Legal Artistry (2 page)

Gramma set the album on the coffee table, and Dieter found himself gathered into her arms and held tight. “I know you miss them,” she soothed him. “I miss them too."

Dieter lifted his head off her shoulder, looking at the book. “Was your mama pretty?"

"Yes, she was. Very pretty,” Gramma told him.

"So are you, Gramma,” Dieter said, hugging her again. “Where is the painting now?"

"It's gone. It's been gone for a long time."

Just like his mama and papa.

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Dieter parked his gram's old green Toyota in the only parking space he could find. Getting out of the car and dropping a few quarters in the meter, Dieter hurried down the sidewalk. Thankfully, the meters were free after six, so he only had to pay for a little more than an hour. Approaching the wine store, Dieter pushed open the front door, entering near pandemonium. There were customers everywhere. Dieter saw Sean helping customers, and he hurried to the office, dropping his jacket on the futon before returning to the sales floor. “Young man,” an older lady said as she approached him. “I need a case of this,” she said, pointing to the wine they'd been featuring, “but everyone's so busy."

"No problem. Let me check in the back to make sure we have an unopened case, and I'll be right back.” Dieter walked to the stock area, locating the last full case of the Cabernet she'd requested. Placing it on a cart, he wheeled it up to the register area, setting it out of the way before returning to the customer. “I have your case by the register for you,” Dieter told her, and she began handing him loose bottles, which he carried to a table behind the register. Dieter continued to help her until she was ready to check out. He thanked her before moving on to help another customer find a special Chardonnay that wasn't too oaky.

After a good hour or so, the flow of customers diminished, and Dieter was able to catch his breath. “You didn't have to come in,” Sean said from behind him. “I understand that you've got a lot to do."

The work and being busy had pushed his grief aside for a while, but now it threatened to come forward again. “I needed to get out of the house and do things that are normal."

Sean nodded slowly. “I'm sorry about your grandmother. She was a special lady,” Sean told him seriously.

"I wanted to thank you and Sam for coming to the funeral. It meant a lot. She outlived most of her friends, but it was still sad to see so few people there.” His grandmother's funeral had no more than a few dozen attendees. It had been small and solemn, especially for Dieter. Leaning quietly against the counter, Dieter felt the sadness and loneliness of the last week begin to catch up with him.

"Have you decided what you're going to do?"

Dieter shivered slightly. “About some things. Gram left me everything, including the house. I haven't decided if I'm going to sell it or not yet, but the place needs to be cleaned out, and there are things I'm not sure what to do with."

"You know you don't need to make these decisions now,” Sean cautioned, and Dieter nodded his head blankly.

"I know, but the entire place reminds me of her, and it needs so much work. I'd like to fix it up, but I don't have the money to do some of the repairs that are needed.” Dieter had started making a list, and he'd been a bit overwhelmed by what he'd come up with. “Some of them I can do, but some are going to be really expensive. The attic is full of stuff, and some of it looks really old, but I'm not sure what to do with it."

"What about school? You still have a year left, right?"

"Yeah. I have the money for tuition,” Dieter told Sean. “Gram put all the money my parents left when they died in a fund for me. All those years, she never used a cent of it for herself.” Dieter reached across the counter and grabbed a napkin, using it to wipe his eyes. “I'm sorry,” he added, embarrassed at his display.

"Like I said, your grandmother was quite a lady. You know, when she was in the store once, she told me that her greatest wish was to see you graduate from college. I thought she'd make it, too. She was a force to be reckoned with right up until the end."

Dieter sniffed and wiped his eyes again before stuffing the napkin in his pocket. “She told me that too. Before she died, she made me promise I would finish regardless of what happened to her.” She'd had a stroke, and at the end she could barely talk, but she'd made her wishes abundantly clear to Dieter. “At least she went quickly and didn't linger. She always said that was what she wanted.” The door to the store opened, and Dieter excused himself before going to greet the customer. He needed something to think about other than Gram's death.

Even keeping himself plenty busy for most of the evening, Dieter still found his mind turning to his loss. Gram had been the only family he'd had left, and now she was gone. Auntie Kate had passed away a few years ago, and Dieter still felt her loss as well. Those two women had raised and cared for him for as long as he could remember. He had vague memories of his mother and father, but as far as Dieter was concerned, Gram and Auntie Kate were his parents.

"Dieter.” He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. “You've been filling that same location for ten minutes,” Sean told him without heat. “It's slowed down now. Why don't you finish up, and we can talk if you'd like."

Dieter emptied the last bottles from the case into the display before breaking down the box and carrying it to the recycling area. “Giuli's okay out front for a while,” Sean said as Dieter walked back by the office. “Come in and sit down.” Dieter sat on the futon, and Sean took the desk chair. “I know things can be a bit overwhelming right now, and if I can help, I will. You said there were things in the attic."

"Tons. The thing is that some of it's really old, and I don't know what to do with any of it."

"Well, that's easy. Give Tyler a call and he'll take a look. If there are things you want to sell, he'll give you a fair price,” Sean advised, and Dieter wondered why he hadn't thought of that before. “Doesn't he live just down the street from you?"

"Yeah. He lives in the house that used to be his grandmother's. I should have thought of that. I've known him since I was a kid."

"You would have. You're tired and overwhelmed. I want you to go home and get a good night's sleep,” Sean admonished lightly. “You'll think better when you're not so wiped out."

Dieter agreed but didn't get up yet. “I was wondering if Bobby and Kenny were coming home from school this summer."

"Kenny's staying at school to take some summer classes, and Bobby's spending part of the summer on an artist's retreat. Regardless, you have a job here if you want it, and I'm planning a number of special events this summer, so we'll be busy."

"Thanks, Sean."

"You're welcome. Now go on home and get some rest,” Sean told him with a concerned smile, and Dieter got up, taking his jacket. He hadn't slept well since before Gram's stroke, and he was definitely feeling it.

"I'll see you tomorrow,” Dieter said before leaving the office. After hugging Katie, Sean's longtime salesperson and second in command, good-bye, Dieter walked to his car and drove home. He called it home, but to him, the house would always be Gram's. Parking his car, Dieter got out and closed the door, peering up at the dark house he'd lived in for as long as he could remember.

"Dieter!” He looked around and saw Tyler coming down the sidewalk. “I wanted to see how you were doing,” Tyler told him as he approached.

"Okay, I guess,” he responded with a sigh. “I was going to call you tomorrow. There's a bunch of stuff in the attic, and I don't know what to do with it. Sean said you might be able to look it over and give me an idea what some of it is."

"Do you want to sell, or are you looking for an appraisal?” Tyler asked.

"I want to fix up the house,” he said, looking at the front, where some of the paint had worn off.

"I understand,” Tyler told him. “I'm booked with appointments for the next two weeks, but I can look in my book in the morning and let you know when I can come by."

"Oh,” Dieter said. He knew he should be patient, but if he got some of the money together, he might be able to get some of the projects done during the summer while he wasn't in class.

Tyler must have read the disappointment on his face. “Come on, then. Mark is still working, so I have an hour. Let's go take a look."

"Are you sure?"

"I've known you since you came to live with your grandma. I'll help you any way I can.” Dieter's fatigue seemed to slip away as he led Tyler up the walk. “You know, I can still remember you riding your bike with the training wheels up and down the sidewalk."

"Thanks, I think,” Dieter replied as he unlocked the door, and he heard Tyler laugh.

"Come on, let's go look for treasure,” Tyler told him as he turned on the lights. Dieter led the way up the stairs and then opened the attic door. Gram had always kept the door locked, and it had been the devil for Dieter to find the key.

Dust motes floated in the air as Dieter turned on the light, leading Tyler up the steep, narrow stairway. At the top of the stairs, he got out of the way and let Tyler look. “Jesus, you weren't kidding. It looks like there's eight lifetimes of stuff up here,” Tyler told him as he began moving through a narrow winding aisle created by breaks between all the stuff. “Where did this come from? Your grandmother never seemed like the type to collect things like this,” Tyler inquired as Dieter watched him peer around a trunk.

"Gram said Gramps kept dragging things home. She made him put anything she didn't like up here. Until she died, I doubt anyone had been up here in years.” Dieter walked to where Tyler was kneeling next to a trunk. “Did you find something?"

"I think so, yes,” Tyler answered without looking up.

"That's just an old trunk,” Dieter said, already moving away.

"No, it's not,” Tyler explained as he pulled the trunk into the aisle. “Would you give me a hand?” Dieter helped him lift it. “It seems really heavy. Do you think we can get this down the stairs? I'd like to take a better look at it, and I can barely breathe up here."

Dieter took one side and Tyler took the other. Carefully, they carried the heavy wooden box down the narrow stairs, setting it on the landing. Dieter turned off the light and shut the attic door. “Do you really think this is anything?"

Tyler nodded, smiling broadly. “You see the interlaced iron work on the top? That's all handmade, and look at the lock.” Tyler pointed to the front of the trunk and lifted the iron cover.

"There's no hole,” Dieter said, confused.

"That's because the lock isn't on the front. That's a trick.” Tyler opened a small hidden iron flap on the top. “It's lucky you have the key,” Tyler commented as he untied the thong that held the key on and inserted it into the hole. “There's nothing delicate about opening this,” Tyler said as he strained to turn the key. At first, Dieter didn't think it would work, but the key turned almost all the way around, and then Tyler lifted the lid on the box.

"It's empty,” Dieter commented, really disappointed. He'd hoped there would be something interesting inside.

"Yes, but that doesn't really matter,” Tyler explained. “It's the trunk that's important. See the lock?” he said as he lifted the lid. “That is the lock, the whole underside of the lid. It's all hand done and between four and five hundred years old."

Dieter's eyes bugged out of his head. “It's how old?"

"This is a real treasure chest. It's continental, probably Spanish, I'd say, based on the decoration, and it could very well have been used to haul gold from the Americas back to Spain. This is an amazing find and probably worth six to eight thousand dollars. And I saw other things up there that could be interesting as well."

Dieter felt his mouth hang open. At first he thought he'd heard Tyler wrong, but he saw Tyler's smile. “I'm not kidding. I have to tell you that if you want me to buy the piece, I can't give you that because that's what I could sell it for, but if you want to sell it, let me know. But don't make a decision right away. Think it over."

Dieter could barely speak and simply nodded as Tyler helped him move the chest into one of the bedrooms. He led Tyler down the stairs and into the living room, feeling less worried than he had since Gram got sick. “Thank you, Tyler."

"You're welcome,” Tyler answered, looking at one of Gram's photo albums on the table.

"Those were Gram's. I was looking at them last night,” Dieter explained, picking up the one album to close the cover.

"Do you mind if I look at that?” Tyler asked, and Dieter handed him the album, moving to peer over Tyler's shoulder.

"That's Gram's parents,” Dieter said, pointing, “and that's Gram. That was taken in their house before the war.” Tyler looked at him and then back at the photograph. “The painting behind them on the wall is Gram's mother."

Tyler stared at the photograph for a while longer before closing the album. “I'd like to ask a favor. I'd like Mark to see this. I promise I'll get it back to you tomorrow. Okay?"

"Is something wrong?"

"No. There are just some pictures that I know Mark would love to see. I'll bring it back."

"Okay, and I'll think about the chest and let you know when I see you,” Dieter said as he walked Tyler to the door. After saying good night one more time, he closed and locked the door before walking back into the living room. Dieter sat down in one of the large chairs, the quiet of the house becoming almost oppressive. Over the past week, there were times when he'd wanted nothing more than to sell the house and move someplace that wasn't so full of memories. Everywhere he looked he saw Gram. Her chair was right across the room from where he sat. He hadn't had the heart to sit in it. Gram had taken care of him, and in a way she still was. He knew he couldn't bear to sell the house, but he also knew he had to make it his or he'd never be able to move on. Reaching to the coffee table, Dieter picked up the photo album that Tyler hadn't borrowed and began to thumb through it. He smiled at the pictures of Gram and Gramps. He didn't really remember him, but he could see how happy he'd made Gram. There were even a few pictures of Auntie Kate. The one he liked best was a picture of her holding his mother. Even then she looked old.