The... Old...Chandelier...
ahhh....'The Journey'
These Old Treasures...have taken me on...
With all...The Lessons...they have Taught...
I call them all...
"Priceless"...
That No Amount...of Silver...could have bought....
I have written...about this Old Chandelier...before...
but...this Morn...as I walked through the Kitchen...
The...Story...once again...flashed through my mind...
a...Life Lesson...
I hope...I never...forget...
{ahhh...Not...Likely...}
{Amanda Seyfried's... above, version...of 'Little Red Riding Hood'...seemed...perfect...for this...
'Journey' }
I received a call...twenty.. some odd...years ago....from an Old Friend...who was a 'Junk Hauler'...
He was paid to do hauling...and some people's Trash...well... some of it...is pretty darned cool...
He said...he had gotten an Old Chandelier...from a Very...Prominent Home...
as...they had remodeled...and threw it away...
I flew...over...to see it...
Oh My...!
It was...Incredible... and...Heavy!
Neither of us...knew much about it... I asked him...if he thought it could be Sterling...
{Coming from the Home...it had been pulled from...it could well..have been...}
He didn't know... all he knew...is what he wanted for it...
I thought about it....for a moment...or two...then Bought It!
When I dragged it...into the house... I examined it...closely... but... I didn't know...what to look for...
so...thought I'd call a Jeweler...
Well...none of them...were any help...
Then...I ran across an advertisement...for a Business... that made...jewelry...and specialized...in Sterling...
Tho...it was nearly 5:00... I called...
The man...I visited with...was very knowledgeable...and was so kind...
He said....he worked out of his home...and would be Happy...to take a look at it...
I told him....I'd gladly pay him...for his expertise...but..I couldn't be there...until...around...7:00...as John...was going to be late....getting home...
He was fine...with that...
{I was Soooo Excited...thinking...about what a Wonderful Treasure...I may have found...
yep...the Old Dollar Signs...were Flashing through my Head!}
When John got home...I didn't tell him...where I was going... I just said... I had to Go!
Whisked the Old Chandelier...out the Door... and made Fast Tracks...to the Man's house...
I Knew...when he gave me his address... it was in kind of a rough area...
But...Who Cares! I was on a Mission...and Nothing was going to stand in my way!
When I arrived... the man...had his porch light on... and... tho...it was Freeeeezing...out... he was waiting for me..on his porch....
I struggled...getting the Chandelier..out of the front seat... then...hefted it... up the steps...to the man...
He was a nice looking man...
Clean Cut...
He...offered to hold the door...for me...
He said..."when you walk in...take the first door...on the right..."...
He...was right... behind me....
I did...as directed... to see...
a room... a Black...Room...
The Walls...were painted Black....
with...Animal Skulls... all over the Black...walls...
Not...Taxidermy...animals...
Skulls....Critter Skulls...of every shape...and size....
and...on the floor...were trunks...
lots...of Black... Metal Trunks....
One...Big enough...for a Body...
My head...was spinning...
I knew...I had no way out....
the only door...was the one...behind me...
He... was between...me...and...it...
I also knew...
I didn't Dare... let this man... see the Horror... on my face....
and...the fear..in my eyes...
I had to be....completely...Calm...
{I was standing...holding the heavy...old Chandelier...sizing..my situation...up...}
When I turned around... I smiled at him...and...from that moment..on...I never took my eyes...off of him...
{afraid..I might...slip...if my eyes...locked...on something...else...shocking...}
His first words were...
"ha...ha...ha... I can't believe...you would come here... this time of night..all alone... in this...neighborhood......"
He had a Cold... Stare...
his...demeanor...had completely... changed...
I kept smiling...staying...calm....
"Why Not?'... I said...
"I have friends...that live just a few blocks away...and...I Love...this Old Neighborhood...Beautiful...Turn of the Century Homes....and...my Husband...Always...knows...exactly...where I'm at." : )....
{I'm going to Burn In Hell...for Those Lies!!! {except...I do...Love...all of the Old Homes...} and Hoped...at that moment...I wasn't any Distant relative...of Pinocchio...}
He stood there...between...me...and the door... staring at me...
{ I think...waiting for a reaction...I didn't give him...the one...he wanted....}
We began visiting...about Everything...under the Sun...
Politics...the Neighborhood...his cat...{That he had accidentally killed...when he bombed the house...for the massive amounts of Roaches... his tenant...had brought in..}
I stood there...for what seemed like hours...holding...that heavy...Chandelier..
{He kept asking me to set it down...No Way! }
I finally said...
"I'd better get goin'... it's getting...late..."
{I'm sure...I was there...a couple of hours....Holding...that Chandelier...}
He said..."Don't you want me to look at the Chandelier?"...
I laughed...and said.." Oh Yeah! That's what I'm here for!"
He said...it is Silver Plate... I thanked him... offered to pay him...he refused....
He held the doors...
I Hurriedly...made my way...to the car....
He offered to help me...
I thanked him...but said...I could manage....: )
I bailed in the car...and fired that engine UP!
My foot...shook...on the gas petal... all the way Home...
After sharing the story...with John...
He Roared!
He said.." That's what You Get!!! Taking off...for God Knows...Where...
{this was Long...before cell phones...}
Never saying...who..you are going to be with...."
I Gotta Tell Ya.... I Had Many Nightmares... about this....
I wouldn't go alone...on a House Call... for Months...
It was Greed... and Pie in the Sky...Hopes...that the Old Chandelier...
was worth...all kinds of money....
I learned a Valuable... Lesson... that night...
Many....
I decided to keep...the Old Chandelier... and install it...in the Kitchen...
as a Reminder....
I don't think...about that night...very often...
just...'sometimes'...
like...this Morn....
oh my...
Love...to ya...
Barb C.
{I want to add... I don't Judge...Anyone...
and...I don't Scare...Easily....
I have seen much...in my years...beginning...at a very young age....
and...always...find the Good...
However...
This...instance...Frightened...me....
maybe...simply...being taken...so Off Guard...
What I was taken...into...was Not...what I had...expected....in any way...shape...or form....
There have been only...3 times...in my life... I have felt...this way...
Not...a Good Place...to Find...One's...Self...
after I wrote this Post...
I ran my hand...over the Old Chandelier...
It's such...a Lovely..Old Piece...
We have a Very... Special...Bond...
My finger prints....are probably... Forever...Indented...in the Old Beauty...
Lord...I was Holding That Old Gal...TIGHT!!!}
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