The Clock that I could not afford is mine

by Howard

Every Friday I would pass this curiosity shop on Franklin Street that was named Forty Carats.

It was a wonderful emporium with all kinds of curiosities and oddities, antiques, and one of a kind pieces that you could not possibly find anywhere else.

It was a vast treasure trove, and every payday I would find myself in there walking around for a few minutes on my lunch hour. I would buy little things, but most of the time I just browsed around.

That was until May of 1999. Some kind of how and I do not really remember how anymore, the owner Hank got a hold of a 1979 Ridgeway Grandfather Clock.

It was really nice clock, it even had the moon phases, and it had chimes that rang on the quarter hour and the whole bit, but the best part was the price.

All these years later I’m not sure, but I believe it was around $400.00. I wanted this clock bad. Up until this moment I had bought nothing much bigger than an Victorian era camel Ink well.

That was about to change because Hank noticed my fixation on the clock. "You could buy it on time, you know", said Hank. "You give me, say $50.00, and I write your name on an index card and we tape the card onto the clock, and you take it out of here when it is paid off.

What do you think sound good?" Very tentatively I said, "Yes." "All right, Mazel tov, you won’t be sorry. That is a beautiful piece. I’d take it myself, but I got no room." Hank then proceeded to write up a receipt type bill with eight payments of $50.00 listed on it.

When he handed it to me I read it, Ridgeway Grandfather Clock $400.00 total due, and the first payment was marked as paid and it said $350.00 was still owed.

Every week for the next two months I went in on Friday, and religiously paid my installment toward the timepiece that I could not wait to see standing in my foyer at home.

Hank and I became good friends over time, and his offering me the clock on time installments was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

That curio shop is long gone now, and Hank has moved on to Miami. The grandfather clock however is still around, and is a reminder to me about working towards something and self-control.

I learned that buying on time was better than buying on Credit.

Thanks Hank.