The Chronicles of Us

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As the
last leaves
fell off
of the trees,
I realized
I was
in love
with
Hayes.
But not
the crushing kind,
the real
kind.
I was afraid
to tell him.

The first day
I had
off
of school,
my mother
and I
went to
the mall
since my
mother
took off
of work.
We moseyed
around
the stores,
scavenging
for anything
of our taste.
I retrieved
a few
long sleeved shirts
and a pair
of burgundy pants.
My mother
found a pair
of heels
for an outfit
I found
a bit
too gaudy.
When my mother
had to go
to the restroom,
I saw a
small
jewelry
consignment
shop
hidden
behind
pillars.
I had
an urge
to see
what was
inside.
"Hey, ma?"
"Yes?"
"Could I possibly go look in that consignment shop for a second?"
"Oh, sure."

When
I opened
the door
to the shop,
a frail
woman
with rings
on every finger
approached.
She looked
ghostly
and
strange.
"May I help you, darling?"
She had
a thick
Russian accent
and
dark
red
hair.
I also
noticed
that she had
one
milk white
iris.
I figured
she was
partially blind.
"Just looking."
I said.
"But thank you."
The shop
had
black walls
and
white lights.
If it
weren't
for the
dim lights,
it would have
been
completely
dark
in there.
It also
smelt
dankly
of mildew.
There were
glass counters
filled
with
jewels
and
gold
and
silver.
I scanned
the counters
and could
only see
what looked like
junk.
I looked
at the
last counter
before
I was going
to leave.
Then
I saw
it.
It was
white gold.
So
was the
chain.
A pocket watch,
I had seen
them before
in movies.
It was
aligned
in stars
and
phases
of the moon.
It was
engraved
with beauty.
"Could I see this?"
I asked
the woman.
"Certainly."
She went
to the
other side
of the container.
She put a key
in the keyhole
and turned it.
The back
popped open.
"Which one is it darling?"
She stared
at me
distantly
with her
white eye.
"The pocket watch, please."
"Oh."
She was stunned.
"This watch has been in here for ages. People will take one look at it, gape in its beauty, then cower away. I guess they fear the price."
She took
the watch
in her palm,
then
handed
it to me.
It was cold
in my hand.
I pressed
the button
on the top of it,
and it
opened up
to a
beautiful
clock face
sprinkled
with stars
and
Roman numerals.
It ticked
faintly.
"What is the price?"
I asked her.
"I don't think I have this kind of money."
She pursed
her lips
and pondered
over my words.
"For you,"
she squinted
her eyes
and
studied me
hard,
"I will give it to you for I price of zero."
"Ma'am, I couldn't just take this away from you. This must be worth a fortune. I couldn't do you the favor of lessening your revenue."
"No, no, no. You get the pocket watch,"
she closed
my hand
so the watch
was cupped
within it.
"It belongs to you."
She smiled
at me,
ever so
faintly,
as if it was
the first time
she had done it
in a long time.
"Thank you."
I smiled back.
I turned
to walk away.
Over my shoulder,
I could still
see her smile.

After
my mother
and I
went out to eat,
we came home
and I went upstairs
to my room.
Hayes
was there,
on my bed,
reading
Little Women.
"You liking it?"
I asked him.
"You bet."
He wrapped me
in a hug
and kissed
my lips.
"Tell me what you bought."
He declared,
gesturing
to the
two bags
on my wrists.
"Oh, just a few shirts. A pair of pants, too."
I then
pulled
my necklace
out of my pocket.
He was
dumbfounded.
"What's the matter?"
His jaw
was ajar.
He looked
at the watch
in my hands
as if it was
The Holy Grail.
"Could I hold it?"
He asked me
warily.
I handed
it to him
without
protest.
He studied it,
turning it
over
and
over
in his hands.
"This was my mother's."
He said
without
looking up.
"She gave it to my sister."
"You have a sister?"
"She's supposed to be twenty-two now."
He told me.
"She ran away a long time ago, though. I guess she sold this to buy her plane ticket."
He looked at me
and
smiled
sadly.
"What was her name?"
I asked him.
"Olive."
He placed
the clock
back in my hand.
"Here,"
I gave it
back to him,
"it was your mother's. It's not my right to take it from you."
"It belongs to you now."
He smiled
his
crooked grin.
"My mom would've wanted you to have it anyway."