Thursday, August 1, 2013

The story of the paua shell brooch (Part Three)

In Part One I told you about losing my precious brooch. In Part Two I told you about how I discovered the depth of my mother's love, she who had gifted the brooch to me when I was 16. (This July marked 20 years since she died.)
I also told you how I accepted that the brooch was gone for good.

Early on a winter's morning six months later, the phone rang. It was the elderly man at number 2 Second Street.
"I've found your brooch!' he announced.
He was weeding the mondial grass beside the gate post, and his hand struck something hard. There was the lost brooch, none the worse for wear after all that time in the elements. 'Must be good silver,' he commented.

I raced up First Street, crossed the busy main road, and tripped down Second Street to knock on his door.
I cradled my precious brooch in my hands as he told me how thick the grass was (no wonder I didn't find it despite a search six months earlier), and how he then had to find my notice, which took a while.
On ascertaining that he was a reader, I gave him a copy of my last book, 'Dancing with the Seasons'.

You may think that the story is finished, but there's one more thing. I suddenly remembered what I had done only twenty four hours earlier. Now this may just be a coincidence, but when I think about it a little shiver runs up and down my spine.
You see, I'd been reading about Feng Shui, and discovered that the north eastern corner of my apartment was the success corner. In order to encourage success for my new book, I energised this corner. That was my conscious aim.
But look at the colours I chose: a blue cloth, a green candle-holder, a green plant, and above all, this glass heart that was a present from my dear old school friend.
Do the colours remind you of anything?
Was my unconscious invoking a different kind of success?
Never mind what the answer might be. I have my beloved brooch back. And I have my mother's love enfolding me every day.

9 comments:

Max said...

yayyyyyy! the timing was rather uncanny...

Penny O'Neill said...

What a heartwarming story, Juliet. You make my heart sing with the story, your telling of it here, the outcome, and how all the pieces of the story come together in such an amazing way, full of all of that energy - all in your corner! Wonderful, wonderful indeed.

Juliet said...

* Max, thanks for being there to the end.

* Penny, we must be online at the same time. Isn't that a nice feeling, across the hemispheres? Thank you for participating in the story so fully. It is certainly full of amazement for me.

Anne Ruffell said...

What a wonderful story! I was so upset to hear how you had lost such a precious object and so disappointed when all your efforts to find it came to nil. But how wonderful that the story had such a happy ending ... and I played my little part in it! Your brooch will have even more meaning for you now. How pretty it is too.

I tried to leave a comment at the end of the first part of the story but somehow lost it! It was to mention the lost and found story we know when one of our school friends was "lost" for our first class reunion but "found" for the second. Not only was he found but he also found love again with a classmate. A truly happy ending to the story.

Hotly Spiced said...

I'm so glad the story has such a happy ending! That is incredibly fortunate to have your brooch back after it was missing for so long. Amazing! I can imagine the brooch is now even more valuable xx

Marja said...

What a lovely and amazing story .How wonderful the man found your broch
A wonderful coincidence . The universe works in mysterious ways.

Juliet said...

* Anne, thank you for the reminder of that other lost and found story. I had forgotten about our class mate being lost the first time. Your beautiful blue glass heart is now inextricably linked with the brooch: both gifts of love.
* Charlie, it was an amazing stroke of luck.
* Marja, mysterious ways indeed.

Thank you Anne, Charlie and Marja.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Juliet - what a wonderful story ... and I'm so pleased you have your mother's brooch back.

What a lovely, kind gentleman too - so thoughtful ..

I hope he enjoys your book with the memories of your teacher ... and coincidences do happen for whatever reason and your thought process is very likely to have led to your brooch being recovered ...

Happy vibes coming your way - Hilary

Juliet said...

Glad you enjoyed the story Hilary. You will know how precious these mother memories are. He was a very considerate man, and really went the extra distance to find me. I was so grateful to him.
thanks.