Story In A Box

"Grab me that box... please, I have a story and do not have much time my child" exclaimed my grandfather as he struggled to breathe on his hospital bed. One thing that I will never forget is the smell of his tobacco filled sweater and his deep voice as he told my brothers story and I story after story about his days in the military. The story in a box has lived with me for over fifteen years, and now I stare at the items and remember that saddened hospital room in 1995 come alive to the stories of grandfather's past.

“…Ok children pay close attention, I want you to remember this story and pass it down for me. There are 12 items in this box, and each symbolizes something in my past. This story is different then the other stories I tell you children. This one is very special to all of us.

It all started in 1973 when the boys and I decided to take a canoe trip down the river and have a little fun over summer. The canoe was made from wood, and had canvas around the outside. It was a very simple but beautiful craft. We passed many things down the river that I remember. The thing that caught my eye the most was a Finka, very similar to the statue here. I remember all of the colors this beautiful farm possessed. So much so that you kids might even realize that when I built our farm I made it to look much like it!

As we moved down the river we moved passed an Indian reservation. We pulled up the canoe and stopped by to ask them for some food. We ate and danced with them, and that is when I met one very solemn African woman. She didn’t appear to fit in well, but was very beautiful. I asked her to dance; I remember her sweeping me off my feet, she had very brisk moves. We fell in love that night; you younglings might even call her grandma. The next day she would join us on our journey. Before we left we stopped by to visit the carver. We had heard many stories about this man, and it seemed important that we stop to see him before moving forward. He almost looked like a drummer when we approached; he moved effortlessly wearing a hat and shall. I asked him for a keepsake to take with. For two dollars out of my leather hand-stitched Mongolian wallet he’d carve my very own head. I remember having a 50 in euros in my wallet at the time and so I used the coins from my collection book. The collection book is from Singapore and each coin has meanings that you can read.

The next morning we left bright and early. Your grandma brought with her Chinese throw that her parents had given her when she was born. Her parents conducted a lot of business between China and Africa before settling in the United States. As you can see, the throw is very old. I believe it’s from the 1850s. It was a smart thing she did because the next day on our trip back we didn’t have very many supplies. The weather caught up with us that day. We had to seek shelter in the trees before the wind blew us all over board. All we had was a Glass blown Malta from the island of Gozo. We used this to shelter the little bit of light that we could find. As we walked we kept picking up chestnuts. They are small but edible and we knew that if we could scavenge things up we could possibly make bread.

Fortunately we made it through the night, but unfortunately the canoe was not as lucky. That next morning we were lucky enough to get spotted by a family of hikers. They had a ruler and judged the damage to our canoe to a hole about 3 feet. They helped us patch it up, and now every year we send them a thank you letter. We always stamp the bottom of it with this stamper. It was a gift from them that day after hearing about your grandmother’s ties to China. The stamper is from China and has very elegant patterns. This is a tradition I want my grandchildren to continue to theirs. It is always nice to know you have someone to rely on” Grandfather.

I will keep this box, and continue to pass it on to my own children. The 12 artifacts in it resemble my grandfather and the beginning of our existence. I can see now why it was always so special and why he waited so long to tell us. He wanted us all to understand.