The Lamp: A Novel by Jim Stovall With Tracy J Trost Read online

  Lisa carried her box down the front steps and along the sidewalk to Deb’s house where tables were already set up in the garage and on the driveway for the upcoming sale. Deb and her 10-year-old daughter Alexandra were already hard at work.

  Alexandra, or Alex as she insisted on being called, was wearing a worn and tattered Tigers baseball uniform. Deb thought that Alex’s uniform had to be good advertising for the sale because it was obvious that new baseball uniforms were badly needed.

  As Lisa reached Deb’s driveway, she could see that Deb had the baby on her hip as she was making preparations for the garage sale. Lisa sat down her box, greeted Deb and Alex, and kissed the baby.

  Just as all of the items Lisa had brought had been displayed in an orderly manner on the various tables, Miss Esther and her kids approached from down the street.

  Miss Esther, a dignified woman of undetermined age, had become a fixture in the neighborhood. She took in an ongoing stream of foster kids so it was hard to keep up with all of the young people who moved in and out of her house as if there were a revolving door.

  As she walked up Deb’s driveway, Esther was accompanied by Josh, the 10-year-old pitcher on the Tiger’s baseball team. Her tattered uniform matched Alex’s.

  Rachel was a 7-year-old girl who had not spoken for several years. Rachel was carrying her worn rag doll that she was never without. Half the doll was burned, and Rachel had an angry burn scar on her arm.

  Cody, was an 11-year-old boy who was cheerful and optimistic in spite of the fact that he had muscular dystrophy and was confined to a wheelchair.

  The final member of Miss Esther’s entourage on that day was Austin, a 15-year-old with a Jonas Brothers haircut. Austin always seemed to have his face in a video game, and he generally only grunted when spoken to.

  Deb waved at the group and called, “Hi, Miss Esther. How are you?”

  Miss Esther smiled warmly and replied, “Good, dear. Thank you for asking. I’ve got a box of items for your sale.”

  Deb looked at Esther’s box and said, “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

  Josh and Alex, who were not only teammates but best friends, paired up and began digging through all of the items for sale on the tables. The other kids began walking among the tables to look at the various items being sold.

  Rachel seemed drawn to one particular table that displayed a doll cradle with a blanket inside of it. She reached in and picked it up. Josh noticed and quickly moved over to Rachel.

  She scolded, “Rachel, you need to put that back. It’s not yours.”

  Rachel did not answer but just looked away.

  Lisa, noticing the exchange between the two girls, approached.

  Josh took the blanket away from Rachel and started to put it back into the cradle.

  Lisa spoke to Rachel. “Hi, honey. Would you like this blanket for your doll?”

  Rachel remained silent and just looked off into the distance.

  Josh looked at Lisa and explained, “She won’t talk to you. She doesn’t talk to anyone.”

  Lisa seemed shocked by this. She looked on as Rachel walked away and sat on one of the porch steps.

  As Josh and Alex continued to browse the items on the tables, Miss Esther approached Lisa.

  Deb smelled the baby’s diaper and called to Alex. “Alex, honey. Take your brother in and change his diaper.”

  Alex made a disgusted face and spoke in a whiny voice. “Ewww! Gross, Mom.”

  Deb assumed the motherly tone and commanded, “Alexandra, do as you’re told.”

  Alex was resigned to the situation and took the baby. Alex held the baby at arm’s length as she carried him into the house.

  Miss Esther nodded toward Rachel who was sitting on the steps and explained quietly to Lisa. “She hasn’t spoken in several years. The poor dear. She’s been through a lot.”

  Lisa looked at the forlorn little girl and murmured, “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

  Miss Esther spoke with confidence. “Though I believe she will be better.”

  Miss Esther turned her gaze toward Josh and declared, “I thank the good Lord for Josh. I’d be lost without her.”

  Lisa and Miss Esther looked on as Josh sat by Rachel and fixed her hair with a bow.

  Deb took a peek into Miss Esther’s box. She called, “Wow! Look at all this great stuff!”

  In Miss Esther’s box were items from all over the world. There was a crane bell from India, a prayer candle from Mexico, and a hammock from Brazil.

  Deb looked up at Miss Esther and asked, “Where did you get all of this?”

  Miss Esther responded, “Oh, all over, I guess. Really don’t have much use for it. With Josh on the ball team, I thought I could put it to good use.”

  As Alex returned with the baby freshly changed and handed him to Deb, Miss Esther opened her purse and lovingly took out an old oil lamp.

  She spoke. “Oh, yes. And then there is this.”

  Alex seemed curious and said, “Look at that! What is it?”

  Miss Esther paused and thought for a moment and then answered, “This is a very special oil lamp. I have the feeling it’s time for it to find its new owner.”

  Alex seemed baffled and asked, “New owner?”

  Miss Esther responded emphatically, “Yes, honey. This lamp will bring its owner the wisdom of the ages. I’ve had it for quite some time now. I believe it’s time for me to pass it along.”

  Deb and Lisa looked at one another as both were thinking that it was getting a little weird.

  Lisa shrugged and said dismissively, “OK, great. Well, thanks for bringing all of this by.”

  Deb addressed Miss Esther in a formal tone. “On behalf of the Tigers New Uniform Committee, I thank you for your support.”

  Alex interjected, “Mom, it’s time to go to practice. Can me an’ Josh go to the field with Miss Esther?”

  Deb corrected Alex’s grammar. “Mean Josh? I don’t think she is mean.”

  Alex rolled her eyes and had a disgusted look on her face as she said grudgingly, “Fine. May Josh and I go with Miss Esther to the field?”

  Deb glanced toward Miss Esther who nodded her approval.

  Deb looked back to Alex and said, “Go on.”

  Alex and Josh smiled at one another and exchanged high fives.

  Miss Esther lovingly gathered up her makeshift family, and they all headed for the ball field in the park.

  Lisa glanced from the oil lamp to Miss Esther and back again.

  CHAPTER 6

  Stanley sat alone at the desk in his home office, staring at the blank computer screen. The blinking cursor stared back at him as if to mock and ridicule his inability to write. Stanley knew that Lisa would be at the neighborhood garage sale most of the day, so he had fleetingly hoped that there might be a slight crack in the writer’s block that had been plaguing him.

  Cooper sat quietly in the corner and looked at Stanley as if he wanted to help.

  Stanley placed his fingers on the keyboard with anticipation, but nothing would come. He turned away in frustration.

  The light blinked on the answering machine signaling Stanley that more bad news was being piled on to their already desperate situation.

  Eventually, he gave up, rose from the desk, and walked out of the office with Cooper following.

  Stanley walked down the hall. He glanced into Eddy’s room as he was passing and noticed instinctively that something was wrong. Stanley rushed into his son’s bedroom and noticed that the dresser drawers were open. He moved quickly to the dresser and looked inside a drawer. Stanley felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart as he saw that Eddy’s things had been disturbed and many items were missing.

  It had been a long and hectic day at the garage sale. Deb and Lisa had rushed around frantically, assisting people who wanted to buy items to help the baseball team purchase new uniforms. By the end of the day, the tables that had been neat and orderly in the morning were now covered haphazardly with the remaining few items that ha
d not sold.

  Deb and Lisa began collecting the unsold inventory and packing the items in boxes to be delivered to Goodwill.

  Deb turned to Lisa, sighed wearily, and said, “Thanks again for your help, hon.”

  Lisa nodded and said, “Glad to. To be honest, I would rather spend the day here instead of watching Stan stare at his computer screen.”

  Lisa was gathering the last few remaining items as she saw the old oil lamp at the end of the table. She picked it up and asked, “What should we do with this?”

  Deb shrugged and said offhandedly, “I don’t know. Take it with the rest of the stuff to Goodwill.”

  Lisa stared at the lamp she held in her hands and said, “I feel funny doing that. Maybe I should take it back to her.”

  Deb waved dismissively and replied, “I don’t want it.”

  Lisa and Deb were interrupted when Alex stuck her head out of the front door and called, “Mom, I’m hungry.”

  Deb called back to her daughter. “Just a minute, babe. I’ll be there in a sec.”

  Alex went back inside.

  Deb blurted out, “You’d think the kid could make a sandwich or something. Kids. They’ll drive you nuts if you let them.”

  Just then, Deb was struck by the insensitive words she had spoken to Lisa.

  Deb said with anguish, “I’m sorry, hon.”

  Lisa tried to hide her pain and answered, “No, you’re fine.”

  Lisa gathered all of her items and prepared to leave. Deb was upset with herself and gave Lisa a big hug.

  As Lisa walked away, Deb called after her. “Call me later, OK?”

  Lisa responded with more cheer than she felt. “OK, night.”

  As Lisa arrived back in her own driveway, she could see that the garage door was open but the mess seemed to have been untouched. She sighed, put down her box, and picked up Miss Esther’s oil lamp. She held it before her for a moment as if making up her mind and then walked toward Miss Esther’s house.

  The last light from the sunset was fading away as Lisa stepped onto Miss Esther’s porch and knocked. Austin came to the door.

  Lisa smiled uncomfortably and asked, “Is Miss Esther here?”

  Austin just grunted and walked away, and Lisa was left standing alone on the porch holding the battered old oil lamp. Finally, Miss Esther came to the door and saw Lisa standing there.

  She said, “I’m sorry, child. How long have you been standing out here?”

  Lisa shrugged and replied, “Oh, just a minute.”

  The silence drew out between them and became awkward. Finally, Miss Esther spoke up. “Can I help you with something?”

  Lisa seemed to be lost in thought as she stood on the porch holding the lamp. Finally, she realized Miss Esther had spoken to her, and she blurted out, “Oh, yes, um, the lamp. It didn’t sell.”

  Miss Esther smiled knowingly and said, “That doesn’t surprise me.”

  Lisa had a questioning look on her face.

  Miss Esther explained, “Well, it’s not going to go to just anyone. It has to go to the right person. Looks to me like it might be you.”

  Lisa was perplexed and wasn’t sure what she should do next. Her thoughts were interrupted by Esther saying, “Night, dear.”

  Before Lisa could say goodnight, Esther had closed the front door, and Lisa was left alone, standing on the porch holding the lamp. She shrugged and said to no one, “OK, then.”

  Lisa turned, walked down Esther’s porch steps, and moved toward her own house. She was filled with a combination of hope and dread that she didn’t fully understand, but somehow Lisa was convinced that—for better or worse—things were going to change.

  CHAPTER 7

  Stanley’s anger and frustration built throughout the day. He just couldn’t believe she had done it. Eddy’s precious things were gone.

  Stanley stood looking out the front door as Lisa approached the house in the growing darkness.

  As Lisa entered the front door, Stanley was pacing back and forth in the living room like a caged tiger.

  Stanley glared at her accusingly and asked, “So, where have you been all day?”

  Lisa felt dread but smiled innocently and said, “I was at the garage sale. I told you.”

  Stanley threw down the gauntlet, declaring, “I was in Eddy’s room today.”

  Lisa didn’t know what to say, so she just looked at Stanley and waited.

  His anger built as he questioned, “Just who do you think you are?” He paused, unable to control his anger, and continued. “What did you do with it?”

  Lisa’s mind was racing, but she couldn’t find anything to say.

  Stanley glared at her and blurted, “You didn’t!”

  Lisa tried to remain calm and explained, “I just thought we could put it to good use.”

  Stanley was furious. “How could you do that?!”

  Lisa had heard enough. She finally reached the boiling point and threw Stanley’s anger back at him. “Do what, Stanley? Get on with my life?”

  Stanley was indignant and ordered, “Don’t start with me!”

  Lisa said imploringly, “It’s been two years.”

  Stanley mocked her saying, “Two years. You make it seem like that is a long time.”

  Lisa sighed as if she felt the weight of the world and declared, “It is a long time.”

  Stanley continued the assault demanding, “How can you be so cold? He was your son, too.”

  Lisa matched his emotion as she said, “You don’t think that I know that? You don’t think that I miss him every moment of every day?”

  “You sure don’t act like it. You go on as if it never happened,” Stanley countered.

  Lisa collected her thoughts and tried to speak reasonably. “Stanley, listen to me. It’s time to move on.”

  Stanley pointed his finger at her accusingly and announced, “You had no right. You’re just throwing away his memory.”

  Lisa was tired of the fighting and everything it represented. She turned and walked away from Stanley. She crossed the room, sat on the couch, and placed the lamp on the coffee table in front of her.

  Lisa couldn’t look Stanley in the eye as she admitted, “Stanley, I can’t do this anymore.”

  “Do what?” he shot back.

  Lisa waved her arms, gesturing toward Stanley and everything in the room by way of explanation. “This! This constant arguing.”

  Stanley became defensive saying, “So now it’s my fault. You blame me for all of this.”

  Lisa spoke before she thought. “Well, I wasn’t the one watching him.”

  This hit Stanley like a hammer to the head as he spoke. “I knew it! You blame me. You have always blamed me.”

  Lisa tried to repair the damage her words had caused, saying, “No. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”

  Stanley rejected her apology stating, “Well, it’s too late. You said it.”

  Lisa tried one more time saying, “Stanley, stop. I didn’t mean it.”

  He couldn’t hear her soothing words as his anger boiled over. He shouted, “You call yourself a mother. Where were you? And now…now you just take what we have left of him, and you sell it to the highest bidder.”

  Lisa was totally broken.

  Stanley continued. “Then you come home with this.”

  He picked up the lamp and asked, “What is this?!”

  Before Lisa could answer, Stanley threw the lamp into the corner of the living room, hitting a clay pot that shattered into pieces. Without saying another word, Stanley stomped out of the front door, slamming it behind him. Lisa just stared at the front door in disbelief.

  As Stanley rushed down the porch steps and rapidly walked away from the house, Miss Esther was standing at her front window watching as the figure of Stanley retreated into the distance. Miss Esther bowed her head sadly as if she knew what had happened. She lowered her shade and walked away from the window.

  Lisa dropped onto the couch, put her head in her hands, and cried un
til she felt she had nothing left. Then she took a deep breath, got up, and walked to the corner where she began cleaning up the shattered pieces of the broken pot.

  She noticed the lamp sitting there. She picked it up and looked at it as if she had never seen it before. She noticed that there was something written on the side of the lamp. She took a closer look but couldn’t make out the words. Lisa took her shirt sleeve and wiped the lamp. She buffed it to a nice shine and then was able to read the inscription.

  She read the words aloud. “Just believe.”

  She smirked to herself and said, “I wish I could.”

  Just then, the lamp began to hum as if there were a large bee inside of it. Lisa could feel the vibration as she held the lamp in her hands. It scared her, and she dropped the lamp to the floor. It landed upright on its base. Lisa backed away from the lamp as if it were going to attack her.

  The lamp continued to hum, and the light bulb in the ceiling got brighter and brighter until it popped, showering glass shards onto the floor. Lisa screamed.

  The room was thrown into total darkness except for the street light streaming in through the front window. She stood there for a moment and then reached over to a table lamp next to the sofa and turned it on.

  The oil lamp was still on the floor, surrounded by the broken pieces of the pot.

  Just then, Lisa was startled as the doorbell rang.

  CHAPTER 8

  Lisa stared at the front door. She couldn’t imagine who would be ringing her door bell.

  She called out, “Ah, um, just a minute.”

  She took a few deep breaths and slowly walked toward the door. She looked through the peephole, not knowing what to expect. Her gaze fell on a sight she would not have expected or even imagined.

  Standing on Lisa’s front porch, was an elderly, well-dressed, black man wearing a suit, a hat, and carrying a cane. He looked like he had just stepped out of a 1950s detective movie or had just walked offstage after performing a Vaudeville magic act.