The Piano
Pick family piano at it’s most recent home in Omaha
Our piano has had quite the journey. From what I have been told, it was hand-picked by one of Grandpa Doc’s sisters, Sister Aidan. Many of the Pick children were taught to play on this piano. I remember it well on the farm. It had its place in the center of the family room against the partition to the bedrooms and stairs to the upper level. It was many times cluttered with stacks of paper, but on holidays and when the company was at the farm, it was played with vigor!
Joan and Mom perfected their duets together. The grandchildren played their songs of choice and sometimes just pounded on the keys (and were quickly reprimanded by Grandpa Doc). The piano was definitely a focal point at the farmhouse. Many family photos were taken on the piano bench. The picture that hung on the wall behind (I believe of a farmhouse) is now in Kathy’s possession.
When Grandma and Grandpa Doc moved to town, the piano followed. Again a focal point at the new house, the new picture on the ‘piano wall’ was a beautiful Pick family portrait taken by Christopher’s in LeMars. After Grandma and Grandpa passed away and the auction followed, one of the Pick children did not pick the piano as a family purchase “pre-auction.”
Auction day was a beautiful April spring day in Iowa. I made the trip to Omaha with my three boys: Zach, Ben, and Grant (8, 7, and 1 year). Things were chaotic with all that setting up an auction entailed. Everyone was “scoping” out the items, deciding on which items they wanted to make bids. We all quickly realized that the prized piano was on the auction list. How did this happen? We all clearly wanted it to stay in the family.
Zach quickly picked up on the panic and the conversations.
“Please, Mom,” he begged me, “can we buy the piano? I want to learn to play SO bad! Please, can we buy it? You NEVER need to buy me a birthday present again if you buy it for us! PLEASE!!!!”
That was it. I was determined. That piano was going to be ours. It belonged to the Pick family, and it was going to stay in the Pick family.
A new twist quickly developed as we all realized that collectors were also at the auction, eyeballing this treasure of a piano. Word spread fast throughout the auction that the family wanted me to get this piano. All the townspeople were rallying, anticipating a bidding war as the piano got closer to open bidding. Everyone in the family, especially the Pick sisters and Zach, was nervous. As we anticipated, the collectors were bidding against me on the piano when the bidding started. You could cut the air with the tension. Zach was by my side, wanting me to ‘win’ so badly.
We went back and forth as the auctioneer barked the higher bids. Finally, without hesitation, I gave the final bid. The auctioneer asked the collectors for a counter. Silence. He asked again. Silence.
“Going, going, gone…Sold to Sandy Lane!”
The crowd roared. The Pick sisters cried. Zach jumped in the air. The overall feeling was pure joy and a sense of unity. The sisters lingered by the piano as the onlookers moved on to the next auction item. Joan quietly sat down with Mom sitting next to her; they played a song together.
Without a word or a dry eye we all listened. It was a reminder for all of us that life is made of moments in time. That moment in time is one none of us will ever forget.
Auction Listing
