Autumn Daze
by
Barbara Goldhawk
My husband, George, is a long-time church choir director. He noticed after services what a grand autumn day it was. He suggested that we take a Sunday drive to enjoy the splendid fall scenery and to purchase home-grown produce at the gardeners' stands dotting the roadside.
One place seemed particularly busy with customers. We stopped. As George parked the car he was greeted by a friend so he remained behind to chat. I went ahead to inspect all the luscious abundance in boxes and bins. Then I felt something happen. womanly instinct told me that my pearl earring had just fallen off. I was certain that it had landed somewhere within a huge barrel of cucumber right near my feet.
People around me were busy filling their own bags and being served. I knelt down and, feeling foolish indeed, began searching through the cucumbers for the jewellery . One man stood for a while watching me. Finally he spoke, "Lady, what makes you think the best cukes are at the bottom? They all look the same to me."
It seemed the entire crowd paused in their shopping to listen. "I'm looking for my earring which dropped in there," I explained, feeling more foolish than ever. No one offered to help, of course. In fact, people seemed to furtively edge away as far as possible.
Grimly I continued shifting cucumbers. Finally, there it was! Success! I retrieved my little pearly object.
Just then George came from the car. In a voice strengthened by years of vocal training, he boomed, "Haven't you bought anything yet?"
He is always such a help.