Page 16 of Ghost in the Cupboard

He said nothing, but ducked around me to dash out into the yard to Max’s truck. The two men exchanged pleasantries and general chatter as they worked together to unstrap the cupboard and slide it out of the truck onto the ground. Max had brought the dolly to move the cupboard, as he mentioned, but between the two of them, they were able to lift and carry the cupboard from the yard up to the porch.

With a proud grin, Max slapped the side of the cupboard as he presented it to me on the front porch. As if presenting the cupboard for my approval, and that I would ultimately purchase it, I couldn’t help but feel forced into my decision. Now that the cupboard was out of the truck and on my porch, I felt I couldn’t really refuse to buy the cupboard. Telling Max and Danny to reload the piece would have seemed cruel. The cost of the cupboard made it seem exceptionally cruel.

“Well,” I said, “it does match the walls.”

“Kinda shocked you’re surprised to see it,” Max said.

“You did text me last night. I guess I shouldn’t be.”

Max frowned. “No. Someone taped a note to it. Thought you knew it was being dropped off at the shop to buy.”

“A note?” I asked, glancing at Danny.

“Well, a tag, maybe? Just said ‘Silas’ on it,” Max said with a shrug. “I assumed someone thought you might like it, and, well, I don’t know. I guess if you knew it was coming, they’d have dropped it at your place.”

I had no reason for why someone would leave a cupboard at Max’s shop with my name tagged to it. Of course, like Max, someone might have known the color scheme of my house. In cleaning out old stuff at their house, they might have assumed I’d be interested in some of their old furniture. Who was to say? It was on my porch and I’d offered Max fifty bucks for it.

“As I said, it matches the walls,” I replied.

Max’s grin widened. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his baggy work jeans, faded and worn over the years, and looked it up and down lovingly. Obviously, he felt that he had found the perfect match for the piece of furniture that had been unceremoniously dumped at the front of his store. Danny examined the cupboard, squatting and bending to check it out for structural problems or any damage. Unaware that I would pay the agreed upon price regardless of what he found, I left him to his inspection.

“It looks solid,” I said, looking the cupboard over.

“Solid wood for sure,” Max nodded, his mop of black hair waving with the movement. “Not quite sure what type of wood, though. I can’t get the drawers or doors open. Probably been painted shut by the last person. They were probably using it as a show piece instead of storing stuff.”

“Aesthetics over function.” I nodded.

Danny tugged at the knob on one of the drawers and found it sealed shut. He repeated the action with the left side front door at the top and found himself rejected by the cupboard once more.

Walking around the cupboard, I examined its length, depth, and height. If I was able to strip the paint and get the doors and drawers functional, maybe replace some hinges and tracks, then repaint it a color that wasn’t so matchy-matchy with the house, it could be a real find. It would at least be decent storage for dishes or family heirlooms. Even better, it could become the place I stored my most cherished books.

“All right,” I said. “It looks like it’ll be pretty functional once it’s restored. I’ll take it.”

As if there was ever any doubt.

“Great!” Max clapped his hands together. “Fifty?”

I nodded. “If you help Danny move it inside.”

He laughed. “You’re the boss, boss!”

Danny stood and gave me a look as though he might decline helping further, simply to get my dander up, but he quickly smiled and shrugged. He fell in with Max and began the task of moving the cupboard into the house. I followed behind them, staying out of the way, glad that both guys were putting up with my laziness. Once we were in the living room, I indicated that they should put the cupboard along the bare wall leading into the kitchen.

“That’s good,” I said. “Right there. It’ll be out of the way until I can get to restoring it.”

After the cupboard was in place, I fetched some cash from my wallet while Danny and Max made more guy banter. I couldn’t help but feel I’d spent fifty bucks that I could have used for better things, but the cupboard did look nice and solid. Maybe, I thought to myself, if I restore it nicely enough, I could sell it for much more than fifty bucks. Get my money back and put the profit into The Lunch Counter. The possibility lifted my spirits about spending money I didn’t really have for something I really didn’t need.

“Want me to keep an eye out for a piece for over there?” Max asked, eyeing the corner behind my easy chair. “A bookcase would look great there. Maybe a hutch?”

I waved him off furiously.

“Stop trying to rob me!”

He laughed and stuffed my cash into his pocket as Danny squatted down, examining the cupboard some more.

“All right, all right,” Max relented. “But you let me know how it turns out for you. And let me know if you’re looking for anything else. That chair is looking a bit worn out.”

“Don’t insult the easy chair, dude.” I warned him playfully. “It has cradled my butt through many-a-television show.”