Mystery Keys

Inspired by Frank at Dutch goes the Photo. This week’s prompt: Key

Twenty years ago, my husband and I cleared out my in-laws’ home, barn and workshop – to prepare the property for sale. It was a long, labor intensive and sometimes emotionally exhausting process. The home and out-buildings were at least 60 years old, predating my in-laws’ ownership.

The workshop (or “shop” as they called it) was attached to the old style garage and contained all my father-in-law’s tools. As well as the freezer that held blueberries & strawberries left over from his massive summer gardens. That my mother-in-law had prepared and labeled in identical plastic storage containers. Neatly stacked and ready for her cobblers and pies.

My father-in-law was not one for organization. And the shop was no exception. Tools were mixed in with nuts, bolts and nails. Stored in rusty coffee cans and mayonnaise jars on a long homemade wooden workbench. Stacks of ancient National Geographic magazines grew musty inside an old cabinet. Dozens of hammers, screwdrivers and wrenches hung on a pegboard attached to wall studs. Lumber scraps were stacked along one wall…covered with cobwebs. Right next to 3 metal garbage cans.

We found new homes for most of these treasures, but a ring of skeleton keys caught my husband’s eye. He had no idea where they came from or why his dad kept them.

But we both agreed they were very cool.

We never found anything on the property with locks that fit.

However, we held on to them…just in case.

In the meantime…the mystery continues.