Green Door Antique Store
Part II Continues For Another Day!
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Green Door Antique Store: Part II—The Booths
Chapter Seventeen: Booth Conversations—Part I
Agytha’s Booth
I was arranging a collection of 1950s lunch boxes on a shelf when Thyme appeared behind me and startled me by exclaiming, “I am sure I carried some of those to school!”
I smiled, “Me too. I have a picture of myself with a vinyl one, similar to the blue one. I am surprised this survived!”
Thyme laughed, “I am surprised I survived!”
“Me too!” I laughed.
“Do you have everything you need?” Thyme asked. “I am just starting a tour of the booths to make sure everyone is doing OK. Dinner will be in the Café at 6:00.”
“I am great. I really need a day of rest tomorrow, so I am working hard to finish the booth today. I feel I may have worked on my secrets a bit more than the others but in the note my daughter left me in my suitcase, she said that there were other secrets for me to figure out. Is that true?”
Thyme laughed, “Your daughter cheated but she is not wrong. In fact, it might be a secret that I am hiding that she is alluding to.”
“Wait, what? What do you mean?”
By the time I finished my sentence, Thyme had already moved to the next booth.
Jayne’s Booth
“Hello Thyme,” Jayne said. “Thank you for giving me this color booth—even though Apple Froth didn’t make sense to me at first. I do love the color though. It was fun to collect an explosion of springy items. It was an easy problem to solve!”
“You are a great problem solver, Jayne. Have you used that skill to figure out why you might be here?”
Thyme tilted her head in expectation and waited.
Jayne laughed, “I asked the question and then avoided answering it for myself didn’t I?”
Thyme smiled, “Oh, I didn’t notice . . .”
Jayne laughed harder, “I wasn’t expecting sarcasm but that was fair. I am good at evading questions. It is a skill I learned as a child. In fact, my childhood is likely the secret I am keeping. My daughter asks me questions and I evade answering just like I did last night and am probably doing now. I guess I am afraid of what people will think of me if I tell them.”
Thyme nodded her head to acknowledge Jayne’s answer and then, as she moved on to the next booth, she said, “This is a great opportunity to tell those secrets in a safe space. Everyone has secrets here.”
Kaylynn’s Booth
Thyme found Kaylynn in what appeared to be a field of flowers. There were flower pictures and figurines along with flower-adorned plates, teapots, and teacups. The entire booth was abloom with color.
Kaylynn smiled at Thyme as she took it all in and said, “This may be the most delightful thing I have ever created. I could feel my younger self enjoying every find.”
“It is remarkable what you have done in so little time,” Thyme said. “Our shoppers are going to love this!”
“I was talking to Jayne in the dumbwaiter line and told her that I was an only child and very lonely. Flowers became my friends. I knew them all by name. My favorite was always the Iris. When I saw my booth color, I knew what I wanted to do.”
“Does your daughter know you love flowers this much?” Thyme asked.
“Well, yes, she buys them for me often, but I never told her why. Now that I think of it, why wouldn’t I tell her? I guess because I never talked about my very lonely childhood. That is probably the secret I am keeping.”
Thyme nodded with compassion and as she headed to the next booth, she said, “Well, you can explain that to her when she sees your booth—which she will.”
Karyn’s Booth
Thyme was surprised to find Karyn’s booth to be unexpectedly calming after the explosion of flowers in Kaylynn’s booth. Karyn smiled at her obvious delight.
“It reminds me of Wedgwood pottery,” Thyme said.
Karyn giggled as she stepped aside to reveal a few pieces of Wedgwood pottery on the shelf behind her. “Me too,” she said.
Both women laughed and then Thyme said, “Karyn, I want to thank you for helping Evelynn today. She came and talked to me after lunch, and she is doing much better. I think it will be a good week for her.”
“Oh good! I am glad to hear that. I never like anyone to be that miserable. I have to work hard to be there for people without trying to fix everything and everyone. I absorb other people’s emotions like a sponge. I became good at reading the room as a kid. I have been thinking that maybe I didn’t do that as well for my daughter as I did for other people. I didn’t have a good example for mothering.”
Thyme nodded. She was surprised at how quickly this group of women were reflecting on their stories and how it might have resulted in them walking through the green door.
“What will your daughter think of your booth?”
“I don’t think she will expect this! My house is filled with all sorts of bright colors, but the blue paint felt so peaceful, I wanted to keep it that way. The milk glass and lace were what I saw first and then I began looking for more white antiques. It was funny because Evelynn was looking for white angels and I ended up giving the ones I found to her. I need to go see her booth when I am done here.”
“Well, it is looking great,” Thyme said. “And I believe you are well on your way to understanding what secrets you have been keeping. I imagine the Cat’s Meow will be a great contrast to your booth. I am almost halfway through my tour, so I better keep moving! I have dinner to prepare by 6:00.”
Belynda’s Booth
As much as Kaylynn’s booth had been an explosion of flowers, Belynda’s booth was an explosion of cats. There were cat pictures, cat figurines, cat teapots, and even salt and pepper shakers.
Belynda was grinning at Thyme. “Don’t you just love it?”
Thyme laughed in delight. “I did not imagine you could find so many cats in one day! The cat lovers are going to be thrilled!”
“That is exactly what I thought. And the pink color makes it even more delightful! This has been the best adventure! I am not at all sure why I am here, but I am enjoying myself.”
Thyme smiled at the exuberance and wondered what secret might be lurking underneath the cheery exterior.
Belynda seemed to read her mind. “I understand that there is supposed to be a secret I am keeping. Does my daughter think there is? She never asked me that. I really am an open book, you know. I can’t imagine why she would think I was keeping secrets.”
Thyme wasn’t sure how to respond to this barrage of words. Was her daughter wrong and there weren’t any secrets? Or was this all a well-honed protective strategy? This could be an interesting week.
Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Thyme complimented Belynda on the booth and headed into the Café for a snack before completing her tour on the other side of the building. She was surprised to find all five women from the other side enjoying a break together.
Helpful Information:
I love the way you are developing these characters and giving us little glimpses into their lives as children and hinting at the strategies they used to survive!