Hannah and Tom's Story

The sun felt torturous on the back of Tom’s neck. Every inch of him was damp with sweat. Nevertheless, he was smiling.

He watched the crowds lumber past his booth with genuine interest. He never used to people watch. Then he learned to look closer and was rewarded with endless pockets of curiosity.

He had never realized humanity was so fascinating.

Hannah never felt comfortable in large crowds of people, and found herself uttering a mantra of apologies as she maneuvered around strollers and fleshy shoulders. She clutched the flea market map like a bible, occasionally referencing the highlit booths that carried ceramics. Hannah was on a mission. She was going to find a new peach.

"APPLE PEOPLE!"

Tom winced at the baleine wail as a customer bowled through the crowd towards him.

Hannah apologized as a hammy palm pressed into her back and shoved her away with utter unceremoney.

The customer swiped up two of the apple figures with one hand, brandishing them at Tom like a crucifix. With her other hand, she magically produced a slight, balding husband from the bowels of the passing mass.

"How much?". She demanded. The husband sighed and took out his wallet.

Tom quietly bartered, as Hannah stepped up to the booth. Beside her, the customer alternated between wheedling down the merchant’s price and barking orders at the husband. She eyed the curious creatures on the table, smiling up at her with beady eyes and withered faces.

"These are pretty ugly."

The words were out of her mouth before she realized how rude it had sounded. Her face reddened under the glare of the customer. The husband gulped. Tom took notice.

The customer replied.

"I will have you know that I have been collecting Apple People for years! They are not ugly, they are an institution in folk art! Without homespun crafts like these, rural communities like the one back there…"

The Customer pointed dramatically at the suburb of Toronto behind her.

"…would have no relevance in our culture!"

Tom and Hannah started, taken aback by the passion that was so suddenly mustered up and blown down on them.

They stared at each other, shocked over the sudden absurd turn of this transaction.

They looked at each other, and realized they were in this together.


Hannah googled her mind for the proper way out this mess. A simple apology was the first hit. She spoke.

"You're right, ma'am. That was rude. I apologize."

The Customer huffed and fanned herself with a pamphlet, vaguely disapointed that there would be no fight. Tom swooped in with beautiful assist.

"And because you are such a fan of my Apple People, I’ll throw in a third one, for free."

The Customer smiled and nodded. Peace was restored. Tom picked a figure from the congregation on the table. He looked at it for a moment. A smile of recognition played across his face. He put it in a bag and handed it to the Customer.

"This is the first one I ever got." He told her, and handed it away forever.

Hannah and Tom knew not laugh until the Customer waddled away. They looked at each other some more. Then Tom spoke the very first words of the rest of his life.

"They are pretty ugly. Aren’t they?"