The Brooch

The Peacocks Hand

A unknown chill filled the room as all wondered in curiosity what caused a very outspoken Judge Bloomfurd to be quiet as a peacocks wing on a bed of roses. His silence was bewildering.

"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle." He mumbled, scratching at his head in utter surprise. With a look of profound awe the judge suddenly gazed up as he said.... "Maple Joelle... young miss, do as Mrs. Lexington told... come here child. And bring yo mumma witchu."

In that dark, lowly lit courtroom, Uncle Jeffy released his grip on Maple. Maple stepped from behind the closed gate and reluctantly opened it heading towards her mama. Mama Woods gently grabbed her trembling daughter's hand with eyes of comfort as she replied...

"Let's go..."

It was almost as if the world stopped spinning on its axes and the room was in slow motion. The only thing that seemed to be a hundred miles an hour was the sound and pounding of Maple's heartbeat as she and her mama edged closer to the Judge and Mrs. Lexington, whom both had been standing smack dab right in the middle of that courtroom.

Just before Maple and Mama Woods made their way, Maple looked across like a shooting dart to the board at a very curious, and undoubtedly infuriated Mrs. Crowder's eyes...

Mrs. Crowder puffed in anger, but dare not utter another word. Partly in fear of her mother. And the other part in fear of what was about to be revealed... Lifting her head high, Maple quickly turned away. Her eyes focused forward. She pressed ahead. But fear of the unknown filled her heart to the core..

"Mumma?"

"Just breathe darlin. Just breathe." Mama Woods softly whispered as she firmly held Maple's trembling hand.

Maple did as her mama said. In what seemed like forever they now both stood in front of the judge and a peculiar looking Mrs. Lexington. Maple took a deep breath in. Mrs. Lexington firmly grabbed Maple's hand away from her mama. Without so much as a glimpse to gawk down, Mrs. Lexington managed to stare deep into Maple's eyes, as she placed the crumbled brooch in Maple's hand.

"Look down child." She courageously uttered as she confidently smiled.

Maple, hesitantly looked away from Mrs. Lexington. She once again gazed upon her mama's comforting eyes. She took a deep breath in holding her breath, she slowly gazed down in fear of what her eyes were about to lay upon...

"Okay... here goes." Maple sighed as she mumbled aloud.

It was as if everyone could hear the gulp she made as if a massive lump crept into her throat and sat there like a frog on a log. In fear of what she might see... disappointment perhaps? Maple suddenly shut her eyes and bolted them shut tighter than the promise of superglue, smack dab on Mrs. Crowder's derrière!

"I can't!" She cried. "I can't Mumma! I can't!"

"Maple, my sweet." Mama Woods said grabbing Maple's crimsoned cheeks as only a mother could do. "You can do this. We... can do this. Sides, You have to. For all of us. Baby... open yo eyes."

With the sounds of her Mama's voice echoing in her ears, slowly, but surely, Maple began to loosen her grip. Opening each eye one by one, She peeked down. She finally fully opened her eyes. Just then Maple gasped! Her eyes bulged! And her jaw dropped to the floor as that lantern shined upon that brooch like newfound gold.

She had noticed that the brooch had not been broken into two. Not in the same way as it was first with her unfortunate entanglement with Mrs. Crowder all them years back. It was to her shock, now broken into three puzzling pieces. There was the front, the back, and then there was the middle...

There before her naked eyes appeared an extra backing she had never seen before. In fact it was the original backing that not even Jeffy seen when he fixed the outer layer of the brooch back upon its cover.

In fact it was so well hidden, that the only way that part could ever be seen was for it to be smashed like a hammer to a nail on a glass wall...

There in Maple's soft peach hands there it was...Mama Woods undeniable freedom. Just by these few simple words that appeared engraved on the inside of that precious brooch embedded like words on stone that read...

"To my  forever beloved, Alexia Joelle Hastings. Created by me in the tithe of our endless love. From your loving husband, Julius Matthew Hastings, the first."