I entered the shop dressed in my usual hand-me-down clothing attire. The store was filled with expensive antiques that I could never afford throughout my childhood. I used to come into this old dusty place every day after school to get a glimpse of the most expensive looking music box. It wasn’t as expensive as it looked, but it was still expensive to me. The price tag read 200$, the price tag seemed to darken the music box’s allure, if only I could afford it.

Years ago I remember Sam coming up to me, he was young then, before he became the old man behind the counter of this shop as he is now. He squatted low, and smiled at me, and said the same words he has said every day since, as he says now.

“Hello Shirley, Shirley you’re here for the music box again.”

“Hello Sam,” I smile at him, “I came back for the music box.”

He smiles, and nods, a look in his eyes as the day he promised me it. He said his usual greeting that day, and pointed over at the box. I remember his big grin, as he said, “I’ll give that to you for free, when you are older, so I know you’ll take care of it.” I remember him pulling out a key, and ancient key, dangling from a string. He draped the string with the key over my little 8 year old head, and grinned again. For another month I visited that shop almost daily to talk to Sam, and his three little girls. After that, my family moved away from the ancient town in England.

Now nearly twenty years later I have returned, and I look down at Sam, towering over him now. He looks so weak and feeble, and his children have long moved out. A shaggy white beard falls to his chest.He grins at me, the same big old grin, and shambles over to a box in the back. He lifts the music box from it, and with a gentle touch, he sets it down into my hands.

“It’s good to see you Sam.”

“Oh it’s good to see you too, child.”

I smile, and he smiles, then I wave and turn away.

I turn away, and leave the old shop that held wonders, with the one thing I ever wanted. I left the shop, never knowing it would burn down later that day, and Sam would perish within. That was the last time anybody would see him.