I am purusing the selection at The Yarn Basket, by far the best selection of yarn on the island, when the middle-aged man with the dark glasses and the totally apprehensive expression walks in. He stops. He stares. And stares.

Finally the woman who owns the shop looks up and says, "Sir do you need help?"

"Uh...yeah. Do you sell sewing machines?"

"Yes. I'm an authorized salesperson for Bernina."

"That's a sewing machine?"

"Yes."

"Is it a good sewing machine?"

The woman sucks her breath in and stands a little straighter. "It's the best sewing machine in the world."

"Oh. OK. I want to buy a sewing machine that's why." He looks around the shop, which is made up of shelf after shelf of yarn. "Where's the sewing machines? Do you have brochures or something?"

"Well this is a higher end model." She motions to one of the tables where there's a sewing machine that looks like it's part computer. "What do you sew? Do you embroider? Or mostly hem?"

"Oh, I don't sew," the man replied quickly. "This is for my mom. I want to buy my mom a sewing machine."

"Well what does your mom sew? Does she do embroidery--"

"Oh I don't know."

"Well I don't know your mother either, sir."

"Well how much does a sewing machine cost?"

"This is our highest end model and it costs seventy-one-ninety-nine."

Behind his dark glasses I spy the man's eyes bulging. "Seven thousand one hundred and ninety-nine dollars?! For a sewing machine!?"

"It's a very good sewing machine, that's why sir."

"Seven thousand dollars??! That's like buying a car already!"

"Well, this is our high-end model. What does your mom sew?"

"I don't know, but I can't spend seven thousand dollars on a sewing machine. No way."

"Well what does your mom sew?"

"I don't know."

"Well I don't know your mom either sir."

"OK. Thanks." And then he abruptly turned around and left.

Finally, sensing an opportunity to interject, I held up the two skeins of yarns I'd chosen and said, "Can I just pay for these?"

Really, though, it was an interesting clash of characters. The man was obviously inept when it came to all things related to sewing and the fiber arts (otherwise he never would've worn those dark blue shorts with the faded blue aloha shirt over a black T-shirt and some kind of faded baseball cap).

And the woman, while undoubtedly passionate about her craft (I thank God for her providing me with a place to buy Brown Sheep brand yarn, something only a committed yarn snob/enthusiast would stock on this island), she had to be one of the worst salespeople I'd ever seen in action.