It was a rainy Saturday. I was getting up while my alarm just went off. Opening the door going downstairs, I saw my two friends staring and waiting for me: Gunner and Duchess, my host family’s dogs. Unfortunately, we couldn’t bring them to the place we were going to. It is a Farmer’s Market in Medway that people can bring all various types of stuff to the market and sell them. 

It was my trip to a market as an “insider.” I indeed had lots of fun, helping my host mom unloading the masks and craft merchandise, setting up the tables, and trying to tie the poster, which has her business logo on it, with Maevis Fahey ‘21 while balancing on a small milk crate. Here is Maevis’s article about making masks for her mom’s business, and here is their website. I enjoyed putting the artwork made of stones which my host mom calls stone family, and cute handmade chickens with lavender scent on them at the table. When I finished them, it was like going to a gallery to visit the art. The most fun part of setting up for me was hanging the masks on the mask rack string. I tried to hang the masks in diverse patterns and changed the color of the clips by two clips one color and turned the color side of the clips to face the customers (but I bet no one realized that, lol). 

By the time we almost finished setting up, some customers began coming in. We were at the second table at the entrance, which made us see the entrance clearly. We usually greeted everyone with a smile, even though it was hard to tell when everyone had their masks on. People stopped by to chat or just looked at our artworks on the table. I met all kinds of people during that day. I had to admit, everyone had a positive attitude, whether they were customers or the business owners. One of the most adorable ones was a little girl who was dressed in pink. She was trying to buy a mask, and her dad was chatting with my host mom. She just stood there quietly and looked at us and the masks. When she finally made the selection, she also picked a chicken, an orange one, which was my favorite. All of her actions just reminded me of when I was her age; when I went places with my mom, I perhaps would have the same reactions as this little girl in pink did. 

After the little kid and her dad left, Maevis and I went to visit a friend who was also in the market but in another area. On the way there, we met an interesting person who works on the farm and takes care of the animals. He talked about lots of random things the first time we saw him. He told us that the farm got a couple of little goats a few weeks ago and usually people can pat them; but, because of the weather, they couldn’t come out. He also asked Maevis if she likes to drink coffee or tea. The questions were so random, but I believe he is a person who loves life.

When we went back inside the market, I sat on the chair. Because the market was held in the greenhouse, I could hear the rain falling on the plastic cover. At this point in the day, the market was about to close, so few people were coming in. I couldn’t remember who started the conversation, but soon people gathered around and started a conversation. The owner across the hall from our table who sold food came over to our table to chat (by the way, her mac cheese was really good). The girl next to us also joined in the conversation. I was just hearing the pattering rain and listening to the gathering conversation. There was a harmony created by the voices and the beating rain that gave me one of those moments in my mind: What a life! A memorable Saturday with my friends and all those people who love and enjoy their lives. 

Carol Li ‘21, Sports Co-Editor

21cli@montroseschool.org