Forgotten Treasures, Part 1

The Beginning

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

It seems like a completely different life, but years ago I used to write a lot. My favorite is short stories. I find it satisfying to create something that can be read in a short setting. Lately, it’s been difficult for me write like I used to. Since I have a lot of my writings saved I have decided to reach back in the archives and post one of my older short stories. I’m going to post it in seven parts. That way I can spend a little time editing it (there is always something that can be made better). I hope you will stick with me to the end.

Jenny saw the yard sale sign and took a quick glimpse at her watch to make sure she had time to stop. She pulled into the driveway and saw one table with a few items on it. ”Is that it?” she thought to herself. She had the urge to back out, but decided to go ahead and stop the car. As she walked up to the table the old woman sitting behind it looked up, nodded and then went back to her magazine.

There wasn’t much on the table worth looking at. The sad display of items included an old popcorn maker, a boxed set of silverware, two small, porcelain birds, a pack of stationary paper that had been opened up and some odd and end kitchen utensils. Jenny browsed quickly and then turned to walk away.

Just then the woman spoke up, “I’ll take thirty dollars.”

Jenny turned back around, “Excuse me?”

“Thirty dollars. I said you can have everything for thirty dollars.”

Jenny looked back at table, “No… I don’t think I’m interested. “

The woman persisted, “I’ve got another box of old things that I’ll throw in with it.”

Jenny answered again, “Sorry, I’m really not interested.”

Still pleading her case, the woman went on, “All this stuff belonged to my sister. She died a couple of months ago.”

There was a sadness in the woman’s voice that caused Jenny to soften a little, “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

The woman paused for a few of seconds as if she were going to say something else. There was an awkward period of silence until she finally spoke again, this time with harshness in her voice, “Listen young lady, I’m tired of sitting here and I’m ready to go inside. I’ll give you everything on the table plus the other box for thirty dollars.”

Jenny was taken aback by the sudden mood change. She looked at the old woman, who was staring at her intently, waiting for an answer, “I’m sorry about your sister, but I really don’t need or want any of these things.”

She turned once again to walk away, but before she could take a step the woman spoke again, this time much softer, “Wait! Wait! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to raise my voice at you. I’ll tell you what, I was getting ready to go back inside and I was going throw all this stuff away. If you want it you can have it.”

Without waiting for a response, the woman picked up a well-used moving box from behind the table, “Here’s the other things, I’ll just put it all in the same box for you. Do you think you can carry it?”

Jenny was surprised to somehow find herself saying, “Yes.”

She said good-bye to the woman, hesitantly picked up the box and carried it to the trunk of her car. As she pulled out of the driveway she looked back and saw the old woman walking slowly toward the house and she drove away thinking how strange it all seemed.