A sad little green sign announces it's an "Estate Sale."
I suppose the really good stuff's already been picked through but if you need the same spoon the deceased used ... well you're in luck.
The deceased was a nutty woman forever locking herself out of her own house.
"Can you help me?" she asks and I wander around until I find a window that's not locked and climb through to let her back inside.
She'd giggle at my ass hanging half way in and halfway out of her window.
Once, for the fun of it, she pulled down my black running shorts just cause she could and I scream bloody murder while she laughs.
She also pushed her lawnmower over because she couldn't crank it herself ... because she forgot to prime it by pushing the little black bubble under the gas tank.
"Oh," she signs full of embarrassment, quickly pushing the mower into her yard without saying thanks.
She was forever frustrated with Sarah, the girls and me because ... I have no idea why ... she was nuts.
We carve pumpkins for Halloween and she wanders into our yard asking if she can have them when we they're no longer yard decorations.
"I'll make you pumpkin pie," she grins.
A few weeks later the pumpkins have melted in the sun and black flies surround them as I use a shovel to scoop them into the trash.
"YOU TOLD ME I CAN HAVE THEM!" she yells.
"They're disgusting!" I say.
She storms off and later has a confrontation with Sarah in the middle of the street which is never a good idea but greatly entertains all of our neighbors who spend weeks talking about it.
Last Halloween ... Laurel, the 11 year old, and I secretly leave fresh pumpkins on her front porch.
She was dead then but no one knew ... locked up alone inside of her house ... for God knows how long?
The pumpkins sat there for the longest time without rotting ... until one day they were gone.
Like her.
Like you and me one day.
Whenever that day comes, I hope I've already given everything away ... so there's no Estate Sale.
In the end, I'm pretty sure hoarding gets you nowhere.
I still believe in giving though sometimes I'm uncertain if it takes you to nowhere too.
