Two-bit Boo-boo

So, I took my wife’s car in to have the tires rotated. It was a two-hour wait.

“No problem,” I said as I held up the book I had with me.

My plan was to sit quietly and read, but the kids in the waiting area had other plans. Instead, I walked across the parking lot to the second-hand store to have a look around.

After an hour or so of perusing the aisle, I discovered a torn and stained U.S. flag stuffed, unceremoniously in the back of a lower shelf. I pulled it out and took it to the front to tell them that a flag in such disrepair isn’t supposed to be resold, rather it should be properly disposed of through the VFW or American Legion.

The manager was polite, thanking me for bringing it to her attention and that she’d see it was properly taken care of personally. Happy with myself, I headed out the door, when I heard, “Sir! Sir!”

Turning back it was the store manager. She saw my book and told me that I had forgotten to pay for it.

“No,” I replied. “This is mine. I brought it in with me.”

“Really?” she snarked. “You’re gonna steal a 25-cent book after what you jus’ did?”

Ready to show her some attitude, I again said, “No. This book is mine. I’ve had it since before I could read.”

Then this large, obese guy walks up and asks her, “Is this dude giving you trouble?”

She turned back to me and asked, “Are you?”

Looking at the big guy, as he tried to intimidate me, all I could see (if he touched me) was the bloody mess he would leave after I sliced his fat gut open from side to side in one sweeping motion. I literally had to shake the image out of my head.

Instead, I drew a quarter from my pocket and flipped it in the air and walked out the door. I still can’t believe I had to pay for a book I already owned, but on the bright side, it was only a quarter’s worth of a mistake and not a drop of blood was lost.