Dumpster Diving

So as I pull out of the garage 4 months ago I spotted a red coffee table leaning against a fence behind a set of apartments that share our alleyway. I thought, “Wow what a nice table, someone must be moving”. I went about my day not thinking about the table further. Then I return from my outing and as I was pulling in I see that the table was still there, leaning against the fence calling my name. I wonder then if it was being thrown out or if someone was selling it. I told myself if I see it still there the day I would inquire about it. Of course I don’t go back into the alley for about week and when I do the table is still there, still calling me. I start to fantasize about how it would look in my condo, how I could introduce it to the rest of the furniture. I wondered if it was cold or lonely out there leaning against that fence and why would anyone leave it there. So for the next few weeks then months I would see this painted coffee table just leaning, getting dirtier and dirtier every day. I thought about just picking it up at night and bringing it in. No one would see me I reasoned. I asked my honey, Bob, about it and he tells me to leave it alone and don’t steal it. Shoot, I thought he would just offer to go get for me. Then the boys come home from college I tell them about the coffee table every time we pull out of the garage. They offer to get it but I refuse. I thought that they should not just take things just because I want it. If they got caught and went to jail then college is over for them and it would be my fault for having them steal. (That’s the mother in me worries in overdrive). So this goes on all summer until this week. Saturday Mona comes to visit and after we drop off her luggage at the condo we decide to hang out in the city. Of course I show her the table leaned up against the neighbor’s fence. It becomes the thing we talk about all week. She asks all the questions of course. Why not just take it? Have you asked Bob to help you? Did you knock on the apartment doors? Do you really want it? Hell yeah I did! So, after a few more days of her teasing me about being a too chicken to take something that is not mine. We asked the first person we saw leaving the apartment about the table. They had no idea about it. Then the next day we asked another woman we saw coming out of there she says the table been there for months and we should just take. So Friday we did. I was beautifully heavy with wonderfully chipped and peeling paint. We bring it in, I cleaned it up and place it up in front of the chaise lounge. Perfect. It’s happy, I’m thrilled and it cost me nothing but some pestering from my niece. Life is good.