "buyer beware" situation for the general public, but if I sell things to my own sister I'll never hear the end of it.)

Let me try them on. Do you have any socks for sale?"

Do I need this? I ought to just sell her the old bunion makers.) I answer, "No, I don't have any socks for sale."

Here's some, a quarter a piece." Trish says.

I'm telling you -- you don't want those shoes."

With an attitude like that, you're not going to do very well on your garage sale. What do you want for this hat? Terry, honey, how do I look in this hat?" Trish asks her husband.

If you wear that hat home, you're going to have to find another ride," he answers.

You're just picking on me because my own sister won't sell me those stupid shoes. I'm not happy about this. I wouldn't have asked you how it looked if I had a mirror. Don't you have a mirror in this stupid garage sale? How can you sell any hats if you don't have any mirrors? These shoes are a size 8. That's a half size larger than what I wear. It's not fair that you won't even let me try them on. They might fit me fine."

I've already promised the shoes to Susan," I answer. (If the truth won't work, maybe she'll listen to a lie."

What're you trying to do cripple Susan?"

She wants them for props in a play." (Just as well make it a big lie.)

Antonette, my second sister, comes walking up and says, "Are you having a garage sale? No one called me. Oh, those are so cute?" Pointing toward the shoes, she asks, "What size are those shoes?"

Trish says, "I've been trying to buy those shoes for the last half hour!"

Antonette says, "Jenny, why won't you sell her the shoes?"

This garage sale hasn't even started yet! If I have to explain to one more person about these tennies I'm canceling the garage sale!" I answer in anger.

Dilly says, "I've been putting signs up everywhere. I'm not taking them down!!"

Antonette says, "Why won't you sell her the shoes." answer, "Those shoes are ten dollars! Give me the ten dollars and all sales are final." I'm seething at both of them. (Why can't they just take no for an answer! I ought to say $100.)