2022/2023
Collection 18

The Trashy Treasure

c. 1952; Chicago, Illinois, USA

“Julia, come over here!” Nana, my maternal grandma, called to me.

“Yes?” I responded, sitting down next to her on the couch.

“Have I ever told you about my favorite Christmas gift that I ever received?” she asked.

“No!” I exclaimed. “But I would love to hear about it!”

“Well,” she began, “as you know, your great-grandfather, my dad, co-owned a trash truck company with his father. This company was named John Dyke and Sons.”

“Why?” I interrupted. “Why did he choose to be a garbage man?”

“He immigrated to the United States from Holland. Most Dutch immigrants worked as sanitary workers or teachers,” she explained. “Now, back to my story. My dad was an extremely hard worker. He drove his own garbage truck through his route during the day, and when he finally got home, he had to repair that old truck, because it was always breaking down. You could tell how hard he worked just by looking at his hands. There were always calluses on his hands and soot underneath his fingernails — so much so that he had to stand at our kitchen sink for at least half an hour, scrubbing at the grime under his nails just because he wanted to make a good impression at church.

“Despite him working so hard to provide for our family of ten, it seemed we only had just enough. Christmas time was no exception. I’m sure it was very hard for my parents to find the money to buy Christmas presents for all eight kids.

“There was one Christmas in particular when my parents didn’t have enough money for Christmas gifts. They didn’t tell us kids that, though. One chilly winter day, as my dad was on his route through Chicago, he found a small beat-up doll that someone had discarded in their trash. He decided to take the doll home, thinking it might make for a good present for me. That night when he came home, he sat down in the garage and tried to fix up the doll. He took those big worn hands and worked magic on the doll. With some paint here and some patching there, she was as good as new.

“A few weeks later, Christmas morning finally rolled around. I scurried out of bed and slid around a corner, and then I saw it — a small little present sitting under the tree with my name on it! I hastily opened it and found a perfect doll waiting for me. I loved her and played with her for years. It wasn’t until later that I found out my dad had found it in the garbage!”

She smiled at the memory of her father and that special doll. I knew she would never forget that crazy Christmas gift. I guess it really is the thought that counts!

Julia Brasfield; Missouri, USA

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