Crate of Memories

I peered through the dust-filled, filtered cracks of an old abandoned attic space in a once vibrant country home. Far from direct sight, sat a corner of a small child’s toy chest. The paper peeling slightly on the edges from years of play-making and companionship.

I crawled on my hands and knees to its resting spot as it beckoned my approach. I immediately had a vision of a young girl struggling to place her collections in just the right spot… perhaps hidden from rambunctious brothers. She must have had to be conscious of the same obstacles that I had traversed… the loose floorboard and the protruding splinters in the weathered old pine.

Did she make this short journey out of desperation or out of angst… was she smiling with the giggles of joy… or was she full of sadness to place away her childhood memories and innocence? Did she look back over her shoulder as she rambled underneath the roof rafters? Just one more peek into her youth. Yes… it is in the perfect place. A place she surely would remember.

I gingerly pulled the little clothes chest into view and was drawn by the small key that dangled from the latch from a smooth green cloth string. The once shiny skeleton key that used to draw the attention of a little girl had grown dark and matte with the ages of humid summer nights in this old southern home.

Both of the latches on the face of the miniature trunk had been closed with care. I wondered why the key hang sadly out of place and not in the fragile lock. It was quiet in that place and in that time. I was comfortable there in the fall of the year and we were all alone.

I could feel the anxiety of this old inanimate object. Imagine the thrill of the move… watching family members and relatives approaching up the creaking ladder and packing up the family belongings. Everything from up-close being pulled out first. Imagine the excitement filling the emptying room. Its time to move to a new home… together with all of the familiar boxes and bags… all of the furniture and keepsakes. But wait… why haven’t they returned… didn’t they see me?… I’m here… under the corner… I’m right here!… please come back!… please don’t leave me alone…

An eternity had past and the long slumber had ended. Life had finally thrust its pulse upon this once forgotten treasure chest. I could feel the rejuvenation beginning. I opened the sleepy hinges with no opposition and gently lifted the lid. The air of decades of anticipation filled my lungs and reminded me of my own past. A small doll’s raincoat spilled out into my open hand as if to greet me with elation… reminding me of a family pet wriggling with excitement upon my return home. I smiled at the thought. I knew that this small box of doll clothes would once again be admired by others… others that could experience the joys and comfort of another’s childhood.

Here, was placed the dreams and joys of youthfulness. Here was placed the joys of familiarity and of comfort. Some little girl, in age or in spirit, will once again plunder with exuberance through this comfortable crate of memories.

Shannon R Killman