The Necklace
My eyes opened,it was just me
and the necklace
I stood looking outside the
window,a perfect purple crystal heart
It was like a purple petal,a
pressed butterfly
Or a purple firework making me
gasp
I remember the lavender fields I
once saw outside a plane window
On my holidays
,spiritual,special,so beautiful
I always hoped to find a purple
starfish on the beach
It was like the juice of a
purple berry.I could taste it
My fingers pointing,one day,I
thought
Everyday I went passed that
window,holding on to the coins in my pocket
After paying my rent and buying
scraps of food,I barely had enough to buy
Dancing shoes.I worked as a seamstress,the
hours were long,but with a single
Golden thread I held on to my
dreams and soldiered on
One day when I stepped on the
bus,it was a different driver.
His eyes were blue,his skin was
golden,everyday was a holiday!
I imagined lying next to him,
Watching him breathe
He was always smiling,very
polite,looked like he would be
Good in a fight!Tough and
handsome.I wondered if he had noticed me
I started putting my hair in
ringlets,wearing a little red lip stick
I just didn’t want to get off
the bus!
One day,I found myself alone on
the bus,trying to think of a conversation
Then,the engine stopped,the
lights went out right in the countryside
We were alone,and there were no
mobile phones!
I couldn’t have dreamed a more
perfect situation!
All I had to do now was talk!
‘Hi ,my name is Jasmine,what has
happened to the bus?’
‘I think we have broken down’Hi
my name is Jake’
‘What can we do now?!I said
‘We may have to walk to the
nearest house or farm,it may be a few miles!’
‘Oh,dear’I said.We both laughed
and smiled
He said ‘here take my hand ,I think
there’s going to be mud’!
I thought if we both fell in the
mud,it wouldn’t be so bad!
The Stars
But the stars didn’t fail us,in
secret,I held up my hand to wear them
I came across some purple
violets in the field and remembered that crystal heart.
We were both lost and really
cold.
I suggested we made a fire,I had
so many butterflies but I think he felt it too.
The flames were high and we
slowly kissed.
His hands around my waist
When the noon came,so did the
sun
Oranges and lemons in the
sky,and a strawberry patch, yum!
We decided to have a walk,and we
were holding hands!He kept putting my
Hair behind my ear.There were
rabbits jumping and they showed no fear.
Then we saw a house.
It was a charming house with a
pink blossom tree in the front garden.
We knocked on the door,an old
lady appeared.
I said ‘Hi my name is Jasmine’
He said ‘And my name is Jake’
‘We
are sorry to disturb you but we are lost!
Could
we possibly use your telephone?!’
The
old lady said ‘Certainly’ ‘Come inside’
‘I’ll
put some logs on the fire and boil the kettle’
She
was so kind
We
stepped in the house and shared a moment
Jake
said ‘I better telephone the bus station and tell them what has happened’
He
said ‘Excuse me Mrs……?
The
lady said ‘My name is Mrs Bowness’
‘What
is your address?
She
handed us a cup of tea and then said ‘My address is 13 Swift Avenue.
Jake
‘Do you have a map?
Mrs B
‘Erm,yes I think so’
‘We
need to locate the bus!!!For the breakdown truck to tow back into town!’
We
all laughed!!
I
didn’t find it too much of an ordeal,spending the night totally drunk on Jake
but
I did
fear he would leave it as a fling.
When
the bus was back at the station,I didn’t need to fear,he said
‘Don’t
go too far,I know where you live’!!!
The next
morning,he called round!Infact he called again!
We
got really close,went for walks in the countryside and visited Mrs Bowness!
She
became a friend.We often took a bottle of wine and chatted into the night.
One
day we were passing the jewellery shop and that purple heart necklace was still
in the window!
I
wasn’t deluded,we had very ordinary jobs,barely enough for our own little
house.
One
evening,I was getting ready for a night at the theatre.Mrs Bowness had given us
the tickets as a
thankyou
for planting her some violets in the garden.
And
then it happened,Jake presented me with a box,a large velvet box!
I had
tears in my eyes,I coundn’t believe he had managed it,remembered it even!
A
purple heart necklace.
Jake
said ‘it’s just on loan’
‘I
have to take it back tomorrow’
It
was wonderful.I sat in a box with a pair of posh glasses and felt like a real
lady.
However,the
next morning Jake was looking worried,he said ‘Jasmine,we have to go away’
‘But
why,what’s wrong?’
‘I
didn’t borrow the necklace’
‘I stole
it’
‘But
why’?
‘I
wanted you to look and feel like royalty’
‘Oh,no
where can we go?
‘Do
you think the police know?’
‘Yes,they
might we have to run’
So
Jake and I boarded the train to Europe.We thought we could sell the necklace
and live
On
the money we made,keeping our heads down.
All
of a sudden,the train began to violently move.We looked at each other,as in
slow motion,
The
train put on its breaks and our carriage fell to the ground.
We
didn’t make it to Europe.
All I
could hear was people shouting for help and screaming.I looked up and the train
had
Completely
come off it’s tracks.Carriages were scattered across the line and nearby
fields.
I
could smell fumes.I saw the train was on fire and quickly sat up.
I
said ‘Jake,Jake’ ‘Where are you’?
I
started to cry as I searched for him.
The
sky was black with smoke and the ground was a red watercolour,swimming.
I
heard the ambulances and fire trucks arrive but I still couldn’t find him
I
walked around the dead and injured and I began to think,what if fate had
intervened,
What
if…Then I saw purple in the light reflecting,it was my necklace and Jake was
holding on to it
Tightly,barely
breathing.
He
began to speak,
‘Take
this necklace and think of me’
My
tears hit the ground and I realised I was all alone.I let go of his hand and
took the necklace
But
it was broken and I lost the heart,just like I had lost his.
