Sara(h) and the Holy Grail

It was Friday, the 18th of July, 2014 at around 18:30 when I first saw it.

Immediately I knew I wanted it. No. I needed it. The little boy carrying it smirked at me. He knew.

Unfortunately, I had a prior engagement to attend to and little time to hunt down where it had come from. I had already lost the smug child in the crowd, and there would have been serious repercussions had I snatched it from him.

I sped walked through the carnival grounds, looking frantically for it. Past a Hawaiian hut. Past numerous booths advertising their wilted churros. Past biergarten after stage after pommes booth after biergarten.

I had to find it today. I couldn't waste time tomorrow when I returned looking for it.This was my holy grail. This was what I had wanted my whole life. I only now realized it.

I wanted it more than a fat baby emperor penguin. I wanted it more than a pre-pinappled baby. I wanted it more than I wanted naturally electric blue hair.

I searched.

I stopped everywhere.

I peered into booths selling everything from scarfs in July to hollowed out bread on a stick.

I gestured around frantically and spoke in broken German to anyone who paused to listen.

They didn't understand my panic.

They didn't understand how badly I needed this.

It was so hot. I was sweating. My eyes darted around furiously. I had checked every square inch of the promenade where the carnival was set up. I was ready to give up.

Finally. I approached one last booth. There was nothing remarkable about it. In fact, there were over a dozen other booths that looked exactly the same. I was even sure I had checked it already.

But then, I saw it. Glowing. Radiating. Screaming my name.

I had found it.

Saturday afternoon could not come fast enough. I biked as fast as I could, leaving a zig zag trail of dust and gravel behind me. I hastily locked up my bike and wiped the sweat off my forehead.

I made a beeline for the promenade.

I walked.

And walked.

And walked.

Surely, it had been closer yesterday.

Surely, I must have passed it already.

I stopped and backtracked. In my haste I must have overlooked it. It couldn't have disappeared, right? I had waited all my life for this. I couldn't come this close and not get it.

Finally I saw the cursive lettering. The pink candy stripes. I pushed people out of my path as I made my way towards it. Old people. Children. I didn't care. This was the holy grail, after all.

The woman asked if I wanted it now or later.

As though "later" was an option.

Ha.



I refrained from grabbing it from her as she reached over the counter to give it to me. I even walked to the beach, where I was able to sit down and fully enjoy the fruit of my hunt.

That is the edge of my phone case.
NOT a hipster vignette.

It also came with a smurf gummy.