The Innocent Beginning
It began so innocently. An elderly widowed neighbor sold her house and was having a sale. So I woke early one Friday and walked down to see what she had. Regardless of my efforts to simplify my possessions, who knows what treasures I would find?
The first quick perusal yielded nothing of interest. Then the daughter mentioned that they would be cleaning the attic that night and more stuff would be out...including an antique brass bed. I expressed interest as the twins needed new beds. They had outgrown their beds and I wanted something that could be used for a guest bedroom once they flew the coop.
So she took me upstairs. The bed was beautiful, though tarnished. It was dated 1913 and was her grandfather's bed. It is very masculine with massive brass columns. I bought it immediately before we even came downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs an antique dealer was waiting like a vulture ready to swoop in on his prey. He said he wanted to see the bed but it was already sold! This never happens to me. I went home pleased after arranging to pick it up the following Wednesday.
The next day I walked down again to see what the attic yielded. I missed a beautiful 100 year old dresser because it had been refinished in an ugly stain with ugly pulls. I decided to talk to Steve first who said "One twin can have the bed and the other twin the dresser." I returned immediately to announce I wanted to buy the dresser. The daughter acted a bit flustered as she was in final negotiations with another woman. I moaned and told them the two sons, two pieces of furniture story. The woman who was buying the dresser told me I could have it! She was buying it as an impulse for her entryway and I had a much better use for it. How sweet. Now I had a "new" piece of furniture for each bedroom.
And that was how my nightmare began. To foreshadow the Chaotic Middle, just imagine what two teenagers can cram into three bedrooms.
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