As she approached the dumpsters, an old white van suddenly pulled up beside her.
Two young men climbed out without saying a word. They opened the back doors, lifted out a dusty old armchair, placed it beside the garbage bins, and then quickly got back into the van. Within seconds, the vehicle drove away down the street.
Maria looked at the chair with curiosity.
“It’s actually beautiful,” she thought, running her hand across the worn fabric. “It just needs a little work. With patience, it could look brand new again.”
After studying it for another moment, she made up her mind.
“I’m taking it home.”
It wasn’t easy. The chair was heavy, and dragging it across the snowy sidewalk took time and effort. But eventually she managed to pull it all the way to her apartment building.
When she opened the door, her husband looked up in surprise.
“What on earth did you bring home now?” Tom asked.
Maria laughed, slightly out of breath.
“Just look at it! With new upholstery and a little repair work, it’ll be perfect. You’ll finally have a comfortable chair to watch TV in.”
Tom raised an eyebrow but walked over to inspect it.
“Well… I guess it could be worth fixing,” he said cautiously.