It all starts with the Israeli Army...well, sort of. When I first got to Austin, after acquiring a resonator guitar that I couldn't really play but that I knew Jamie would love, I decided that I wanted a keyboard. I missed playing the piano, especially after having been on it so much rehearsing with the Book Chicks back in Freeport, singing our funny library made-over tunes from South Pacific for the 10-year anniversary at the library. So I started watching Craigslist for a good deal. Craigslist is huge here in Austin, perhaps because of the university and so many folks with so much disposable income which translates into disposable stuff. Eventually, I found a really good deal on a Casio Privia digital piano that was way smarter than I was. I called Jeff and off we went in the war wagon to pick it up.I learned early on that if you want to buy something from a stranger on Craigslist, it's never a bad idea to bring Jeff along. He would ask ahead of time for the street address and then show up at my door appropriately dressed. Table and chairs from the east side? That called for a t-shirt, maybe even tank top, so some or all of the tattoos were showing, and big boots. Cello from the west side? Long-sleeved shirt and loafers. The piano was downtown, campus apartments. T-shirt and slippers. Jeff always believed in dressing for the outcome he wanted which is to say you never knew what he was going to show up in. But his fashion trends are stuff for a future blog. This does, however, remind me of a quote from a patron back in Freeport years ago.
Her name was Emily. She was always immaculately dressed, even on her most casual visits for books. In his retirement, her husband, John, had taken to wearing old oxford shirts untucked over baggy shorts, his hair pulled back in a short ponytail that stuck out from under a baseball cap and no socks in his deck shoes when he walked up to the library with their old labrador, Stokely. Lynn and I were talking about fashionable men when Emily came to the desk one evening to check out her books. She joined the conversation and shared that John used to be a real sharp dresser. But then she sighed and said without drama,
"Now it's just one costume after another."
That still makes me laugh. But back to the piano.
Jeff pulled the Suburban up to the curb at the apartment and we got out, including Wendy the Cat in her sparkly pink harness. Those were the days when Wendy was in full service and she went everywhere with Jeff. Having Wendy with us always turned knocking on doors into an adventure. I rang the doorbell and soon we were greeted by a young guy in his early twenties. We exchanged hellos and then he spotted Wendy.
"Is that a cat on a leash?" he asked in disbelief. It quickly became the Jeff and Wendy show, with the several occupants of the apartment coming to see the little cat as she checked out the rooms, oblivious to the fuss as is her way. Eventually we got to the keyboard and the transaction. Jeff, and the guy who's name was Abraham, took the keyboard and stand out to the truck while I chatted with Abraham's girlfriend who had arrived to take him to salsa lessons. I settled up, we all said thanks and see ya and off we went.
"That kid recognized my Purple Heart plate and thanked me for my service," Jeff remarked.
"He's from Israel and did his time in the Israeli Army before coming to UT to do his grad work. It's compulsory for men and women to serve in the defense force over there for a couple of years."
I thought for a moment.
"So I just bought a keyboard from a former member of the Israeli Army. Cool."
That's how the keyboard arrived on Guadalupe Street. Now fast forward to our current apartment where Jamie and Wren are packing up and getting ready to move to Florida. We've sold a guitar to a UT student from Houston who bought it for her dad for Christmas partly because the guitar was a Jay Jr. and her dad's name was Jay. The bar stools went to a hipster re-sale shop that sells furniture with “patina” which is actually just a clever word here for filth. The comics went to a nervous guy in a late model sedan and the wingback chair just went down the street a few blocks. But what to do about the keyboard. It’s a full 88 keys on a wooden base with a stool and neither Jamie nor I had played it in months. Craigslist it was for $250.
The first inquiry was from Archie who was super psyched about it and did the stand come apart so he could get it in his car? But then he super didn’t want to come to our part of town during rush hour and maybe he could come tomorrow. He kept interrupting my texts with more of his before I could finish the one I was working on. I said text me tomorrow if he was still interested and could come and I’d let him know if we still had the piano. He never texted back.
Next was Caleb who wanted to know if we still had it and where were we and please leave a message on the phone because he was interested. He never called back.
Then there was a reply from someone that made no sense. Deleted.
Mid-morning Friday brought an email from Stacy asking if we still had the keyboard. I replied that we did and would be home all day if she wanted to see it and gave her my number. She called with a million questions, the last one being
“Could you come down 25 dollars on the price?”
I hate it when people start haggling. I make it a practice to price things very reasonably, basically what I would pay for the item. Haggling may be an accepted practice world-wide but I hate it and I don’t attempt to buy something if I don’t like the price. However, there were numerous similar keyboards for sale on Craigslist, and despite ours being the least expensive of the litter, the offers were not pouring in, so I acquiesced and said sure. Stacy said she had to check with her husband and would call me right back. She did, said the husband said ok and they would be over around 4pm to pick it up.
When she arrived, it was with the whole family in tow, including the dog. Up the stairs came mom, dad and the three boys ages 8,7 and 4. While the littlest one ran around the apartment, the rest plunked keys, pushed buttons and asked questions. Well, Stacy asked the questions mostly. In fact, Stacy was just full of questions and comments and observations. Dad kept pretty quiet. As they came to a consensus that everyone liked the keyboard, Dad pulled out a handful of cash and counted it. Then he handed it to me and he and Jamie started unscrewing the wing nuts that attach the keyboard to the stand. Jamie took the keyboard, Dad took the stand and all the men tromped back down the stairs. Stacy saw my easel with a canvas and asked if I painted. I said I did and she had a good look at the pieces on the wall and declared
“You’re pretty good.”
I thanked her.
“And I’d like to give you a little something,” she said as she handed me a bit of paper that said PAID IN FULL in bold print at the top. Before I could get a good look at it she continued
“It’s a bit of gospel for you.”
And sure enough it was. Below PAID IN FULL was a drawing of three crosses and inside were several questions that were supported and/or answered by passages in the Bible.
Did You Know You Are In Debt Because Of Your Sin?
Do You Realize What Your Sin Debt Will Cost You For All of Eternity?
Have You Heard Your Sin Debt Has Been “Paid in Full?”
Will You Believe the Bible, The Record of What God Has Done For You?
Will You Trust The Eternity Of Your Soul Completely to Jesus Christ?
Please Realize That You Must Trust Jesus, and He Alone, For Salvation.
Will You Claim the Receipt For Your Sin Debt?
I was surprised at this hand out but I smiled and said
“Thank you. How very kind.”
We walked down to the parking lot where the boys had climbed into the middle of the Chevy Tahoe, having let the Jack Russell terrier escape and have a sniff around before Stacy got her back in the truck. Dad and Jamie had totally disassembled the stand to get it all to fit in the way back portion and the tailgate shut tight. Stacy went on about a couple of paintings she had picked up at Salvation Army somewhere out near Lago Vista where they live. Lago Vista is quite posh so it’s no surprised the charity shops are filled with treasures like her painting that is worth $1500.00
Finally everything was packed up and we were at the good-byes when Stacy asked her husband if he had given Jamie any gospel. Dad said no and went for his pockets but Stacy pulled out a leaflet, handed it to Dad who in turn handed it to Jamie.
“A little gospel for you,” Dad said, giving Jamie a manly nod. Like me, Jamie did a quick look and then smiled and said thank you. We finished our good-byes and parted company.
Back upstairs, we closed the door and looked at each other.
“What just happened?” Jamie asked comically as we looked at each other.
“I got one, too,” I said and we stood at the counter looking at the pamphlets. Jamie chuckled.
“When she handed that to you all I could see was the Paid In Full bit and I thought my goodness this woman is very efficient with her receipts.”
As he said that, I was on my second time through counting the money they had paid us.
“It’s twenty dollars short!” I exclaimed. “Count it for me and see if there are any bills sticking together.”
Jamie counted it once and then again. It was twenty dollars short.
“He stood right there and counted it,” I said. “I watched him counting. I wasn’t going to count it when he handed it to me because that just seemed rude.”
We looked at each other in disbelief.
“We just got ripped off by a family of friendly Texas Baptists. And that’s after I’d already knocked off 25 bucks from the price!”
Now I’m pretty sure it was an honest mistake but after nearly four years of city living and getting a good dose of not so good folks, there will always be a lingering doubt. Whenever I pay someone a handful of cash, I ask them to count it to be sure it’s all there. Did the dad purposely leave out that twenty hoping I wouldn’t count it, ready to cough up the missing cash with an oops! if I did? We’ll never know.
A bit later I read through the pamphlet completely. On the back are two option boxes that you can check.
I Choose To Trust Jesus Christ and His Finished Payment For My Sin Debt.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:9, 13)
Or
I Choose to Reject The Payment of Jesus Christ and Trust My Payment.
“In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)
Below those options it reads:
If you have decided to trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour after reading this tract, please write and let us know.
And rubberstamped is the name of the church, Amazing Grace Baptist Church, and its contact info.
Needless to say, I am struggling with which box to check. Either way, Jesus isn’t getting such a good return on his investment and I’m out twenty bucks. Now that IS amazing grace.
