Rags to Rches and Back Again

Every morning we would forage in our favourite spots. Sometimes we got chased away but mostly we were left alone.

There was a thrift store just outside the boundary of our usual route. We took the opportunity to have a look. If you got there early enough you could sometimes find the clothes that they rejected. We found a few pieces we could use. I noticed that they were looking to hire.

"Hey Suze, you think we should apply?"

"I don't know what they will pay but it would be better than nothing."

We noticed a man coming towards the door with keys in his hand.

"Excuse me sir? Are you the store manager?" I asked.

"Yes, Harold Jones, how can I help you?"

"My partner and I were homeless and we got caught up in that police raid. We have slowly been putting our lives together. You are looking to hire and we are looking for work."

"How are you getting by?"

"Foraging, we are living in a trailer. We are stable but we want to improve ourselves. We want to be able to live more productive lives."

"Come on in and we'll talk."

We did. He had a lot of things to do, opening the store, so we followed him around and we talked.

He offered us both jobs working in the back, sorting the things that got donated. We would earn the minimum wage. With both of working it would give us a start.

Work there was pretty good. In fact it was great. We had first pick of the clothes that came in so our wardrobe cleaned up considerably. We still needed to use the food bank, but not as much as we were. Our foraging was cut way back.

I found a number of ways that the business could be improved and I mentioned them to Harold.

"Have you had any business experience?" He asked.

"Yes sir. I owned the Starlight Diner for a few years. That was before the new highway opened. We had to close it down when business dropped off. The highway routed traffic away from us. I couldn't sell it. I owed the bank so sold my home and the land. I was left with nothing."

"And you think I should take business advice from you? Sorry, that wasn't fair. 'There but for the grace of God go I.' I am going to consider your suggestions."

He did more than consider, he made most of the changes I suggested. After working here for a year Harold made me assistant manager and Suzanne was pretty much running things in the warehouse.

I began work on our trailer. It was summer and we could live in a tent while I tore apart the insides and upgraded things. I painted the outside of the trailer, so no more rust and no more graffiti.

I spoke to the mine owner since our trailer was on his property. He knew my mother from away back. He said we were more than welcome to stay. He also gave me the go ahead to add some living space. I bought two cargo containers. Joined them together, insulated them and joined them to the trailer. To be honest it was an odd looking building but it was livable. We now had a much better kitchen, running water and an inside bathroom. Most of the materials used were foraged.

Foraging was in our blood, it was how we pulled ourselves out of the muck and mire we found ourselves in. We saved most of what we earned.

One day Harold came to me and said he felt ill just before he collapsed on the floor I called for Suzanne to call 911 and I began chest compressions. The paramedics came and took over. They carted him off to the hospital.

He survived for two more days before he passed away.

We had no idea what to do about the store. Suze and I opened it and operated it as normal. We closed for the day of the funeral.

We received a call from a lawyer the following day requesting a meeting in his office.

"I wanted to let you know that you were named in Harold's will. He had no family to inherit his belongings. He didn't have a lot of things. He lived in a rented apartment. He owned a ten year old van, and he owned his store. He has left it all to you Robert and Suzanne."

We were dumbstruck.

"You are free to do what you wish with his belongings and the business. As it stands the business has been very healthy and with inflation as high as it is thrift stores will be even more popular."

"Thank you, we had no idea, this is incredible news."

Suzanne and I left the law office and we embraced and cried on each others shoulders. Once again I was a business owner. Once again fortune had shone upon me. We experienced the depths of despair to the elation of good fortune.

"What should we do? Move out of the trailer?"

I asked Suzanne.

"Why? I love what you've done with our trailer. It costs us nothing and it's comfortable."

"Good, we'll stay. I think we should keep the store. It's been making a good profit and it helps the community. There is one major change I would like to make. I would like to marry you. We have been together for several years, we've seen each other at our lowest and we have survived it together. I love you."

She looked at me for the longest time.

"I love you. We have lived together for so long that I've pretty much considered ourselves married. I get it though. If you want to make it formal then sure."

Rags to riches and back again, walking that fine line between fortune and disaster. My story, our story, goes on.

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