Black Market Elfa

Craigslist is an amazing site
My good friend RJ turned me on
to Craigslist last year
if you remember
THE EXPERIMENT
and I recently
was discussing motorcycle parts
with Mr. Cajun man
and he told me he gets them
on Craigslist
so I went perusing
to see what else was there
Low and behold
I found some things for my classroom
from a teacher that is retiring
that were a steal
so I continued perusing
since I am "getting organized"
and Ms. Boo and I are
looking for organizational containers
and I came across an ad
for three sets of Elfa (namebrand) basket/shelving
so I email the woman selling them
she wants 60 bucks for each of them
so I ask if I can come look at them
and she says sure
she lives off a major highway
in an area of town
that I believe is one
one of the better ones in town
and when I ask for an address
and that I will look it up
online for directions
and she says
you know, it doesn't come up
online
so I will just meet you at
*local restaurant
off *major highway
and when you exit
just call me
and I will be right there
oh... ok
so what do you drive?
a silver mustang...
oh ok and I drive a
blah blah blah
so off down the yellow brick road
I go
I arrive at the restaurant
and she arrives
blonde, young, and
in a mustang...
hmmm wonder if she
knows Mr. Turnaround...
yes, the thought did run through
my mind, but it isn't the best part
the best part is
she drives out the back of the parking lot
and around a corner
and I don't know what happened then
but I found myself
in a mobile home park
from the the distant past
and not a small one
or designed in rows and rows
that are parallel and perpendicular
but streets that wind around
and around
and we drive until I can't remember
how many times we turned or where
finally we pull up
in front of a mobile home
that made me quiver
with flashbacks of when I was 10
and we lived in a mobile home
while remodeling a house
we had moved from another location
any way
we get out and she has her daughter
5 years old
with her
then the son is being dropped off
by the babysitter, grandma, dad
I am not sure
he is 7.
The boy starts fussing with his sister
and sister says
"you bastawd"
with her little girl voice
with no "r"s
to her big brother
and then we go inside
and she has just moved in
she tells me how
the mobile home
was a gift from her dad
for graduating from
dental hygienist school
and it only took her 7 years
to get through it...
ok... well... good for you,
and I say much nicer things
of course, I applauded her
and in my head am thinking
at least she is trying to pull herself up
by her bootstraps
and that is good
The Elfa shelving units
were great
I bought two for a 100 bucks
and loaded them in the car
and as we were just finishing up
a car stopped out front,
her sister
who didn't know she was selling stuff
and questioning her about it
and then how long we would be
because apparently I was in her parking place
and then the neighbor pulled in right beside me
and got out of her car
suddenly I was glad I hadn't brought my son
because she had tattoos on both wrists
all the way around
going up her forearm
and they were flames
like you see on a car
orange and red
and BIG
and she gave me a dirty look
as she got out of her car
because my side door was open when she pulled in
so I apologized if I was in her way
and closed the doors

Now don't get me wrong
I think everyone has a right
to have or not to have body art
to pull themselves up by their bootstraps
and to have a good supporting family
but what was getting me
was the Trailer Trash mentality
that was washing over me
like a tidal wave
then I tried to drive out of there
and it was like a labyrinth from hell
I didn't think I was going to get out of there
finally, after I must have taken
the 100 dollar tour, I found an exit
but it was not where I entered

I drove straight to the Container store
to see what kind of deal I had gotten
and sure enough
it was a great deal
if I bought each unit new
(and they looked new)
they would have each been
over 200 dollars each
and as I regaled the Muse
with the tale complete with visualization
she brought up the question
how this woman came to have
these shelving units
maybe they were indeed
"hot items"
well the mustang driver
gave great details of
what she used them for
and how they go together
and she kinda knew the original prices
of each
and I am not sure
she could have made all that up
but you know
there is no telling who got them for her
or how...
hence the title
Black Market Elfa

yes, the path along the yellow brick road
is a bit scary at times
and you see things in places
that you never would imagine them


but eventually
on my path
I will find my home
though it won't be where I left it