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Beyond the Western
The Twice Given Ring
Scott A. Gese
She ripped her engagement ring from her finger and threw it. Image source: Unsplash
She had received the ring twice in her life. Once out of lust and once out of love.
Beyond the Western
A glimmer of light caught her eye and she was drawn to it.
The old woman stooped down to the ground oh so slowly. Gladys Duncan, 85 and widowed, she spent her days with her beloved flowers. At her age things don’t work like they used to, including her knees. Going down wasn’t too bad. It was the return trip that gave her the most trouble.
She dug the dirt away from the sparkle that caught her attention. It was a ring. A ring with a big diamond sitting right on top. After cleaning it off as best she could she worked her way back into an upright position and held her new find up to the sun to marvel at its beauty.
“Who do you suppose lost such a magnificent ring and how did it end up in my flower garden? Could it be real?” she wondered out loud.
~~~~~
Twenty-five years earlier Stephany Peters and her fiancee were walking on a trail in an open meadow. They were arguing.
“How could you have done this to me,” Stephany shouted as she wiped the tears from her face.
“It was a bachelor party, Stef. That’s what it’s all about. One last fling before the ring.”
The comment put Stephany over the edge. “How dare you. Our relationship doesn’t start the day we get married. It’s in process NOW. If you don’t get that, you don’t get me.” She ripped her engagement ring from her finger and threw it as far as she could. As she began to walk away her fiancee protested. “Hey, I paid a thousand dollars for that ring.”
“Well apparently it’s worth more than I am to you. Go find it.”
He looked but it seemed to be lost forever.
~~~~~
Ten years later the field had been bought by a housing developer. Dirt was moved, houses were built and the ring stayed lost…until Gladys Duncan dug it up.
Later that day her daughter stopped by to visit. Gladys brought out the now cleaned up ring and showed it to her daughter. “Look at what I found in the garden today,” she said as she handed the ring to her daughter, Stephany.
Stephany look at the ring in amazement. Tears welled up in her eyes.
“It’s pretty, but not that pretty,” commented her mother.
“Mom, I know this ring. Don’t you recognize it?”
“No, can’t say that I do,” replied her mom.
“This is the very ring I threw into this field when I broke off my engagement to that lowlife, Richard. Back before all these houses were here. He said he paid a thousand dollars for this ring. I’m glad he never found it. Served him right.”
She handed the ring back to her mother, but she refused to take it.
“It was once given to you out of lust. Seems only right that It’s given to you once again, only this time out of love.”
© Copyright 2019 by Scott A. Gese All Rights Reserved.
