The Red Purse

                                        The Red Purse



         The rusty, old maroon pick up truck came to a stop in front of Marta’s house.  Since last week’s date, it sounded as if the muffler had fallen off the old truck calling the neighbors to gawk with curiosity.  She cringed.

         “Need some baling wire?” Mrs. Saxton said laughing.

         “Maybe so by the sounds of it,” Marta said faking a smile along with her cheerful reply.

         It was Marta’s 30th birthday.  She had been dating Fred for a short time and liked him a lot, but some people in the town jokingly called him, “Frugal Freddy,” and that was not a compliment.  She knew they snickered behind her back as they saw her get into the faded, rusty truck each Saturday night.

         This was no different except it was her 30th birthday, and she had hoped Fred would take her somewhere special to celebrate.  She looked into the mirror one last time to check out her hair and makeup.  Her new dress was the perfect color and style.  She thought to herself, I hope it doesn’t rip the lace getting into the truck.  I wonder where he is taking me?

         Thoughts aside, she opened the door to greet her date.

         “Ready to go?” he asked.  “Happy Birthday.  I thought we would go to the new  MacDonald’s in Clearpoint tonight,” he said with a straight face, or would you rather go somewhere else since it’s your birthday?” he added sensing her hesitation.

         “Oh, no, that will be fine,” Marta remarked trying to cover up her disappointment.

         “New dress?” he questioned adding, “You look very nice  tonight.”

         Walking to the truck, he opened the creaking, rusty door and helped her in.  Catching the hem of the new dress on a jagged piece of metal, she could hear it rip.  Oh well, she thought, why can’t he spend a few dollars and get something decent to ride in?

         “I got you a little something for your birthday.  It isn’t much, but I hope you like it,” he said handing it to her.  The unwrapped gift was a large, bright red vinyl purse with a million compartments and a grandma strap on the top.  It was the downright ugliest purse she had ever seen in her life.

         “Oh, thank you,” she said adding, “It’s my favorite color.”  Yes,  she thought, it’s my favorite color, but that’s all.  It’s ugly.

         “I thought you would like it,” Fred said.  “I got it 50% off at the going out of business sale at Tractor World.  I thought it was a good buy and just your color,” he continued.

         Pulling into the parking lot in Clearpoint, Fred added, “Their cheeseburgers  are 50% off tonight along with half off on their sundaes.”

         Managing to get out of the truck without damaging her dress even more, she scuffed her white shoes on the side of the running board.  What a birthday this is turning out to be, she thought as they went inside the new building.  At least the roof is not caving in, she thought.

         Turning the events of the evening around to more cheerful conversation, she felt comfortable with Fred in spite of all of his idiosyncrasies.  She didn’t really mind the old truck.  Sometimes she felt irritated by his Benjamin Franklin sayings on frugality.  If she had heard “A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned” one time she had heard it a thousand times in the six months she had known him.  Along with that saying, he had made up one of his own.  “I’m not saying I’m tight; I just squeak,” he would say laughing.

         Marta knew that Fred was getting serious about her, but she wondered if the relationship would work out if he pinched every penny.  It wasn’t that she was a gold digger.  How could she be on a school teacher’s salary?  She just wanted to live comfortably and enjoy some of the finer things of life—like her new dress.  She was disgusted that it was probably beyond repair as well as her new summer shoes.  And all for what? she thought.

         “How’s your cheeseburger?” Fred asked.

         “Very tasty,” Marta replied somewhat mechanically but thinking same old, same old.  She was grateful he even remembered her birthday with the huge red grandma purse with all of the compartments.  Yes, she thought, I enjoy being with him in spite of his ways.

         She didn’t know if Fred had any money to spend or not.  She had not pried into his financial status.  She did not expect him to go beyond his means on their dates,  but she expected a little bit better than this. 

         “Ready to go?” Fred asked.  “I thought maybe we could go down to the park and feed the ducks on the lake,” he said.

         Another thing that wouldn’t cost anything, Marta thought.

         Managing to get back into the truck without catching her dress or shoes on one of many sharp edges, Marta looked at the ugly red purse.  Whatever possessed him to buy such a horrible birthday gift for her of all things.  She thought, maybe I should make some suggestions as to things I like and let him take it from there. Maybe he would never pick up on it, but then maybe he would.

         “Look in the compartments,” he said insistently.  “There are zippered ones and some with snaps.  You have room for everything.  Look how roomy it is,” he continued on.

         Marta cringed as she thought about the day she would have to actually carry this purse.  Maybe on that day I should go out of town so my neighbors wouldn’t see me and wonder where in the world I got that ugly red purse, she thought.  I don’t want to ever hurt his feelings.

         But, there was something different about his insistence that she check out every compartment of the purse.  Did he think that she was actually interested in all of these compartments and zippered and snapped partitions?

         “What’s in here?” Marta asked as she felt the crumpled up piece of white tissue paper.  “Was this a used purse?” she asked.

         “Oh, no,” he said, “It was new.  I would never give you something used.”

         Pulling gently on the tissue paper, she managed to get it out of the tiny zippered compartment.

         “Let’s see what it is,” Fred said taking it out of her hand carefully unwrapping the paper.

         Not in a million years did Marta expect what was coming next.  Wrapped inside the tissue paper was a beautiful ring.  What was so surprising was the size of the stone.  It seemed out of character for Fred.

         Fred took the ring and said, “Marta will you marry me?  I love you.”

         Without a moment’s hesitation, Marta knew in her heart that Fred was the one for her, red purse and all.

         Marta stood in her beautiful home 35 years later holding the gift—the red purse.  She looked at her hand with the other birthday gift—the beautiful diamond ring she had worn with pride all these years.  Life was good.