A/N- This contains references to RadRapo's excellent story Finds the Recalled.
An Extension of Home
Deng had been through a lot. The brass goose neck lamp's first years of operation were spent in the home of a Chinese immigrant family with two sons. He was especially close to the youngest, who wanted to be an engineer.
Then came the recall. Decades spent in a warehouse with others of his kind. He came out of it with a new cord and the Chinese character for lamp etched into his shade. (The latter was his own choice. He needed a new name after realizing dozens of his siblings were named Lampy. Not necessarily spelled that way.)
He sat on the counter. His roommate was Qiang, a red lamp.
"Well, what happened next?"
Deng shook. "After being repaired, I was put up for sale. I'd like to go home, but I don't think I could've."
Deng sat in a storefront. A man in a polo shirt and jeans walked up to it.
"How much for that one?" he said.
The shopkeeper, a nervous redhead, looked at Deng's price tag. "That'll be... 50 dollars?"
The man examined Deng's shade. "This one's got writing on it." He laughed. "It says lamp on it."
Deng was carried to the checkout and paid for.
"Mr. Zhao chose a real winner with you," Qiang said.
Deng scratched his head. "Wait, Zhao? That was the family I lived with." He shuddered. "Edwin! Did he get to be an engineer?"
Qiang smiled widely. "Buddy, you have no idea. This whole section is his work."
She unfolded a park map.
Deng spent ten minutes staring in wonder. He started smiling too.
"And I'm in the middle of it?"
Qiang nodded.
Deng paused to catch his breath. "I'll consider this an extension of home."