It’s possible I became a thief last week…

A purchase on marketplace last week left me wondering if I might have inadvertently stolen something. And not just something little, but rather large, given it was a bed. A queen-sized bed at that. Here’s what happened.

You see, my sister and her partner were coming up to the Sunshine Coast to visit, a winter escape from the Melbourne weather. I have a spare room in my new house which is great, and I have managed to keep it as such, resisting my boys’ attempts to turn it into either a work-out room (Noah) or a gaming room (Jacob). I’m sure in time Thomas will attempt to appropriate it for something too.

So I have the spare room, but it had no bed in it. So, I turned to Facebook Marketplace to see if I could source a bed so my sister would be comfortable for their visit.  

I sent messages for a couple of free options but with no luck. The week had evaporated and it was the night before they were due to arrive, so I needed to get serious. I found one for a hundred bucks which included a decent looking mattress, so I sent a message that night. Early the next morning I got a positive response, if I could come and pick it up that day. Perfect! I suggested ten-thirty, and the seller agreed, though warned that they were in the middle of moving house, so they might not be there when I arrived. But they said they would leave the bed out under the deck for pick up. No problems!

So when I turned up with Thomas in tow and found no one home, I was not fazed. But after a circuit of the house I found no bed left out under any deck I could see. A staircase led up to the deck which wrapped around the house, so I ventured upstairs but there was still no sign of the bed frame and mattress. Hmmm.

The house was in Flaxton, actually almost opposite a house I used to live in. They are acerage blocks, so there were chickens pecking around, including one out the front investigating our car, and a house cat that ventured out of the open house to come and greet Thomas and I. No guard dog thankfully.

I sent a message via messenger to check in and see if it was okay to venture into the house, and just after hitting send a car arrived and parked out front. Relieved, I walked down to meet the driver, assuming it was the owner. ‘Gudday,’ I said.

‘Hey mate; I’m here for the hammock?’ he responded. Dang; not the owner but another buyer here to pick something else up. Unlike the bed I was meant to be grabbing, the hammock had been packed up and left on the footpath for him to collect, so after I explained I wasn’t the owner either, he took it and departed. I assume payment had been organised electronically?

So it was back to Thomas and I wondering what to do. Still no response on the Marketplace message. With all the doors of the house left open, I decided to venture inside, seeing from the picture of the bed that it was likely downstairs. Calling out in case anyone was home, I headed in and soon found the bed that matched the picture - amazing!

What was less than amazing was that it was still assembled and required an Allen key to take apart. Surprised as you may be to learn this, I don’t make a habit of carry an Allen key set around with me, though is something I’ll have to rectify.

I had seen a toolbox up on the deck though, so I ventured up to it and found a few Allen keys within. Bingo! But a trip back to the bed soon showed them to be the wrong size. Hmmm. I headed upstairs again and headed into the open living/kitchen area, taking a tentative look around. The house was clearly mid-renovation, mostly devoid of furniture and a bit of a shambles. But there was another toolbox against the wall, and this one had a container full of Allen keys!

I took it downstairs and started taking the bed apart, still feeling very uncomfortable about the situation, but with my guests due later that day, not wanting to depart empty handed. A couple of minutes in, Thomas informed me that the chicken who had been pecking around the front yard had wandered into the house as we had left the sliding door open! Thomas and I paused in our taking apart of the bed to herd the chicken back outside, careful to close the door this time. Thankfully it went fairly willingly and didn’t leave any gifts behind to clean up.

I returned to the bed, before being interrupted again, this time by a phone call. It was the seller. ‘Sorry, I didn’t manage to get the bed outside for you,’ he said.

‘Yeah, I had noticed that,’ I replied. ‘All good, I’m okay to head in and take it apart myself, as long as you are okay with that?’ Fingers crossed, given I had already done so and was half-way through!

‘Yeah, that’s cool,’ he said. Phew! ‘Do you have an Allen key though?’

‘Yep, I do,’ I answered, failing to add that it had come from what was presumably his toolbox. ‘I’ll leave the money for you upstairs in the kitchen if that’s okay?’

‘Yep, no problems,’ he confirmed.

Phew! I’d received official blessing for being in this stranger’s house, taking his bed apart. Whomas and I got back to work and took it apart as quickly as we could, taking it out to the trailer. After ensuring no other chickens had made their way inside, I closed up, ventured upstairs once more to return the tools borrowed, and to leave the cash on the kitchen bench. Then Thomas and I jumped into the car, bed loaded and secured, and made our get away.

The room came together reasonably well, and Suzette and Julie had a comfortable stay.

So not the smoothest Marketplace transaction I’ve ever had, but we got there eventually, and I haven’t had police come knocking since, so that’s a plus!