The woman swiftly pocketed the gem, whispered hushed thank you and goodbye and hustled out of the shop. Once in the alley she again danced her way around the clutter and made her way out onto the main street where shoppers continued in the bustle of the holiday season. She allowed herself to be swept away in the flow of the crowd and soon disappeared from sight. The grey sky above her blew in menacing clouds as if in warning of what stood to happen that holiday season.
The woman hurried all the way to her apartment where she stopped to check her mail and then quickly climbed the stairs to the second floor where her small home was located. After rummaging through her purse for the key, she let herself into the comfort of home.
The apartment did not meet the eye as though someone lived in it regularly. A thin layer of dust covered most surfaces and the answering machine flashed indicating several messages had been left since it was last checked. The young woman, in the privacy of her apartment, allowed herself to relax and move at a much slower pace than that which she had traveled through town. She leisurely removed her coat which she draped over a dining room chair and sank into an armchair just a few feet away.
Her day had been trying from the moment she awoke earlier that morning. She had taken the day off of work to be sure she’d have time to make it to the apothecary’s shop before it closed. The man behind the counter was not the man she had expected to see, but thankfully he had been informed of her arrival and knew that the gem was to be given to her that day. Unlike his partner, however, he did not give her the instructions of what to do with it; instead he recited some stupid poem that helped her in no way whatsoever.
The woman had received a call the previous day from the owner of the shop informing her that she was to come in and would be given an item of most importance. That was all she knew, but the urgency in the man’s voice had told her she must listen, so she did.
Now she sat curled up in the armchair fingering the dazzling blue gem pondering why she was given it. Other than its size, nothing about the gem seemed especially valuable. Its color was rich but varied in spots which reduced the selling value greatly. It was chipped in spots which proved that it was certainly not a diamond. No matter how many times the woman examined the jewel, she could find no reason for having it.
The man she’d spoken with on the phone and the man she’d interacted with in the shop must have had a miscommunication about what stone she was to be given. The woman would just have to return to the shop and give back the gem explaining the mishap. Surely the original man would understand and give her the correct jewel and some instructions on what she was to do with it.
The woman hurried all the way to her apartment where she stopped to check her mail and then quickly climbed the stairs to the second floor where her small home was located. After rummaging through her purse for the key, she let herself into the comfort of home.
The apartment did not meet the eye as though someone lived in it regularly. A thin layer of dust covered most surfaces and the answering machine flashed indicating several messages had been left since it was last checked. The young woman, in the privacy of her apartment, allowed herself to relax and move at a much slower pace than that which she had traveled through town. She leisurely removed her coat which she draped over a dining room chair and sank into an armchair just a few feet away.
Her day had been trying from the moment she awoke earlier that morning. She had taken the day off of work to be sure she’d have time to make it to the apothecary’s shop before it closed. The man behind the counter was not the man she had expected to see, but thankfully he had been informed of her arrival and knew that the gem was to be given to her that day. Unlike his partner, however, he did not give her the instructions of what to do with it; instead he recited some stupid poem that helped her in no way whatsoever.
The woman had received a call the previous day from the owner of the shop informing her that she was to come in and would be given an item of most importance. That was all she knew, but the urgency in the man’s voice had told her she must listen, so she did.
Now she sat curled up in the armchair fingering the dazzling blue gem pondering why she was given it. Other than its size, nothing about the gem seemed especially valuable. Its color was rich but varied in spots which reduced the selling value greatly. It was chipped in spots which proved that it was certainly not a diamond. No matter how many times the woman examined the jewel, she could find no reason for having it.
The man she’d spoken with on the phone and the man she’d interacted with in the shop must have had a miscommunication about what stone she was to be given. The woman would just have to return to the shop and give back the gem explaining the mishap. Surely the original man would understand and give her the correct jewel and some instructions on what she was to do with it.
