By: Anne Wilkins.

I bought my husband second hand at the neighbor’s yard sale.

“Don’t you want him?” I asked Bessie, his wife.

“Nah. I upgraded.”

She transferred ownership that day.

I was told the older models were good at fixin’ things, gardening, and being polite. He didn’t disappoint. Within the first day he’d fixed a leaky tap, planted tomatoes, and told me I was a sweetheart.

Bessie was disappointed with her younger model. “All he does is play video games and do TikToks.”

She ended up throwing him in the garbage.

Sometimes these new fangled products are just not built to last.

© 2026. Anne Wilkins

Anne Wilkins is a sleep-deprived primary school teacher in New Zealand, who writes in her spare time (which she has very little of). Her love of writing is fueled by copious amounts of coffee, reading, and hope. annewilkinsauthor.com

Posted February 18, 2026.