Clark double checked his GPS and pulled into the long driveway, carefully driving on the gravel road until the large house came into view. Several people were milling about, looking through the tables lined with fabrics, housewares and decorations. Cruising garage and estate sales wasn't his idea of "fun" on a Saturday afternoon, but he desperately needed cheap household items for his new place. And there were always good sales to find on the weekends.
He parked his car and got out, stretching his back as he surveyed where to start. To his left was a table piled high with quilts, sheets and towels; to his right were the tables filled with glasses and plates. Heading left, he dug through the pile of blankets, noting most of them appeared to be king sized or even larger, but in good shape. He carefully put them back in order, deciding to look for blankets that would fit his queen bed at a later point.
Moving around the tables, he noted a few interesting items and was trying to juggle them as he walked.
"Hi there. I can put these over by the cash box for when you're ready." A middle aged woman appeared at his elbow, smiling kindly as he shuffled his arms.
"That would be great, thank you. I just need to go look at the dishes and then I'll be done."
"Of course, take your time. There should still be a complete set over there. Mr. Werthgood had that set for almost his entire life, but it is in great shape."
"That would be great. I just moved here, so I need a complete set." She smiled at him, and pointed to the right table before carrying his items off to the card table with a cash box and an elderly man helping another person package up their items.
Clark wandered over to the table, and immediately saw the set. It was a large set, enough plates, bowls and coffee mugs for eight people plus a few serving trays. As promised, everything looked to be in perfect condition - no chips, cracks or broken pieces and the blue designs were all intact. Which was surprising, given the ceramic material and the original box said it was from the 1930's.
"Well? Think those will work for you?" The same lady asked, approaching him.
"I think so! All I need are glasses and utensils now. Do you have those too?"
"We do!" She helped carry the dishes, utensils and glasses to his car, along with the other few items. "Let's say for everything ... seventy-five dollars?"
"You sure? The dishes alone cost that." He said, passing over the cash, hardly believing his luck.
"I'm absolutely sure! I'd much rather see these go to a good home, and with someone who will appreciate them. Welcome to Edgewood."
_-_-_
He put the last, freshly washed, plate in the drying rack and stood back with a pleased smile. While the rest of his place was bare bones, thanks to the estate sale his kitchen was fully stocked. Now all that was left was for a quick trip to the grocery store.
Grabbing his keys, he headed back to his car and to one of the few stores. Grabbing a cart, he headed to his usual aisle - fresh vegetables - and ... his feet by passed the aisle.
Need something more substantial than rabbit food. The quicker to cook, the better. The thought came unbidden, his steps faltering at the new voice inside his head. But the thought was rational enough, that he had no obvious rebuttal.
He shrugged, deciding that one trip of buying pre-cooked food and snacks wouldn't hurt.
Besides, he would be busy with work starting and he needed all the time he could get. He'd always eaten healthy, so one cheat week wouldn't be that bad. He pulled burritos, pizzas and jalapeno poppers from the frozen food aisle, moving to the chips where he pulled several bags and some dip into the cart. He did grab granola bars for his breakfast, a sad attempt to cut back the impending damage. Once he was checked out, he made a quick stop through the alcohol section to pick up a case of his favorite.
