We visited an antique store a few years ago looking for a dining room table and we walked out with a grandfather clock. Or staggered out, actually, because this thing is heavy. It is one of the few big impulse purchases we've ever made and we've never regretted it.
Its chime is large and grand-- my mother remarked once when I was pregnant that it would be a sound that B would remember from the womb.
Up until now it has weathered our moves remarkably well. At one point it even travelled from the US back to Belgium in its own custom-built wooden coffin. The irony is that it came out of that casket alive and ticking, and then, sadly did not survive a mere 500 km move to Stuttgart. This time, careless movers disemboweled it needlessly and silenced its century-old voice.
Enter the witchdoctor. I got a reference from a local antique dealer for a watchmaker. We've been playing phone tag for more than a month now. Today I got a call saying that he would be by in 1/2 hour to look at the damage.
A short time later I opened the door to find a neatly dressed elderly man smiling at me. He came in, took a quick look and nodded his head sagely. "The gears are too dry, this piece has been broken off and the pendulum should be repaired."
I asked how much it would cost and we agreed upon the price. Then, to my amazement, he pulled the mechanics out of the clock body, picked up the pendulum and the weights and walked out the door. The last thing I heard as he hopped into his car was: "I'll call you in a couple of weeks."
And then he drove off.
What a strange interaction! I have no idea where his workshop is, received no receipt and don't even know exactly how to spell his last name! I stood at the window musing that the police are just going to laugh at me when I call to report a stolen clock next month.
When I came back into the living room S said: "He sure was nice!" And I laughed and said, "Well he could have been a thief for all we know." S smiled and said "Well, at least he was a nice thief!"
1 comment:
Hi!
I do hope he comes back with the clock works! When he does, check that he hasn't changed the whole thing and taken the valuable parts himself! Some antique clocks, as you probably know, are very valuable even if they can't be repaired to work properly...
ps. I've tagged you: 6 weird things about you.
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