The Other Six Days
By Jane KnuthDecember/January 2010
Buy One, Get One Free
The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop where I
volunteer seems an unlikely place to find out new things about the world, but it happens to me every month.
One rainy, fall day, a young boy, perhaps ten years old, tugs his way through the door of the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store. The plate-glass is heavy and the handle about six inches too high above his shoulder for a good purchase, but he manages to catch the weight of it with his boney elbow and wedges his way through until he stands dripping on our laminate floor.
He shakes the water out of his hair and eyes and sneezes a couple of times, and after swiping at his nose, he surveys his new, dry surroundings. His eyes brighten with curiosity and possibilities as he takes in the multitude of cast-off goods that line the shelves of our display floor.
From behind the cash register, we, in turn, survey him. No adult follows after him. We peer hopefully past him through the foggy glass, but not another soul appears.
Uh-oh — we say to ourselves — another loose one.
Bright, curious children can be just fine — as long as they are supervised. But rainy days tend to bring in the neighborhood children as if our tiny store is the natural substitute for an enclosed mall.
Sometimes, boys his age will march boldly up to us and offer to hire themselves out as day laborers. Do we need our leaves raked? Will we pay them to take out our trash? Do we give away free things to poor children?
We brace ourselves, but this young man is too busy browsing the merchandise to notice us. He starts on the left wall and works his way slowly around the room checking out every rack as if used clothing, knick-knackery and pre-owned linens are the most interesting things he has seen all year. Half an hour passes before he approaches the check-out counter with three shirts just his size.
Does he know these cost money? We wonder.
He does, and he counts out the needed four dollars in coins, plus tax. Our cashier rings up the sale, bags his purchase, and says, “You know, there’s a sale today—buy one, get one free. You can pick out three more shirts if you like.”
He is delighted, and returns to the sales floor. But this time he brings back two shirts which are much too big for him. When we point out the problem, he replies: “Oh, these are for my dad—he needs some new clothes, too.”
