MommaSaysIt'sforYou
佚名/Anonymous
「AndhowcanIhelpyou,littlelady?」
Pappywasapleasant-lookingoldfellow.Hehadthewhitesthairwhichhekeptneatlycutandcombed.Hiseyeswereblue,thoughfadedwithage,andtheyseemedtoemitwarmthfromwithin.Hisfacewasquitedrawn,butwhenhesmiled,evenhiswrinklesseemedtosoftenandsmilewithhim.Hehadatalentforwhistlinganddidsohappilyeachdayashedustedandswepthispawnshop;evenso,hehadasecretsadness,buteveryonewhoknewhimrespectedandadoredhim.
MostofPappy』scustomersreturnedfortheirgood,andhedidnotdomuchbusiness,buthedidnotmind.Tohim,theshopwasnotalivelihoodasmuchasawelcomepastime.
Therewasaroominthebackofhisshopwherehespenttimetinkeringwithamenagerieofhisownpreciousitems.Hereferredtothisbackroomas「memoryhall」.Initwerepocketwatches,clocks,andelectrictrains.Therewereminiaturesteamenginesandantiquetoysmadeofwood,tin,orcastiron,andtherewerevariousotherobsoletetrinketsaswell.Spendingtimeinmemoryhalldelightedhimasherecalledmanytreasuredmomentsfromhispast.Hehandledeachitemwithcare,andsometimeshewouldclosehiseyesandpausetoreliveasweet,simplechildhoodmemory.
Oneday,Pappywasworkingtohisheart』scontentreassemblinganoldrailroadlantern.Asheworked,hewhistledthemelodyofarailroadtuneandreminiscedabouthisownpastasaswitchman.Itwasatypicaldayattheshop.Outside,thesunilluminatedtheclearsky,andaslightwindpassedthroughthefrontscreendoor.Whenevertheweatherwasthisnice,Pappykepttheinnerdooropen.Heenjoyedthefreshair,almostasmuchasthedistinctivesmellofantiquesandoldengineoil.
Ashewaspolishinghisnewlyrestoredlantern,heheardthetinklingofhisbellontheshopdoor.Thebell,whichproducedauniquelycharmingresound,hadbeeninPappy』sfamilyforoverahundredyears.Hecherisheditdearlyandenjoyedsharingitssongwithallwhocametohisshop.Althoughthebellhungontheinsideofthemaindoor,Pappyhadstrungawiretothescreendoorsothatitwouldringwhethertheinnerdoorwasopenornot.Promptedbythebell,heleftmemoryhalltogreethiscustomer.
Atfirst,hedidnotseeher.Hershiny,softcurlsbarelytoppedthecounter.
「AndhowcanIhelpyou,littlelady?」Pappy』svoicewasjovial.
「Hello,sir.」thelittlegirlspokealmostinawhisper.Shewasdainty,bashful,innocent.ShelookedatPappywithherbigbrowneyes,thenslowlyscannedtheroominsearchofsomethingspecial.
Shyly,shetoldhim,「I』dliketobuyapresent,sir.」
「Well,let』ssee,」Pappysaid,「whoisthispresentfor?」
「Mygrandpa.It』sformygrandpa.ButIdon』tknowwhattoget.」
Pappybegantomakesuggestions.「Howaboutapocketwatch?It』singoodcondition.Ifixeditmyself,」hesaidproudly.
Thelittlegirldidn』tanswer.Shehadwalkedtothedoorwayandputhersmallhandonthedoor.Shewiggledthedoorgentlytoringthebell.Pappy』sfaceseemedtoglowashesawhersmilingwithexcitement.
「Thisisjustright,」thelittlegirlbubbled,「mommasaysgrandpalovesmusic.」
Justthen,Pappy』sexpressionchanged.Fearfulofbreakingthelittlegirl』sheart,hetoldher,「I』msorry,missy.That』snotforsale.Maybeyourgrandpawouldlikethislittleradio.」
Thelittlegirllookedattheradio,loweredherhead,andsadlysighed,「No,Idon』tthinkso.」
Inanefforttohelpherunderstand,Pappytoldherthestoryofhowthebellhadbeeninhisfamilyforsomanyyears,andthatwaswhyhedidn』twanttosellit.
Thelittlegirllookedupathim,andwithagianttearinhereye,sweetlysaid,「IguessIunderstand.Thankyou,anyway.」
Suddenly,Pappythoughtofhowtherestofthefamilywasallgonenow,exceptforhisestrangeddaughterwhomhehadnotseeninnearlyadecade.Whynot,hethought.Whynotpassitontosomeonewhowillshareitwithalovedone?Godonlyknowswhereitwillendupanyway.
「Wait…littlelady.」Pappyspokejustasthelittlegirlwasgoingoutthedoor—justashewashearinghisbellringforthelasttime.「I』vedecidedtosellthebell.Here』sahanky.Blowyournose.」
Thelittlegirlbegantoclapherhands.「Oh,thankyou,sir.Grandpawillbesohappy.」
「Okay,littlelady.Okay.」Pappyfeltgoodabouthelpingthechild;heknew,however,hewouldmissthebell.「Youmustpromisetotakegoodcareofthebellforyourgrandpa,andforme,too,okay?」Hecarefullyplacedthebellinabrownpaperbag.