Aside from writing and teaching I run a small business that sells books, antiques, and collectibles. I sell rosaries - antique, vintage, new, heirloom. I also make high-end rosaries of genuine elephant ivory and coral with sterling silver. I like to say that Mary taught me because I'm self-taught. I also fix broken rosaries. (I am multi-talented!)
An old man contacted me recently about fixing a broken rosary. It was in terrible condition - missing the Cross, beads, broken in 4 pieces. I had to find another rosary with beads that matched and I was able to fix it. So I called Joe and told him what I'd done and told him he could pick up his rosary. I had not met Joe and didn't know what to expect. He had sent a card that indicated he's the president of some big food company, so even though his voice sounded old, I thought maybe he was younger.
So today at the appointed time, a Mercedes Benz drove up to our house. In it were two guys. The driver was younger and built like a bodybuilder. The passenger was a 91-year old man - Joe. The younger guy was his chauffeur and I suspect he was also Joe's bodyguard.
Joe moved slowly but his mind was sharp. He told me the broken rosary had belonged to his father - and since Joe himself was 91, that meant the rosary was quite old. Joe was very happy that the rosary was restrung; his father had prayed on it so often that the Cross was worn. He said he would give the rosary to his oldest son. He thanked me profusely for fixing this beloved family heirloom.
And then there was the 11 year old girl who came over with her Au pair. She wanted to buy a mother of pearl rosary and holder for her mother. The story went that her mother had received a mother of pearl rosary as a First Communion gift; she had been told by her parents not to bring it to school, but she did,and she lost it. So this eleven year old was buying her a replacement mother of pearl rosary which she would give to her on Christmas.
A few years ago there was a World War II marine who had tracked down his Filipina sweetheart. They had been engaged but something happened and they split up. Time passed and he returned to the U.S. got married to someone else, had children, grandchildren; and likewise, she married a Filipino, had children, grandchildren, then immigrated to the U.S. They were in their late 70s and married to other partners when he found her via the internet.
It was Christmastime, when this guy bought an expensive tamborine rosary necklace from my e-shop for her. The story continued because this guy emailed me a few years later. They stayed married to their spouses, but they would talk on the phone now and then, and once he had even visited her sick brother in a hospital - and she was there! He sent me pictures of them young and old. This was real drama here, not some cheap soap opera.
My fourth story is about the man who called many years ago about buying a diamond ring. I believe his name was also Joe! I made sure my husband and son were here when Joe came over to look at the ring. When I opened the door, I was taken aback because Joe was terribly unkempt. He looked homeless frankly and when I peeked out the window I saw his car was a big old Cadillac, crammed with stuff - another thing that made me wonder if he was homeless. He made me think of Howard Hughes - long, dirty nails, hair matted, beard, sweatsuit that needed washing - get the picture? But Joe spoke politely and he was clearly an educated man. He talked about living in Palos Verdes next to the Oppenheimers. He had horses and he had met another horse-woman in some horse show and she was stopping by LA on the way to Hawaii, and he would be seeing her on her stopover, and he wanted to give her the diamond ring. Sure, I thought.
He wanted the ring, and he ran out to get cash. I thought that would be the last I'd see of him, but before long, he returned with the money. He paid and I thought that was the end of it. I got a bit nervous when Joe called to get my advice about the appropriateness of the ring as a gift to this woman - a question I couldn't really answer. My husband said maybe I should have advised him to take a shower and have a hair cut, but I didn't think that was my business either. I don't know how this story ended, if Joe did give that woman the ring, and what happened after that.
I have many other stories about my clients, but I'll leave you with those four. (There are stories everywhere, material for my writing at every turn!)
To those interested my business url is http://www.palhbooks.com (antiques, rosaries)
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