Meryl

Significant Objects: Wooden Thing

It was the one time I was there when something significant happened: Franco had died. I was trying to land a job teaching English in Madrid, but the whole city closed up to mourn--or, in some cases, to celebrate. ###

It was no use trying to look for work, so my friend Carol and I took the train to Andalusia. We stayed in whitewashed hotels with flower-filled balconies. We were low on cash, so we created our meals from what we found at the local markets. ###

Carol and I browsed the tourist boutiques, but we didn’t have a budget for souvenirs. We said “solamente mirando” to the shopkeepers, hoping it meant “just looking.” ###

One morning we were inspecting the carved figures in a small boutique in Granada. We giggled and wondered who would purchase one of the items--it looked like a piece of nothing. It was a block of wood, rounded on the ends, with a couple of screws. We dubbed it “Wooden Thing” and tossed it around a bit, laughing at the objects on which tourists waste their money. ###

Then Carol dropped “Wooden Thing” on the tile floor. A piece broke off. ###

The store owner appeared at our side immediately, telling us what was clear in any language--we were expected to pay for the broken figurine. “But we have no money--no dinero!” we tried to explain. She either did not or would not understand us and Carol handed over our food budget for the next three days. She was now the proud owner of “Wooden Thing.” I teased her and said she should start a collection. ###

Carol and I remained friends, and several years later, when I got married, she sent me “Wooden Thing” as a wedding present. It has travelled with me for the past 30 years and always lives in an honored spot on my desk. “Wooden Thing” reminds me of Spain, of hunger, of travel and of friendship. I will always treasure it. ###