Kemal and Elvin’s WhatsApp conversation: buying a changing table from Facebook, the listings in Stockport and Cheadle, the sideboard idea and the question “You’ll pick it up after work?”

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Changing table: three decisions in 15 minutes, zero tables

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Looking for a changing table on Facebook Marketplace: Stockport or Cheadle, the 30 pound one or the one 10 pounds cheaper, or the sideboard? A WhatsApp conversation.

This product page is a bit different. Because there’s no product yet. There’s only a WhatsApp conversation, two listings and three decisions that changed in 15 minutes.

11:45: Decision made

Thursday morning, I’m at work. A message from Elvin arrives on my phone:

“My love, so I’m gonna get a changing table off Facebook.”

Right behind it comes the second message, the real part of the plan:

“What time’s your match tonight?”

I know this question. This question isn’t asking what time the match is, it’s asking whether I can get to Stockport and back before or after the match.

11:52: My idea

The match is at eight. “We’ll sort it somehow,” I said, because that’s what married people say. Then a bright idea came to me:

“Can’t we change him on top of the sideboard?”

The answer came within a minute:

“But we gave up on the sideboard, babe.”

I don’t remember when we gave up on it. But apparently we have.

11:54: Market research

It turns out the very same table is 10 pounds cheaper in Cheadle. But the seller isn’t replying, apparently. Elvin’s guess: “Sold it ages ago, probably hasn’t noticed.”

There’s also a second listing, I’m told. That one makes sense too, I’m told.

These are the candidates:

First candidate: a white changing table with two shelves and a changing mat on top. Photo from the listing.

Second candidate: a two-tier changing table in light-coloured wood. Photo from the listing.

Which one is in which area, which one is how many pounds, that Elvin knows. My contribution to the decision, as you’ll see in a moment, was one word: “whichever”.

11:57: The real question

So I asked the question that needed asking:

“Okay, you arrange it, whichever it is we’ll sort it. But where we’re going to put it, I don’t know.”

The answer was ready: where the computer is. I didn’t ask where the computer would go. With some questions, not knowing the answer is more peaceful.

A white cupboard is getting bought anyway, it turns out. So the 30 pound one is the one getting bought. “I’ll tell the lady we’re coming this evening, then.”

12:00: Plot twist

“Changed my mind, I’m getting the other one hahaha.”

And right behind it:

“You’ll pick it up after work?”

In 15 minutes two areas, two listings, one sideboard and one computer changed places. The mission passed to me.

The result

Normally this page would have a brand, a price, pros and cons. I’ll write those when we’ve bought the table.

For now I can only say this:

They didn’t get one.