I step in, and the store is empty, not even a person behind the counter. The jewelry case is there, with a vast array of gleaming pieces calling from under the glass. The jewelry selection here is much larger, and if I’m going to find the brooch anywhere, this would be the place.
Starting at the end of the counter, I examine every piece carefully as I make my way down the counter. I get to the end, and heave a sigh as I don’t find what I’m looking for.
“Oh, hello!” a voice says.
I turn around to see a short, elderly woman has come out from a curtain behind the counter. An old fashioned black and red polka dot Juliet cap covers her white curls, and she wears a green vest with a lady bug brooch pinned to it. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Yes, actually. Have you bought anything like this in the last year or so?” I show her the picture of the brooch.
She slips on a pair of glasses that are attached to a beaded lanyard. After examining the picture for a moment her eyes light up in recognition.
“Oh, I do recognize this! I believe that I added it to my private collection. Be a dear and flip that sign in the window to ‘closed’ and then follow me!” She beckons me as she disappears behind the curtain.
I’m almost hesitant to follow her—you never know what kind of crazy people are—but resolve to do as she says anyway. After flipping the sign I walk behind the counter and move the dusty curtain to the side. There’s a staircase to the left and a small office to the right, which after a peek, reveals itself to be empty.
“Up here, dear!” her voice calls from above.
This is getting weirder by the second, but I am on a mission. Besides, it's not like I couldn’t take on a granny if I needed to. I slowly ascend the steps to find a door propped open. Walking through it reveals an apartment, with antique furniture and windows overlooking the city street below.
“Please, have a seat! There’s a cup of tea on the table for you, please help yourself to the cream and sugar. I’ll be right back with my collection!” She shuffles off, unbelievably quick for her age.
She must be at least eighty.
Unsure of what to do, I take a seat on the old, uncomfortable couch. The tea set on the coffee table looks expensive—porcelain with delicately painted flying pigs on it. I’m nervous to touch it, but I would hate to be rude, so I throw a few sugar cubes in the tea cup and take a sip. I’m not normally a tea guy, and I can only imagine how silly I must look as a big, bald man in a suit sitting on a floral couch sipping tea.
“Alright, here it is,” she says as she shuffles back in with a small wooden box in her hands.
She sits down on the couch beside me and takes the lid off the box. There, amongst an assortment of animal-themed brooches, is the one I’m looking for. Excitement courses through me. I truly didn’t think I’d be able to find it.
Suddenly, the woman narrows her eyes and looks at me. “You’re not the person I bought it from, though.”
“That’s correct,” I say, nodding.
I flip through the pictures on my phone until I find one of Hailey and Landon, turning it to show her. “This would be the woman you bought it from.”
“Yes, that’s her! Lovely girl,” the woman says, lighting up. “How is she doing? My name is Edith by the way.”
She sticks out her little hand, and I softly shake it.
“It’s good to meet you, Edith. I’m Bruce.” I put my phone away and position myself towards her. “The woman's name is Hailey. She’s doing much better. You see, when she sold it to you, she was struggling financially. It’s a family heirloom. Apparently, her great grandfather had it made and engraved for her grandmother. My employer is the man from the picture, and his name is Landon Gould. He’s hoping to marry Hailey, and he’s hoping to surprise her with the brooch during the proposal. He’s willing to pay a great deal of money for it, whatever you’d like.”
Edith’s eyes are wet, filling with tears. Her hand is over heart, moved by the story, apparently.
“That is a lovely story. I understand how hard it is to struggle financially—I had plenty of trouble myself when I was a young woman,” she says, plucking the brooch and a small organza bag from the box. She tucks the brooch into the bag and hands it to me. “I don’t want any money for it. A priceless piece can’t be exchanged for money. The only thing I ask is for you to pass along a message to Mr. Landon, requesting that he and Miss Hailey come to visit me and have some tea.”
My jaw drops at her generosity. How have we gotten so lucky? Moments like this are what convince me that there is still some good in the world. I recover and nod, standing to say my goodbyes.
“You have no idea how much this means Miss Edith. I will definitely pass the message along to Mr. Gould. It was truly great to meet you.”
She leads me back downstairs, flipping the sign on the window back as she passes.
As I open the door to the shop, she calls out one final thing, "You better attend our tea, too! I will be very upset if you’re not there.”
“You can count on me,” I say simply as I step out into the sunlight.
After taking a few steps, I stop, examining the organza bag in my hands. I pull my phone out of my pocket, eager to deliver the good news. He picks up on the second ring.
“Mr. Gould? I have good news.”
The End
