Monday, July 13, 2009

The Locket

At seven years of age, I thought life, as I knew it, was over. I had been torn from my happy island home in Jersey and thrust into a strange school in a strange country where I was bullied and shoved and ridiculed for my English accent and my shy ways. My first impression of Canada was that it was a living hell.
I didn't know I had an accent until some rude kids kindly pointed it out to me. I figured out that I better lose the accent, the quicker the better.The shyness was harder to overcome.
One day,as I was wending my way home, sniveling and crying,tears leaving trails on my grubby little face, I saw something lying on the sidewalk in plain sight.
It sparkled.I picked it up and saw that it was a small silver locket. No chain was attached. It was heart shaped and had tiny flowers cunningly carved around a smaller heart in the centre. It winked at me and I felt as though I had been given a present.
I had never owned a piece of jewellry. My parents probably thought it was a waste of time to give anything so valuable to a seven year old. It turned out to be not very valuable at all but I did not know that. It looked like the crown jewels to me.It had a little 'M' scratched inside. My middle name started with M. I suddenly felt a little surge of happiness. I buffed the locket on my sleeve and it glowed back at me as if to thank me.
I put it in my pocket and walked on, stopping every twelve steps, exactly, to take it out and look at it. It made me smile. I had a locket and I was going to take it home and put a picture of my dad on one side and a picture of my dog ( a mangy old mutt that I had adopted) on the other. Then, when I got that sad and so lonely feeling at school, I would take out my locket and open it and look at the pictures and I knew I would feel so much better.That night, I placed the locket very reverently in my music box,which was the only other thing of value that I owned.
The next morning, I put the locket on a piece of string and wore it around my neck under my clothes. I didn't need to show it off. I could feel the warm metal bounce against my chest as I walked. When I had a stressful day or that bully started taunting me, I would take out my locket and look at the pictures inside and feel close to home and safety. It worked. I felt so much happier.The locket threw a protective force field around me of warmth and love and all the bad things that happened in my day just bounced off the force field. My life improved gradually. Of course, it was the power of the locket.
My luck improved too.There was no end to the powers of the locket. I had a champion. Our landlord, a very nice, redheaded, freckle faced Scotsman took pity on me when he observed the schoolyard bully and his entourage taking pot shots at me. He came over and grabbed the bully by the scruff of the neck and took him away to have a little talk with him. I was never bothered by the bully again. And, my champion often strolled past the schoolyard and stopped and pointed meaningfully at my tormentor,who seemed to shrink and shrivel under his gaze. The entourage also melted away and I was left to my own devices,which I much preferred.
I started wearing my locket on the outside of my clothes and some of the other girls admired it enviously. I told them my uncle loved me very much and he gave it to me. He was going to buy me a chain for my birthday. I didn't feel that I was lying. It was important to keep the secret of the locket to protect the magic.
The locket protected me for years. I never got a chain for it. I used to carry it in my pocket. It was always with me. I guess I was in grade eight when I noticed it was missing. I was sad, but not too sad because I didn't need it any more. I had established myself and was fairly popular. I could draw and paint quite well and the kids were impressed with that. I could also play the violin and they thought that was pretty cool.
I guess I kind of forgot about the locket over the years. I graduated from high school and went to art college, I married and got pregnant. One day, I was setting up a nursery for my son and I decided to pull out my old music box to see if it still worked. It had played a lovely waltz by Strauss and I thought the baby might enjoy it. The music box was dulled with time and travel and I polished it vigorously. It rattled. I opened it and saw nothing, so I lifted the floor of the box to look at the workings inside.
Wedged against the the little metal scrolls was a tarnished heart shaped thing. I felt my eyes well up and a couple of tears insisted on falling for that little girl of long ago who had suffered cruelly and then found herself, with the help perhaps, of a passing angel, who dropped a little silver locket filled with magic especially for her to find.
Thankyou 'M'.

33 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:55:00 PM

    So glad you found the locket to have something to hold on too.I know it was hard to be taken away from a safe place you had known your whole life to come to a strange place,it was great the locket made you feel safe.
    With my large family,I know how it feels to feel along as a small child,it's a very lonely world,I know , I been there. But just look at us now.

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  2. Anonymous5:01:00 PM

    How is Brian doing? I hope he stayed home and off his foot.How are you holding up? What's Nana up to? Did you get some rest? I had a so-so day,nothing to brag about,I truly hope your day is going better than yesterday.

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  3. Today was prety good.Nana is in a good mood.Brian went to work but he seems okay.He took a pair of crutches with him.I'm just going to check the wound.

    Maxy recovered from eating whatever he found outside and is his old self again.Yesterday was just one of those days.And,I couldn't keep those twins from arguing.The twins and I put on puppet show for the family and half way through they just fell on each other and started punching and kicking.

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  4. Anonymous6:16:00 PM

    I am so glad your day went good.I hope Brian don't push it to much,just go in and be boss,I know he is a hands on kind of guy.
    My Jakey may be small,boy he sure has spunk,my kinda man.Glad Nana is in great spirits,and Maxy is better. What a beautiful "LOCKET".

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  5. I couldn't find a picture to match my locket so I changed the description a bit.I have it right here in front of me,it has flowers and leaves all over it.

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  6. It was weird that an inanimate object would turn me around like that.I guess I was ready to change and the locket just gave me a little push.A word of encouragement from someone probably would have done the same.

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  7. Anonymous6:52:00 PM

    Kids need something to hold on to,You felt along,didn't know any kids,strange place and some kids can be so cruel. But you did alright,just look at you now.Have to run down to the house will be back shortly.LUV...PIc...NEE

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  8. Anonymous10:16:00 PM

    Hi..everyone is in bed but one,he's playing with my shoes,I have done everything and this child won't go to sleep.
    How is Brian feeling?

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  9. Anonymous10:20:00 PM

    I have two posts in draft that's ready to go.

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  10. Anonymous10:29:00 PM

    Did Brian stay at work all day? Did he drive or get a tech to come pick him up?

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  11. I'll put up your posts.Maybe he wants you to sing to him.

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  12. Brian drove himself I knew he would.Idiot.

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  13. Anonymous10:32:00 PM

    Thankyou Gilly just wants to play.

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  14. The wound looks clean and no red streaks,thank goodness.

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  15. Does Gilly often have trouble sleeping?

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  16. Anonymous10:35:00 PM

    I hope he don't over do it.I just worry about our men,they think they know everything and when push come to shove,they are such big babies.

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  17. I'm sitting here doodling a picture of you and Gil and Kids.I may just put it up on the blog.I'll have to color it to make it show up.I'll do it some other time I can't see too good at the moment.
    So, did you have an interesting day?

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  18. Anonymous10:39:00 PM

    No,he sleeps good, I was away most of the day and dad babysit.

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  19. Is dad a good babysitter?Did you find a housekeeper yet?

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  20. Anonymous10:42:00 PM

    Yes,and it was funny,this lady told me she didn't do kids or windows.I told her I didn't let people waste my time and thanked her for stopping by.[giggles]

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  21. Great comeback honey.I guess she left in a hurry.

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  22. Anonymous10:48:00 PM

    Yes dad is a great babysitter.
    I am looking at 2.I hope they can pass the drug/background tests.It is hard to find any that can pass.Nan told me to ask Human Resources on the boat for some of the housekeepers that wre laid off.

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  23. Anonymous10:54:00 PM

    The hotel staff is great workers,I didn't think of that.
    The post cartoon I put up with the baby crying and you put up bad ass baby. Don't you think I look like that cartoon?

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  24. I didn't get much rest today.Every time I nodded off,the phone rang.So I have to sign off early tonight.

    They have put Nana on Digoxin.I'm not sure of the spelling.It is highly toxic and has a lot of side effects, but it slows her heart down because it is racing all the time.She won't let them implant a pacemaker to regulate it.She agreed to this one thing because the racing heart won't let her sleep.She has developed every side effect in the book.I'm trying to keep her on it for a while .The reactions may wear off.But she is giving me a hard time and doesn't want to keep taking it

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  25. Anonymous11:05:00 PM

    You know I worry about you also.
    I know you need to rest your eyes and your body also.When you read my post Southern Charm, you will understand that you need to rest.

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  26. I can't remember what the lady looked like.Ill have to go to the archives and look.

    I haven't made the cartoon look like you.I was just doodling,but it's still cute.

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  27. Anonymous11:10:00 PM

    We need to sign off so you can get some rest,the phone will not ring.
    I can always leave you notes. so I want to go and suggled up to the rock,You just don't realize how tired you really are..."OKAY" young lady.

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  28. The name Southen Charm sounds intriguing.I look forwaard to reading it.

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  29. Anonymous11:12:00 PM

    All your cartoons are cute...I am honored...It's after 12 your time,it's time for you to say goodnite.

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  30. Anonymous11:15:00 PM

    HA!!! I am a bossy heifer, with my musty butt.

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  31. You know what honey I am going to take your advice and snuggle up to the old 'Rock'.

    Looking up the hotel staffers is a great idea,They have been properly trained and you probably already have a background check on them.Good luck with that.

    Goodnight my dear friend.Thankyou for understanding.I will post your articles first.

    Goodnight Nee and goodnight Gilly...luv to both of you..J

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  32. Anonymous11:22:00 PM

    I care very much about the few friends I have,and I don't mind telling whats good for them and hope they do the same for me..I am youngest sister in the family but if you and the rest don't do as I say I will cry .

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  33. Anonymous11:24:00 PM

    Goodnite sweetie ,see you tomorrow.
    Luv...PIC....NEE

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