Worth Every Penny

Worth Every Penny

Gilley stared in the window.

“I need a costume to wear to the All Hallows Eve Frolic! But I haven’t two pennies to rub together!”

A discreet sign in the lower left of the window caught his eye.

“Salesperson needed for the Halloween rush. Apply within.”

“Perfect! I should be able to earn the cost of a costume for one night, sure.”

Brushing himself down with his hands and buffing his shoe tips with the back of his trouser legs, Gilley walked in boldly. A dignified looking older man approached him.

“Can I help you, sir?”

“How much does it cost?” Gilley asked pointing to a random costume on a mannequin.

“We rent only sir,”

“Then, I wish to apply for the job.”

The man looked him up and down.

“Do you have any sales experience?”

“Aye, I’ve sold things before,” Gilley told him honestly.

“The wages aren’t much, but you get your choice of costume.”

“Excellent. I accept,” Gilley said, shaking his hand.

He began his new job right then. It was a busy time, but the little red-haired man kept his temper and stuck on a pleasant smile.

Finally, it was Halloween. The old man shook his hand as he handed him his wages. Unobtrusively, Gilley counted it.

“No bad to replenish me pot!”

Then he was off to search the remaining costumes for one for himself. At last, he found it. A tattered coat with patches, baggy pants with holes, cracked shoes with no laces, complete.

“No one will ever know it’s me,” he announced as he looked in the mirror.

He signed a receipt for the costume, then left wearing it.

“Ah, I hope Colleen has pity on me and takes me back. We need to be together again for St. Patrick’s Day!”

300 WORDS DAILY FLASH 10/4/2024