CHILDHOOD MEMORY DASHED

I was in an antique center with a friend when I happened to see something that I'd been wanting to get for years. After negotiating a price with the owner I grabbed my phone and called my husband, Steven.

“You're never going to believe what I just found!” I cried when he answered.

“Try me.” he said with a laugh.

“Remember Mom's Seth Thomas Cathedral clock she had on her mantel?”

“How could I forget that thing!” he said. “It chimed every fifteen minutes! It drove me nuts!”

“Really?” I was surprised. “I loved that clock.” Now I wasn't sure how to proceed. “I just happen to be standing in front of that very same clock right now.” I decided to test the waters, “I was thinking about buying it for our house.” I said.

“Is it chiming?” he asked.

“It is.” I said. “I had the owner wind it up for me.”

I remember, as a little girl, watching my Mom use her key to wind her mantel clock every few days. No one else was allowed to touch that key except her. I'm sure she was afraid we'd over wind the clock and break it.

But now I had a chance to own my very own mantel clock. I smiled as I looked back at the clock.

“Do you want me to hold the phone up to it so you can hear it chime?” I asked Steven.

“No thanks.” he said. “I remember what it sounded like.”

“It's one of my favorite childhood memories.” I told Steven. “I wasn't a very good sleeper when I was young. I can remember laying in bed at night listening to the chimes then waiting for the gong to strike telling me the hour.”

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe you weren't a good sleeper because of the clock?” Steven asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You never thought you were up because the clock was waking you every fifteen minutes?”

That stopped me for a moment. “I never thought about it.” I admitted. I looked back at the clock sitting on the shelf of the antique store mesmerized by pendulum as it swung back and forth.

“You sleep through the night now, don't you?” he asked.

“That's because between work and kids I'm so exhausted nothing could wake me.”

“I can guarantee if you buy that clock you'll be up every fifteen minutes listening to it.”

I was disappointed but I knew what he was saying was right. “I guess I'll pass on the clock.” I said.

“You made a good decision.” he said.

After I hung up I was still feeling a bit sad. The owner of the store came over to me. “Do you want me to take the clock up to the front desk for you now?” he asked.

“I'm sorry, I'm going to have to pass on it.” I said. “My husband talked me out of it. But thank you so much for winding it up for me.”

The owner shook his head. “Great.” he said sounding a bit disgusted. “Now I'm stuck listening to that thing chime every fifteen minutes for the next few days!”