Green Door Antique Store
Part II continues today!
Click here for a review post that lists all the Part I Chapters.
Want to get back in the mood for reading? Listen to Green Door, What’s That Secret You’re Keeping? again!
And I forget the include the colors in yesterday’s email!
Green Door Antique Store: Part II—The Booths
Chapter Fourteen: Dumbwaiter #2
Karyn’s Booth
Karyn had reached the dumbwaiter at the same time as Bettilyn and they commented on their good luck in getting there first. The muted colors of the items in Karyn’s wagon were a stark contrast to the bright ocean blues in Bettilyn’s wagon.
“What color did you have?” Karyn asked.
“Tangy Orange! It was a bit dark, but I have a plan!”
“Ah, those items will stand out against the orange! My paint color is Spring Rain. It is almost like a Robin’s egg blue. I decided it would be a lovely backdrop for lace and milk glass.”
“That is perfect,” Bettilynn answered. “When I need a break from all the bold colors in my booth, I will come and relax in yours.”
Karyn smiled as she placed her final white piece in the dumbwaiter, “You are welcome to come!” Then smiling at Belynda who had now arrived and lined up behind her, Karyn headed for the stairs. Belynda’s was bubbling with exuberance as she stepped up to the dumbwaiter.
Belynda’s Booth
“Here we go!” Belynda exclaimed. “This booth is going to be the Cat’s Meow.”
Sure enough, her wagon was filled with cat memorabilia.
She continued her enthusiastic chatter as she unloaded her wagon. “The color couldn’t be any more perfect. Not necessarily the color but the name. I have loved cats since I was a child. They were my companions, and I filled our house with cats as my children grew up. One time we had six. That is kind of crazy, isn’t it? Was I the crazy cat lady?”
The women who had arrived and lined up behind her laughed at her chatter. They may have been thinking that she might be the crazy cat lady, but her enthusiasm was contagious.
Crystal smiled at Belynda and said, “Well, your booth may be the Cat’s Meow, but mine is going to be Plum Perfect!”
All the women laughed, and Belynda quickly loaded her conglomeration of cats onto the dumbwaiter and headed toward the stairs.
Crystal’s Booth
Crystal glanced back at the two women still in line behind her. Evylynn was last in line and did not look happy. Shrugging off the feeling that she should help her somehow, Crystal began to unload the objects in her wagon onto the dumbwaiter.
She was pleased at how much 1970s bohemia-esque vibe she had located. The rich vibrant colors would be perfect against the deep purple of her booth. She had originally thought she would create a yellow theme, but now she was glad she switched. She was also delighted with the number of macrame hangings she had found and wondered how she would be able to hang them. “I could always ask Jayne to solve that problem for me,” she mused.
Placing the last item in the dumbwaiter, Crystal reflected on the years when she had admired the boho and hippie unconventional styles though as a decorator, she gravitated more toward traditional décor. This was her moment to go back and capture who she had wanted to be. Could she pull it off? She wasn’t sure it would be Plum Perfect, but it would be her. This strange life twist had given her the freedom to finally be herself.
Crystal smiled at Lynda and Evelynn, who had been deep in conversation while she worked to unload her bohemian treasures and headed to the stairs.
Lynda’s Booth
Lynda smiled goodbye to Crystal and moved her wagon to the dumbwaiter. Her wagon was a veritable treasure trove of carefully curated religious memorabilia. She has been thrilled to be given the paint color, St. Patrick. She and Evelynn had been discussing their shared Irish and religious heritage. The fact that their booths were next to each other would ensure that there would be many more conversations.
As Lynda unloaded her wagon, she paused several times to reflect on her magnificent finds. Of special note was a framed copy of the Prayer of St. Patrick. “Listen to this, Evelynn! I felt like I needed this prayer right now. I mean we are not being burned, drowned, or wounded but stranger things could happen.”
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down.
Evelynn seemed underwhelmed by Lynda’s enthusiasm over the poem but agreed politely and prepared herself to move up to the dumbwaiter. No one was behind her.
Eveylynn’s Booth
Evelynn moved her wagon toward the dumbwaiter. She was alone again. She hated always being last at everything but knew there was no one to blame but herself for constantly being left behind. She stared at the items in her wagon and hated them. Why was she even doing this?
“Oh! I think your items will fit well in your booth!”
Thyme’s voice startled her.
How did this woman seem to follow her as if she was walking through walls?
“I am glad you think so,” Evelynn responded. “I have no idea what I am going to do with them.”
Thyme smiled sympathetically and said, “I thought that might be the case. I brought you this photo book filled with pictures of other booths that were set up by women who were given this color. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone I let you see it. I thought you might need a bit of encouragement.”
Thyme handed Evelynn the photo album and then seemed to vanish in thin air. Evelynn placed her items in the dumbwaiter, stared at the hearts, love décor, and angels one last time, hugged the photo book, and went searching for a quiet spot to peek at the contents.
The dumbwaiter took its last load up to the teenagers who were waiting to deliver the items to the booths. Lunch would be served before the women decided they needed to go to the basement and look for additional items to finish off their booths.
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