Covid & a question

I had wondered when the virus would hit closer to home than it currently has done. A friend, T., and her teen-aged child have both tested positive for Covid-19. It sounds as if they contracted the virus from her ex-partner, but one isn't sure. Given that schools in London are open and children aren't forced to be masked while in class, I would have thought that the through line to illness came from campus to her child and then to her. Fortunately, the symptoms they've both been experiencing are not the most challenging. My friend said that they've both not had shortness of breath or incessant coughing, so that is good. However, T. has been experiencing the sensation of feeling sun-burnt from head-to-toe. I believe my friend referred to the condition as 'sandpaper skin'. Her child has said that food currently has a 'funny' taste. I can only hope that they recover quickly and well. 

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I know that none of you are 'Dear Abby/an agony aunt', but...

My youngest paternal Uncle recently gave me a small packet of photos his wife had found in a wooden box tucked away in their garage. It turns out that my father had made the box in 1956 as a high school student in his wood-shop class. Why my Uncle has the box confused me as he and my father had had a falling out some years before my Dad died. As one can imagine the sibling rift was caused by squabbles over care of their elderly father and monies associated with said care. -long story short (and from the perspective of my dad): Grandpa had given my Uncle a large sum of money so that he and his wife could purchase a single-storey house with enough space for Grandpa to come and live with them. Grandpa, it should be said, could no longer successfully climb stairs, so this living arrangement would have been ideal for him. 

I hear the monetary 'gift' story as conditional: Uncle receives $$$ as long as he agrees to purchase a one-storey home. Well, my Uncle and his wife bought a two-storey house with the money they received from my Grandpa. When my Dad heard about the home purchase, he flipped his lid and had Grandpa come live with him instead. While Grandpa was alive, my Uncle and Dad were still in contact, if however sporadically. Afterwards it was crickets between them. Grandpa's belongings, I now find out, were left behind at my Uncle's. This included many family keepsakes and the box that my Dad had fashioned in wood-shop class those many years ago. 

I was a bit perplexed as to why my Uncle would want to keep Dad's box, but don't know how to talk to him about it for fear that he'll tell me he will not relinquish it. I want that box, folks. In the same conversation with my Uncle about family photos (and did I want them), my Uncle then mentioned a turquoise ring an old girlfriend of his had given him back in 1970/71. Apparently, some hippie-type up in Marin Co. had fashioned the ring out of silver & mounted a chunk of turquoise on top. My Uncle told me that he'd given the ring to my father (for some reason) and, boy, did he want that ring back! Spoiler alert: I think I may have the ring as I remember discovering a bit of jewelry among my father's personal affects nearly 20 years ago. If I do have the ring, would it be tacky to make a 'trade' with my Uncle? I don't care about the ring, but I do wish to have something of Dad's in my possession. 

Some of the tidbits from the passel of pictures given to me: 

An orange-hued snap of my Grandpa. Dig the bolo tie!