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Eli and Grace thought Dad was kidding when he said they were going to a second-hand store. They were headed downtown in the family SUV. “It’s a hand store?” asked Eli, who had just turned nine years old. He’d never heard of such a thing. “A store that sells robot hands and fake hands and stuff like that?” “No, Eli,” said Dad. “A second-hand store means they sell items that are used. The original owner sold them or gave them away. I think you kids nowadays call it a thrift shop.” Eli curled his fingers into claws and tried to grab his younger sister. “Stop it!” said Grace, who was seven years old. She smacked her older brother’s hand away. “I don’t like it when you scare me.” Dad continued down Broadway Street. It was fun to watch all the shops and cars go past. “Today we’re going to see if Uncle Larry’s has a good, used lawnmower,” said Dad. “LAWNMOWER?!” said Eli and Grace. They both groaned as Dad pulled into the parking lot with the big sign: If you can’t find it at Uncle Larry’s… It doesn’t exist! “You told us we were going out for ice cream!” Eli complained. “That was the whole point of this trip, Dad. Remember?” “We will go for ice cream,” Dad told them, “just as soon as we’re done here at Uncle Larry’s. Because the whole point of this trip is that we need a new lawnmower. Remember?” Eli and Grace agreed that Dad was right. Uncle Larry’s opened at 10 a.m. And since it was just past ten o’clock, there were no other customers. Their car was the only one around. “Okay, troops! We’re here,” said Dad. He spun around in the front seat to talk to them. “Now, when we go inside you’re allowed to look…” “We know,” said Eli. “Look but don’t touch.” Dad nodded. “And please don’t-” “-break anything,” Eli finished. “We know the rules, Dad. We’re not kids anymore.” “Oh, right,” said Dad. He winked at Grace, who gave him a goofy smile, which made him laugh. As a family, they headed into the junk store. And life would never be the same.
