Patricia Abraham could not seem to hold on to one of her works of art that she truly loves a drawing called Dancers that graced the August 1984 cover of St. John Tradewinds.
Abraham, a St. John resident for 31 years, kept a copy of the newspaper in her portfolio or so she thought.
I must have misplaced the copy I had in my portfolio, and I was kicking myself about it, she said.
Abraham came across a copy of the August 1984 edition while going through her mothers belongings after her passing last year.
Copy in Mothers Portfolio
Im an artist and my mothers an artist, so Id always send her my little triumphs, said Abraham. I dont even remember sending her this copy of the paper. My mom passed away last year, and I found the copy in her portfolio when I went to California to clean up her house.
I couldnt believe that it came back to me after years and years and years, Abraham added.
Abraham returned to St. John with the 1984 Tradewinds issue, which was stored in a safe place in her home, she said.
I had it put away in a safe place, and I sort of forgot about it, said Abraham.
She again stumbled across the August 1984 edition while going through her belongings in preparation for her upcoming move to Puerto Rico.
Lost While Copying
Im moving to Puerto Rico next month, and I found it again when I was going through my house, said Abraham. I decided I wanted to do a painting of it, but I needed to blow it up, so I took it to The Mail Center to copy it. I promptly walked away and left it in the copy machine.
Abraham was frantic when she realized the valued piece of artwork she had just found again after so many years was lost.
I didnt realize it until I got home, and I got right in my car and came back, she said. The lady working there said she didnt know anything about it. They said it was gone, and I was having a meltdown.
In a stroke of luck, the August 1984 issue of St. John Tradewinds had made it upstairs to the Tradewinds office.
Artwork Picked Up by Tradewinds
One of The Mail Center employees told me that a Tradewinds employee was there right after me, so I called up the newspaper, and they had it, said Abraham.
A Tradewinds employee who used The Mail Center copy machine after Abraham noticed the archive issue in the machine, and brought it back to the office, thinking it was left there by a St. John resident who had been in The Mail Center copying archives from the Tradewinds collection earlier that day.
It was just the hugest coincidence, said Abraham. Of all the people in St. John who would use the copy machine after me, it was a Tradewinds employee. Thats like Gods hand right there, or maybe my mom had something to do with it.
Other Works at Fish Trap
Now that her treasured piece of artwork has made its way back to her a second time, Abraham vowed to hold on tightly to the newspaper.
I just went down to The Mail Center to make a copy of it, and I was terrified, she said.
Abrahams other works are on display at the Fish Trap until she moves, that is.
Im taking down all of my paintings that are showing at the Fish Trap around the last week of August, so anyone who wants to see my recent work should take a look before its gone, she said.
Abraham plans to finish her painting of Dancers by the end of August, before she leaves for Puerto Rico.
Its one of my earlier works, and I really love it, she said. It was just such an amazing coincidence that it came back to me again.
