Under the Mango Tree: 101 Tales (1)

STUFF

Challenge No.10 - Thrift Store Finds. 

Take a trip to the thrift store or think about your latest trip. Pick one item you find interesting and imagine who its past owner(s) was. How did they use the item? Why did they end up donating it to the thrift store?

-----

Five, ten, fifteen minutes later, the sisters were still silent, leaning on the building across the street from the store they had come to visit. The fact that no matter how long it took or even when they did it, it had to be done. They had no choice in the matter. None.

"Remind me again why we are here?" Deborah said.

"You know why," Pauline grunted.

"Tell me again. I need it constantly in my face."

"Winston and Harvey are processing Uncle Lionel's house with the National Archives Authority. There is stuff for the thrift store. We are here to check the place out." Deborah repeated for the umpteenth time. "And don't ask me again."

"I'll say it again. The place is run by the Saint Lucia Red Cross. That's good enough for me. I don't need to see the place."

"Then you tell Aunt Mary that. I'm going in." The decision made, Deborah straightened up, crossed the street and entered the thrift shop.

"Not bad... for a thrift store." Pauline had followed her sister.

"Let's take a look around," Deborah said.

"The things we do for family," Pauline grumbled.

"HUSH!"

"Hello, can I help you with anything?" A volunteer approached.

"Just looking, thanks," Pauline replied.

"I'm Steve. If you need anything just holla, I'll be at the counter."

"Thanks." Pauline dismissed him.

"Just looking?" Deborah waited for the explanation.

"Yes. Look first, talk later." Pauline hissed.

"Fine."

The sisters drifted around, examining stuff, replacing items and pulling out others.

"Pauline. Come see this."

"What?"

"I think this is the oddities section."

Pauline approached, "What is that thing?"

"No idea." Deborah rotated the medieval-looking item.

"It's got so many screws. What'd you think it was used for?" Pauline gazed at it.

"Maybe to brace an item to a wall?" Deborah held it up.

Steve spotted them and sauntered over. "Cool isn't it."

"What is it?" Deborah asked.

"It's the pins that were inserted into a cancer victim. Along her spinal cord to provide support." He revealed.

"Wicked looking thing." Pauline shuddered dramatically.

"Well, that's the story the son told when he came in."

"Wait. If it was surgically inserted, how come you have it." Deborah wondered.

"Ah, I asked him that. She died and he had her cremated." Steve said.

"And he saved it? I tell you, some people." Deborah observed.

"But why'd he donate it here? A thrift shop." Pauline asked.

"His wife said it was too creepy, he had to get rid of it," Steve said.

"I can relate to that," Pauline nodded.

"And of all places he could go, he brought it to the Red Cross Thrift Shop?" Deborah placed it back on the shelf.

"We get a wide variety of stuff. In fact, our oddities section is proving to be quite popular."

They chatted some more then the sisters left. They paused outside.

"What'd you think?" Pauline demanded.

"I think Uncle Lionel used to shop here," Deborah said.

"And now we're bringing it all back!" Pauline cackled.

© 10 March 2022

====

More stories are hosted at https://www.patreon.com/dawnnbooks