Day 2555 Don’t mention the gun cabinet.

12th August 2024

I want to tell you a story about a piece of furniture that had sat in the Bulthouse family home for many years.

Just as homemade quilts have been a favourite item that are handed down through the generations, so have well crafted wooden cabinets.

This tale is about a piece made many years ago.

Home in the mid west cannot be called a home without a gun cabinet, where hunting weapons are stored properly, like pieces of art, so the enclosure had to be a thing of beauty.

This piece was made of solid walnut with glass doors and crafted by Kelli’s grandfather. I looked at it, envious of the joints and perfect mitres, no gaps no filler, just perfection.

For many years it had pride of place in an upstairs room which will be soon occupied by Matt and Brenda who will look after their patriarchal mother.

It was I that helped move it into Kelli’s old bedroom last weekend.

A family tradition is that may appear strange,is that most items in the house have been selected and noted to be passed on.

Since Dave’s passing, most of his possessions have been sold or given away, but the gun cabinet and a desk had been earmarked by Cameron.

This cabinet had been upstairs for the last six years hidden away and almost forgotten.

 Now everyone knew that the gun cabinet was Cameron’s but he made no effort to move it out, so Matt took it upon himself to sell it to a friend, who paid two hundred dollars for it, and collected it last week.

Roll forward to yesterday when Cameron finally learnt that the piece had been sold.

He went ballistic, cussing and shouting storming out of the house, it almost made me stop eating my ice cream, but it didn’t.

Matt had already left so did not witness the drama.

Kelli’s mum got upset, because she thought everything had been agreed, but now everything unraveled.

There were phone calls and messages flying about, I urged Kelli not to get involved, but a plan was hatched to get Matt to phone his friend and explain the situation and hope that the cabinet could be returned. 

Matt refused to do it and gave Cameron the guys number, so he did it.

The result, Cameron effectively bought the cabinet back, now he had to find a place to store it.

Luckily his girlfriend has a large basement so that’s where it will go.

Now I’m sure the atmosphere between Matt and Cameron will be a little frosty, and I will have to resist the urge to stir things up, I’m just glad there is never any alcohol about, because you never know.