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Tchotchke

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Blog

Published: 26 November 2022

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Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tchotchke

Tuesday, volunteering, the back room has filled up yet again. M******!@#*&@!$ the lazy Bastard!!!

A close friend delegated to clean out the estate of the recently deceased, dozens and dozens of boxes. Friend did not go through the items, merely swept them off the dresser, emptied the drawers, bagged up the linen and clothes. I wasn't there, I get this from someone who was.

Boxes and boxes marked "Chachke's",

better than most boxes, there are personal items here,  rare items of value...some antique jars, keys, a cloisonné salt shaker, jewelry, boxes of rubber stamps, art supplies, craft supplies, I'm guessing I would have liked her from the mish-mash of items, treasures, an antique jar filled with what I guessed were sea shells (they weren't), the cashier brings it back to me and shakes it into my hand..."What are these...?"  he begins with horror - "Teeth? From what animal?" followed by ..."Four dollars???!!!" he says, trying to get me to share in his horror, he's young, probably doesn't know how expensive teeth are....The teeth, now that I look at them shaken into my hand, they're human. I tell him and he recoils , I inform him, that had he been to the dentist for the fine selection, quantity of teeth in my paw now; well, it would cost a damn site more than $4.00...I know, I've been.

A fine leather jewelry case. Open it to find:

An antique piece of tin-can, rusted through, perhaps - I don't know, did she see a profile of the earth in it? I fancy I can Why this, in this satin lined case? And with this object, I'm perplexed, touched, it's beautiful, found art in it's purest form, clearly of immense value - a find - I know this, I value my finds as well - but the occasion of it I can only speculate. The circumstance is what matters here, and that is irretrievably lost. 

We know only that she liked it enough to pick it up and give it a preeminence in this satin lined case. 

And in this is our existence. Small, trifling, indecipherable moments that are impossible to share, translate, you had to be there, and now she isn't.