Deciding to stick to the edges, I started to make my way around. The first booth was operated by two young girls selling cookies. I pulled out some cash and snagged a few to eat as I walked around. The girls smiled shyly but seemed excited about the sale. I took a bite as I started to walk and almost moaned out loud at how delicious they were. The damn things were gone before I even made it to the next booth. Okay, I was going to have to get more before I left. Cookies were my weakness.
The next one had scarves and beanies that looked crocheted from yarn. There was a line for that one, so I moved on. Another booth looked to be run by a teenage boy. He was tall with a slim build and shaggy brown hair. His booth displayed black and white photos from around the city. The kid had an interesting way of seeing things.
He focused on the clutter in some of the images and blurred the background making trash or graffiti stand out. In others, he highlighted what looked to be compassion and kindness. One series in particular intrigued me. It was of a homeless man sharing his food with a dog and another where he was offering his blanket to a child.
For some reason, it spoke to me and kindled a tiny spark in me I hadn't felt in several years. When I was younger, before the expectations my mother demanded ruled my life, you couldn't find me without a Polaroid camera in my hand. I used to capture everything from my Barbie dolls to blades of grass. Something about seeing the world through a viewfinder had always excited me.
"How much for this set of pictures?" I glanced over at the boy, and he seemed shocked into stunned silence.
"Um, I hadn't really thought about it. I didn't think anyone would buy any, to be honest." He shrugged, his cheeks tinting red. Something about his demeanor made me want to hug him, and I wasn't typically a hugger.
"I tell you what," I started until I realized how rude I was being. "Actually, I'm sorry, what's your name?"
"Oh, um," he shuffled, "it's Jude." He stuck out his hand, and I smiled brightly at him. I liked this kid.
"Hi, Jude," I greeted, shaking his hand, "I'm Loren."
At my shake, he smiled, and I suddenly felt I'd done something significant by shaking his hand. Crap, Mitzi was good. She was reeling me in without even having to try.
"Well, Jude. If I were to find something like this at a gallery, it would typically be about $20 per print for this size. So, how about $60? Does that seem fair to you?"
He looked momentarily stunned as he slowly nodded his head yes.
"Perfect."
Luckily, I had cash on me and wouldn't need to hunt down an ATM.
"Uh, ahem, yeah, um, thank you," he professed after clearing his throat.
"Believe in yourself, Jude, and know your worth. I think you could go somewhere with this." I spoke with conviction, wanting to enthuse to him his potential. "Well, it was nice meeting you."
"Yeah, you too. Thanks again."
I smiled at him before I moved on and watched as he sat back in his chair, a look of wonder on his face, and damn, if that didn't make me feel good. A feeling so foreign I wasn't even sure what it was at first. Making my way around the rest of the booths, I looked on in a daze as I contemplated what this meant.
I was finally able to see what was going on in the middle and noticed some type of robot fight as the two sides battled. Huh, weird, but kind of cool. I guess this connected to the STEM part Mitzi was talking about.
Deciding I should head out, I made my way back toward the door I'd come through earlier. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a very familiar man. Kneeling next to one of the robot teams was my neighbor, 18D.
The sight of him stopped me in my tracks, and I watched as he interacted with the kids. When he looked up a moment later, he caught sight of me standing awkwardly in the door. He turned his head quizzically, almost like he was trying to place me and then smiled with a little wave.
Realizing I'd had enough new things to deal with today, I did my own little wave before quickly turning and leaving. I'd text Mitzi later, no need to go to her office now. It wasn't until I arrived back at my car that I remembered I'd forgotten to grab more cookies. Damn.