Win a Handyman

A chapter from the book

“Transitions”

By Encore’s Director of Environmental Services,

 Robert Milstid

Win a Handyman  

I pulled the screws out quickly from the crate’s lid with my screw gun. As Anna opened the lid I watched her face; it was full of emotions that ranged from excited to sad. There was a maroon colored crushed velvet material that covered the contents of the crate. Anna pulled it back to reveal her dad’s treasures. She said that before her dad moved into Blue Lakes, she and her dad went through his house and gathered up a few things to pack a way. She then paid a man to build a crate to keep it all together and safe until she decided what would become of her and her dad’s favorite belongings.

“He told me to remember him through these things. He made me promise that after he died I would look them over occasionally and think of him. He also made me promise that I would not be sad when it was his time to go. I don’t think I’ve been able to keep that part of the bargain.”

“You will, I said; just give it some time.”

I picked up a yellow colored rock. “What’s this?”

“Oh be careful, that’ll make you invisible!”  She had the biggest grin on her face.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“It’s magic!” she said.

“Of course it is; how silly of me,” I laughed.

She then went on to say, “When I was about eight years old I was introduced to the magic rock man. That’s what I called him. He was a friend of my dad. They served together in the Korean War. We used to ride over to his house at least once a week on my dad’s motorcycle. I never knew his name; he was the magic rock man. He would always have a bottle of Coke in his refrigerator for me when we got there. I don’t think they sell them anymore; it was back when they used real glass. It was a small bottle, maybe six ounces and the best tasting Coke ever made. This man had thousands of rocks in his house. There would be some in boxes and some out on his workbenches where he would polish them. I guess it was a hobby or maybe a business he was doing, I don’t remember. One day we were over at his house and I pointed up to the top of one of his shelves to the rock you’re holding. The man told me I had to be careful.”

He looked over at my dad and said, “Do you think she is ready to see a rock like that?”

My dad told him it would be ok, but for me to be very careful. I swore that I would. The man gently handed it to me and warned me not to rub it on my skin because it would make me invisible for three hours. He then pulled a cloth out from his desk and told me to keep it wrapped up when carrying it so my hands would not become invisible. Earl, I believed this was real. I believed I had been given ownership of a truly magical rock. For the next few months I was mesmerized by the power I now had with the rock. I would go into my room and slowly rub the rock all over my body and then sneak out and roam the house and our neighborhood completely invisible. My dad was so bad, Earl. He would see me coming out of my room and call out my name as though I was invisible.”

“Anna,” he would call out, “I can hear your footsteps but you must have used that pesky rock again because I can’t see you.” I have run that scene around in my head for the last thirty-five years. He was so great.”

I pulled a pair of old binoculars out of the crate; “And this?”

“My dad used them in Korea. He had a lot of military things that he brought back from the war. He had a large chest at the end of his bed that he kept his things in. I wasn’t allowed to open the chest. My dad made it clear to me that some things in life were private and that was one of them.  When I was a kid I called this the war chest. It was a summer afternoon when I finally got the courage to peek inside. I was playing in the house. I remember running up and down the hallway and each time I would pass my dad’s room the war chest would catch my attention. I had thought about looking in it for years but today curiosity got the best of me.  My dad came in early from work one day unexpected. I didn’t think I was any danger of being discovered because I had only had the magic rock for a few days at that point and I had just rubbed it all over myself before peeking into the war chest, I had the rock in my hand at that point.

My dad came in and must have been caught off guard by seeing me fascinated with all his special things. He looked right at me for about a minute, not saying a word. I wasn’t worried because I knew I was invisible. He must have known what I was thinking because I remember him looking right at the rock in my hand.”

He looked in the direction of my bedroom and called out, “Anna, are you home?”

I tip toed across the hall to my bedroom door and opened my door very surprised to see him home. “Oh hi Dad, when did you get here?”

“Just now,” he said, “What are you up to this afternoon?”

“Oh, not much, just playing.”

“That’s good, I’ve got some work to do in my office, come see me after dinner, ok?”

“Yes sir” I said.”

“So what happed when you went to see him?” I asked.