Ruby Red

III

The weatherman wasn't wrong. The nights are cold. It wasn't only cold 2 days ago, the last few days have all been semi freezing. It's also been raining a lot, but I guess that's just part of autumn weather. Overday, however, the weather seems better than average. What an odd season.

It's sunday, so Mr Nirbnwad and I are going to collect new items from the black market. He knows exactly where to look to find rare items. I'd say he's a professional. "Remember, if you see any type of black gemstone with a red glow you-" "...take all they have and run to pay. Yes, I know what to do, don't worry." I say, smiling. Mr Nirbnwad tells me this every time we come here. He's really keen on finding those gemstones, so I see it as a challenge. It's kind of exciting, you never know if they might have it. "Good." He says, adjusting his glasses.

We walk until we find the familiar entrance. The moment we walk in, the sound of salespeople yelling almost destroys my eardrums. They all seem extra enthusiastic to sell their products today. Mr Nirbnwad looks at me and mouths "wow" while he covers his ears with his hands. I mouth back the words "I know right?!" and we both laugh for a brief moment.

We walk past clothing stalls, shoe stalls and plenty of toy stalls. I can imagine the struggle it must be to claim a stall at the entrance. These salespeople must wake up so early to even get a chance. Maybe they camp outside, who knows. I respect them. We search and search, until we finally find a book stall. It's not the stall we usually go to, but the books look pretty antique. I see Mr Nirbnwads face light up. "You go that way, I'll go through here." He points at the passage next to the table with books. "Got it." I say, giving him a thumbs up. He's already looking at the figurines in the glass display cabinet. A predictable man.

At first glance the books by the entrance might look antique, but I can immediately tell by the different colors of the pages that it's a fake, so I avoid those. Shame. I walk through the passage slowly, scanning every single item I see. So far I see figurines, a few scarves and some vases. Luckily I can tell what's useful for the shop and what's not. After all these years of experience, I got taught a few pointers to find real antique items, not rip-offs. I see jewelry. Jewelry always has the highest possibility of being antique. And it's easy to tell. Just use the color to guess the time period, and pay attention to the marks and hallmarks. I look at the necklaces. I grab two with annoyingly large gemstones in them. How could anyone wear this comfortably? Doesn't it hurt your neck to wear this? I raise an eyebrow.

Ok. No more questions. Search. Next up are the rings. Large gemstones? I'll take it. I grab 6 rings, but one ring in particular grabs my attention. I feel like I've seen it before somewhere and I feel the undeniable urge to buy it. Not for the shop, but for myself. I sigh. I didn't come here to shop for myself. I examine the ring from a distance, because it feels like it's calling to me. Something about the medium size see-through gemstone has me hooked. It looks so interesting. Someone bumps into my arm. "Oh. Done already?" Mr Nirbnwad is holding a large vase. Inside the vase I see all kinds of items. Figurines, gemstones, even a scarf. "Yeah. This is all I got." I say, showing him the jewelry in my hands. "Good enough. Let's play." He says. I look at the ring one last time before heading towards the counter with him.

"That'll be a total of $130 please." the elderly lady behind the counter says. Her long gray hair is braided over her shoulder and she's wearing antique earrings with big purple gemstones in them. Even the cash machine looks antique. It looks expensive too. I secretly hope one day we'll buy it from her, it would look good in the shop. "I'm glad there are families that still show interest in antique items. Don't see that a lot nowadays. Are you father and daughter?" the lady asks as she scans the items and puts the items in a white plastic bag. Mr Nirbnwad takes a few bills out of his wallet, and shakes his head with a smile. "That would be a disaster." He says, handing her the cash. The lady laughs and puts the bills away, printing the receipt. "That's a complete lie. You think I'm great." I say, nudging his arm with my elbow playfully. "Watch it missy." He says, taking the receipt from the lady, folding it neatly and putting it inside his wallet. The lady leans closer to us. "I forgot to put this sign by the book table, could you please put it there on your way out?" She grabs the colorful sign behind her and when I read what it says I feel somewhat nostalgic. Jewelry deal! Buy 3, get 1 free. "Since you bought quite a bit of jewelry, this applies to you too. Grab some more on your way out." she says, smiling at us politely. I grab the sign and nod at her, feeling my cheeks heat up slightly. "Thank you." I say, nodding my head at her. "Thank you for shopping, hope to see you again soon!" she says.

"Alright. I'll grab some jewelry, you can go put the sign outside." Mr Nirbnwad says. "Actually," I say, grabbing the bag with items from his hand and handing him the sign. "I have a talent for selecting the best jewelry. I'll do it." I say. "Alright. Glad to see you're developing a passion." He says, grinning as he exits the stall with the sign. I walk to the rings. I need to be quick. I grab one ring with an incredibly large green gemstone and put it in the bag.

I hesitate for a moment, but I reach out anyway and grab the ring that I can't stop thinking about. Instead of putting it in the bag, I put it in my pocket. "Thank you!" I say one last time before walking out.