Useful Junk

A loud clatter from the brass mail slot announced the arrival of things nobody asked for. I shuffled down the front hall to see what caused the racket. Amidst a heap of glossy supermarket circulars scattered across the sisal rug, I spotted a thick, red industrial rubber band. Stiff, dusty, and delightfully indifferent to grocery discounts. I rested my cold mug on the floorboards, picked up the band, and hooked it firmly around the loose lower peg of the umbrella stand where it kept clattering against the wall. One stubborn stretch, a sharp snap, and the draft stopped making it rattle. A decent morning's work.