Early the next morning, Dorothy made her way into the attic and was able to find the cases, containing the tea set, matching pot, sugar bowl and creamer holder, while Rose had luck finding her late husband's accordian.
The two of them, along with Blanche and Sophia headed to the local collector's shop, which was located just a few blocks down the road from their house.
When the four woman entered the shop, they were greeted by a gentleman, who appeared to be in his late 40's to early 50's, with thining grey hair and a pair of bifocal glasses on his face.
"Good morning ladies.
What can I do for you?" the getleman asked.
"Good morning sir.
My friend and I have some items we'd like to sell to you," Dorothy replied.
"Well, you've come to the right place."
"Wonderful.
I have a Belgium tea set that my late former in-laws gave to my ex-husband and I.
The set hasn't been used in years, and why let just collect dust."
"Wonderful.
If I may have a look at the set."
"Certiantly."
Dorothy placed the two cases onto the shop keeper's desk.
The shop keeper than opened the cases and began inspecting the items.
"Oh yes, everything seems to be in perfect condition.
No stains, no chippings, paint job on setting still holds up," said the shop keeper.
However, his feelings changed when he looked at the back of one of the saucers.
"Oh, hm, wait a minute."
"What's wrong?" Blanche asked.
"This isn't a Belguim tea set, said the shop keeper who looked up at Dorothy and said, I hate to be the one to break the news to you ma'am but this is a knock-off set."
"No, it can't be
My ex-husband's father brought it home from the war," said Dorothy, trying to correct the shop keeper.
"No, it is indeed a knock-off, as you see clearly on the back by the stamping," the shop keeper pointed out, as he handed a saucer to Dorothy.
"You're right.
The stamping is true," said Dorothy.
"What does it say?" asked Blanche.
"Made in China."
"I didn't know there was a town in Belguim called China," said Rose.
"Rose, it means the set was made in China not Belguim," said Dorothy.
"Maybe there's a town in China called Belguim."
Dorothy just shook her head.
She wasn't in any mood to correct her friend.
"Believe it or not, this collection was from a giveaway at a supermarket in the NorthEastern region," said the shop keeper.
Dorothy examined the saucer closer and said, Come to think of it, you're right.
My parents got a set like this from the A&P by their home in New York.
In fact, it is their set."
"Well then, what happened to the original set then?" asked Rose.
"That's what I want to know.
And I think I know the person who has the answer."
Dorothy looked directly at Sophia, with a slight glare in her eyes.
The same look she gave her mother whenever she tried to talk her into a scheme, or said something embarassing about her childhood.
"Ma, is there something you like to say?" Dorothy asked.
"You know pussycat, that color blouse you have on really brings out your eyes," said Sophia, trying to avoid the subject.
"Ma."
"Alright I confess.
That's not the real tea set.
I destoryed the original."
"You did what?"
"Hear me out.
I have a good excuse."
Sophia then began to tell her story.
Do you remember when Stan's parents offered to host Kate's baptism?, she asked Dorothy, who answered, "Yes, becuase we hosted Michael's, Stan's mother said she would do everthing for the party.
The food, hosting, everything.
That is, until the week of the party, he back mysteriously went out."
"Right, so being a good mother-in-law, I stepped up and helped out.
For three days, I was over at that house waxing the floors, washing windows, polishing the silverwear, cooking and baking, while the "yutes's" mother sat on her big behind, reading red book, while she complained about the pain she was in, crying, feeling sorry for herself, and demanding gingerale on the rocks.
Finally, it was the day of the baptism, and after the service, we gathered back to the house for the meal.
Everyone said how shiny the windows were, how cleaned the floors were, how gleaming the sliverwear was, and how delious the food tasted.
And that woman had the nerve to say that she had hired some help in the form of a cleaning lady and a cook, because of her back injury.
I was so mad, I wanted to tell her off, but I held my tounge.
Later on, when I brought out dessert, Stan's mother made a confession and said that she didn't really bring in help.
I though she was going to thank me.
However, that big bottom broad lied and said she mustered through the pain and did everything on her own.
Of coure everyone applauded her.
Then, she had the nerve to said to me, "Sophia, be a dear and take my tea set home with you to clean.
It's the least you can do."
By the time your father and I returned home, I was so furious and humliated about what Stan's mother did at the party, I took my anger out on the china."
"Sophia, did you really throw all that china on the ground?
Smashing it into millions of pieces?" asked Rose.
"Of course not.
What do you think I am?
An animal?
I put them in the dishwasher to clean," Sophia replied.
"Sophia, china like that is very delicate.
You can't put it in the dishwasher, it will destory it," Blanche pointed out.
"Exactly."
"That would explain why pop was infuriated over a four hundred seventy five dollar bill to fix the dishwasher, after a piece of porcilan mysterously got jammed inside," said Dorothy.
"So after that, I replaced her damaged set with ours.
Thankfully, Stan's parents had such poor eyesight, they couldn't tell the difference," said Sophia.
"Ma, that was decetful and unthinkable.
Yet very claver."
"That's quite a story.
However, I can't really give you much for the tea set.
But, the cases are authinitcly made in Belgium, I can give you a little extra for them," said the shop keeper.
"Well I guess it's better than nothing," said Dorothy, as she agreed to take the amount the shop kepper had offered her.
"What about this accoridan?" Rose asked, placing the case onto the shop keeper's desk.
"Unfortuntly, we don't buy musical instruments.
Try the music store down the block," the shop keeper suggeted.
