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Collectors' items
A group of husbands were indignant when they heard of the plans of their womenfolk, people whom they considered respectable members of society.
- By Vanaja Rao
- Published: 22:59 April 16, 2009
A group of husbands were indignant when they heard of the plans of their womenfolk, people whom they considered respectable members of society. These women had come up with what seemed to the men an indecent proposal. Having collected a house full of goods through the years, they had decided that it was simply too much. There was a lot they could get rid of.
There was chinaware, clothes which children had outgrown, pots and pans and unwanted gifts. So, they came up with the idea of a garage sale of sorts. Of course, this wouldn't be held in a garage for the simple reason that their better halves would never allow this room, which housed their precious vehicles, to be used for something they disapproved of anyway.
So, they mooted the idea of holding the big sale in a room in the neighbourhood club, located conveniently in the centre of the residential area where they lived. This group of ladies lived in big houses with ample room since most of the children had grown up and left the nest. But, army postings and travels abroad had resulted in these magpies collecting enough household goods to fill several houses.
As each got down to the task of sorting out the items they could afford to do without, they soon realised the magnitude of the project that they had embarked upon with so much enthusiasm. But the thought of hearing the inevitable 'I told you so' from the very same men who had tried their best to shoot down their brainchild, they persevered and soon had piles of goods set aside. There were tea sets galore as the days of calling people to tea seemed to be gone for good.
Then there was the honey pot which had been a present. The first one was a novelty. But after one had collected three of these, one knew it was time to let go. A friend heard about this unique item and called up to say that she would like to book it in advance. Then, suddenly, one recalled that one had forgotten who the donor of that gift was. There was the danger of that very person turning up at the sale and seeing that pot for sale. Feelings could be hurt, friendships damaged. So, one had to proceed carefully. The friend was told that this could not be displayed but her request had been duly noted and perhaps she could pick it up from the house some time.
As the clothes were pulled out of trunks, one wondered what had possessed one to hold on to all the children's apparel, ranging from bonnets and booties to tiny dresses and pint-sized pants. Of course, there was the inevitable pang as one pictured one's young ones in such and such piece of clothing, but the maternal feelings were quickly suppressed as the practical side of one's nature prevailed.
The heaps soon dotted the floor all over the house and then transport arrangements had to be looked into. The 'grumblestiltskins', the name they had coined for their unhelpful spouses, had to be sounded out for their response to being called up for chauffeuring duties. Tentative queries met with indignant snorts, not the reaction they had been looking for but not surprising given the complete withdrawal of any kind of support. So, the ladies who drove did the rounds back and forth from house to club until the floors of the houses were pristine once again, with no reminders of what the menfolk considered a form of midsummer madness.
As the women left their homes, there were dark murmurs of the doomed sale. Turning a deaf ear to these, they set out on their adventure. And vindication was theirs as the crowds flowed and goods rapidly exchanged hands. To say that things sold like hot cakes was an understatement. At the end of a fruitful day, they went home richer and wiser women and resolved that their 'sleeping' partners didn't deserve a dime.
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