Didn't want to hi-jack that thread.

This is an account of a true incident that I wrote several years ago for my Seniors Writers Group. It is lengthy.

My Grandfather Clock

We get them in the mail quite often. Some tell us "You may already be a winner!!" Well, after a gazillion of these, I still hadn't won anything. Have you? Then there are those other very alluring invitations that not only promise you a prize, but tell you what it will be and guarantee that you will get it. Now, that is an offer that is hard to refuse, but my husband and I had refused them all.

After being widowed, and attending a AARP sponsored grief group, I was given many suggestions about coping with my new life. One of the best was to "go on a lark" at least once a month. I had a close friend who was also widowed; she and I received one of those invitations at about the same time. We were invited to come to Bryce Mountain and take a guided tour of their time-share condos. The gift we would receive was pictured and described as a grandfather clock worth $150. Neither of us had any idea of buying a time-share at Bryce Mountain, but we decided this would be our lark for the month. It was stipulated that the offer was for singles, or married couples. Jennie called the sponsor and asked if, being widowed, the two of us could come and take the tour together and each receive the gift. She was assured that would be acceptable. We laughed at the thought that one of their salesmen would be anxiously rubbing his hands together and salivating at the thought of having two rich widows in one fell swoop. He didn't know us!

When we arrived at the office we were met by a nice looking young man. We exchanged introductions and he led us to his spotlessly clean 4-wheel drive vehicle. He offered his hand to help each of us with the high step into the car. As we drove through the development he told us how and when the project started, and about all of the wonderful amenities that awaited us. He was very persuasive, a good talker. He made you wonder if by chance he moonlighted as a used car salesman. He was appealing, friendly, a perfect gentleman in his language and demeanor. To end the tour he said he would take us to a nearby scenic spot that wasn't included with the offer, but we were special, and he thought we would appreciate seeing it. Jennie and I glanced at each other with a look that said, "Hmm, what is this about?" It was unlikely that under the circumstances he could be dangerous. He was a slightly built young man, and our glance also said, "We can handle him!" We went on to see the "special scenic spot," which we probably would never have seen otherwise, and ended our excursion back at the office, where he told us to wait, got out, went around the car, and helped us with the step down. He knew just how to impress those rich widows!

We were taken to a large room in a building that was some distance from the office. There were several people sitting at small tables, each with a salesman. Jennie and I were seated and given our choice of a soft drink. Our young man then started in earnest to describe what a great opportunity this would be for us. It would be a fantastic place to spend a vacation, and also a great financial investment. We could even leave it to our children in our will. He had contracts ready for each of us to sign. We listened and asked questions. We were just as skillful at making an impression as he was. When we were at the point where we thought we had played around long enough, Jennie said, "Well, I will need some time to think about it, but I will take a copy of the contract for my lawyer to look over." I said, "It sounds good, but I want to talk to my financial advisor about it." Then he delivered his killer speech, "This is a one-time special offer. After today the price will be much higher." We both insisted we wanted a copy of the contract. He insisted he couldn't give it to us. At that point we stood up to leave, letting him know the session was over. Immediately Dr. Jekyll turned into Dr. Hyde.

His attitude then was extremely rude. He insinuated that we didn't have a good understanding of such things and should be capable of making our own decisions. As we left the building and walked back to the car, he stayed well ahead of us, all the time telling us how incompetent we were. He actually said we were "losers" and that he didn't deal with losers. Those were the last words he spoke to us. When we reached the car he did not offer his hand to help us back in. Neither did he help us out at the office where we were to pick up our $150 grandfather clock. These clocks, incidently, were in boxes and were quite heavy. He did not help us get them into Jennie's station wagon either. He had disappeared.

After we loaded them up, we were anxious to be on our way so we could finally enjoy the laughter we had been holding back. Jennie and I enjoyed many other larks together before she moved out of state to be near her children. That one is the most memorable.

Oh, by the way. The clocks were the "some assembly required" type, battery not included. That's right. They required a triple A battery to run. Didn't chime either! Worth, I would guess, about $25 at Big Lots. I put mine together and used it in the TV room for several years. Since then I removed the face and I am now using it for a bookcase. Of course the clock itself was a rip-off. But the fun we had, scamming that scammer was worth more than any price. I remember him. Wonder if he ever remembers us, "the two rich widows"?

Sue