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Chromium

James Bates

    After her husband died, Joan Wilson had lived alone in their modest home in south Minneapolis for twenty-four years. When she died in her sleep my wife Haley, along with her two younger sisters, me and my wife Haley were going through her mom’s stuff.
    Haley and her mom were very close and she and her sisters were taking their time going through their mother’s possessions and belongings, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing reliving memories of their beloved mother’s life.
    In the basement, I was going through a bunch of boxes, most of them falling apart. The basement was unfinished, dingy, and dank, not the kind of place you’d want to spend much time in at all. The only thing worth anything in my opinion was the water and dryer and they were debatable.
    I’d already hauled out what seemed like a ton of crap, everything from moldy-smelling clothes and a couple of portable television sets from the eighties to floor fans and Christmas decorations. I dutifully went through everything though, just to be sure I wasn’t dumping some family heirloom. Believe me, I wasn’t.
    But then I got to the last shelf.
    That last shelf had three levels and was looking like there wasn’t much there either. But then I opened a heavy cardboard box of the bottom level. In it was a wooden box, wrapped in plastic bubble wrap to protect it. It looked interesting. I carefully lifted it out and set it on the floor. I opened it, took one look went to the stairway, and called upstairs.
    “Haley, why don’t you come down here? I’ve got something you might want to see.”
    “I’m busy.”
    I could hear her and her two sisters talking in the kitchen. It sounded like they were busy alright busy taking a break.
    “Bring your sisters. And maybe some coffee for me,” I chided her. “I think you be interested in what I found.”
    A few minutes later Haley, Shelby, and Ashly joined me. “What’s so important?” Haley asked.
    I handed her the box. “Check this out.”
    Her eyes went wide and she turned to his younger sisters. “Do you guys remember this?”
    The youngest, Ashly, said, “No. What do think it is?
    Shelby said, “What are you waiting for? Let’s open it.”
    I found an old towel and we set the box on it. It was probably 12” by 10” by 5” and the wood was worn and weathered. It appeared to be oak or maple and had a nice feel to it, the feel of something loved.
    “I think I know what this is,” Haley said. She opened it. “Yep, I thought so.”
    Her sisters looked. It was full of silver table settings. I did a quick count. There were eight each of knives, forks, and spoons. There was a serving spoon, a ladle, and a carving knife and whetstone. They were all nestled in dark green, velvet-lined compartments.
    “What is it?” I asked.
    “It’s mom and dad’s old silverware set,” she said, her voice becoming husky with emotion. “Look at this.”
    Taped to the inside cover was an envelope. It was old and discolored. She removed it and opened it. There was a card inside. Her eyes were watering. “Here, read this.”
    The card was a beautiful design of white and blue flowers of some sort in a pretty floral vase set on a table with a cream-colored doily underneath. It read, Happy Anniversary!
    I opened the card and read out loud Happy First Anniversary. Here’s wishing you all the joy this day can bring. Wishing you much love and happiness. With Love, Mom and Dad.
    “It’s mom and dad’s old silver set,” Haley said. “I remember Mom telling me how thrilled she was to get it for that first anniversary.
    Shelby was looking at the pieces. “They’re stainless steel,” she said. “Kind of cheap if you ask me.”
    Ashly spoke up, “I think it’s sweet.”
    “Mom and Dad thought so, too,” Haley said. “They were married during the thirties and lived through the depression. Stainless steel was a big deal for them.”
    I had a 1957 Chevrolet I was restoring. “When I looked into getting the fenders of my Chevy re-chromed, I found out that chromium not only was used in chrome but stainless steel as well. Makes the metal not only stronger but better looking.”
    Haley rolled her eyes, “Thank you for the science lesson, Mr. Einstein.”
    Her sisters laughed. I did too. I was a bit of a science geek and used to the ribbing. “What are you going to do with the set?”
    “Either of you want it?” Haley asked.
    Her sisters nodded to the negative.
    “No way,” Shelby said.
    “I do, but I don’t think I’ve got room for it. But you’ll keep it, won’t you Sis? Please?
    Haley looked at me. I winked at her. Of course, we’d keep it. In its own way it was a family heirloom. I was all for it. So was Haley.
    “Yeah, we’ll give it a nice home,” she said.
    And we did, too. We use it every day. Haley thinks her mom and dad would be happy. I have a feeling she’s right.

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