I was just heading out the door to run some errands on Saturday and nearly ran into a woman coming around the back corner of my house. I said hello and she asked if I was the new owner. I said I was and she told me that she was the mother of the previous owner and was wondering if they had left any pots behind. Since we were outside, I thought she meant flowerpots, then I realized that she was talking about cookware. I thought for a moment, then confirmed I had seen some in a cabinet.
She told me that they were missing them and since she was in the neighborhood, she thought she’d stop by. I said I would go look for them and invited her in – which she quickly and uncomfortably declined. I guess it follows that she wouldn’t want to go into a strangers house, but… whatever. [Technically speaking, this would have actually been her former house, since the guy that owned the place before grew up there]
I went back inside, found 3 pots and a colander, and brought them back out. She looked at the stack and asked if I had a bag that she could carry these in since she would look pretty silly carrying a stack of pots. I went back in yet again and found a bag, then loaded them up for her. She thanked me and went on her way quickly. And by quickly, I mean that she was four blocks away by the time I locked up the house and got in my car.
I guess I weirded her out a bit with the invite inside, but she weirded me out a little too.
It’s also weird that the prior family didn’t contact me – they have my email and phone number – if it was really a big deal. I don’t doubt that she was who she claimed to be, but it was odd. I would have liked to talk to her about the house, but she was gone very quickly.
I guess it’s just as well that I had already tossed the fuzzy bunny slippers that I found in the dining room cabinet.