in writing...

i have been working on a novel and this is part of it, just a trailer.

I had been seeing it since the day me met. Since then I had always seen it dangling from her  wrist every time. It was there around her slender wrist whether she dressed up jeans, a skirt, a summer dress, a pant suit, very much unlike her shoes that changed as often as ever, like she owned a whole store.  It was not like some very dashy bracelet or something. it was just a charm bracelet rather worn out and clustered with a lot of charms hanging from it. I'd really like to sit someday and look at each one individually and you know, get to know the story behind them…

We didn’t know each other quite so well to do that, although I was looking forward to it. We were basically on friendly terms. What I was really curious about, was the ring. On one of the loops of the charm bracelet hung a ring; a simple gold band with five glistening diamonds set around an emerald. It was really pretty and I'd often seen her twisting it in her fingers nervously, lost as if it took her back in time when she might have got it. The fact that bugged me the most was why she wouldn't just wear such a pretty ring on her finger or maybe in a chain around her neck.

And that evening it annoyed me so much as she put it halfway on her finger then off again, that I asked her outright.

'That’s a pretty ring you've got. But why don’t you wear it?', I asked .

She held my gaze for about five seconds shocked at my question, then held it between her fingers ever so gently and gaped at it. I so her eyes go glossy and a shadow passed her face for a tenth of a second. Just a second.  I was about to apologize for my interference when she spoke.

'It's, um, it's….' she hesitated as she twisted it so the emerald catch the light beautifully ' It's actually…it's kind of complicated…and I am not sure I can…' her eyes were sort of brimming over so I reached and squeezed her hand.

'It's okay if you don’t want to talk about it'

'No…it's just that… it was a, er gift but he made me promise, swear that I' she broke at that and retrieved her hand to wipe the tears 'that I w-wont e-e-ever wear it-t again… some complica…. It's a really l-long st-story' she sobbed.

'Hey, hey, its okay, I tried to calm her down.

She got up suddenly and I stood up too. 'Weren't you staying for dinner? I mean please? I am so sorry about this…'

'I am sorry… I can't I just … I have to go! Next time… maybe' she said grabbing her coat…

I stood there stunned muttering my reply to the empty room. Wondering what was the true story behind that ring… unsaid…untold.

M.