BEN

 

Today I talked to Ben.

I am wandering around Thai Town on Hollywood Blvd, between Western and Normandie Ave. In some places the area looks abandoned. The garbage cans are overloaded with trash and the pavement is dirty. Most businesses are supermarkets, Thai video stores, or restaurants. In a shop window, a note catches my attention: "We fix watches", it says. It reminds me that a few years ago, I bought a musical clock on a flea market in Tokyo. One day at 11.55, it simply stopped. And it has been stuck at this time for about three years. This is the chance to give my clock a second life. I push the door and enter the Elsie's Antique shop.

Behind a shelf covered with miniatures of Asian gods and rustic statuettes, I see a short round man discussing the price of a watch with the salesman. "Is it a Rolex? Is it gold?" - "Yes, it is gold. Plated," says the salesman. His name is Ben. He is a sharp man, with pepper and salt hair, whose cheeks carry the memories of all the times he smiled. "Let me know if you need any help," he says to me in a kind voice. I look around. At first glance, the place looks like a mountain of dust, rust and knick-knack. But after a while, I find some unique and interesting objects. "Thanks. How much is that?" I ask, and show him a small bronze Buddha that plays on a drum. Ben makes a concentrated face for a moment that seems extremely long. I imagine him scanning my profile: flip-flops, old jeans, and faded tank top. "Twenty dollars for two pieces. The dancing elephant goes with the Buddha," he says. The short round man promises he will come back for the Rolex, and exits. I continue to wander around in the shop and stumble across African masks, craved Asian sabers, and jade pendants. Ben also carries some contemporary pieces. Like the Ronald Reagan plate with his face in the center and all the American symbols you can possibly imagine around it.

Ben bought this shop three years ago. Before that, it was a clock museum. Apparently, a lot of films were shot here and another one is planned for next week. Ben finds most of his pieces in auctions and travels abroad only for large ones. For him, there seems to be two types of objects - the old ones and the very old ones. He rarely gives you the age of the object, which allows you to fill in with whatever makes you happy. Unless you are a trained collector or an antique expert, this shouldn't be problematic in any way. Ben is originally from Beirut, Lebanon. He shows me a golden teapot that sits on the floor. "This is a very old Lebanese object," he says. "It was used to pour coffee or tea." The pot is about three feet high and is extremely refined. It was designed in a way that would allow the liquid to be poured without requiring any strength. While Ben is demonstrating how to use it, he explains that certain people's job was only to serve coffee and tea, but it was a long time ago.

It is 4.59pm. Ben startles when he sees the time. "I'm closing at 5," he says. We walk quickly out of the shop to take pictures of him. "I was better when I was young," he says when the first picture is developed, and he smiles. We agree that I will bring him my Japanese clock soon. Ben runs into the shop, comes back, then closes the door behind him. I make a few steps on the sidewalk and turn to thank him one more time. But he is already gone.