Chapter 11 #2
The man deserved more than that for such a beautiful piece.
“I’ll do you one better.” I knew I could get about two thousand to twenty-five hundred for it and it would be a quick sale.
Besides, I didn’t want to take advantage of him and ruin a good relationship.
I knew plenty of train collectors. I wasn’t worried at all. “I’ll give you twelve hundred for it.”
Shocked, Mr. Talbot said, “Well, you got yourself a deal. I’ve never had anyone come in here and offer me more. I appreciate that.” He was all smiles.
I laughed. “Let’s just say, I can hear Alina in my ear telling me I better do right by you.”
We all chuckled and then Mr. Talbot asked, “Do you got time to peek out in the barn?”
Looking at Jackson, still full of smiles, I said, “Yeah! Let’s head out there.”
The barn was like an extension of his home. I’d never seen a barn so well organized. There were tables and shelves everywhere with walking paths. I felt like I was walking through an organized antique store like ours.
Jackson chimed in, “Look at this vintage pumpkin.” He held up a giant pumpkin decoration with a corded light inside.
I walked over to him and said, “This is a blow mold.” I grabbed it from him to inspect it. “I don’t see a barcode, so my guess is it’s from the seventies or earlier. Especially with this color and styling.” I turned to Mr. Talbot, and asked, “How much would you like for this?”
Mr. Talbot stood there and groaned, “Oooh, I don’t know. Alina loved Halloween, but I don’t know where she got that thing or what it’s worth.”
I winked at Jackson and offered, “How about I give you a hundred and fifty dollars for it?”
Mr. Talbot chuckled and said, “Really? A hundred and fifty dollars! Sure, why not? It’s yours.”
Jackson was elated, and said, “Yes!”
I made my way down each aisle, and as I got to the very end of the far-left row.
That’s when it caught my eye. Something that had me on the hunt for what seemed like years.
It was a vintage Railroad Lantern. Picking it up, I examined every aspect of it.
There was still a readable tag on the bottom that read, Indian Railway Lamp.
If my memory served me correctly, and it did, it was an early 1900s Adlake Style lamp, an electric plug-in with red and green signal lights which were hard to find anywhere in our neck of the woods. I wondered if it still worked.
“Whatcha got there, son?” Mr. Talbot asked from behind me. His chin tilted upward as he examined the lantern in my hands. “Ah yes, the Indian Railway Lamp.”
“I can’t believe you have one of these. I’ve been looking for one of these for years.” I couldn’t take my eyes off the lantern as I spoke.
“One! Shoot, I’ve got three or four of them things. Don’t ask me where I picked ‘em up or where the others are. Alina came home with one once and then I found the others along the way here and there.”
Turning to him, I asked, “What would you like for this one?”
Mr. Talbot pulled his glasses out of the front pocket of his coveralls and then reached for the lantern.
As he turned it and inspected it, he began telling a story.
“It was winter, and Alina wasn’t home yet.
I was startin’ to get worried. She didn’t do well driving at night, ya know.
She had gone out to the stores to get some tomato soup; she loved tomato soup and fresh baked bread.
It started to snow, and I sat by the window watching, waiting to see the headlights of the car coming down the driveway there.
We’ve lived here for a long time now. I sat in the rocking chair, the one you saw me sitting in on the porch when you arrived.
I sat in that chair, by the window, rocked and waited.
The snow was coming down hard. Finally. Finally, I could see her lights through the heavy snow.
I hopped up, opened the front door, and ran down the porch steps.
I helped her out of her car, and she told me to just grab the bags in the backseat.
She held what was in the front seat. When we got into the house, she looked at me with such a big smile and said she found the one.
” Mr. Talbot turned the lantern to look at the bottom of it.
“See here. She marked it with a little scratch. So miniscule, but just enough that we would always tell this one apart from the others.”
I said, “She bought you this one.”
He nodded, “She did. Said she went around to five different antique stores that day and the final one was two towns over. Then she had to stop for groceries. She drove back from two towns over in the snow all so she could get this lantern.”
My heart was aching, listening to his story.
As much as I wanted that lantern, I didn’t want to take it from him.
“Well, Mr. Talbot. It’s not time for me to have that lantern.
I’ll find a lantern someday but that one…
that one stays with you. That was such a beautiful story.
Hold onto it. In fact, you should take it inside with you.
You can put it on the shelf where the train was. ”
“Hey, now that’s a good idea. Well, if I ever decide to get rid of it, I got your information, right?”
“You bet, Mr. Talbot. We appreciate you calling us, sharing your home and stories with us. Thank you for telling us about Alina. She sounds like she was a wonderful woman.”
“She was the best. Stories preserve time. Once the people we love are gone, all we have left are stories and if people are willing to listen, then our loved ones live on forever. I hope you think of my Alina Sue the next time you eat Tomato Soup.” I felt myself choking up, so I cleared my throat as we shook hands.
He turned and shook Jackson’s hand, saying, “It was good to meet y’all. Drive safe now.”