Fading With Time

Chapter 14

Hidden Treasures

                Elliot left not long after the three of them had vacated the attic.  He had given some vague excuse not wanting it to look like the real reason was his wife and daughter.  It had been cute to watch him fumble with his words too distracted by his thoughts to hide his true intentions.  Elizabeth found it endearing and had told him to say hi for her.  Jan had just waved goodbye as she smirked at the smitten man.

                Jan hung around longer than Elizabeth thought she would.  Not that she was complaining because the company of someone she knew versus the crew that she didn’t was nice.  She was sure her friend had somewhere to be however when she glanced at her watch for the 12th time in an hour.  Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

                “If you need to leave I’ll be fine on my own.”  Jan gave her a sideways glance as if to gauge how sincere her words were.  Elizabeth waved her hands at her in a shooing motion.

                “I see how it is.  Trying to get rid of me?”  Elizabeth snorted shaking her head at Jan’s teasing.

                “If you didn’t keep watching the time I wouldn’t have said anything.  I don’t need a babysitter you know.  If you have things you need to get done then go ahead.”  Jan’s shoulders sagged in defeat as she gave Elizabeth a sheepish look.

                “Sorry, I just wanted to get a couple of the senior classes set up for since our project is going to take a bit.”  Elizabeth’s eyes lit up at the mention of the elderly they had both taken to teaching now.

                “How is everything going?”

                “Not bad.  I have a couple of good ideas planned.”

                “You’ll have to tell me how everyone is doing.  When I first met them, they scared the wits out of me.  Now they’ve grown on me and I’m going to miss them terribly.”  Jan chuckled at her.

                “Believe me I know how you feel.  It’s going to be nice to see all of them again.  I’ll keep you informed on any misbehavior.”  Elizabeth laughed as mischief twinkled in Jan’s eyes.  She had a feeling that any antics done might not all be from the class.  Jan promised to be back in the morning so they could get started on their own project. 

                Elizabeth glanced around the room trying to decide on something to do.  She didn’t want to leave too since her house was still crawling with people she didn’t know.  It wasn’t that she didn’t necessarily trust them, but it felt wrong to leave her home in the hands of strangers.  Her gaze drifted around as the sounds of sawing, drilling, and hammering echoed about.  When her eyes landed on the stairs to the second floor her face lit up in delight.  She hadn’t gone digging through anymore of the antiques in a while and slightly missed the activity.  Besides, she definitely wanted to learn more about the family who had once lived there as well.  She skipped up the steps as excitement flooded her.  What new things would she find today?

                Walking into the room with all of her haul her steps faltered.  She hadn’t been in there since Ryan was there.  Knowing she was going to be working on it without him made her a little sad.  There were crates, boxes, and trunks stacked all along the walls and four rows deep.  She really shouldn’t have taken a break from it.  The task of going through it all seemed much more daunting now that she was on her own.  At least the guys had been nice enough to put the smaller stuff on top of the stacks making it easier for her to do by herself.  Blowing out a breath Elizabeth set her resolve.  Nothing was going to get done if she turned around and left now.  No point dragging it out.  She decided to grab as many of the smaller boxes as would fit along the tables in the next room and work through that for now.  Rolling up her sleeves she reached for the first one surprised by the weight of such a small thing.  It was going to be a long day.

                By late afternoon Elizabeth had gotten through her first round of boxes and was going back for more.  It had been nothing too interesting really.  She had come across things like someone’s wedding china and some old cook wear.  Things that she would have thought most people would want to keep if for no other reason for sentimental purposes.  Quite a bit of it had been well worn and unusable anymore.  It rendered those things impractical to keep.  She could understand wanting them because your mother had used it and it brought back fond memories.  If that were why it had been up there then she couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that the family hadn’t taken it with them.  How important had the item been if you saved it but then left it behind?  Maybe a member of the family had laid claim to it but was unable to take it.  Perhaps due to an untimely death or maybe some other reason.  The possibilities were mind boggling.  Each one taking place in Elizabeth’s thoughts as she absently brought more boxes over to work on.  She had taken everything she thought could be donated to the other room to make space for another load.  Even some of the well-worn items had made it to the donations since a lot of it weren’t available anymore.  There were even things that she had never seen before and had no idea what there were exactly.  Those were definitely kept just in case.  Internet searches had helped her figure out a few things, most of which were interesting as to their use, but she could only find a fraction of the items that way.  In truth she didn’t know how she thought she was going to find them only going off of descriptions.  Even patent numbers weren’t producing much in the way of results.  It was a little frustrating when Elizabeth yearned to learn everything she could.

                She reached for the next boxes down when she noticed a stack of smaller boxes tucked away in the corner.  They had been blocked from view when everything had been piled up.  Now that she had gotten it down a few boxes she could clearly see them.  Curiosity got the best of her and she just couldn’t pass up doing them next.  She had to break down and move a couple stacks before she made a passageway to get to them.  There were seven little crates in all one of which was a bit smaller than all the others.  Taking them into her work room Elizabeth stacked up a few of the ones she had already brought in.  She would get to those later but first she was itching to dive into the ones that had been hidden.  Setting the smallest one aside she decided to do that one last.  Something about that box appeared magical almost and she didn’t want to ruin the surprise by diving into it too soon.

                Pulling the first of the crates towards her she used a hammer to work at the nails.  Stale air assaulted her nose when she opened the lid to reveal the contents.  Her eyes widened in wonder at everything inside.  There were antique toys, little boots, a single ratty mitten, and many more things a child growing up through the years would have considered treasure.  The contents obviously belonged to Ruth’s son George.  She supposed they could have had more children then just him running around but thinking it belonged to another didn’t seem to fit.  Something inside of her was telling her she was right.  She came across a small tin box rusted with age.  It took some finagling with a screwdriver before she managed to open the lid.  A smile pulled at her lips as her eyes touched on every item.  There were skipping stones, a pinecone, some old tin bottle caps, glass marbles, a few loose coins, and many other random small trinkets.  This had obviously been the box where he kept his most prized possession.  A giggle escaped her as she took them all in.  It was pretty much junk and most parents would agree.  She should throw most of it out, but she just didn’t have it in her to do it.  Closing the lid her fingers ran over the rusted top gently.  She didn’t know where she would put it or why she was even keeping it, but it was hers now.

                The next two boxes were much the same.  They had been filled with things belonging to both Ruth and Annabel.  Ruth’s box didn’t have much in the way of personal item.  It was filled with things that she had been sewing at the time it was packed up.  There were doilies, and handkerchiefs all sewn with delicate stitches.  Embroidery that Elizabeth was sure was once beautiful but had dulled with age.   Elizabeth had run her fingers over the colored threads feeling the stiffness the worn threads had become.  It was never a skill she had learned in her life and she marveled over each one.  It took a minute for her to decide what to do with them.  Ultimately she placed that box in the pile to go into Ryan’s collection.  She wasn’t sure if they would be anything people would want to see but she would let Ryan make that choice.

                Annabel’s box made her laugh.  It was filled with a sense of adventure.  There were play bills and pictures of old actors.  There were sparkling hairpins, old silver compacts, a sterling hairbrush set among other things.  The items inside were so like the woman she had dreamed that she met.  It was a little unsettling to think that her own imagination had come so close to who Annabel had been in life.  Perhaps the pictures they had looked through the other day had showcased the young woman’s personality well enough that it left an impression.  Annabel’s box joined Ruth’s in the pile to go into the other room.  She was sure there were plenty of things in it that people would find fascinating.

                Pulling over the next box she worked the lid off anticipating what was hidden inside.  She paused once it was open as her eyes landed on the contents.  It wasn’t anything spectacular to the average person.  To her though it was everything.  She began pulling things out carefully as if she were afraid of breaking something.  There were bottles of trinkets that belonged on a vanity.  Perfume, powders, plain pins, and such.  An old photograph of Williams parents on their wedding day was showcased inside a beautiful dark oak frame.  A well-worn book for a bedside table was tattered and barely together.  A pair of gardening gloves that were dirty and well worn lay at the bottom next to a little wood box.  She laid the gloves aside before retrieving it.  The little hinges creaked from lack of use as she opened the lid.  What she found inside brought moisture to her eyes.  It was a hand made jewelry box with a few pieces inside.  It wasn’t most of the sparce necklaces and broaches.  It was the rings.  There was a ring with a modest sapphire in an antique setting.  The two bands, one larger than the other, had to have belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Bennett.  Surely their mother would have passed them down through the family.  If she was right they should have gone to William.  The fact that they remained in the box left a sinking feeling in her stomach.  She didn’t want to read too much into it though.  If he had died during the war then surely they would have been given to Annabel or even George.  Perhaps Mrs. Bennett hadn’t wanted to part with them as they were one of the things she had received from her husband.  That was understandable.  Even so, after her passing someone in the family would have wanted them.  Wouldn’t they? 

                As Elizabeth mulled over the implications of her find she began to feel a little off.  The room was shaking slightly as if she were having a dizzy spell but no matter what she tried it wouldn’t stop.  Dropping the rings back into the box she rose from her seat to lean heavily on the table.  Physically she felt no movement at all.  Forget the fact that she was no where near where the states usually had earthquakes.  It had been her next best guess. 

                “Elizabeth?  Are you home?”  She could hear someone calling out for her from the first floor and slowly made her way to the bedroom door.

                “I’m up here.”  She called back knowing that she needed help.  Looking to the wall across the hallway from her she watched as it flickered.  One minute it was the white walls she had found beneath all the wallpaper and the next the wallpaper was back as if she had never removed it.  The image kept flickering back and forth disorienting her more than the shaking was already doing.

                “Elizabeth?”  The voice called out once again accompanied this time by the sound of feet heading up the stairs.

                “I’m here.”  She said again a little weaker this time as she fought the urge to toss her stomach.  Elizabeth squinted as the paper came into view this time.  She clearly remembered that what she had taken down had been stained and aged but what she was seeing wasn’t that.  The paper was a bright white with pastel flowers stamped across it.  The last time she had seen it the wallpaper had been so faded and yellowed with age that the pattern hadn’t been that clear. 

                Relief filled her when Pamela Harris, Ryan’s mother, came into view.  Elizabeth slouched against the door jam waiting for her to walk over.  Uncertainty took over when Ryan’s mom walked past her.  She had looked into the room and moved on to the next.  Elizabeth’s brows furrowed as she watched the woman wonder away.  There was no way she hadn’t seen her leaning in the open doorway.  The wall changed again causing Elizabeth to lurch out into the hallway while a dry heave racked her body.  Pamela turned around at the noise gasping in surprise.  Rushing over to Elizabeth’s side she knelt while putting her arm around her.  The moment Pamela touched her the shaking righted itself allowing Elizabeth to catch her breath.

                “What on earth happened to you?”  Elizabeth looked up into her worried eyes thankful that whatever she had experienced was finally over.  She tried to think what she had done exactly to cause such a reaction but drew a blank.

                “I’m not sure.  One minute I was fine and the next I was dizzy and nauseous.”  Pamela looked her over with a knowing gaze.

                “When was the last time you ate?” 

                “I haven’t yet.  I was distracted this morning and forgot to grab breakfast.  It didn’t even dawn on me.  I got so wrapped up with getting up here to work on stuff that it completely slipped my mind.”

                “And lunch?”  Elizabeth ducked her head sheepishly before answering.

                “I was busy working.  I didn’t realize it hadn’t gotten so late in the day.”  Pamela gave her a chastising huff then helped her up from the floor.

                “Let’s get some food in you.  Really Elizabeth you should take better care of yourself.  What would have happened if I hadn’t come to visit?”  She didn’t have an answer for that.    Elizabeth walked with Pamela meekly following the older woman’s lead.  She was grateful that Pamela had come upon her when she did.  Who knows who would have found her instead?