{"id":22671,"date":"2021-08-02T15:34:16","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T20:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/?p=22671"},"modified":"2023-01-19T12:04:15","modified_gmt":"2023-01-19T18:04:15","slug":"chapter-13-flea-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/2021\/08\/02\/chapter-13-flea-market\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 13: Flea Market"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was the end of the work day on Friday, and the three clinic employees were in the administrative area finishing up various \u201cwork-related\u201d tasks. Strawberry was typing at her computer (probably working on the novel she was writing in her free time, but Thomas allowed that if all her duties were dispensed). Thomas was at the printer collecting sheets of paper (he still liked having hard copies of things). Tabby was brushing a My Little People doll\u2019s hair (it helped restore her focus, so she said, and she kept a supply of dolls with tangled hair tucked under the counter to work on whenever she took a break to chat with Strawberry).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Tabby, are you going to the flea market tomorrow?\u201d Strawberry asked, breaking the companionable silence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby sent her friend a sharp look. \u201cYes, l guess I will be going <\/span>on my own<\/span><\/i>,\u201d she said with exaggerated pain, \u201csince you\u2019ll be off at the crack of dawn bird-watching in the great unknown with Vanguard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPoor Tabby,\u201d said Strawberry unconcernedly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened to Toby?\u201d Thomas slyly asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s at a conference in Hayton,\u201d Tabby said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThomas, what are your weekend plans?\u201d Strawberry asked politely, shutting off her computer and rolling back in her office chair.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026 as a matter of fact, Moonglow invited me to the flea market,\u201d Thomas admitted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMoonglow!\u201d Tabby scoffed, setting down the doll she had been working on. \u201cWhat does she want with a flea market?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe said something about tea pots for her mother. I don\u2019t think she\u2019ll be competition for My Little People,\u201d Thomas assured her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s good. I already have Foxglove to watch out for,\u201d Tabby complained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you already had one of each,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cWhy do you keep buying more?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby looked affronted. \u201cYou don\u2019t understand collecting,\u201d was all she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou could, you know, try bonding with Foxglove over mutual interests,\u201d Thomas observed with a significant look.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby muttered something unintelligible under her breath.<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a lovely day,\u201d Moonglow said, appearing quite content at Thomas\u2019 side. \u201cLast year it was rained out, as I recall.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It was the next morning, and Thomas had met Moonglow as planned. They were now strolling the fairgrounds, which was a flurry of activity and noise as prospective buyers chattered and sellers hawked their wares. Trailers and carts had been backed into the grass, and random secondhoof treasures were spread out on tables or blankets on the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Moonglow was haggling with a vendor over the price of some knickknack, a familiar pink unicorn came along, perusing a neighboring table.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t expect to see you here this early,\u201d Thomas directed at her. It wasn\u2019t even eight, and it was rare to see her at work before quarter after the hour.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026 hey,\u201d she said, looking up and starting in surprise, but the reaction seemed artificial, as if planned and then poorly acted out. \u201cThis isn\u2019t even that early. I\u2019ve been here since seven!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t even make it to work by eight,\u201d Thomas pointed out.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but it\u2019s a flea market, and you have to get here early to scope things out and edge out your competitors,\u201d Tabby said matter-of-factly, rummaging through a box of stuffed animals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll that strategy just for old toys and things?\u201d Thomas asked skeptically.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a cutthroat business,\u201d Tabby said with deadly calm, and then a beatific smile settled across her face as she came up with some treasure. \u201cLook at this!\u201d she announced excitedly, clutching the toy creature with staring eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that certainly is\u2026 something,\u201d Thomas acknowledged.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know, right!\u201d Tabby agreed, staring rapturously at the animal clad in overalls.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2026 is it?\u201d Thomas asked hesitantly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a Sooka! You know, the pets of the Carrot Patch Foals!\u201d Tabby enlightened him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, those things. My sister had one. They were all the rage,\u201d Thomas recalled.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, everyone had one of those.\u201d Tabby clearly was not impressed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s missing a shoe,\u201d Thomas noted. It was the kind of detail that stood out to him, and remarking on such minor inconsistencies usually got a rise out of Tabby.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Sookas don\u2019t wear shoes, so having one is actually a bonus,\u201d she explained with unusual patience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moonglow appeared carrying a wrinkled plastic bag. \u201cOh\u2026 Tabby. Hi,\u201d said the lavender mare with pale yellow hair, unenthusiastically.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHi,\u201d said Tabby shortly. \u201cWell, uh, have fun. Bye.\u201d She darted off with her find in search of the vendor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s rather\u2026 blunt, isn\u2019t she?\u201d Moonglow asked in Tabby\u2019s wake.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, extremely,\u201d Thomas agreed.<\/span><\/p>\n

The two continued walking up and down the rows of vendors, stopping occasionally and remarking on random objects–sometimes a mixing bowl, or painting, or lawn decoration, or the completely inexplicable–and sharing memories that various obscure items conjured up. Moonglow was a pleasant companion; still, Thomas found himself scanning the crowd, hoping that Tabby would cross his path again.<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby ducked her head low as she turned a corner and saw a familiar blue and purple mare–Foxglove. Seeing that she was loaded down with shopping bags, Tabby was certain she would want to brag about her haul, and–having relatively little to show for her own efforts today–was hoping to avoid that conversation. She hoped that if she didn\u2019t make eye contact, she could go unnoticed.<\/span><\/p>\n

But it was too late. Foxglove had seen her and was making a beeline straight to her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTabby, hi!\u201d Foxglove exclaimed. \u201cHaving any luck? I found these!\u201d She thrust a loaded shopping bag, heads and limbs of dolls poking through the thin plastic, in Tabby\u2019s face.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby shrugged. \u201cThat\u2019s nice,\u201d she said, with a carefully unimpressed look.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know I\u2019m a long way from matching your collection,\u201d Foxglove fawned. \u201cBut maybe someday!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes great discipline and endurance to build a collection like mine,\u201d Tabby said sternly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo true,\u201d Foxglove agreed, then added in a rush: \u201cHey, what are you doing tonight because–\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid I\u2019m very busy,\u201d Tabby cut her off, a reflex action. Then she realized that this was one of those times Thomas would look at her reproachfully for–how had he put it–<\/span>pushing ponies away<\/span><\/i>. She sighed. \u201cWell, you know\u2026\u201d She hesitated. \u201cI\u2019ll be at the SSSS.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Foxglove brightened. \u201cI was going to the SSSS, too! Hey, I have some My Little People fanfic I\u2019d like your opinion of. Maybe I could bring it by tonight?\u201d she asked hopefully.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSure\u2026 that sounds, uh, great,\u201d Tabby said, trying not to grimace. \u201cWell, I\u2019m sure you have more shopping to do. Don\u2019t let me hold you up.\u201d Surely politeness had its limits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSee you later. Bye!\u201d Foxglove called as she moved on. Tabby took a deep breath of relief.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby\u2019s attention was next caught by an ornate wooden birdhouse in the shape of a Victorian mansion. It wasn\u2019t her style, but she knew Strawberry would find it charming. Tabby sighed, feeling a bit lonesome. The flea market had been a tradition of the two friends, but since Vanguard had come along, tradition was falling by the wayside more and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby supposed she could buy the birdhouse and present it as a souvenir of the day to Strawberry, but she shook her head. \u201cNo\u2026 no, she made her choice,\u201d she said to herself and started to walk away, but then realized that this was probably another example of her being uncharitable. She begrudgingly amended her decision, picking up the birdhouse and walking to the seller.<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking ahead, Tabby found that her trajectory would once again bring her in proximity to Thomas and Moonglow.<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

While Moonglow dealt with payment for an antique vase that would be the perfect touch for a house showing–she was quite the haggler, it seemed, and spent a lot of time chatting up vendors–Thomas perused a table at a neighboring stand filled with an assortment of colorful glass, lamps, figural coin banks, and a\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d asked Tabby, who popped up suddenly at his side. She looked over the rectangular wooden object that held his attention, but without recognition on her part.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a zither,\u201d Thomas explained, running his hoof over the stringed instrument. \u201cMy mother used to play\u2026 it\u2019s not a common instrument.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you should get it,\u201d Tabby said matter-of-factly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thomas shook his head. \u201cI don\u2019t really play; and there are cracks around the tuning pegs; it would need repairs; and what would I do with it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSee, that’s not really the right mindset for shopping at a flea market,\u201d Tabby chided.<\/span><\/p>\n

The vendor, an olive green stallion, had noticed their interest and strolled over. \u201cOh, that’s very nice, isn’t it?\u201d he asked conversationally. \u201cA real antique, over a hundred years old, original strings, very rare, real Preuben craftsponyship. Only fifty, and that’s a steal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby drew herself up and eyed him haughtily. \u201cWhat\u2019s this MADE ON CALIMIDAD ISLAND label?\u201d she demanded. \u201cIt’s not more than fifty years old, and it’s filthy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLook, it’s got this nice floral painting,\u201d the vendor pointed out. \u201cThese go for much more online. I would go forty.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the, uh, tuning pegs are cracked,\u201d Tabby continued, pointing nowhere near the tuning pegs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell…\u201d The stallion pursed his lips. \u201cI wouldn’t do this for just anyone, but I can see you really want it and would appreciate it… thirty-five.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTwenty-five or no deal,\u201d Tabby said firmly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI’m going to regret this,\u201d the seller said, shaking his head, \u201cbut… I\u2019ll do thirty for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby stared at the vendor for a long moment, and Thomas thought she might go another round, but finally she nodded. \u201cWell, there you go,\u201d she said to Thomas, stepping aside and pushing him forward. Reaching for his wallet, he hoped he had the cash on him. Fortunately, he did.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThanks for doing that,\u201d he said when the vendor turned away. \u201cI feel kind of bad, though. That was a big discount.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s all part of the game,\u201d scoffed Tabby. \u201cHe probably would have settled for even less as long as it meant cash in hoof. You have to be an actor in this business.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The seller\u2019s voice carried as they heard him with another customer, for whom he was already eagerly restarting his spiel: \u201cOne hundred, and that\u2019s firm. You know, I’m actually hoping this <\/span>doesn’t<\/span><\/i> sell; it\u2019s one of my favorites\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose you may be right,\u201d Thomas mused.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThomas, come with me,\u201d Moonglow said imperiously, descending on the pair and inserting herself between them. \u201cI want to look at those decorative soaps over there.\u201d She pulled Thomas on their way, darting an annoyed look back at Tabby.<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

There were no more disturbances by Tabby–Moonglow seemed to carefully chart their course with that in mind–and by mid-morning, the pair stopped for refreshments and sat down at a picnic table.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c…but then the closing had to be postponed, because Fuzziwugs had burrowed into the basement,\u201d Moonglow was explaining a recent business experience. \u201cFur everywhere. A real mess.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy!\u201d interrupted a yellow stallion wearing a cowboy hat. It was Beauregard, the salsa shop proprietor. \u201cOut looking for treasures, I see,\u201d he said chattily, in no hurry to move on. \u201cHey, that\u2019s a nice zither,\u201d he said, his eyes lighting up as he caught sight of the instrument next to Thomas on the bench. \u201cI could tell you were the musical sort when I first saw you, Doc.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just for decoration,\u201d Thomas said hastily.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beauregard shook his head. \u201cIt\u2019d be a right shame to leave such a fine instrument collecting dust on a shelf,\u201d he argued. \u201cYou need to play it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not even in playable condition, is it?\u201d Moonglow asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not so bad,\u201d Beauregard disagreed, taking an appraising look at the instrument. \u201cJust needs some work around the tuning pegs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how I would find anyone with the skills necessary to fix it,\u201d Thomas noted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy granny has one of these that I\u2019ve fixed a time or two,\u201d Beauregard said. \u201cTell you what, give it to me and I\u2019ll get it patched-up for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not necessary. It was my mom that played,\u201d Thomas said, hoping to dissuade Beauregard from his suggestion. \u201cI don\u2019t really–\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNonsense, it\u2019s in your blood; \u2018course you can play,\u201d Beauregard cut him off, taking the zither in his hooves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll pay you, of course,\u201d Thomas said, seeing that it was literally out of his hooves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, consider it a favor!\u201d Beauregard insisted. \u201cYou did such a good job removing Emilio\u2019s oral nematodes–little feller has never been so lively! Consider it a thank you from both of us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, what kind of animal is Emilio?\u201d Moonglow wanted to know.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTarantula,\u201d Beauregard said proudly, and Moonglow grimaced.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad he\u2019s feeling better,\u201d Thomas said. Emilio was one of his more memorable patients.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ll be off.\u201d Beauregard tipped his hat respectfully at the pair. \u201cI\u2019ll give you a call when it\u2019s ready.\u201d He strolled off, whistling.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you didn\u2019t have immediate plans for that,\u201d Moonglow observed dryly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s fine,\u201d Thomas said, collecting their trash from the table. \u201cIt saves me having to carry it around the rest of the day, anyway. Ready to move on?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, let\u2019s,\u201d said Moonglow with a warm smile.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was the end of the work day on Friday, and the three clinic employees were in the administrative area finishing up various…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1071],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22671"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31392,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22671\/revisions\/31392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}