The Cracked Pot (25 page)

"It's a nice scene. Most of us spend our lives trying to go home again, don't we?"

I smiled. "I don't know; I'm kind of happy the way things are right here and now."

He saluted me with two fingers as he made his way to the door. "Then you are a truly lucky woman."

"You don't have to tell me that," I said as he walked out with a smile on his face.

Twenty minutes later, three people I never expected to see together came into the shop, practically arm in arm. Hannah, David, and Annie looked as though they'd found a way to come to grips with their situation.

Hannah said, "We need to talk to you, but I get to go first." She smiled at the kids, and added, "I won the coin toss."

"I wanted to go two out of three," David chimed in.

"Let you mother talk," Annie corrected him, and to my amazement, David did just as she'd asked.

"Carolyn, anybody can say what their friends want to hear, but it takes someone special to point out something that might be tough to take. Thank you."

"You're welcome," I said. "But I'm disappointed in one thing."

"What's that?" She looked alarmed, so I decided I'd bet ter stop toying with her.

"You don't have any presents with you."

"I'm taking care of that," Annie said. She came forward and hugged me. "Thank you for finding my father's jewelry."

"I imagine you have to give it back to the insurance com pany," I said. "That's a real shame."

"They never paid his claim," Annie said brightly. "Everything you found belongs to me. Do you know what that means? When I sell the jewelry, I'll be able to finally go to Stanford. It will be all mine as soon as the case is settled. I'm so happy."

"There wasn't that much in there, was there?" I knew the costs to go to such a fine school were astronomical.

"You'd be surprised. But don't forget, I've been saving for years. I was getting close, but the jewelry will put me over the top. I want you to have something."

She reached into her bag and brought out a brightly wrapped present.

"I can't accept that," I said.

"I insist," she said.

Well, it wouldn't hurt to unwrap it. Instead of the neck lace, there was a nice ring with a diamond that, while not huge, was still substantial.

"Thanks," I said, "but I meant it. I can't accept it." She started to frown when I added, "Think of it as a small schol arship. There's just one condition, though."

"What's that?"

"You have to promise not to use the money from its sale on anything practical. Set up a fund for pizza runs and ice cream parties. There's more to school, and life, than work ing all the time."

She nodded, and I could see tears tracking down her cheeks.

"Are you crying?" David asked her.

"Of course not," she mumbled. "Restroom?"

I pointed to the back, and she ducked in to repair her makeup.

David said, "I never understood why women cry when they're happy. She was happy, wasn't she?"

"David, what am I going to do with you?" Hannah asked.

"He's too old to throw back, so I guess you're going to have to keep him," I said.

We laughed, and David scowled slightly. All was well with the world again.

Annie came out and gave me a hug. "Thank you."

"Just do as I ask, and I'll be happy."

"I promise," she said. "David, are you ready?"

"Let's go." He turned to me and said, "We're driving to Boston to talk to some jewelry appraisers and find one who'll give top dollar for what you found. You two don't want to come, do you?"

It was clear from his expression that our company was the last thing in the world he wanted.

"Sorry, I've got to keep the shop open."

"And I have a class to teach," Hannah added.

They were gone before we could blink.

Hannah said, "It's nice they asked. So, you don't get a present after all."

"You're back in my life. That's the only gift I need," I said. "I'm sorry I was so abrupt with you."

"You were brutal," she acknowledged. "But I needed it. I'm going to try to step back a little. I may need some help."

"Don't worry, if your apron strings start to constrict, I'll step in and say something."

"I know I can count on you. Do you really need to keep the shop open?"

"Why, don't you have a class to teach?"

"My TA can handle it. After all, that's what teacher's as sistants are for."

"I'm game if you are," I said. "What did you have in mind?"

"Nothing as exciting as a trip to Boston, but I was think ing a nice long coffee break might be in order."

"Lead the way," I said. As I locked the shop up, I glanced at the store window. Our cottages were lined up like a vil lage street, making me think of our quaint little town. Maple Ridge was a wonderful place to live, but it wasn't perfect. Greed could have dire consequences. Richard Atkins's greed had gotten him killed, and my uncle's had nearly ended my life—and my husband's—all for a few cold, hard stones.

And unlike pliable clay that could be reworked and used again, Richard's and Don's lives were destroyed forever, like fired porcelain that was shattered beyond all hope of re pair.

I chose to look at it positively, though. Annie had her education paid for, David had his life ahead of him, and I had my best friend Hannah and my husband, Bill, as well as two bright and healthy sons.

It was more than most folks had, and for me, it was everything I needed.

Clay-Crafting Tips

Weaving Clay

There's a real artistry in weaving clay. If you have access to a kiln, you can weave potter's clay, but don't despair if all you have is modeling clay. Many brands can be used to form a nice woven basket that you can temper in your oven. Be sure to read the package's instructions before starting your project.

As Carolyn demonstrated to the Firing Squad, knead your clay and then roll it into a flat sheet the thickness you want. If you're using modeling clay, you can dress up your creation by using different colors of clay. After you've rolled out the clay to a quarter-inch thickness, cut it into uniform strips. I like to make mine around an inch wide, but you don't have to be exact. Lay out half the strips side by side vertically, and then take one of the remaining strips and weave it horizontally in and out of the vertical strips, going over one and then under the next. Repeat until you've used all but four of the remaining strips.

After you've completed the pattern, you should have a woven square. Now comes the fun part. Using a bone or a rib, bend the four corners up until you have a bowl shape. You can squeeze and pinch the clay at this stage to get the shape you desire. To dress the edges after you're done, take the final four strips of the clay and bend them lengthwise over the rough edges of the basket. Then bake your bowl per the directions on the clay package.

And as always, the most important thing to remember is to have fun! If you're not happy with the results before you fire the clay, knead it all together again and start over. That's one of the beauties of working with clay.