[Sidebar] The Worcester Phoenix
April 10 - 17, 1998

[Tales From Tritown]

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A photomontage of life in Tritown

by Sally Cragin

Illustration by Lennie Peterson

[Tales From Tritown] Delia Ellis Bell the Partial Yankee (there was a questionable great-great grandmother) has recently augmented her income by renting a stall at the local Antique Barn. For $30 a month, she gets space the size of the cargo hold of her wee yellow Winkster -- no coincidence, as in recent years, her yard-saling, dump-picking, Morgie's-browsing instincts have become a dominant part of her persona. Some kind of nesting instinct gone awry during the late '80s meant that her house was filled with bric and brac, multiple table settings, mismatched Spode, Wedgewood, and Mel-mac plates, bentwood rockers, and majolica plant stands. Cozy but cramped, her cottage is closer to Tritown Center than Hollis the Mountain Man's cabin, but about the same size. Hollis acquires old tools and broken appliances, whereas Delia has more kitchenware than a well-stocked inn. Ironically, she and Hollis both worry about each others' hoarding instincts.

The Antique Barn has turned out to be a godsend. For a time, she considered inviting Hollis to share the space, but since they can't share a roof or any comestible more complicated than a pot of coffee, how could they possibly be in business together? Yet, Hollis has taken a proprietary interest in her new business, exulting in her initially modest (but later, more substantial) profits.

"I spend $30 a month on rent, and usually I'm getting a check for $100 or more," she exults. "Not counting my initial investment, of course."

Pricing collectibles is a tricky business, and she prefers a modest profit in favor of Kovel's baseline prices.

She's a regular at the local auction house, and Hollis accompanies her sometimes.

Toward the end of the evening, "mystery boxes" and "assortments" are sold for a buck or two. The objects sticking out of the tops are usually pedestrian -- Holly Hobbie calendar towels, three-dimensional cork sculpture -- but treasures are concealed beneath. The last time she took Hollis, he lost control and bid on two mystery boxes. One had broken children's games, but the other had a throwaway camera.

"Wow," says Delia. "What a great find!"

Hollis is disgusted. "It's just a cheap, cardboard camera you'd get at the dollar-store," he says.

She disagrees. "These retail for $8!"

She had an old Brownie as a child, but has often thought about how enjoyable it would be to have a real camera again. Years of her life were passing without documentation. Perhaps the cardboard camera would yield encouraging results? She decides to chronicle a Day in the Life of Tritown, though Hollis declines to accompany her.

"You never saw Alfred Stieglitz climbing onto that construction beam after Margaret Bourke White, did you?" he asks.

1-1A Delia photographs herself in the mirror. She sees a not-too-tall, not-too-short figure with stick-straight brown hair and red plastic cat's-eye glasses that were out-of-fashion for so long they're now in again. CLICK

2-2A Tritown Library dominates the Town Center. The blur by the door is Judge Cronin's grandkids slipping in for Storytime. CLICK

3-3A (interior): Ozzie the Wiz (Tritown's resident librarian and general reference source) hunkers over a computer screen. His glasses reflect the light so he looks like Orphan Annie, but he is smiling. He has just received e-mail from himself. "I can never remember the day-to-day stuff, so I just program e-mail to arrive in the future. Rats -- dentist appointment at 4:30," he grumbles. CLICK

4-4A Tritown Town Hall looks particularly spruce with a new coat of paint, a refurbished steeple, and Judge Cronin's black Cadillac parked awwfullly close to the handicapped access spot. Delia moves closer to take another shot and sees the Judge, on crutches, awkwardly emerge from his sleek vehicle. The man must be mad to play in the Grandpa Hockey League this late in the season. CLICK

5-5A Houses, including that of Felix the Urban Naturalist. His thatch of brown hair can just be seen above the porchline, a pair of binoculars aimed at the telephone pole where -- CLICK

6-6A A blazing red cardinal cheerfully serenades his unseen mate. Probably won't show up at all, thinks Delia. CLICK

7-7A Happy's Coffee & Qwik-Stop (30 kinds of doughnuts, 20 kinds of lottery tickets, one kind of coffee), a modest storefront. The exterior boasts peeling paint and hand-stenciled signs reading STATE MIN CIGS and SCRATCH. All make for a particularly plaintive portrait in slanting sunlight. CLICK

8-8A Behind the counter, the usually dour Happy rings up a large reg'la, a creme horn, and a bear-claw. CLICK

9-9A A brand-new photograph of $erena the Waitress (studying cosmetology in Rhode Island), has recently been mounted behind the counter. This won't show up in Delia's picture, but she's wearing an extremely tiny but earnest diamond engagement ring, an enormous smile, and very pouffed-out hair. Cosmetology school must be working, thinks Delia. CLICK

10-10A At the stop light leading to the Mountain Road, Delia pauses to take a shot of Hollis Aunt Winnie (named for Lake Winnipesaukee, though she can't swim) at work in the garden. She waves her straw gardening hat, and Delia wonders if she's waiting for "poor man's fertilizer," though another snowfall is extremely unlikely. CLICK

11-11A The road to the Mountain Lair is steep and winding and a favorite of bicyclists who come to train for Fitchburg's Longsjo Classic (Fourth of July weekend). There's no way she got a good shot of Andre the Lumberjack on his favorite wheels whizzing up the road even faster than her car. But at least she didn't accidentally hit him when she held up the camera. CLICK

12-12A Delia's shot of the Mountain Lair reveals a small cabin faced partly in clapboard and partly in new insulating material, like a patchwork quilt of possibility. Roofing tiles under a blue tarp are cheery next to rutted earth. CLICK

13-13A Hollis hates having his picture taken, and holds the bear-claw up. CLICK

[Tales From Tritown] 14-14A A short walk through the woods reveals Lorencz the Hermit's abandoned yellow schoolbus, a jaundiced glare through barely budded branches. "Got a little rain last night," says Hollis. "He's out on a fungus hunt." CLICK

15-15A Back at the Mountain Lair, the resident cats, Trick and Treat (black and orange), barely blink for their picture. CLICK

16-16A Hollis needs to stop at Myrt's to cash a check. They drive down the road and pass Tarbox Automotive ("Collisions? A Specialty"). "Slow down," says Delia. "I wanna see the big screen TV through the window." CLICK

17-17A Tarbox Automotive, a smorgasbord of cars in various states of decay, unrest and deshabillement are tended by Hasky, the hefty son. Hollis rolls down the window and Hasky approaches the truck. CLICK

18-18A "So what happened in Rhode island?" Hollis asks.

Hasky's smile is broad and confident. "She took me back!" he says. "You wanna help me load the TV in my truck so I can return it?" CLICK

19-19A Hollis looks quizzical. "You've had that for months!" CLICK

20-20A Hasky's grin is sheepish. "I did the thing you're not supposed to do," he says. "I bought the store warranty, and it's a no-fault return." He waves them on their way.

Delia turns to Hollis. "That TV turned into a really, really tiny diamond," she begins.

"I think that's one of those physical laws about matter not being created or destroyed," says Hollis. CLICK

21-21A At Myrt's (also known as the Rod 'n` Reel, or Real Bore, but the important part is the Dollar-Bottle Mondays and "Free Video Rental with Call Drink" promotion) the gracefully aging barmistress herself cashes Hollis's check with a smile that would have knocked out Flo Ziegfeld. CLICK

22-22A Delia refuses to let Hollis buy her a beer "because it's depressing to drink if it's daylight" and eventually drags him out the door. He stands, blinking, in the wan afternoon light. Myrt likes to keep her place dark. CLICK

23-23A Back in the truck, Hollis has a choice: Tritown Lumber for wood to repair (or replace) his porch. Since he didn't take any measurements or arrange with Hasky to help him unload, and it looks like rain, he's perfectly happy to drive down the road to -- CLICK

24-24A the Qwik-Stop, where Happy will be just about be ready to remove a fresh tray of doughnuts. CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-END-OF-ROLL.


The Tales From Tritown archive


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