Don't Get Him Started Until He Finishes

Last Wednesday I had a handyman type of person to come over and do some work. He was recommended by my next door neighbor Kathleen, who he just did some work for, and her next door neighbor Glenda recommended him to Kathleen.

His rate was reasonable, $25 per hours.

Glenda warned Kathleen to let him work and don’t get him started talking, which Kathleen relayed to me.

The man, who goes by his initials O.D., came over and got right on task and stayed with focused on it. I occasionally would go out and check and he was working away.

But I didn’t say anything off course, like mention the weather or the Falcons or anything. I didn’t want to press his talk button.

After he finished and put everything in is truck I invited him in so I could write him a check, which was a very reasonable amount, I thought. While I was writing the check he noticed Anna’s late grandmother’s pie safe and two other antiques close by. That pushed his talk button.

He told me the longest story of how he helped reclaim Abe Lincoln’s pie safe for Abe Lincoln’s log cabin in Kentucky. It was interesting story that went on and on. And the same time he was telling how he gained possession of an old antique pie-safe, and the history of that particular pie-safe he gained possession of, the different hands it went through and where it sit in garages for years and years, several conversations, word by word of people he dealt with while buying the right paint removal and the right refinishing tools and varnish, and whatever.

It didn’t stop there. That reminded him of a raised roll-top antique desk he noticed in somebody’s barn that he did some work for. His bill with them was $57.00. He offered that amount for the raised desk that they had no use for. It took months of bickering between the lady of the house and her sister, who each owned half the desk. They agreed to accept $75 for it, they thought it should be worth that. He told the lady they were right, it was worth $75 but you would have to do a lot repairs and painting, then it would even be worth more, but the $57 would be the most he would pay. The lady of the house went ahead and accepted his work as payment and the $18 difference, she would just pay her sister her $9 and let that be that. Word for word conversations from all concerned.

And that reminded him of acquiring another antique…. It was all blending in by then.

On weekends he runs a booth in nearby Lithia Springs, Georgia, where he finds deals and sells them. I guess he enjoys the stories of his acquisitions as much as the object itself.

He showed me in the back of his truck a cat litter box that looks something like a small animal plastic pet crate. He found it on the side of the road. The cat goes in the box, does his business, and when he leaves the door shuts behind him. He said he would get at least $5for that.

I enjoyed his stories of acquiring things and the interesting conversations… about 90 minutes worth. I am also glad he was telling me all this on his time and not mine.