Four ladies gathered for tea after their monthly meeting. You would have thought chatting before the meeting would be enough sharing, but not so. There is always something more to share. After a while the four became three and then three became two. Private conversations were much more serious and personal. Lavinia looked over her teacup to sip, but simply blew on it to cool, even though it was no longer steaming hot and then spoke.
“I have a problem. You know we are moving to Toby Jones.” Margaret understood and nodded her head. Lavinia continued. “The cottage is beautiful, and we are looking forward to moving in, but . . . I worry about Johnny.
We have way too much stuff. We can donate some and give away some. I know exactly what I will take in the move. I will give quite a bit to TACID (Tacoma Area Coalition of Individuals with Disabilities) and our group of course, but Johnny, he has a truck load or more that holds everything else dear to his heart.
Margaret just had to ask, “What kind of stuff . . . and how much stuff besides too much? You are kidding about the truckload, aren’t you?” As she raised her eyebrows. Lavinia, slid a sealed envelope across the table and sighed, “See for yourself.”
It was a beautiful afternoon and there was still had plenty of time to investigate Lavinia’s worry. Margaret carefully tore open the envelope and pocketed the key inside. There was only a small note with the address, which was only perhaps a mile away. It was a beautiful day, dinner cold wait, and exploring seemed like a fun adventure.
The three-bedroom home had a nice two-car garage. The yard was carefully manicured and the house itself looked well kept. Margaret parked her car and walked to the front door and rang the doorbell just in case there was someone actually inside. No one answered. The key fit precisely. The well-oiled door swung easily and welcomed her into the hallway. She didn’t know what to expect, but the black walnut table with an empty turned walnut fruit bowl was not what she was expecting. She stopped and looked closer. It was beautiful.
The fruit bowl was actually a nut bowl. It was filled with ancient black walnuts. In the center, standing tall was a silver dollar sized metal stand that fit nicely. On closer inspection, Margaret turned the bowl, which showed damage. Beneath the metal addition it looked like, perhaps, the bowl had not been strong enough to take the blow of a hammer to crack black walnuts. She felt the crack and then in her mind’s eye imagined the sorrow that must have accompanied the crack. Obviously, the solid black walnut bowl had not been oiled on a regular basis. It appeared not so much as an irritant but made by a woodworker or carpenter with a broken heart.
Margaret continued through the house finding beautiful pieces of furniture piled high next to each other and more: turned walnut vases and lamp stands and wonderful furniture. The garage had piles of black and blond walnut scraps and hunks. It was it’s own museum, with pieces probably reaching back to the early 1900s or maybe even earlier. Others might care, but Margaret knew most wouldn’t. Johnny would be beside himself over the treasure.
While Lavinia and Johnny prepared for their move, Margaret thought about solutions and possibilities. On her way to Half Price books, she passed a Pine Street storage facility. The name kept cropping up in her mind each time she crossed the railroad tracks in the old Nalley Valley.
Finally, Margaret called Share Investments on Pine Street. She knew the huge spaces available in Nalley Valley would not be what Lavinia was looking for, but you just never know . . . the call to Share Investments paid off.
It turned out Share Investments had numerous storage places available all-around Pierce County. Over tea Margaret shared the possibilities with Lavinia for storage, which would allow affordable visits, and simple tours for relatives and friends. Margaret knew the only one who would really benefit from any actual visitors would be Johnny, but that would be enough. For Lavinia, it was like magic.
