the globe, part 2.

That Tuesday was quite hot and sunny. And Swap-o-Rama was a bit more ‘raw’ than Maxwell Street Market. There were more things spewed out of the back of a van and the like. I walked around several times, and at one point a woman called out to me saying something that sounded like “boots!”

I took another round, and decided to approach her. “Nice boots, aren’t they?” she said to me when I arrived. Her eyelashes were so black, fake and thick. “They might fit you,” she continued. “Oh, thanks,” I said, “I’m not looking for boots.”

“What are you looking for, then?” I wasn’t sure, but I was actually looking for curtains for my bedroom. “Okay, let me see,” said she, moving towards the back of her car. “Here,” she said and showed my after a bit of rustling through her stuff. I took a look. “Are you a designer?” she asked. “No,” I said, “I’m an artist.” She nodded slightly. “Are you an artist?” I asked, “Well,” she said. “I sometimes make things. I imagine making things,” and pulled out all things curtain-ish from the pile. I looked at them one by one, trying to measure, failing to imagine.

(I remembered the first time I met Grace.)

She sells almost everything for $1. I bought 2 pairs of short curtains, knowing it won’t fit my long, vertical bedroom window. “I’m also looking for a globe, actually,” I said. “The globe, as in the earth?” “Yes, a desktop globe.”

“Ah, I see – they come in this colour, right?” she said, pulling out another curtain pair that was green and blue. “Yes, exactly, I said.” “What are you gonna do with them?” “I’m not sure yet,” I said. For a moment I was wondering whether I should explain what I was going to use the globe for, but I ended up with a much simpler story. “Aha! Yeah … I can imagine it. That might be good,” she said.

I gave her her $2. For a moment I was thinking to ask for her name. But perhaps that’s for another time.