laugh,
while the women looked at each other. One started to hand me my change, but I
put a hand up, “Keep it.”
“Well, that’s mighty generous. Bless
you.” She smiled and added, “Why don’t you take a look at some of those quilts
over there. Handmade by Miss Sherry.”
My attempt at winning them over
seemed to slowly be working. I thought I may as well keep with the momentum.
“Those quilts are gorgeous. How much for the green and white one?”
Now the woman behind the table I
figured must be Miss Sherry was smiling, too. “That’s a large one, so it is on
the pricey side. Sixty dollars.”
I knew if I wanted, I could probably
convince her to sell it to me for less, but I was on my way to losing my
reputation as the ‘rude city girl with the phone in church’, so I whipped out a
few more bills. “I’ll take it. It’s just what I need for my new place.”
The ladies all seemed very pleased
with themselves, and quite possibly me. Sherry wrapped the quilt up and put it
in a bag before handing it to me. “Thank you, dear.”
“Thank you. Sherry, right? And I
didn’t catch your names?” I nodded towards the other two women behind the
table.
“I’m Beverly,” said the woman with
the cashbox, “and this here is my sister, Francine.”
“It’s lovely to meet you ladies.”
“The pleasure is ours,” smiled
Beverly, as she took the sixty dollars from Sherry and placed it in the box.
“You go enjoy yourself.”
As I walked away, loaded down with
two camera bags and a heavy quilt I looked back to see the women chatting with
other townspeople, with the occasional glance in my direction. It looked like
the good graces of the town might have cost me just under a hundred dollars.
Not a horrible deal.
I wandered around for a while
longer. Taking photos was becoming more of a challenge with the load I was
carrying, and I was getting hungry. I walked towards the smell of smoked meat
that had been wafting over to the sale tables all afternoon. As I got closer, I
could see the spread of macaroni and potato salads, puddings, cakes, and of course,
grills loaded with meat.
“Looks good doesn’t it? The sisters
do all the cooking, if you can believe it.”
I turned to see Father Mike standing
beside me, sipping a root beer. He was wearing jeans and a dark blue coat,
nearly disguising the tiny scrap of white at his neck.
“Amazing. I don’t know much about
barbecue, but if that tastes half as good as it smells, I may never leave this
tent.”
“We’ll be sure to wheel you out if
necessary.” Father Mike looked me up and down and smiled, “Looks like you had a
good time rummaging?”
“Yes. Although, I have to admit I
didn’t completely think the timing of my purchases through.” I set the bulky
bag with the quilt down at my feet and removed one camera bag, rubbing my
shoulder and neck where the strap was digging in. “I may need to be wheeled out
even without the barbecue.”
Father Mike smiled while taking
another sip of root beer, but as a voice came up behind me, his smile seemed to
switch from genuine to strained.
“Afternoon, Father. James, let me help
you with your stuff.”
Jack leaned forward picking up the
quilt and sliding the camera bag over his shoulder.
“Thanks, but I have it.”
Jack shook his head and slid his
hand under the strap still slung over my shoulder. “I’ll put all of this in the
Jeep so you can eat and wander.”
“I’ll keep this one actually,” I
said, gripping my digital camera bag, “in case I want to take any more photos.”
Jack’s hand was still resting
between the strap of the camera bag and my shoulder. “You sure?”
I nodded, wondering if the flutter
in my stomach was brought on by Jack’s hand or hunger.
“Alright. If you change your mind,
let me know.”
He walked off, carrying my newly
purchased goods to his Jeep while I stood with Father Mike.
“Well, then, looks like you have
your hands free for some food?”
I nodded.
while the women looked at each other. One started to hand me my change, but I
put a hand up, “Keep it.”
“Well, that’s mighty generous. Bless
you.” She smiled and added, “Why don’t you take a look at some of those quilts
over there. Handmade by Miss Sherry.”
My attempt at winning them over
seemed to slowly be working. I thought I may as well keep with the momentum.
“Those quilts are gorgeous. How much for the green and white one?”
Now the woman behind the table I
figured must be Miss Sherry was smiling, too. “That’s a large one, so it is on
the pricey side. Sixty dollars.”
I knew if I wanted, I could probably
convince her to sell it to me for less, but I was on my way to losing my
reputation as the ‘rude city girl with the phone in church’, so I whipped out a
few more bills. “I’ll take it. It’s just what I need for my new place.”
The ladies all seemed very pleased
with themselves, and quite possibly me. Sherry wrapped the quilt up and put it
in a bag before handing it to me. “Thank you, dear.”
“Thank you. Sherry, right? And I
didn’t catch your names?” I nodded towards the other two women behind the
table.
“I’m Beverly,” said the woman with
the cashbox, “and this here is my sister, Francine.”
“It’s lovely to meet you ladies.”
“The pleasure is ours,” smiled
Beverly, as she took the sixty dollars from Sherry and placed it in the box.
“You go enjoy yourself.”
As I walked away, loaded down with
two camera bags and a heavy quilt I looked back to see the women chatting with
other townspeople, with the occasional glance in my direction. It looked like
the good graces of the town might have cost me just under a hundred dollars.
Not a horrible deal.
I wandered around for a while
longer. Taking photos was becoming more of a challenge with the load I was
carrying, and I was getting hungry. I walked towards the smell of smoked meat
that had been wafting over to the sale tables all afternoon. As I got closer, I
could see the spread of macaroni and potato salads, puddings, cakes, and of course,
grills loaded with meat.
“Looks good doesn’t it? The sisters
do all the cooking, if you can believe it.”
I turned to see Father Mike standing
beside me, sipping a root beer. He was wearing jeans and a dark blue coat,
nearly disguising the tiny scrap of white at his neck.
“Amazing. I don’t know much about
barbecue, but if that tastes half as good as it smells, I may never leave this
tent.”
“We’ll be sure to wheel you out if
necessary.” Father Mike looked me up and down and smiled, “Looks like you had a
good time rummaging?”
“Yes. Although, I have to admit I
didn’t completely think the timing of my purchases through.” I set the bulky
bag with the quilt down at my feet and removed one camera bag, rubbing my
shoulder and neck where the strap was digging in. “I may need to be wheeled out
even without the barbecue.”
Father Mike smiled while taking
another sip of root beer, but as a voice came up behind me, his smile seemed to
switch from genuine to strained.
“Afternoon, Father. James, let me help
you with your stuff.”
Jack leaned forward picking up the
quilt and sliding the camera bag over his shoulder.
“Thanks, but I have it.”
Jack shook his head and slid his
hand under the strap still slung over my shoulder. “I’ll put all of this in the
Jeep so you can eat and wander.”
“I’ll keep this one actually,” I
said, gripping my digital camera bag, “in case I want to take any more photos.”
Jack’s hand was still resting
between the strap of the camera bag and my shoulder. “You sure?”
I nodded, wondering if the flutter
in my stomach was brought on by Jack’s hand or hunger.
“Alright. If you change your mind,
let me know.”
He walked off, carrying my newly
purchased goods to his Jeep while I stood with Father Mike.
“Well, then, looks like you have
your hands free for some food?”
I nodded.
Similar Books
