Short Story Fiction
The Twice Given Ring
Scott A. Gese
Same woman, same ring, different circumstances
Sabrianna/UnsplashGladys Duncan was 75. She had been a widow for longer than she had been married. Although she loved her husband, after he passed she decided the experience was one she didn't want to repeat. She kept her memories close to her heart and spent her days out in the garden with her beloved flowers. One day as she was using a hoe to work the soil around one of her beloved rose bushes, a bright glimmer of light caught her eye and she was drawn to it.
She stooped down to the ground oh so slowly. Her mind was still strong but her body was beginning to weaken. Going to the ground wasn't as easy as it used to be.
She pulled away the dirt from what had caught her attention. She was surprised to find it was a ring. A large single diamond on a diamond encrusted gold band. After cleaning it off as best she could she worked her way back to her feet and held her new find up to the sun to marvel at its beauty.
“Who do you suppose lost such a magnificent ring and how did it end up in my flower garden? Could they be real diamonds?” She pondered these questions as she took her find into the house.
~~~~~
Twenty-five years earlier
Stephany Peters and her fiancee were walking on a trail in an open meadow. They were arguing.
“How could you have done this to me,” Stephany shouted as she wiped bitter tears from her face.
“It was a bachelor party, Stef. That's what it's all about. One last fling before the ring.”
The comment put Stephany over the edge. “How dare you. Our relationship doesn't start the day we get married. It's in process NOW. If you don't get that, you don't get me.” She ripped her engagement ring from her finger and threw it as far as she could. Her fiancee protested. “Hey, I paid a lot of money for that ring.”
“Well apparently it's worth more to you than I am. Go find it.” Stephany turned and walked away.
Her fiancee looked for the ring to no avail. It was apparently lost forever.
~~~~~
Ten years had passed since that fateful day. The field had been bought by a housing developer. Eventually dirt was moved, houses were built and the ring stayed lost... until Gladys Duncan dug it up.
Later that day her daughter stopped by to visit. Gladys brought out the now cleaned up ring and showed it to her daughter. “Look at what I found in the garden today,” she said as she handed the ring to her daughter, Stephany.
Stephany looked at the ring in amazement. Tears welled up in her eyes.
“It's pretty, but not tear worthy,” commented her mother.
“Mom, you don't understand. I know this ring. Don't you recognize it?”
Gladys took another look at the ring. “No, can't say that I do,” replied her mom.
“Do you remember Richard? The guy I was once engaged to?”
“Oh yes. The one who cheated on you the week before you were to marry him.”
“This is the ring I threw into the field when I broke off my engagement to that lowlife. It was this very field back before all these houses were here. He said he paid several thousand dollars for this ring. He looked for it but never could find it. He tried to get me to pay for it, remember?”
“Oh, yes, now I recall,” replied Gladys.
Stephany handed the ring back to her mother, but she refused to take it.
“Stephany, this ring was once given to you out of lust. It seems only right that It's given to you once again, only this time out of love.”
© Copyright 2024 by Scott A. Gese All Rights Reserved.
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