Yoharie (part three)

Yoharie

Giarma Meets Trevor

(part three)

The car pulled to the curb, engine running, a hand at the window. That, over there, the hand was saying to the driver. It froze, then gestured, well, okay, but why not? Kate pulled her hair into a mock ponytail and let it fall. She tapped the frame of Hibbler’s glasses…an attention-getter Mat Busby used on people. “Who’s in there?”

His wife picked up phrases. He thought she meant, like, “a penny for your thoughts.” Only a sort of headshrinker talk; the kind of thing, again, that Busby came up with.

But she said, “Did you ever see those people?”

He shrugged.

A woman got out, the engine still going. The car was a hybrid; its taillights flashed, its low purr stopped. She climbed the incline 0f the Hibbler drive, and bent to check a price-tag.

Another woman got out and stood, holding the driver’s door open.

“Is it ten dollars? Really?”

Todwillow strolled down, humming. Then singing, “Bahp, bahp, bahp, bahp!”

He’d been getting all over, walking out to the back yard, disappearing into the garage. Now inside the house somehow, and leaving the front door open.

Doing an electric guitar, getting on the other side of the chest. The woman smiled.

He said, “Messin with your mind”, when he felt like saying it. This time he let her in on the joke, hovering a finger. “Signed original.”

“Yeah. Um, I’m just gonna refinish it.”

Kate said, quick, “Do you need help, getting it in your trunk?”

“Are you buying that?” the other woman called out.

“Oh, I don’t know, ten dollars.”

“You know what would be great…if you like doing crafts…you said you were refinishing it?” He saw Kate search for a prop, trying to boost another item. “I can let you have that basket half-price, if you’re buying the chest.”

“Thanks, I don’t want a basket.”

“Nine dollars and fifty cents,” Todwillow said.

“We have a lot of books. Lots of kids’ books. If there’s anything special you’re looking for.”

The trunk popped. The other woman came and stood next to her friend.

“It’s ten dollars,” the friend said.

“Up to you.” Examining the finish. “Seriously pukey.”

4

Yoharie

Yoharie (part one)

(2019, Stephanie Foster)