So, this was a little thing I did for my English assignment… It's AH. Hope you enjoy!
It was Christmas Eve and all Char had was $2.00. She had counted once, twice, three times. And yet the amount stayed the same. She gave a despaired wail as she sat heavily upon the worn couch. She sniffled as she looked around the small room. It was nothing much, a small apartment for $8 a week. Having such little money it was the best they could do. It was a shabby little place, with the paint peeling of the walls and the floorboards creaking with every step. but it was home. What was she supposed to do with $2.00 and Christmas the next day? How was she supposed to buy Peter a present? Her grey eyes scanned the room, looking for something, anything to help her with her dilemma. They stopped upon her mother's sowing machine, clearly seen through the open bedroom door. It had been her mother's prized possession and she had passed it down onto her. It wasn't like she could display it properly, at the moment it was sitting in the bedroom on the floor. She looked 'round the room once more before standing and walking into the bedroom. She gently and carefully packed up the machine and put it into the box. She carried it outside and to the car. Once outside, she looked around. Midnight wasn't in the meadow, so she assumed Peter had taken her for a ride. She got into the car and drove to town. She stopped at the first antique store she saw. The faded sign over the door stated 'Whitlock Antiques'. She took a deep breath and walked in. The little bell above the door jingled as she opened it. She walked towards the empty counter.
"Hello?" she called, ringing the bell on the counter. "Is anyone here?"
"Be right with you!" a man's voice called from the back. A little while later, a tall, sandy blond man walked from the back. "Sorry about the wait. My name's Jasper. How can I help you?"
She set the sowing machine on the counter.
"I'm Charlotte. Call me Char. I need to sell this."
"That's a pretty old machine. That looks like my ma's. She used to have one that sat on the beautiful mahogany cabinet. She kept the sowing machine on top and all her supplies in the cabinet. Are you selling?"
"Yes. How much would you think it's worth?"
"Well, I'd say about $15-$20, but you'd have to ask my wife that. She's more the expert on this kinda stuff. Let me go get her. She ran over to Ned Pollard's store for horse feed. Feel free to browse. I should be back in a moment." he said, walking out the front door. She smiled and left the sowing machine on the counter as she wandered through the store. She had picked up a small figurine of a little girl and her horse when Jasper returned.
"Char?" he called.
"Coming!' she replied, making her way back to the counter. Jasper stood in front of the sowing machine, a brunette next to him.
"Char, this is my wife, Bella. Bella, this is Char, she owns the sowing machine." Jasper said. Bella looked towards Char and smiled.
"Hi. Your sowing machine is beautiful! Are you really selling it?" she asked. Char nodded.
"Yeah. I just don't have room for it in the house." she replied.
"Well, Jasper was really close in price range, but I'll give you $25 for it." Bella said.
"Thank you." Char said. A few minutes later, she walked out of the shop with $27 in her pocket. She walked through town, entering sand exiting different shops,looking for the perfect gift. Finally she found it; it was sitting there on the model. It was perfect for Peter. Midnight would look so beautiful with the black saddle with white trim on. She paid for it and walked out $26 lighter, but holding the present for Peter. She loaded the saddle into the bed of the truck and drove home. She hid it in the barn and started dinner. By the time she heard Peter stomp his boots on the porch, shaking the dirt from them, the biscuits were in the oven and the chicken was frying in the pan. Peter walked in, sniffing the air.
"Yum. Fried chicken and biscuits. What's the occasion?" he asked. She smiled.
"It's Christmas Eve, silly! Have you forgotten?" she asked. He looked at her.
"Christmas Eve! Imagine that! I must have forgotten." he replied. She glared at him as he laughed.
"I should keep your present for that!" she said.
"Char, I didn't mean anything by it. It was a joke." he hastily said, attempting to get back in her good graces. Her eyes twinkled and her lips twitched involuntarily into a smile.
"I was teasing, you silly boy. Your present is in the barn. Go and get it." she said, turning back to the chicken in the pan. She heard him exit the house and smiled softly.
"Oh, I hope he likes it. He never did like that old sowing machine anyway." she murmured, turning the chicken over. It seemed like an eternity until Peter walked back into the house.
"It's beautiful, Char. But I sold Midnight to Ned Pollardto get your present. Come with me." he said, leading her outside. As he led her to the bed of his truck, she gave a shout of joy, immediately followed by a cry of anguish.
"Oh, Peter! I sold the sowing machine to get the saddle! I wanted to get you something you would like and I knew you didn't care for the machine anyway, so I up and sold it!" she cried.
"Char, don't worry about it. Ned Pollard promised Midnight's first foal in the spring. We'll just save up until the spring and get your sowing machine back. Until then, why don't we go eat that chicken?"