A Pair of Peacocks

About once a month I hit the big Antique Mall in Round Rock at lunch and enjoy a relaxing stroll through the premises. I often leave with some small find - usually a book - and you may recall that last year I found a beautiful oak bedstead that took some finagling to get home. (It was well worth the trouble and I've never regretted adopting it.)

Today I was at loose ends, so I headed to the mall to see what was new. I mean old. For once I had walked most of the building and had not found anything to tempt me.Even the booth that has the great collection of Texas county history books did not cause me to battle with my conscience. I was feeling rather proud of myself.

And then I turned a corner and looked up. I knew I was sunk, even though I initially walked away and continued my prowl, telling myself I was absolutely not going to bring another piece of glass into my house. Lord knows I have enough old glass in the china closets.

But...I went back for a second look. The price was ridiculously low. I walked away again....but walked back and caved in.

When I was a little girl, we would go visit my great Aunt O regularly. She was my Grandmother Wilcoxen's sister and I always considered her the more glamorous of the five sisters. She had fascinating things in her house and I could entertain myself as the adults visited, wandering around the house and carefully touching the snowglobe with the American flag or watching the big ceiling fan or inspecting the items on the buffet in the dining room. Aunt O had a piano, too. And on that piano for many years sat a pair of creamy white peacocks with gold accents. This photo of my Grandpa Wilcoxen sitting on the piano bench includes a glimpse of those white peacocks. (That's Aunt O sitting on the right.)

The subject of those white peacocks came up when I was traveling to the last family reunion with Cousin Glynda. I believe she told me that when they were cleaning out Aunt O's house after her death that the peacocks were unearthed in a box of assorted knick-knacks stored in the garage, but I don't remember what they did with them. I had not thought of those peacocks in years and I had a twinge of regret that I had not been there to put in a bid for them.

Today when I looked up and saw the pair of white peacocks sitting on the top shelf at the mall, I just could not resist, even though I have no place in mind for them. (I can't put them on the piano like I would like to do. The heathen cats would reduce them to white and gold fragments in no time.)

I remarked to the lady at the checkout desk that I had no idea why I was buying these, except they reminded me of my Aunt O. She responded that a lot of what they sold were purchased for similar reasons. Good memories.

They will eventually find their place. And every time I see them, I will see them with the eyes of a little girl wandering through Aunt O's house.

LSW