Excitedly we rushed back to Donny and Kurt while Rebecca called to announce her decision. Donny apparently said over the phone, "This is so exciting -- like a wedding. I feel like I could cry." On arrival Kirt exclaimed, "I feel the hairs on my arms standing up, so this must be right." We switched cellos and phoned June to make a wire deposit from our bank to Donny's. Rebecca called June to announce that, "the eagle has landed," and request that money be wired to Donny's account. By the time we had returned the Lin to the Ifshin's and came back to San Francisco the money was in his account. Rebecca signed the bill of sale as I took a picture of the three (see photo).
We had time to learn more of the history of Rebecca's new cello. It seems Donny had a good friend, one of the 6 principals of Cisco, who "had a lot of money." A dealer from a famous Chicago high-end collection of stringed instruments, Bein and Fushi, was personally bringing instruments out to San Francisco for him to try, from whom he eventually bought an entire quartet. Donny, who is actually a very good violist, bought a famous maker (Sergio Peresson) viola from him sight unseen. Donny was entirely pleased and asked to be brought a cello on the agent's next trip to California. Bein and Fushi are exclusive dealers for new Whedbee instruments, so he brought this cello, that Donny immediately purchased, together with a cello bow by their famous in-house bow maker (also for sale). It seems that Donny and Kurt have down-sized from a larger house and that's why they were living in the studio where they taught yoga and did massages.
As we left, Donny gave Rebecca an autographed copy of a sobering children's book he had written under the pseudonym "Donny Velvetears" as well as a CD of some of his interesting and beautiful solo viola improvisations of a spiritual bent that he uses in end of life work.
It was an entirely happy and satisfying moment for all. As we have gotten to know her '97 Whedbee better after return to Arcata we are more and more pleased with our find. I reflected to Rebecca that months ago I could just have clicked on PayPal and we would have been in the same place we are now with a lot less effort, though, of course, at lot less wise and satisfied.
