5
The
status of the visits remained this way for at least a decade. The only enhancements were being
briefly left in the front parlor alone for some transaction related development
usually involving being shown “something” that required the mother to scurry
off into the home. This left me
ample opportunity to scan the piles in the front parlor and to walk the length
of the front hall peering at the collection in a vague hope of seeing something
that was “good”. Nothing ever came
of these efforts. The front
parlor’s gatherings never changed except to have annual Christmas holiday gifts
and gift wrap doings floated on their top. These disappeared after the holidays. The front hall collection never had any
alteration or addition. The whole
accumulation gathered more dust, lived in its half light darkness and grew
drearier to my eye with each visit.
I did denote that to the right and left of the inside front door there
were minor changes. These
represented recent acquisitions being processed.
The
outstanding example of this was in the corner, to the left of the door, where
one stepped in. There appeared an
ebony wood cane with a gold top.
Stout, the gold cap was larger than usual. It had initials and an 1884 date engraved on the very
top. I know this because I handled
it without asking on the first visit that it appeared. The mother said that it was “Dr. So
& So’s” without denoting it was “not for sale”. I had heard the mother mention this visiting doctor
periodically and her reference to him as “that old PILL”. Evidently this doctor, a small man by
the mother’s standards, visited the area from the Boston area briefly each year
when going (fly) “fishing in Weld”.
The cane remained there for half a decade and I never touched it
again. On a visit after that
amount of time had passed, the mother rose from her business chair during one
visit, went into the front hall and down to the front door returning with the
cane. “I want to sell this today too.”
she said. I paused for I knew the
story. “My grandfather was given
this by an old doctor from Boston.
God knows who he was but his old initials are on the top here” she
continued by pointing to the gold top.
“It’s gold you know. HOW
MUCH?” Again I paused. Her eyes flashed across mine showing a
Yankee trader’s earnest support of her command. “Twenty” I said defensively and without consideration. “SOLD” she said and turned to mark it
on her paper slip. This tiny paper
slip, in her own hand, always determined all transactions of any visit. An inclusion on that day’s slip was a
mark in stone meaning “SOLD”.
The
cane was not much beyond the obvious that some old Bostonian doctor had be
screwed out of it by the Mother.
She had noted the accidental leaving… that was probably brought on by a glass
too much of sherry. The mother was
perpetually given bottles of sherry by visitors which she used to great affect
on ministers, professors and… old doctors from Boston). She did nothing about this cane
leaving… and… waited until enough time had passed to assure her that she had
clear title and then… sold it.
This dexterity, I slowly determined, was a working method and process of
acquisition for the mother. I
decided that even my own wallet was not safe from her roving eye. I had already… and from the very start
of the visits… made sure to “GET” my purchases “OUT” very… very promptly and to
be sure they ALL got out. The
mother was skillful at NOT pointing out that a purchase of mine “was still
there”. Once that front door
closed behind my back… that visits dealings, I determined… were done. The front door closed tight.
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