Who Am I

The Gift - Saturday

Shrugging off my mother's old dress and carefully hanging it up in my miniature closet that my aunt insisted "fit all the clothes a young lady needed," I shrugged into my soft fleecy onsie she had given me as a Christmas present. I sighed peacefully as the soft material rubbed against my skin. I opened my old creaky door and stepped into the dusty hallway, I yawned as I walked down the old stairs.
I turned the corner back to where my aunt was sitting and slumped down on the spot my aunt patted down with her well worked yet nicely manicure hand.
" I think your mother would have wanted you to have this now," My aunt explained in an even tone,"it was given to her when she was about your age by our mother, she explained while heading me the dark box. "I have a similar one which our mother gave me, they were given to her by her mother who they were given to by her mother and so on." Aunt Sage explained while pulling the silver necklace out from the collar of her old cotton shirt. I lifted my head to get a better look at the necklace. My heat skipped a beat and a gasped when I saw the beautiful necklace my aunt was daintily holding between two of her fingers.
"Does...will...um will mine look like that too?" I managed to stammer out.
Aunt Sage smiled and responded," Yours looks much similar and is just as beautiful if not more beautiful than mine."
I looked down at my trembling hands holding a ancient box with a beautiful family heirloom that was being given to me. What did I do to deserve this, I didn't deserve this somebody else should have it, like one of the Barbies at school, not me. Very confused I squeaked out,"b-but why...why me?"
" The necklace had a protection spell blessed upon it, to help keep you safe from...from the dangerous people out there," she kindly explained to me quickly masking the look on her face that showed she hid something from me. I shrugged it off and opened the old clasp on the cherry wood box with trembling fingers. It opened on the smooth hinges, I sharply inhaled once I saw what lay inside, nestled in the crimson velvet covered cushions.
The silver necklace was nestled snugly in the cushioning. The charm in the front was simple a small heart shaped topaz surrounded by crisply cut diamonds leaving a gap between the heart's edges and the circle of tiny delicate diamonds. The charm was strung on a dainty silver chain which was mostly hidden under the smooth cushioning. I timidly lifted up the cushioning to reveal the chain and slowly pulled it out of the boxer was even more gorgeous out of the box, with the chain being not too long but not super short- the perfect length. Aunt Sage reached over her hand and I dropped the necklace into her open palm. Turning so my back was facing her I lifted my hair while she moved the necklace around my neck and clasped it under my hair. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding once the cold metal touch the tender skin on my neck.
Aunt Sage spun me around, took a deep look at the necklace and tenderly said," There child, you look beautiful." Then snuffled. Was she holding back a tear?
"What's wrong Auntie?" I sadly asked, did I look bad in the necklace and had I offended her? I hastily reached for the clasp in the back but stopped when her gentle hands grabbed my forearms.
"Leave it, you look beautiful. It's just you look so much like her when we were young it's sparks so many memories...I'm sorry don't listen to me I just miss her is all," she said tearfully.
"Oh Auntie Sage, it's okay I miss her too and I know it must be hard she was your sister but she's gone and we need to move on." I responded and stood to give her a hug.
After a tearful embrace we finally let go only for Aunt Sage to look at the clock and command me to bed. I headed up the stairs into our 'guest' bathroom, not that we ever had any guests. I brushed my teeth and washed my face, then I went into my room and collapsed onto my tiny bed, the springs protesting under my weight.
     As I lay there I thought about what my parents might have been like. I don't remember them because i was only three when the accident happened but I pictured a loving father who would do anything for his wife and a mother who was like my aunt but more serious who would take me shopping and we would get our nails done.
      While I was drifting off I heard their voices in my mind saying I love you and telling me they were sorry. In my sleepy state I replied," It's okay. I love you too, goodnight." I heard them snicker in reply and I dozed off the rustling us the bushes outside my creaky bedroom window.