Garage Sale Gotcha

Day 30

Petie from Bellevue, Kentucky, answered the ad. 

“My sister is returning in a few weeks from the Peace Corps and plans to stay with me for a couple months,” she wrote in response to my Craigslist ad listing a twin mattress and frame for sale.  “I am willing to pay more if you can hold it until Saturday.” 

In my mind, Petie was a 20-something guy with a mop of blond hair.  Imagine my surprise when a woman in her 50s pulled into my driveway in a borrowed pickup truck.  I wasn’t all wrong, she did have blond hair.

“This is great.  My sister called to tell me she may be home in a week.”  After her tour in Africa working in an orphanage filled with HIV and AIDS kids, Petie’s sister was decompressing by traveling through eastern Europe. 

“I bet she’s worn out.” I responded.  I can only imagine the emotional and physical toll of a stint in the Peace Corps. 

Petie and I easily loaded the mattress, box and frame into the bed of the truck. 

“Let me get the money.” 

Oh, this was so fun! 

“It’s free!”

“Oh, no.  I’ll get the money.”  

I shook my head no.

“Really?”  I’m finding that shock tends to limit people’s speech.   

“Really.”