Chapter 14 – "It's an amazing story. . ."
Located close to the Government Center, and not far away from some other key stops, the Parker House was a perfect choice for many reasons during their stay in Boston. Quickly making their way to their first destination, they stood outside, and looked up at the official building for a moment. Taking a closer look as they entered the Social Security office, he said "I see government offices remain the same, dull, blank and filled with dispirited people. Yet in my day, at least the setting had some sense of power, of élan, this . . . this is merely uninspired." "True, but let's not be negative, or at least until we get through here," she cautioned as they walked inside.
"Number 42" called the scheduler at the front desk. "Desk number 11," he said, pointing at a spot over his shoulder. They walked silently over and sat down. Perched on the uncomfortable guest chairs, they watched as a 50ish, heavyset woman, who clearly had seen happier days, and likely none of them in this office, settle with great deliberation in the creaky chair across from them on the other side of the desk.
Flipping through the forms, she looked first at Carolyn with a cold eye, and turning to Daniel, with an even colder and more distrustful expression. "So, Mister, uh, Gregg. Aren't you rather old to be applying for your social security number? Really? This far into your 40's? Seems quite unusual." Pushing her chair back, she looked at the two, waiting for their response. "You see," Carolyn began, but paused. To her surprise, she felt Daniel's hand suddenly grasp her arm. "Of course, it is somewhat unexpected," he stepped into the quiet, addressing the woman, "but surely not unprecedented, is it. . ." he reached down and picked up her nameplate on the desk, "Evelyn?" As he set the plaque down, he looked up, blue eyes shining at her, and with a smile continued, "Evelyn. A long time ago, a very special 'friend' of mine was called Evelyn. No chance that you have family in Maine, do you?" Carolyn, sitting back, was bemused to watch the woman fall under his spell. Her color rising, Evelyn tittered, and looked down for a moment. "Uh, no, Mr. Gregg, no family there at all, sorry to say," she said with a much friendlier smile.
Leaning a bit more over the desk, Daniel smiled at her, "Glad to hear my situation is not all that unusual. You seem like quite a compassionate person," looking down and then up directly into her eyes, he continued, "would you mind if I confided in you?" Leaning forward herself, she looked at him, and Carolyn realized she might as well have been invisible at the moment. "What do you want to tell me Mr. Gregg?" "Daniel, its Daniel, please Evelyn," he continued, blue eyes sparkling. Leaning over further, he beckoned her closer with his finger. "My reason for being here, in fact being in Boston at all, well truly it's an amazing story, in fact if I might confide in you?" "Oh yes, please do Mr. Gregg," she prompted. "I am a writer," he said in confidential tone, "and due to some, shall we say, rather incredible circumstances, most of them entirely outside of my control, I have not needed to work until very recently. My existence, up to now, has been amazing and quite unexpected in scope and activity. In fact, it will serve as the centerpiece of my upcoming book. Alas, I need this bit of official paperwork and registration to finish my publisher's contract. I hope you might help me?"
Blushing, Evelyn nodded, looked over the application and birth certificate. She checked off a few boxes and turning to the typewriter typed out his name, and finishing, she handed him the completed card with his paperwork. "Just sign here and here and that's it! Of course, I was just curious I suppose. I wish you good luck with your work." Smiling, he reached out his hand, and held hers for a moment. "Thank you so much Evelyn, you have made this onerous process a joy. If it is appropriate, I would be delighted to send you a copy of my book upon publication. Would that be acceptable?" he smiled gently at her. Blushing further, she silently slid her business card across the desk. Nodding his thanks, he stood up to go. Carolyn was surprised as the woman stood and moved to the side of her desk, watching him step away. Evelyn placed a hand on her arm and smiled, "Oh Mrs. Gregg, it IS Mrs. Gregg, is it?" she looked hoping she was wrong. As Carolyn merely nodded, she let out a heartfelt sigh, "Well, yes, of course. You are a VERY fortunate woman. He is a magnificent man! Please tell him I'm looking forward to his book." Carolyn watched her, clearly happier than she had been in a long while, as she sat back down at her desk.
Walking briskly, Carolyn caught up to him in the waiting area. Looking a question at him, tilted his head with a self-satisfied shrug as he turned to see Evelyn still looking his direction, he nodded to her and made a small wave her way.
The elevator was crowded, and it was not until they were in the open, facing Faneuil Hall that she could finally ask, "What in the world did you do to that woman? I was so afraid there would be dozens of questions we couldn't answer, what happened?" Grinning down, he looked at her with a guarded expression. "Carolyn, my love, the day we first met, I may have slightly exaggerated how many women I have charmed, but I assure you I have not forgotten the skill of charming them." Grasping her hand, he looked down, "Having the woman I've always sought here beside me today, my goals might be quite different, but surely the talent, the ability is not unwelcomed?" "Good point, as long as you use your talent for worthwhile endeavors I suppose," she agreed. "So is this what you've been writing?" "Well, I may have exaggerated a bit, perhaps one day I might, with the correct co-author," he smiled softly at her, "create such an epic adventure. But I trust she'll forgive me if it takes a while."
Tilting his head, he looked at her with his own curious expression. "Carolyn, now that I've answered your question, might I ask one of my own?" Nodding she looked up at him, "Perhaps it is obvious to you, but I admit it has eluded me other than it is something essential for my new existence. My question is, 'what is a Social Security card'? Help me understand what it does and why I would need one?"
Laughing, she took his hand and as they walked along, she explained the program and realized, not for the last time, that blending their two worlds would take time, and attention and, she had to admit, despite not being able to anticipate everything, it was clear he looked forward to the adventure.
Strolling along, comparing his memories of Boston with her current knowledge they enjoyed the sense of accomplishment and the total lack of schedule now that his card was in hand. Looking down the street, she pointed toward Filene's. "Ah Daniel, if we are going to update your wardrobe, and that was the next item on our 'to do list' that is the place to begin." Hearing a deep grumble, she turned toward him, "M'dear, there is much I am willing to compromise about, adapt to in this new world, but having my wife buy my necessities, that is insupportable." As she began to disagree, he merely raised a finger, "This, my love is one of the few areas that I shall not negotiate, even with you. BUT I believe," he said with excitement, "this should not be an issue between us much longer." Grabbing her hand, and headed to the corner and turned onto a side street, and into a small shop with an weathered sign, Boston Towne Coin Exchange over the entrance.
An old-fashioned bell jingled as the door opened and the two stepped inside the historic shop. "Can I help you?" a gentle round faced woman asked, looking up from her ledger on top of the glass-topped counter. "Indeed you can," Daniel answered with a charming smile as he walked up to her. Carolyn hovered near the door, aware that she was watching a new Daniel Gregg blossom in front of her. After decades in his own solitary silent world, he now finally was able to interact, to be the charming, warm and powerful person he had been before. It was a bit unsetting, she realized. She had been so used to being his primary intermediary to the physical world that it clearly was going to take time to re-adjust her own thinking and let him enjoy another part of this change as he re-entered among the living.
Clearing her thoughts, she quietly joined him at the counter intrigued to see what was going on. "Now, Nora I hope you will find these pieces as interesting as I do," he said in a nearly conspiratorial tone to the shopkeeper, with whom he had clearly had already established a healthy rapport. Pulling a leather pouch out of his inner pocket, he opened it and selected four clearly ancient coins. "I recently was able to recognize the value of these," he said, spreading them across the velvet pad she had opened for his use. "My word, are these really what they appear to be?" she said with obvious surprise. "My understanding," the Captain said, looking into her eyes, "is that these doubloons were left to my great great grandmother, and only recently. . ." he paused and looked over at Carolyn with a raised eyebrow, "have they surfaced, or at least surfaced to be of use to me," and patting Carolyn's hand on the counter, "and my wife, of course."
"Ed! Edward," called the woman at the counter, "You must see this, come now!" Daniel and Carolyn looked with curiosity at the woman and each other. The idea of an old coin being of interest was not surprising, but the urgency in the woman's voice was a bit startling. Stepping out of the back office, Ed looked the part of a coin broker, slightly stooped, thick glasses and a slightly scholarly demeanor. "Come now Nora," he grumbled, "what can be worth all this ruckus?" Holding out her magnifying glass, she stepped away from the counter, "Take a look for yourself, and tell me if I'm wrong," she challenged. He perched on the stool there, and adjusting the light, settled down for a detailed look at one of the coins. "Err, um, no, really? Can't be," he murmured. Looking up at Daniel, he gave him a skeptical look, "So, sir, tell me just how you came by this piece?" The Captain took another fleeting glance at Carolyn, and then settled onto his own stool to begin serious negotiations. "Family heirloom, in fact it's been tucked away in an old sea chest for over 150 years we assume. A long ago grandmother received them in payment from someone named Brasher according to the records she kept. Why, is there something of interest there?"
Letting out a long whistle, the coin broker leaned back, "If I'm right, and I don't have a lot of doubts given the condition of the piece, this is one of the rarest coins minted in the country. Brasher Doubloons are extremely rare and quite sought after by collectors and buyers. I'll want to get a second opinion, but this looks to be one of his less valuable pieces, something called a Lima Style Doubloon, from around 1740 or so."
Leaning over the country, Carolyn asked, or attempted to ask with a casual attitude, "So, roughly what is its value today?" As he cleared his throat and wiped his glasses, he looked over at the two. His instincts told him that they likely did not know the value, and that they appeared to be honest, so were probably also the true owners. Looking at his wife, and seeing her disapproving glare, he knew trying to fleece this couple wouldn't be acceptable to Nora. Setting aside a chance to snag a bargain, he settled for telling them the truth. "Of course it's one thing to a buyer, another in an auction of course. But I would have to put it, IF it's authenticated of course, at around $300,000 or so. And the coin world has never seen four of these in one spot – so no doubt, in the right setting it might be even more."
Keeping an impassive face, Daniel looked down for a moment, "Could you give us a moment?" Taking Carolyn's hand, he walked her to the far side of the shop. "Granted, as you know, I'm not the best judge of inflated values, but that seems like rather a lot, do you agree?" Making sure her back was to the shop owners, she merely grasped Daniel's hand more tightly than he expected, as she nodded an excited 'Yes!'
Taking back his hand, he looked at her in surprise, flexing his fingers; he smiled slightly and returned to the counter. "All in all, that sounds acceptable. I might not want to sell those particular pieces today, but if we can come to terms on these pieces," he said sliding over two of the other doubloons in the pouch, "I'd be pleased to give you the first right to purchase it when it comes up for sale."
With all parties very pleased with the outcome, the shop owner offered $1000 apiece for the Spanish Doubloons, and they exchanged information for a future possible sale of the rarer pieces.
Boston appeared particularly bright and sunny when they stepped outside a few minutes later. "I told you M'dear, I am well able to find ways to take care of my essentials," looking over the bills in his hand he smiled, "and perhaps a few non-essentials as well, I believe." Grinning widely at her, clearly hugely pleased with the outcome, he paused and looked up into the sky. "Carolyn, I had not realized it was so far past noon. Where would you favor finding lunch today? Something elegant, relaxing where we can celebrate our accomplishments." "OUR accomplishments? Hardly!" she smiled up at him, "I merely got us here – I think the day so far is clearly your own triumphful return to the living world Captain Gregg. If it wouldn't embarrass you, I'd be applauding now!"
Looking around, clearly pleased but also a bit uncomfortable at the praise, he took a long considered pause. Taking her hand and tucking it in the crook of his arm, they strolled slowly in front of the hall. Shaking his head, she realized he was laughing quietly to himself, "Is it that obvious my love? I did so want to show you and I suppose prove to myself, that I would not be stymied by interacting with the living world. But," he said, giving his ear a tug, "even with all that, I must admit it did go well, didn't it?"
"That it did," she admitted, giving his arm an affectionate squeeze. "Now back to lunch, since you are buying of course," she laughed. "Unfortunately Locke-Ober's is only open for dinner. It's ridiculously expensive, but you'd enjoy it with all its old-world charm. And I suspect, especially now, we can afford to splurge a bit." "Most certainly. And would you honestly think I would allow you ever to pay for a meal? Hardly acceptable in my day or any day!" "Daniel, my love," she paused, wanting to advocate for her rights as an independent woman, but with a shrug and a sigh continued, "Never mind, I give. Today, just for today mind you, I accept your gracious care and feeding. And with that in mind, there's one place, just around the corner, Union Oyster House. A restaurant that's even older than you I believe," she teased. As he opened his mouth to complain "Older! I'm not that. . .", "Enough - I'm hungry! You can argue about age and other things over lunch." Grinning, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they turned the corner and headed into the busy restaurant.
Chapter 15 – "Do I NEED a new look?" nearly complete