Page 71 - SpontaneousSuccessMatos
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gardening tape, three yards of stiļ¬ gardening wire, and a
pair of strong scissors. I took a ten-inch and a twelve-
inch vinyl record from a lopsided stack of cardboard
boxes in the hallway next to my front door (records to the
rescue once again!). Using them as templates, I made
twelve sample flowers.
That morning, I hitchhiked into Cape Town.
I stuck out my thumb, and fate intervened. A sleek
sedan pulled over, and I slid into the passenger seat. The
driver, a well-dressed man with a kind face, introduced
himself as a former city councilor. We chatted as he
navigated the roads into Cape Town.
As I shared my predicament, he nodded thoughtfully.
"You're looking to sell those paper flowers, eh? Well, I've
got some advice for you. There are only two places to sell
them at this time of year: Garlicks and Stuttafords."
He glanced at me, his eyes sparkling with insight.
"Those are the only two department stores that might be
interested. And even then, no guarantees."
Now, I had a mission. I would track down Garlicks
and Stuttafords, and I wouldn't leave until I'd sold those
paper flowers. The question was, would I succeed?
I wangled my way to the homeware buyers at both
places. Garlicks ordered twelve dozen. Stuttafords,
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