The Crow's Nest 3-7

3-7

            The second and promptly occurring after I’d returned from the auction preview so I had no time to contemplate the how, what, where and why of that thunderclap… was having the mother’s estate lawyer… call me up.  I wasn’t ready for that so did a very poor job of finding out anything beyond what  he, in a lawyerly way, offered.  In short… and he was short… he told me that Margaret had moved (had been moved?) to assisted living six month before because she “could no longer stay in the house alone” and “was greatly improved and greatly enjoying her new lifestyle”.  This last proved to be true; Margaret took to assisted living like the duck to water.  She became a princess of the dance floor, a foremost attendee of the concerts and lectures, a dining room table chairperson, a residency hall monitor and a front desk greeter.  Little happened in the …of very fine quality in fact… facility that she did not note or attend.  Her social world truly took off and… the world of her life in the mother’s house, “with mother”, VANISHED.  I personally never visited her AS STRONGLY SUGGESTED for I was told sincerely that her former life was GONE except for a very selected group of visitors that included the lawyer and the fire chief with his family.  It was this man; the fire chief, who told me the most about Margaret and her “remarkable” “change”.

            The lawyer, on the telephone that day, was brisk and tidy regarding Margaret.  He turned quickly to the purpose of the call.  It was… THAT:  The mother’s house was going to be sold to generate funds to “assist Margaret”.  The house contents had been reviewed by an auctioneer (of the lawyer’s choice and this not mentioned) who had removed and sold all of the estate contents he felt “was valuable”, “could be sold” (truly a couple of day before).  In reviewing the estate with a real estate broker (of the lawyer’s choice and this not mentioned) the lawyer had found, particularly in the barn, shed and attached outbuilding but INCLUDING the WHOLE HOUSE… a “very large amount of household goods” (later in the conversation referred to as “a house full of junk”) that… he was wondering… because Margaret had repeatedly mentioned ME as a person who would “BUY” that sort of “rubbish” (Margaret’s word here used by the lawyer)… if I would “BUY” all that and “CLEAN OUT THE HOUSE” “PROMPTLY” (his word emphasis).  I did not hesitate

            “Yes I COULD do that.” I said “but I must SEE the estate before making an offer”.  I explained that I had “never been through the estate” and needed to do a “quick walk through” to “see what is there”.  “THEN” I continued “I can promptly express my interest and make a purchase offer”.  Thereupon the lawyer DID cover his back end to me by commenting that he “has several people that he knew who had expressed interest in doing this” “TOO”.  This I doubted for… I have been doing estate cleanouts for decades and KNOW that the number of  “offer to do days (weeks) of manual work fast and PAY someone to do that” type of  “has several people” are… very scarce.  In fact most of the time I have to PAY SOMEONE myself to help ME with something I’ve already PAID SOMEONE for to even… turn the ignition key on their truck to START TO LOOK AT “what I’m up against” (read “what’s in it for me” in real dollars).  I stood behind this barricade of experience.  He tossed a few more “must be done promptly” kind of “can I” SENTENCES, never mentioned my ability to pay, fumbled around about actually meeting me at the estate “well I COULD get there before lunch” and in the end seemed to be about where I usually end up with this first estate BUY and CLEANOUT conversation:  STUCK WITH ME.

            As soon as I got off the telephone with Mr. Lawyer I was back on the telephone with “push that button” my fellow and long, long worked with antiques dealer who… I clean out estates with; he and OUR team of hanger-on helpers… to say that WE “have a good one” and would he “PLEASE” come with me on the walk through as a silent “man Friday” so WE can lock this one right up… I’ll pay for it (the purchase of the estate contents) and we “will go from there” meaning we’ve done this together so much that we do not need to sweat the details.  When he asked “How many truck loads?” “Did I think.”

            I replied “At least twenty”.