Tuesday, October 29, 2013

The Secrets of The Arabian Nights


When my husband came into the study yesterday and sat down (which he hardly ever does and never for very long), I immediately prepared myself to talk about the VISA bill as I was just then closing the purchase confirmation screen for some really cool Frye boots (“Just getting a jump start on Christmas shopping, Honey.”). He jumped up when something caught his eye.

As he walked past me to the far corner of the room, his face changed immediately revealing an almost childlike softness. One I hadn’t seen in a while; a peacefulness I couldn’t help but watch.

“I’m trying to recall the last time I’ve seen this.” Smiling, he turned to show me The Arabian Nights. “I don’t even remember how old I was when he gave me it. ”


 “I didn’t know it was in here either,” I said. It’s been in every room in the house at some point.

The cracked, blue spine barely held the cover on or the yellowed pages in. Carefully opening it to the flyleaf, his fingers lightly touched the faded words written in pencil.

"...Christmas 1914..."

 He turned a few pages and I knew exactly why he started to laugh.


 “What’s in there now?” I asked.

“A rock hard pack of gum and a two dollar bill.”

“I wonder whose?”

Shortly after his grandfather gave it to him, my husband created a secret vault (thinking no one would suspect) by carving out its center. Calling it his “safe”, he stored all his valuable belongings in it.  Money, candy, collectibles or anything else he wanted to hide from his older brother who had two nasty habits. Ransacking and Tormenting.

 No one ever discovered his hiding spot, he thought. Accept his mother, although he didn't know it at the time. And she kept his secret.

I remember the moment our kids discovered The Arabian Nights on a bookshelf and came running into the kitchen.

“Look, look! There’s a hole in this book!”

“That’s Daddy’s book. Go ask him about it.”

I watched as two sets of wide-eyed baby blues lit up in amazement, at possibilities and with pride at their Daddy’s cleverness. I could almost see their little wheels spinning with delight.

“How did you do it?”

“What did you hide in there?”

“Was Nano mad you at you for ruining the book?”

But the most important question of all?

“Did Uncle George ever find it?”

"Nope. He never did."

From the moment my husband lifted his old, dusty book from an even dustier shelf in the far corner of a room, generations worth of memories flashed past. There were years spent reading it’s pages, of course, but many, many more hiding things inside its covers. It shows it's age.

So he placed it right back where he found it because someone might return to collect its contents. Or the next generation will find it.

It’s always held someone’s treasures. 

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30 comments:

psychochef said...

Wonderful story. I love that your husband still has the book!

P.S. Frye boots - sooo jealous.

TMWHickman said...

As much as I cringe about the destruction of the book, I think in the end it was justified, given the joy it has brought to your husband and your family.

www.icescreammama.com said...

i love those special treasures. so sweet.

Unknown said...

My family had a book like that, with the insides cut out, but it wasn't used as a hiding place. It made a different point--the title was "Gone With the Wind."

Ken said...

It's sort of neat how things like that disappear for years at a time, then pop back up to stir up memories.

Cool story, Gina. :)

Andrea said...

Love the flood of memories and a story all can enjoy!

Samantha Brinn Merel said...

So cool! I always wanted a book with a secret compartment in it to hide my treasures. I love that this is something that has been passed along.

Gina said...

It's one of his prized possessions!

P.S. You should be!!! Friday!!!

Gina said...

When he first showed it to me 25 years ago, I almost puked! I mean, it's 100 years old. The premise behind it's apparent destruction is so "childhood" to me that I love it. And I love it more that both of my kids, at one point or another, have hidden things in there. To find stale gum and a couple of bucks warmed our hearts (since they aren't home right now).

Gina said...

Me too!

Gina said...

There are reasons, some good and some bad and some just because. I'm sure it's common. He was and still is a clever person.

Gina said...

Thanks, Ken! I/we had forgotten all about it. I really didn't even know it was in my study until Monday. It was, I think, perfectly placed in a stack of books exactly the same color chameleon-like.

Gina said...

It's a rush when it happens!

Gina said...

I found my junior high diary in a box of memorabilia recently. Wow! That's all I can say about that. I'm sure there will be a fight over who gets this book someday! It's special to our family.

Natalie DeYoung said...

This. Is. The. Best. ! I LOVE the secret book stash! Now I want something similar... :)

Dana @ Kiss my List said...

What great memories for your husband! And how cool that he still has it. I have to dig around for some of my old treasures, but I didn't have anything as awesome as that book.

Mamarific said...

My daughter needs something like this to hide her things from her little brother! What a treasured family artifact. Your husband was one clever little guy.

opinion8dhermit said...

What a cool find. I love books, secrets, history, so it was a fun little read. 1914 wow....

Kristin said...

I need a book like that! Love it!

Anonymous said...

I love how your husband shared it with your kids to keep the tradition alive.

Linda Roy said...

That's so great!

Gina said...

Mostly used for candy and money! I love it but I stash my "goods" elsewhere and in such an obvious place that no one would ever look there!

Gina said...

It was sweet to see his face light up when he saw it. We have an abundance of old stuff from both sides of the family. Preserving our history is important to both of us.

Gina said...

And that's exactly why he did it; to keep his older brother from taking his best stuff. Apparently he was confident in his brother's disinterest in reading. He's still (annoyingly) clever much of the time!

Gina said...

We are on the exact same page with our "loves"!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, 1914. That's damn old!

Gina said...

A book, an obscure drawer...

We also have an antique desk from the same grandfather. It has secret compartments in which we keep very special family heirlooms and momentos, and other odds and ends we couldn't bear to misplace.

Gina said...

And the fact that they used it. I love that part!

Gina said...

Thanks, Linda!

William Dameron said...

This is all kinds of awesome! I want to do this to one of my books now, but all of them are on a kindle!

Gina said...

Thanks, Bill! Don't do it! It's sacrilegious!

I am pretty much Kindle adversive (unless, of course, I'm being incredibly impulsive and have to start the book immediately). Something about stacks turns me on.