Viewfinder
A photomontage of life in Tritown
by Sally Cragin
Illustration by Lennie Peterson
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
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.