Round About

“Are you buying or shopping?” Molly, the store owner stared.

“Delivering. I’m Patrick, with Delivery Boyz, here with a load of furniture from that estate sale.”

“Then deliver. Why are you touching that picture?”

“It’s skewed. I was fixing it.”

“This is a store, not a museum. The pictures stay as I hung them. Buyers will want to take them to a good home.”

Patrick looked around the store, jammed with old and older furniture. Not a dust mote in sight. He noticed every picture in the store was tilted one way or another.

After a pause, he said, “Okay. I know it’s none of my business… but opening a shop in a roundabout…? Deliveries are a challenge. Can’t park anything much bigger than a VW out there. Especially with that giant tree blocking everything…”

“This is Roundabout Antiques… Patrick.”

He offered his hand.

“Unload my stuff and go. The tree stays put.”

Patrick gave Molly the delivery order and inventory paperwork.

On the way out, he noticed an old wardrobe in an alcove. It was made of fine-grained mahogany. The beautifully carved, wooden leaves cascading down the corners told him it must be Victorian.

A bit feminine for me, but classy…

He peered into the large, stand-alone closet. He breathed in the dry smell of old wood. Curious, he stepped into the interior, spacious enough to stand upright in.

Not just a closet. It’s big enough to change in. What’s this?

In the rear wall of the space, he noticed a door with a small handle. Light seeped through the thin wood panel. The top hinge was installed at an angle.

Skewed like the pictures. Bet it never got much use, he thought.

Backing out of the wardrobe, Patrick went to the store’s exit. He signaled his guys, Will and Bill.

“Bring it in.”

The two men rolled up the rear door and extended the ramp. They began carting dressers, side tables, ornate frames and boxes of knick-knacks down the ramp and into the store.

Inside, Molly directed them to where she wanted various items.

Satisfied the unloading was proceeding apace, Patrick gravitated back to the wardrobe. Curious about that inner door, he stepped inside. He pulled gently on the handle. It didn’t move.

Frozen… The hinge is crooked. It should still open. What’s blocking it?

Bracing himself, he forced the door. The hinges shrieked, metal-on-metal. Reacting like he’d been caught in the cookie jar, he glanced back into the store. All was quiet.

Needs some WD-40 for that.

The door opened, not to the store interior, but to another world.

Pat squeezed through the door. Emerging from the portal, a sense of calm descended onto him like never before. He felt awe, peace, and a deep connection to this unexpected environment.

Butterflies fluttered around him. This world revealed beauty he’d never seen or valued.

One butterfly landed upon his hand, and he watched as it fanned its wings. Who could imagine such intricate patterns?

He laughed. When a child, he’d tried to eat one. Now vulnerable, his eyes teared up in reverence.

He surrendered the need to control things. Despite the uncertainty that generated, he felt secure and grounded. For the first time in his life, he felt a part, rather than apart. Before this, Pat had always been the hammer for any nail needing pounding.

Pat saw trees, birds, earth, sky… as if they, and himself, were gleaming facets of the same jewel. He felt no need to move, change, fix or improve anything. He felt free, liberated from needing always to react.

“Hey beautiful!”

A guy approached him. Pat looked to see who the stranger called to. He stopped before Pat.

“You know I’m talking to you, babe.”

Boy, have you got the wrong guy.

Feeling defensive, Pat stepped back. “I don’t know you.”

The stranger stepped closer. “I can fix that. Let’s you and me…”

“Don’t bother. I’m not buying what you’re selling, buster.”

Buster?

The man reached for Pat’s arm. He slapped the hand away dismissively.

What was that? Pat thought. Should’ve decked him.

Facing the stranger, Pat said. “I invite you to deal with your own discomfort. Your urgency is none of my concern…”

Where did that come from?

Someone called to them. Bill and Will waved from the moving truck.

Bill approached. Addressing the stranger, Bill said, “Hey… can you and your wife move? Need to back up the truck… got to leave.”

Pat said, “What wife? There’s no wife.” Pat looked at the stranger. “We only just met. Don’t even know his name.”

Why did I say that?

The man offered Pat his hand to shake. “Excuse me… I’m Jerry.”

Bill said, “I’m sorry. I thought…”

Pat moved toward Bill. “Hey buddy, it’s me, Patrick.”

Bill gave him a blank stare. There was no recognition.

What’s going on?

Pat looked passed them to their reflection in the antique store window. He saw Bill and Jerry facing a blond woman in a bright, flower print dress.

A surge of adrenalin coursed through Pat’s veins. He had to do something. Anything. He waved his arms, slapped his butt, tousled his hair and made an obscene gesture toward the window. The woman in the reflection mirrored every action.

Uh oh…

Time stood still.

Feeling dizzy, Pat realized he was the woman they meant. The colorful sun dress enhanced his attractive figure. Sunlight shone off his hair. He felt the men’s eyes on her. Jerry smiled.

Pat tried to understand. He’d never been a woman. He never thought he was, and had never wanted to be one.

Giving up, Jerry walked away.

Bill shrugged and returned to the truck. He asked Will, “Patrick still inside? What’s taking so long?”

“Don’t know. Said we have other stops… Told us to hurry.” He flicked his cigarette away.

Pat wanted to escape. He moved into the shade of the big tree. Out of sight.

I’m a woman! How? What did I do? What do I do now? I was never a woman. Where do I go…? Wait. He called me beautiful. That was nice… Should I like that…? But we’ve got deliveries…

Confused, despairing, his mind racing, Pat leaned against the tree. The air blurred. Feeling a tingling behind him, he pitched backward into the void. There was no time to scream.

Landing flat on his back, Patrick realized he was on the antique store’s hard wood floor.

Molly stood over him. “This isn’t a playground. Go outside if you want to roughhouse.”

Patrick rolled onto his feet and stood. He tried to gain his bearings. A nearby mirror revealed he had transformed back to his former male self. Was I dreaming?

Molly stared doubtfully at him. “You alright?”

“I’m great!” he bellowed. Crystals rang from the sound. Molly stepped back. He cleared his throat. “Sorry… I’m fine. Thank you… Uhm, we’re about finished here…”

He exited and asked Will and Bill. “All done?”

Will looked at his watch. Bill nodded.

Patrick saw a young woman standing near the giant tree. Bewildered, she looked like she'd be afraid if her own shadow fell onto her.

Circling into her field of view, he approached.

“Excuse me… Miss? Are you alright? You look lost.”

“I’m fine. I think… I don’t know where I am.”

“Do you need directions?

“Doubt even a compass would help.”

Patrick nodded. I wasn’t dreaming. Something very weird happened.

He lightly touched the big tree. The bark shimmered and rippled.

“This is a very fine tree…”

His phone buzzed. He reached to check it. When he looked up, she was gone.

Patrick turned back to Will and Bill. Calling out while running into the store, he said, “I’ll check one thing and we’ll head out.”

“Was looking for you.” Molly handed him a check. “Thought you’d left. Thanks for the delivery. Everything looks good.”

“A pleasure. You’re welcome. I want to buy that Victorian wardrobe.”

Molly smiled for the first time. “Three-fifty, firm.”

He said, “It needs work.”

“Up to you. Excuse me, I have a customer.”

Molly approached a slender young man standing near the wardrobe. He looked disoriented.

She said, “Good afternoon. May I help you?”

“Uhm… yeah… Where am I?”

“This is Roundabout. I sell antiques.”

“Oh… uhm. Would you have a compass I could buy?”

Patrick pulled his wallet out. “Molly! I’ll take it.” He handed Molly a wad of bills. She counted it and said, “I’ll get your…”

“Keep it.”

Molly gave him a little salute. “Thanks!”

Patrick waved Will and Bill in. He pointed to the wardrobe. “This goes with us. Careful…”

They set about to loading it onto the truck.

“Thanks, Molly. Loved doing business with you. Hope you’ll call us again. Much success.”

She nodded and smiled.

Patrick joined the guys at the truck. He started the engine and pulled into traffic.

“After this last delivery, let’s take the rest of the day off.”

The guys said, “Cool!”

Patrick said, “I’m thinking about making some changes…”