The Estate Sale

Prompt: Write a story that includes a painting, a swimming pool, and a butterfly

The Estate Sale

Sam suddenly felt queasy and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. Act normal, she cautioned herself. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes again. The price tag, a dirty strip of masking tape, said two dollars.

Her hand trembling, Sam reached out and picked up the small painting. She ran a finger through the dust on the glass, bringing into focus a brilliantly detailed Monarch butterfly floating gently above a dandelion. Hardly daring to breathe, her heart thumping heavily, Sam searched the lower right corner, and there, almost hidden in the shadows beneath a tuft of grass, was a tiny sideways S reminiscent of an inchworm.

Be calm and act normal. Sam sidestepped a cracked plastic swimming pool and, weaving through the jumble of junk, made her way to a heavyset woman manning a cigar box full of crumpled bills. She shoved two bucks  at the woman and walked quickly back to the car.

“Did you get it?”

“Yeah. The dumb broad sold it for two bucks,” Sam answered. She tossed the painting into Frank’s lap and pulled away from the curb. “An estate sale. What a crock. Nothing but junk. And she’s not even dead yet!”

“This ain’t junk. How much do you think we’ll get?”

“Enough to tan our butts on a Mexican beach for a few decades,” Sam replied. “I can’t believe she didn’t recognize me.”

“Sam, you were only ten the last time she saw you. Come on.”

“Well, I haven’t forgotten her. My father got himself shot stealing that painting. I can’t believe he gave it to her after she patched him up.” Sam shook her head.

“Give your old man a break. He was grateful. Who else could he ask for help? She may be dumb, but she is your mother.”

Word count: 300