Barn Sale

 

The barn was large.  It smelled of dusty antiques.  Long tables were arranged in a way that provided aisles lengthwise.  An array of foreign rugs covered the dirt floor.  Classical music played softly in a back corner.  I figured I would start on one side and just work my way around.

 

Most of the first table was an assortment of kitchen gadgets, plates and some odd silverware, so I scooted right along.  Halfway down the other side was crockery, a few jugs, (mostly chipped) and a collection of wooden spoons.

 

As I got to the third table the items were more guy things, so I slowed down and took more time looking over everything.  It was there, on the third table, where I came across a small box.  It was wrapped in heavy, brown paper, tied with string and on the string was a tag.  It read, Mystery Box - $5.00 I lifted it and shook it a little.  It wasn’t all that heavy, and it didn’t rattle.  I thought this was an odd thing to have for sale.  I put it back down and moved on to the next assortment of items.

 

Leather horse bridles, saddles and a few things I had no clue as to what they were or what they were used for.   As I made my way along the table, that mystery box began to nag at me.  What could it possibly be?  Was it worth five bucks to find out 

 

More people were filing into the barn now and as they did, the thought of someone else buying the mystery box festered.  I guessed I wanted it, but was I willing to pay the money just to satisfy my curiosity?  I looked over to where the box was.  Nobody had made it that far around yet.  Maybe I should just go pick it up and carry it around with me until I decide.   No, that’s stupid.  There is nothing I need in that box.  I just need to put it out of my mind.

 

I noticed my hands smelled from handling the leather horse items.  I really shouldn’t go around touching things.  I tried to remember if I had hand sanitizer in the car and I couldn’t remember.   Maybe that is what was in the mystery box.  That size hand sanitizer would be about five dollars in the store.  Wouldn’t that be something?  Sanitizer, right when I need it.

 

I found myself standing in front of a table full of tools.  There were pipe wrenches and saws, hammers and clamps of all sizes.  There were wood-working tools, chisels, wooden mallets and several tubes of glues and adhesives.  What they should have here is a box of Band-Aids.  Hey, maybe it was Band-Aids in the box.  No, that’s dumb.  I moved over to the next to last table.  It was full of crystal decanters, vases and bowls.  Laying on the table, next to one of the crystal bowls was a small cardboard sign, it said, You know you want it.   I smiled.  I knew they weren’t talking about the bowl.  They got me.