The man held the large, plastic saucer in his hands and twisted the edges in opposite directions.
“See, it’s not going to break like your traditional ceramic bird bath.”
The woman took the saucer from the man to test his claim of durability for herself, twisting the edges and trying to bend it in half, without success. Although gullible in all of her other relationships, she was not one to take the word of a salesperson at face value. Not anymore, at least.
Unable to break or bend it, she nodded in satisfaction and flipped the saucer over, “No price tag?”
The man held his delicate hands in front of his chest like a squirrel with an acorn, he was determined not to lose this sale. Surprisingly, things weren’t as lucrative in the bird supply business as one might imagine.
“Well, that’s actually our last one.”
The woman raised her eyebrows in question.
“Last one?” she asked incredulously.
The last time she heard that line, she ended up with a slick ceramic, cushion-less couch that was impossible to sit on without sliding off of it.
Mustering his most pathetic expression, he explained, “These are made in China and with the tariffs, we can’t get anymore. Don’t know when, or if, we will ever get more.”
She pretended to take a minute to think, not to appear hasty in her decision.
“Well, I suppose I’ll take it. And throw in some of those crushed peanuts and…”
Suddenly, her attention was redirected towards something unusual and glorious. It was a crane standing in a bucket of rocks, fashioned out of wire no thicker than that of a coat hanger. Perfect in every way. Her daughter would have added, perfectly tacky, and reminded her of the other garden art that had accumulated in her backyard.
“Mmm….” She mentally silenced her offspring’s voice.
“And that beautiful bird. Add that in with the peanuts and the indestructible bird bath.”
She knew a good deal when she saw one.
hoosiersunshine13 