Memories of Spokane- Funny Story # 3

A small lamp was given to Tara and me when we moved in. It was pretty hideous. It had a gold trimmed smoked white glass shade and a brass base and little dangly fake crystals all over it. Marla (our landlady- she looked like a Marla) asked if we needed anything else besides the pots & pans, silverware and beds/mattresses she loaned us. She was quite generous. We told her we needed some lighting, but not to worry about it. She was gracious and said " nonsense!" I will bring some over tomorrow. The next day we walked in and found the aforementioned lamp in our living room on an end table.

I thought to myself, is she allowed to come in with out us here? I was only 18 at the time and had no idea about laws- and I think she knew that. Tara and I were very young. After we saw the lamp we erupted in laughter. Tara opened the hall closet door with out saying a word- and with her nonverbal cue, I grabbed the lamp and put it on the top shelf in the closet. Tara closed the door.

The weeks and months went on... The lamp got further and further to the back of the top shelf in closet.

Its probably February and we have a message from dear old Marla on the machine. In a shaky old lady voice,"Hi girls. Ummm, I will come by to get the rent from you tomorrow and I noticed you weren't using the lamp I lent you. I will come by to get that as well."

Tara got the message before me, but left me a note saying, "I saved the blinking message for you. I saved it as new- you have to hear it- t'bone[ the nick name Tara gave herself]" .

I listed to it and began to laugh and roll my eyes.

The next day we were both home when Marla came over to get the checks. We were just sitting down to have dinner and she knocked. Tara let her in and she handed her her check. The phone rang and Tara went to grab it and said while she was running down the hall to grab it, " We'll get the lamp for you in a second." I was still in my bedroom writing down the check amount on my balance sheets and was on my way to the living room while Tara continued telling the sales person on the phone that she did not want any make-up.

As I came out of my bedroom to hand Marla my check for the month, I swore I heard a door close. When I finally made my way to the living room, I saw Marla there, lamp in hand.

Hmmmm, that's odd, It didn't sound like from the conversation that Tara already handed her the lamp, I thought to myself.

Tara came out from the kitchen to the living room she saw Marla there with the lamp, assuming I had given it to her already.

Marla left. I looked at Tara with gigantic eyeballs. " Did YOU give her the lamp?"

Tara, looked at me with a look that said, what do you know that I don't know?
She replied, "no, I thought you gave it to her."
"No, I didn't give it to her."

We concluded that this curious lady found her way into our apartment when we weren't there and snooped so much that she found the lamp in the back of our closet! I wonder what else she found in the apartment while trying to snoop.

Cheers to the Marlas of this world.