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Heirloom
So I took my girls to visit my grandparents, spur of the moment because I my grand-dad isn't doing to well these days. Its pretty obvious they're numbered. I lost my other grandfather when I was a boy, but this one has been around my entire life, living in my hometown and whatnot.
Anyway, as we got ready to leave, he took me back to his room, asked me to fetch a key and open his gun cabinet. We'd looked through them and talked about his guns a couple of years ago.
Anyway, he reached in and grabbed his prized rifle and handed it to me and said "take it home, clean it and its yours to keep, its not something to hide, shoot it"
I felt kind of funny about it...large family and I asked if he was sure, because I have many uncles and many-many cousins. I'm the oldest grandson, and he said he'd chosen me and its mine.
I had an alternative choice of a shotgun, that was HIS grandfathers...my great-great-grandfather.
I decided on the first one because it was his "butcher gun". As a boy, it was the rifle that was in his truck, and the one they always used to put down animals to butcher. I told him I would be proud to have it, and that it would never, ever leave our family. that pleased him. Its not likely "valuable" in money, but Its priceless to me. If I have a son, they'll have it, otherwise, maybe a nephew.
My grandpa told me the story of the gun. As teenagers, he and his brothers had gone to Wyoming to work on a ranch. They worked fields, broke horses and were all around hands. They all came back except a cousin who ran off and wasn't seen until he showed up as a stunt man in old westerns.(jumping on horses, stopping runaway stage coaches and whatnot).
Anyway, when they got back, he and his brother, who I also spent alot of time with growing up, decided to order rifles from a magazine.
There were $7 and $9 rifles available, but $9 was "too much" so they ordered the $7 gun. They were out of stock or something, and both received "the $9 rifle" instead. My grandpa's arived with the tip broken off of the trigger.
Anyway, this was his "every day" gun.....and as of today, I guess its mine.
It feels funny, owning his gun while he was alive, but in a way, it was nice to have him hand it to me, and to be able to thank him and tell him I'm honored to have it.
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