You Did What?

Nancy was nearly 90 and her memory a little rusty.  She had recently phoned me to say she had found an exquisite blue sapphire ring on a recent walk in the park, and asked how she could find the owner.  After some thought I suggested that I could put a notice in the park about the lost ring – not giving too many details in case it attracted the wrong person.  Nancy agreed, and not long after a softly spoken woman called Anna phoned to say she had lost a ring.  She didn't know where she lost it, but she often walked in the park and was just hoping the ring might be hers.  She had described the ring in detail to me and it matched the one Nancy had found.  She said it had very special significance for her because her husband had given it to her and he had recently died.   A week later  I met Anna outside Nancy's house.  Nancy didn't seem to remember that I was to visit with Anna, and offered to make tea.  Over the tea and biscuits Nancy dropped the bombshell : “You know that ring I found , well I was so pleased to meet somebody in the park who said they had lost a ring.   So we walked back to my place and I gave her the ring.  I was surprised she seemed in a great hurry and hardly thanked me”.
Both Anna and myself said “You did what?”, and we knew from the look on Nancy's face that the ring had gone forever.


© Jude McGowan