The Garage Sale

Entered in The Whakatane Friends of the Library Short Story Competition 2007.
The magic of de-cluttering.
"Being able to write natural dialogue is a rare talent, but this author has the gift. I enjoyed reading The Garage Sale, and while I found the plot a little predictable, the style of writing and skill elevated this story to a healthy mid-field position (a very happy place to be). "

Eva heard the sound of gravel crunching, as someone walked up her driveway. She checked her watch. Eight-twenty a.m. She hadn't even put the signs out for her advertised eight-thirty start for her garage sale yet. An eldery gentleman stood before her.
“Do you have any gardening books?” he asked.
“Sorry, no” she said “I'm not much of a gardener.” He nodded then proceeded to rummage through her box of books anyway. He picked one up and smiled. It was a relationship self-help book. She grimaced as he caught her eye.
“Didn't help me much.” she said, shaking her head and laughing.
The eldery gentleman took in everything that was in the sale in one long sweep. Most of the gear was that of a man's. Shirts, sports gear, records – it was almost as though you could piece together who the character was whose gear was being sold.
“What happened?” he found himself asking.
“An accident...” she trialed off “He...it was a car accident.”
“I'm so sorry,” he said “But isn't having this all out like this rather difficult love? Couldn't you have taken it all to the Salvation Army?”
“Could have” she said “Only, although he died and it was tragic, we were almost over. Before it happened...his accident...there was another woman. I just think seeing for sure that this stuff is going will help me, you know, get over it.”
“Right” he said “Well good luck lass.” He patted her on the shoulder and headed off down the driveway. Eva walked after him and put out the signs.

Within seconds the hoards started to arrive. There were the regulars who scanned garage sales on a weekly basis, either hunting for particular items or wanting to find a great bargain. There were those who just fancied a good old nosey or wanted to spend a little bit of cash on nothing in particular. It was a strange process watching people pick up her personal items that Eva had rejected herself, only to see them put them down again and the rejector then walking away. Or some would buy things she was sure were meant for the tip.
“You a boarder then?”
Eva looked up to see an outdoorsy guy with wild brown hair topped off with a backwards cap, holding up her snowboot boots.
“Was” she managed “I haven't been boarding for years.”
“They're pretty old” he said “But I like the odd retro pair for the shop. How much?”
“Five dollars” she said.
A lined browned masculine hand handed her a fiver.“Thanks” she said as she pocketed it.
“It's meant to be a great Winter – lots of powder. You ought to get back on the horse again.”
He winked, she smiled and he walked off with the boots.

As the sporty stranger crunched off down her driveway, Eva allowed herself to reflect a little. Seeing the boots go seemed to bring up an assortment of feelings. He'd bought her those boots a lifetime ago. It was one of the few things he'd ever bought her, as a gift. They were in a way the last concrete, and sentimental link to a past that was long gone. The boots represented the fun side of their rocky and treachous union. When she'd worn those, their relationship altered. On this sunny Autumn day she reflected how it had been like magic gliding down the slopes together.

“Ahem” a man cleared his throat. “These records, twenty dollars for the lot?” Eva looked to see what the young man in his early twenties with mild acne was showing her. Retro music. Bet he's a DJ, she thought to herself. He'd picked out The Cure, Michael Jackson, The Beastie Boys, The Clash and Boney M. “Sure” she nodded. He handed her a twenty and then strided off down the driveway. Amazing, just like that. Five albumns that represented their courting days. The good old days, when their future was bright.

More things sold. As each item went, Eva felt a little lighter. Sure she could have just taken it all to the Sallies – or the dump. But she was making a little bit of cash from the garage sale and it was proving to be a form of therapy for her.

Then she turned up. Eva knew instantly it was her. She'd seen her at the funeral, the mystery blonde standing awkwardly alone, seemingly knowing noone at the back of the church. Eva couldn't believe she'd even come. And now, it was beyond belief that she was actually on her property.

She stood right before her.
“Hi Eva” she said casually as if they were friends or at the very least, acquaintances. “Um – Holly” she said, stretching out a pale hand.
Eva looked at the white hand, limp, like a dead fish and didn't react.
“Hi” she said, resisting screaming What the hell are you doing here??!! at her.
“I saw the ad in the paper. I, er, recognised the address” She coughed nervously “Mind if I have a quick look?”
Eva shot her one of her worst evil looks. “I do mind” she heard herself saying “I think it best you leave.” Holly took this in, and nodded. Trembling, she seemed to be immobilised. “It's just, I don't have anything of his, I just thought...” she looked around helplessly.
“Well the problem is Holly, what you see around you are remnants of my life with him. Not yours. Everything here is from our time together. From the beginning – to the end.” She shot her another evil look.
Holly nodded. “I understand” she said, a tear trickling down her face. A white hand came up and hurriedly wiped it away. “I'm sorry...” and she turned on her heels.

In that moment Eva realised that she had a decade or more of memories before her. Sure they'd been tainted because of recent events, but they were all hers, theirs. Perhaps the only memory Holly had was of the dirty sheets her lover had left behind. Perhaps she had nothing tangible.

“Wait...” Eva ran half-way down the driveway and tapped Holly on the back. “You can have this.” Holly looked down as Eva opened her hand to reveal a watch. Holly smiled as clearly she recognised it. “Thank you” she said. The two women looked at each other for a few seconds in silence.
“Are you really going to get rid of it all? Because of me? “ Holly bravely asked.
“Yes I am” said Eva “But not because of you. He and I had a real life together. What you and he had was fleeting. Our relationship finished long before you, long before he died.”
“Right” muttered Holly, holding on to the watch tightly.
“Well I better get back to it.” said Eva.
“Of course, thanks for the watch” said Holly as she disappeared down the driveway.

An hour later as the hoards stopped, Eva brought in the signs. She'd made close to two hundred dollars. That afternoon she found herself in a sports shop. She walked past the snowboards and took in the large range of skis before her.
“You a skiier then?” it was the guy from the garage sale that morning.
“Yes, I think I am.” she smiled.
“It's meant to be a great Winter this year – lots of powder” he said, clearly not remembering her from the garage sale.
“Sounds great.” she found herself saying.