Old Mack the clock and watch man had died and I was dating his granddaughter Lydia but please no jokes like my friend Jock who said, "It's about time you two got married", or you will wind me up!
I was asked to help sort out and clean up the tiny shop he had on the High Street so that a new tenant could move in so I went down there with her to help.
It was so small there was barely enough room to swing a cat or a pendulum for that matter but we took a heap of cartons and slowly made our way through the items being repaired to return to their owners, the sales stock and his horological tools to dispose of later.
Most of the movement clocks on display had by now run down, so the familiar slow soothing tick in the shop was now as silent as Mack now was himself.
By the end of the second day we had completed all we could and had stacked my hatchback with what couldn't be disposed of, as Lydia turned the key in the lock for the last time and we set off to the agents to return it.
Later that night as Lydia and I were cuddled up in bed she murmured to me, "Your friend was right, my biological clock is ticking too, we should get married I can't wait another second to have a baby".
Image found at www.plads.com
Suggestively perfect partnership in love and perhaps in business too. Somebody has to take over!
ReplyDeleteHank
Nice story. My deceased partner designed jewelry and clocks...this was a sweet reminder...thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of clock repair stores... at least the old ones. Newer, electric models do not have that comforting little heartbeat. Liked the woman citing her "inner clock" as well, Robin. My only wonder is the lack of punctuation, which made reading a bit of a problem. Might you consider adding some? Thanks so much, my friend! Amy
ReplyDeleteA heart warming piece. Greetings!
ReplyDeletenice! (...enjoying the clock puns, excellent left field on the relationship angle... (with the final pun, of course!).
ReplyDeletere: some of the comments above, I am (also) in search of a clock that 'ticks'... the sound is quite elemental ya know?
The story reminds me of a shop in my neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI'm still using a clock that 'ticks' in my room.
Nice telling:) There once was a time when such a shop was not so uncommon. I admire those who work on clocks and armatures and tiny parts of timepieces.
ReplyDeleteNice story with a zinger at the end. Too bad we can't rewind our biological clocks.
ReplyDeleteSuch stores are long lost. A lovely, poignant story.
ReplyDeleteMy mother loves old clocks, and over the years, I've been in many clock shops with her. There is nothing as soothing as the tick tick tick of a REAL clock. Nice twist at the end! It reminded me of a song by Christine Lavin called "Biological Time Bomb" that is pretty funny
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to have many clocks that ticked and chimed the hours. Pleasant memories.
ReplyDeleteVery sweet!
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