the sign outside. A few mismatched chairs, a single end table, and crusty-looking lamp sat amid bare walls. The hastily acquired decor wasn’t intended to attract repeat business. Behind a small counter sat a young woman, less than 30 years old. Her smile indicated she remembered him from a few days prior. “So, we offered the highest price for your gold?”
Wyatt nodded, “Yes, you’re the winner. Is the quote still good?”
The girl scanned her computer monitor and pecked a few times on the keyboard. She paused while the machine responded and then busied herself with a calculator. Twenty seconds later, she looked up and smiled again. “You’re in luck. Gold shot up again this morning, so I can actually offer you a little more than I estimated the other day.”
“Well that’s good news. How much more?”
The girl double-checked her calculator and the computer screen. “Almost $500 more. Gold is going nutzoid right now.”
Wyatt teased, “Maybe I should wait a few more days to sell. I might get another thousand by then.”
A shrug was quickly followed up with a mumble. “Up to you.”
Wyatt was actually pondered doing just that, but decided against it. The precious commodity could go down as well. That was the problem with all of the turmoil churning throughout the country right now – you just never knew what was going to happen.
Wyatt shook his head and placed the heavy paper bag on the counter. “Naw, I’ll go ahead and sell today. The only thing going up in price faster than precious metals is gasoline, and I’m wasting a lot of that liquid gold by driving around.”
The young woman nodded and took Wyatt’s bag. She began a lengthy process of pulling each piece of jewelry out and rubbing it on a black surface that looking like the ink tin of an old-fashioned rubber stamp. She then carefully squirted a drop of liquid from a small tube to check the purity.
The entire process took almost an hour, and Wyatt scrutinized her every move carefully. While his instincts told him the gal was honest, you couldn’t be too cautious. When the girl had finished weighing, testing, and marking every piece, she hit the total button on her calculator with a grand gesture. Rather than announcing the total, she turned the little device around so Wyatt could see the number. Not bad , he thought, not bad at all .
He nodded his acceptance, and the attendant said, “I have to go to the safe in the back. I can’t leave your gold out here while I’m gone. Do you trust me enough to let it out of your sight for a few minutes?”
Wyatt nodded again, figuring nothing in life was without risk. While the girl left to retrieve his money, he reflected on the last few days. The rise in the price of gold helped offset some of the gloom he had been feeling since Morgan and he had set off on this course. It had been so difficult selling everything. Countless trips to pawnbrokers resulted in the liquidation of blenders, leaf blowers, televisions and other man-portable items. Three different secondhand stores now displayed his family’s furniture on their showroom floors. Sage welcomed the bookcase, wardrobe, 3 boxes of kitchen paraphernalia and assorted décor items into her apartment. Morgan and she had offset some of the melancholy by fussing around and arranging the hand-me-downs in the newly furnished space.
Still, it was depressing. Wyatt and Morgan had basically kept their clothing, and enough kitchenware to make coffee and eat. Last night they had slept on folding cots normally stored in a hall closet for guests visiting during times of high occupancy in their household.
Shortly, the attendant returned, counting out a significant stack of $100 bills. Wyatt, ever worried about robbery, stashed the cash in three different pockets before bidding the lady goodbye. He paused before leaving the place, checking that the parking lot was still empty.
Driving home, he reflected on how much the area had deteriorated over the last
Wyatt nodded, “Yes, you’re the winner. Is the quote still good?”
The girl scanned her computer monitor and pecked a few times on the keyboard. She paused while the machine responded and then busied herself with a calculator. Twenty seconds later, she looked up and smiled again. “You’re in luck. Gold shot up again this morning, so I can actually offer you a little more than I estimated the other day.”
“Well that’s good news. How much more?”
The girl double-checked her calculator and the computer screen. “Almost $500 more. Gold is going nutzoid right now.”
Wyatt teased, “Maybe I should wait a few more days to sell. I might get another thousand by then.”
A shrug was quickly followed up with a mumble. “Up to you.”
Wyatt was actually pondered doing just that, but decided against it. The precious commodity could go down as well. That was the problem with all of the turmoil churning throughout the country right now – you just never knew what was going to happen.
Wyatt shook his head and placed the heavy paper bag on the counter. “Naw, I’ll go ahead and sell today. The only thing going up in price faster than precious metals is gasoline, and I’m wasting a lot of that liquid gold by driving around.”
The young woman nodded and took Wyatt’s bag. She began a lengthy process of pulling each piece of jewelry out and rubbing it on a black surface that looking like the ink tin of an old-fashioned rubber stamp. She then carefully squirted a drop of liquid from a small tube to check the purity.
The entire process took almost an hour, and Wyatt scrutinized her every move carefully. While his instincts told him the gal was honest, you couldn’t be too cautious. When the girl had finished weighing, testing, and marking every piece, she hit the total button on her calculator with a grand gesture. Rather than announcing the total, she turned the little device around so Wyatt could see the number. Not bad , he thought, not bad at all .
He nodded his acceptance, and the attendant said, “I have to go to the safe in the back. I can’t leave your gold out here while I’m gone. Do you trust me enough to let it out of your sight for a few minutes?”
Wyatt nodded again, figuring nothing in life was without risk. While the girl left to retrieve his money, he reflected on the last few days. The rise in the price of gold helped offset some of the gloom he had been feeling since Morgan and he had set off on this course. It had been so difficult selling everything. Countless trips to pawnbrokers resulted in the liquidation of blenders, leaf blowers, televisions and other man-portable items. Three different secondhand stores now displayed his family’s furniture on their showroom floors. Sage welcomed the bookcase, wardrobe, 3 boxes of kitchen paraphernalia and assorted décor items into her apartment. Morgan and she had offset some of the melancholy by fussing around and arranging the hand-me-downs in the newly furnished space.
Still, it was depressing. Wyatt and Morgan had basically kept their clothing, and enough kitchenware to make coffee and eat. Last night they had slept on folding cots normally stored in a hall closet for guests visiting during times of high occupancy in their household.
Shortly, the attendant returned, counting out a significant stack of $100 bills. Wyatt, ever worried about robbery, stashed the cash in three different pockets before bidding the lady goodbye. He paused before leaving the place, checking that the parking lot was still empty.
Driving home, he reflected on how much the area had deteriorated over the last
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