The Diamond (Part I hopefully)

“Oh my God! MY DIAMOND!”

Mom’s voice echoed through the house like a bad scene from my childhood book, “Busby to the Rescue”.

An age-old question rang back, “Where did you see it last?”

Dad barely concealed the anxiety in his voice as he ran through a list of possible places it could be.

Within minutes we were trying to retrace her steps and Swiffering the entire house. Mom was just peacefully taking a bath when she looked down and realized it was gone. The ring was still there, but the clasps were empty. There was really only one place it could be…down the drain.

Too bad replacing the tub costs as much as a new ring.

“It’s my wedding ring!” She sobbed, looking around desperately.

Dad grilled her on every possible location, but to no avail. We’ve been looking for hours now and there’s no sign of the ring. It must be around here somewhere.

At dinner, they told stories of the ring. Mom told us how she had almost swallowed it when dad gave it to her in an ice cream cone.

When she was a little girl she would draw pictures, always of the same thing: a hand with a diamond ring on it. One year my grandfather gave her a plastic one from a vending machine and she wore it every day.

It’s definitely her most prized possession.

Dad said it only had one imperfection, and that’s why he was able to afford such a perfect ring.

Dad said maybe it was better this way.  After all, my aunt had her diamond stolen and swapped with a yellow diamond at a corrupt jewelry store. They weren’t counting on her having jewelry store experience herself.  Still, security ended up making her leave and she didn’t get her diamond back.

Dad tore apart one of the sinks, but found nothing there. We swiffered the whole house, went through the garbage, went through the dog food, cleaned under the sinks. I don’t know where it could be.

Mom says she feels sick. She kept telling dad she was sorry.

She said mournfully, “I feel like the man with all the strings on his fingers from ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ and Jimmy Stewart is standing over me saying ‘I’m not going to jail! Where is it you fool?!?’ ”

Mom said her whole life flashed before her eyes when she saw it was gone. As of now, we’ve taken a little break, but I’m sure dad will want to tear the house apart some more tomorrow, as well as call all the 12 stores we frequented this weekend.

Sigh…It’s always something, eh?

Wish us luck.

(On a positive note, I found the amethyst I was looking for.)