I silenced the annoying buzz of my alarm clock and lay my head back on the pillow. What in heavens' name had possessed me to agree to go to the flea market with Mary Ann? Sure, I'd been saying for weeks how I wanted to spruce up the house but didn't have much money. Mary Ann was always telling me what great deals she got at the flea market and had bugged me to come along. So, here it was six o'clock in the morning on my day off and Mary Ann would be here in an hour.
"You've got to get there early for the good deals," she had told me.
"There had better be some darn good deals," I grumbled, as I headed for the shower. It had been three years since my divorce from Dave. It was a simple settlement, I got saddled with this old house, and he got a new life. There never seemed to be enough money to furnish the house the way I would really have liked. I'd been looking at magazines and had been inspired by Victorian décor. Maybe, with a few well placed accents, my old furniture would look in style again.
Mary Ann had been watching me drool over magazines at work. "Hmm, teapots, lace doilies, lamps, you can find all that stuff at the flea market. Cheap!"
I liked the cheap part. "Let's go," I agreed.
I had barely enough time to feed Buster before Mary Ann arrived. Buster was the only guy in my life. Wisely, I had him neutered, so this male wouldn't stray. My tiny tiger kitten was now three years old, and fifteen pounds of pure love. He had been such a comfort since Dave left. All the day's stress seemed to melt away when Buster curled up purring in my lap.
I was surprised to find that we were not the first ones to arrive at the market. The dew was still heavy on the grass as we trudged through the field that served as the parking lot.
"Let's start at this side and work our way back, Patty," Mary Ann suggested as she led the way.
This was a new experience for me. Frankly, it was quite overwhelming. There were vendors on each side for as far as the eye could see.
The bolder vendors called out, "Good deals here!"
There were antiques, glassware, clothes, tools, toys, and food. You name it, it was for sale.
"Don't be afraid to haggle," Mary Ann told me.
I fell in love with a pair of crystal candlesticks.
"Too much," Mary Ann cautioned.
"Will you take less?" I bravely ventured. Sure enough, it worked. The vendor knocked five dollars off the original price. Hey, this is fun, I thought to myself. I was giddy with power.
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