Value

It is a normal summer morning; Miranda is dropping the girls off to grandma’s at 5:00 a.m. while she goes to work. Mom, Marissa said, “why can’t I babysit I am old enough to watch them I am 16 and I can take care of them.” “Marissa” said mom, “I know you are, but this gives you girls time to spend with your grandmother, she loves spending time with you girls, so try and understand.” “We know mom,” said Sara “you say this all the time, but grandma always buy so much stuff and we are always going to all these so-called antique stores.” “Yes,” said Miranda, “your grandmother has an eye for these things, “Marissa and Sara snicker and laugh, both girls say, “antiques yes right.” Marsha the youngest of the girl's yells “yes! Grandma say they are worth a lot.” Be good love you girls,” Miranda blows a goodbye kiss at the girls and waves at grandma who is standing in the door waiting for the girls. Marsha grabs her backpack full of snacks and say, “oh mom I almost forgot it is grandma’s,” but before she could finish speaking, Miranda puts her finger over her lips and says "shhhh," then she drives off.

Grandma is at the door with a big smile, she waves at Miranda as the girls enter the house. While the girls are putting away their belongings, grandma says, “I have a special gift for you girls today.” “Oh yeah,” said Marsha what is it. “You will have to wait until after lunch,” says grandma. “May we have it after breakfast,” Marsha asked, Marsha is the youngest of the three girls she loves going to grandma and all the antiques her grandma collects. “No,” said grandma “after lunch.” After lunch grandma called the girls into the kitchen. “Marsha, Marissa, Sara, would you girls come into the kitchen,” “yes,” grandma said the girls. When the girls got in the kitchen grandma was sitting with her big smile with three little gift-wrapped packages laying on the table.

“I was going to wait until each of you girls turned 18 years of age to give this to you on your graduation day, but I am so excited to give it to you that I decided to give it to you all today. I know you girls are wondering why today well, today is, my birthday, “oh grandma why didn't mom remind us,” “because I asked her not too.” “Well enough about all that, I found these the other day at the antique store, I have added my own spin to it, I hope you girls like it.” “But, grandma said, Marsha, “it’s your birthday we should give you something.” “You girls give me something every time you come over,” said grandma. I know Marissa is old enough to keep you girls and your mother only bring you all to spend time with me and I love you girls for this, so this is my thank you.”

Grandma hands each of the girls a gift-wrapped package; Marissa and Sara look in dismay, Marsha is so happy she can’t stop smiling. As, the girls were opening the packages grandma said, “I want to explain the meaning of each of the gifts and the meaning behind the difference in the colors.” “Marissa” said grandma your book is red, because you find it in you to shine in the midst of hard decisions, I added a blue pearl necklace because I want to remind you it is okay to cry sometimes.” “Sara” said grandma “I gave you the one yellow one because your smile is so infectious, and you do it without trying. I wrapped your book with a pink pearl necklace, because I want to remind you that it is okay to be sad if something hurts you, you do not have to carry the world on your shoulders.” “Marsha” said grandma, “your book is, a little black book, because no matter how much you are told about a situation, I have watched you look deeper to find the good. I wrapped your book with a necklace with a clear white pearl, to remind you to continue to see further than what is in front of you.”

All the girls thanked their grandma and gave her a kiss. “Girls” said grandma, “the pages in the books are empty so you can jot down your thoughts, and girls keep your pearl necklace close they are special. At 6:00 p.m. mom pulled up to pick up the girls they grab their back packs and gifts and run to the car. Marsha never leaves without giving grandma a hug and a kiss. “Marsha” said grandma, remember what I said keep your gift always and your pearls are sacred antiques,” and grandma winked at Marsha, "Marsha said grandma look out for your sisters." While getting into the car, Marissa and Sara said, “mom why did you not remind us that it was grandma’s birthday.” “She asked me not to remind you because she had gifts for you girls, so what was it,” Miranda asked! Marissa said, “I thought it was going to be a bible at first when I held it and realized it was a book, you know how grandma like to read the bible. It was worst a blank book and a necklace with a trinket pearl of some sort.” Miranda asked, “may I see it,” as she looked at it, she told the girls. “who knows it may be worth a lot you know grandma is always shopping at antique stores.

It was one week before school was set to begin, when Miranda had some disturbing news for the girls. “Marissa, Sara and Marsha,” yelled Miranda, “girls I have some bad news, there was an accident the bus Grandma was traveling on going to her end of summer convention went off the road and grandma did not make it. The girls began to cry, Miranda told the girls we must be strong grandma would not want you girls to fall apart. As, time went by as Miranda made funeral arrangements the everyone tried to be strong for Marsha. The day of the funeral Marissa and Sara had decided they would place their necklace in the casket with grandma for her to remember them. Marsha sees the necklaces in the casket with grandma and is very upset and reminds Marissa and Sara that their grandma asked that the keep the necklaces. Marsha said, to both girls, “you never took grandma’s gift serious” and she begins to cry. Before the casket is closed Marsha goes up to say goodbye to grandma one more time.

As, time went on the girls are now grown up and Marsha is twenty-five years old married with a daughter of her own. Marsh and her husband were at a jewelry store picking out a gift for her sister’s birthday, she wanted to give Marissa a bracelet. While at the store the jeweler asked Marsha about the necklace, she had around her neck, “ma’am may I ask where you got your beautiful jewelry around your neck. Marsha smiled and spoke. “my grandmother gave this to me when I was nine, and I promised to wear it forever.” “Where did she get such a piece,” asked the jeweler. “Well,” said Marsha “she always went to antique shops and she gave one of these to me and my two sisters.” “Theirs is a different color than mine,” said Marsha. The jeweler asked, “may I take a look,” Marsha said, “sure” she hands the necklace to the jeweler as he looks with amazement, he tells Marsha, “young lady do you know the value of this piece.” “No,” said Marsha, “my sisters always said I was silly for always believing the things my grandma gave us was of any value.” “Well,” said the jeweler, “in this case they were wrong I cannot be absolute without my appraisal confirmation, but this is very valuable, in fact, I would venture to say it is worth.

About twenty thousand dollars.” Marsha almost fainted, she said, “no way, then maybe my sister’s is worth something also,” her husband holding on to her looked as if he could not believe his ears. The jeweler asked, “could ask your sisters to bring in their pieces to have them appraised.” Marsha said, “my sisters buried their pearl necklace with my grandma, because they said it was for my grandma to remember them, but I know it was because they really thought they were useless junk.” “But, thanks to me I took them out of the coffin when no one was looking, and I have them at home I can bring them to you tomorrow.” The next day Marsha and her sisters went back to the jewelry store, Marissa and Sara did not know what was going on until they got to the jewelry store Marsha only told them she had something she wanted them to see at the jewelry store. As, the jeweler’s appraiser looked over the stone pieces he concluded that the only one of value was Marsha’s. The appraiser said, “the red and yellow stones although beautiful but is not worth anything. Sara said, “I knew Marsha was her favorite.” Marissa said, I do not think grandma had a favorite, but she knew who would really value what she gave to us.” She wanted to give us something valuable and she knew that Marsha would always respect her wishes and she was right.” We would not have the stones today if it were not for the value Marsha put on grandma’s request, that we keep our books to write in and our pearl necklace.”

The End

Written by: Sylvia Stagg