Vinyl Records and Teddy Bears

I watch my fiancée and his father lift the mattress into the back of the U-Haul. I’m not sure what I am supposed to feel at this moment. My paternal grandparents had been moved to an assisted living near my aunt and uncle. Their house, this house, had always been a part of them. Maybe it was the move, maybe they were just ready to go, but my grandparents had passed away not long after.

My grandmother had gone first, and it became clear that my aunt and uncle had not paid as much attention to them as they had led my father to believe. My grandmother had accumulated a lot of credit card debt. Selling the house would be more than enough to cover it, and my grandfather’s stay in the ALF.

Then my grandfather passed. At the will reading, there were only a few items that he had specifically said were to go to individuals. Ethan and I had been singled out to receive his vinyl record collection with his vintage record player and my grandmother’s bear collection.

After walking the house with my father, aunt, and uncle, I requested one of the bedroom sets. Ethan and I had just bought our first house and didn’t have a lot of furniture. My aunt seemed to be fine with the idea, but I had seen my uncle narrow his gleaming eyes. I turned away from them before they could try to “negotiate” me out of my inheritance.

We had already boxed up the vinyl records as well as the record player. The three boxes were sitting, safely, off to the side as Ethan and his dad put the bedroom furniture into the truck. Once they were done, we would add the boxes, then return to help my mother clean the house. My aunt and uncle would never think to clean the house before showing it, but my mother had done this before with her mother and I offered to help.

“Tammie, are you sure you want to take these?” I heard my dad say from the front door. I turned to see what he was referring to.

In his arms was the box full of my grandmother’s teddy bear collection. It was stuffed to the brim, and the bears were covered in dust, but the tightening in my chest and the moisture to my eyes were expected. I could remember vividly my sister and I playing with these bears whenever we visited this house. They were some of the rare toys available. I remembered cuddling with one late at night. I pulled one out, and, flipping it over in my hands, examined it.

“They look to be in great condition, dad.”

“So, you’re taking them then?” He asked again.

“Absolutely. It was one of the items Grandpa said Ethan and I should have.” I brushed the top of the bear’s head, gave it a quick kiss, then placed it back in the box. “They just need some TLC, and they’ll be good as new.” I grinned at him, and he walked away shaking his head.

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At our home, many hours later, Ethan’s father, Ethan and I were slowly unloading the truck. Ethan and I moved the old queen bed into the spare bedroom, then he and his father moved the new one into the master. As the two men arranged the bedroom suite items, I looked at the last items in the truck and froze. There were only 3 boxes, not 4. I appeared to be missing a box. Maybe Dad took the bears out after all? But why my father would do that after I said that I wanted them, I’m not sure.

I climbed into the truck and opened each box one at a time. I find the box with the record player as well as the one holding the speakers, but then there is only one other. The box with the speakers contains a few vinyl records, but nowhere near the amount that my grandfather had collected, and I have no idea how they had gotten there. A feeling of dread and despair climbs into my chest as I open the last box. The feeling explodes in my chest when I see that it contains the bears.

“Ethan!” I run inside and ask Ethan if he knows what happened to the records. He doesn't understand and comes outside to see what I mean. I can tell by how his face turns to stone that he is thinking what I am, someone stole my grandfather’s records.

“Did anyone go near the truck after we went back inside to help mom?” I asked him. He shook his head, indicating that he didn’t know. His father was standing on the deck, watching us with a worried expression. “Did you see anyone go near the truck?”

“May..be..?” He rubbed the back of his head. “While you were saying goodbye to everyone I had left. I saw your uncle out there, but I didn’t think anything of it. His car was next to the truck. Everything was locked up, and he’s your family. I can’t imagine he would do this.”

My voice was grim. “Believe it.”

I called my father and told him everything. He said that he would call his sister.

It took 3 days, but she finally responded.

While she could not say for sure that her husband had stolen my grandfather’s records, she could say that they had some new ones that she had never seen before. She would ask him where they came from.

“She’s not stupid! She knows her husband is a thief. Give me the estate lawyer’s number.” If my father and aunt would not force my uncle to return the records, then I would use legal action.

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“What do you mean? We can’t get the records back?” I asked aghast. I had contacted the estate lawyer who assured me that he would look into the matter.

Now, almost 2 weeks later, he was telling me that nothing could be done.

“They were my grandfather’s records. He specifically said he wanted Ethan and me to have them.”

The lawyer spread his hands. “Unfortunately, there wasn’t an itemized list of the records. The fact that you did take some was enough to meet the standards of the will. Unless you or another family member can prove the records in your uncle’s possession came from your grandfather, there isn’t much we can do.”

I flopped back in my chair, trying not to cry. Ethan grabbed my hand. “My aunt knows the records came from her father. She knows her husband is a liar and a thief.”

“Be that as it may. We cannot proceed without proof. I’m sorry.”

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I had lost my grandfather’s most prized records, but at least I still had the sentimental items from one of the rare moments of childhood. I decided to stop wallowing and start figuring out how I wanted to display the bears. I had received a “gift” from work of 3 hanging shelves. To make the display symmetrical, I had ordered 3 more that were identical. Ethan hung the shelves in a perfect v formation on the wall, and I reached into the box, grabbed the first bear, cleaned it, and then settled it on the bed as a layout to the shelves.

The more bears I pulled out, the more I realized there was something else at the bottom of the box. Not knowing what it was, I proceeded to go slowly. In case the extra item was fragile.

It was a vinyl record and a letter.

The record was the Beatles, and it was white. That was it, just white with The Beatles typed on it. My heart clenched, because I thought I knew what this was.

I remember reading an article a long time ago and having the conversation with my future father-in-law. He had thought his wife had a Beatles album, but he “couldn’t guarantee that it was worth anything.” I had laughed, and told him he was being silly if he thought I was keeping my grandfather’s records because of their monetary value. “It’s the feelings, not the money, that appeals to me.”

My hands were shaking as I grabbed the letter. I faintly heard myself calling for Ethan. I opened the letter and tears welled in my eyes at the slanting handwriting. My father’s handwriting was chicken-scratch and there was a time when someone spelled my name wrong because they couldn’t read it. My grandfather’s was similar but the words were bigger, meant to make it easier for the reader.

“My dear granddaughter Tamora,

I know I never played these records for you or your siblings when you were little. But I remember having a nice conversation with that young man of yours. I liked it, and I liked him. I knew if anyone would appreciate these records, it would be the two of you. When your grandmother told me that she would like you to have the bears, I felt like something was meant to be.

Sadly, I had told my daughter of the stipulations and that husband of hers made such protestations about the records that I did not feel he would comply. So, before I leave this house for the final time, I am putting one of my most prized records into this box. I know he will never look here, Sara might because she loved these bears, but I will pray that he does not.

All I ask, dear granddaughter, is that you play the records every now and then. Play them more than I ever did. For you, your friends, and for your family.

Love always,

Your grandfather.”

I was crying softly and could feel Ethan’s arm around my waist. I gripped his hand on my stomach and continued to hold the letter as he finished reading. He squeezed me to his chest gently and pressed his lips to my head.

After a few moments he said to me, “We need to get an appraiser here.” He knew the same as I did what this record was.

I nodded in agreement.

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The appraiser came to the house. He was an older gentleman wearing tweed. I didn’t realize anyone wear tweed anymore. Ethan and I showed him into the spare bedroom where I had placed the record with my grandmother’s bears. I don’t know why I did it, just that I had felt compelled to do so. The second the appraiser had walked into the room he had stared at the collection of teddy bears. He had only taken his eyes away long enough to look over the album. But now he was staring at them again.

“The record itself is a fortune. But you already have that with these bears.”

Ethan and I exchanged a look. We were lost by the man’s comment. “I think my grandma just thought they were cute. Are you telling me there’s more to them than that?”

The appraiser gave a chuckle. “Much, much more. That one,” he indicated the one in a brown hat and coat, “is a Louis Vitton bear. One was just auctioned at $2.1 million.”

I was staggered. I believe Ethan even grabbed me and assisted me to the bed. 2.1 million? I stared at the appraiser in disbelief. “Are you serious?!”

He nodded. “Absolutely. Of course we would need to get it authenticated, and make sure it wasn’t stolen, but that bear is very valuable.”

“She bought it at an estate sale. My aunt told me that story specifically as I was taking the box to the car.” I knew why I had said this out loud. I knew the second my uncle and aunt heard of the value of these bears what they would attempt to pull.

“Well, if you can find a receipt that will most certainly help, but it won’t hinder us if you can’t find it.”

Tamora sighed, “To look for the receipt I would have to ask certain family members. I really want to avoid that if I can. They are not pleasant people.”

Ethan squeezed my hand gently. “I don’t think we have much of a choice.”

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I knew we would end up here, I shouldn’t have been surprised, and yet I was.

I had asked my father to reach out to his sister, to ask if she knew of any receipts for the teddy bears. My father had asked why, and stupid me I had told him.

My mother reprimanded me. “If you didn’t want your aunt and uncle to know, then you NEVER should have told your father.”

As soon as my uncle was told, he contacted his lawyer who in turn contacted the estate lawyer. Now we were in another meeting, but this time we had the advantage.

“The will stipulates that the bears belong to Tamora and Ethan. Their value has no bearing, no pun intended, on the deceased’s estate.” The estate lawyer snapped at my uncle, who glared at me. I felt righteous.

“Then we have to bring into question his state of mind.” My uncle stated. I could see his lawyer lower his head. I again tried to hold back my grin. The estate lawyer did not. His grin was like a shark. He did not like my uncle and was enjoying this moment.

“In which case, everything taking out of the house would have to be placed back and reappraised including any and all items that have been sold. We would also have to evaluate how the estate was divided amongst the three children.” Which would mean Uncle would have to buy back the records that he had sold and could potentially lose the money that he had made my aunt swindle from her father’s estate. Money that was meant for my father and his children. “And as we all know that legal battle can be tied up for years with no one benefiting.”

I held my breath. I wouldn’t put it past my uncle to make sure that no one benefited, if he couldn’t. But before he could say another word, my aunt finally spoke. “No. I’m done.”

“Sara!” Her husband roared, but she shushed him. I openly grinned. It was the first time in my memory she had ever shushed him. Even he was taken aback.

“It’s my father, and he’s dead. He wanted Tamora and Ethan to have the bears and the records. Now they have them, and it is their right to do what they want with the items.” She looked at me. “Though I remember how much Mom loved those bears. I really hope you keep them.”

I nodded. “I plan to loan them out to museums, but they will stay within the family.”

She smiled. It was a pretty smile; one I hadn’t seen for a long time. “Mom would have liked that.” She pushed herself away from the table. “Then we’re done here. Tell your father to email me all the family updates.” And she walked out.

Uncle’s mouth was hanging open. I couldn’t for the life of me remember a time my aunt had shushed him. He turned abruptly towards me. “You know that record should have gone into your grandfather’s estate. It would have more than paid off his debts.”

“Maybe,” I shrugged. “But sadly, grandpa didn’t keep a list of his vinyl records. So, for all I know, this one came from my father in law. He saw the record player because he helped us move out, and he did say that Mary, his wife, had vinyls that Ethan could have if he wanted.” I tried for a sweet smile, but the smugness bled through.

My uncle knew there was nothing more he could do or say, so he threw us a disgusted look and stormed out of the office. His lawyer stared after him in regret. “I’m not getting paid, am I?”

“You’re a lawyer. I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

I called and told my father the news. I could hear my mother cackling in the background.

In the end, Ethan and I fixed the speakers on the vinyl record player, kept all of the records including the Beatles, and agreed to a museum loan of the bears.