The Stolen Heirloom

I was tending to my rose bushes near the front porch at the break of dawn. Sleep is questionable when my mind keeps issuing warnings that I cannot avoid. I couldn't stop thinking about the type of surprises I'd be up to when he returned. Out of habit, I soothed my mind by working on the rose bushes, the only plant I was granted permission to plant.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I jumped out of my skin when I heard a thump. "Did he come early?" I panicked and peeked to see a drone ascending from dropping off a cardboard box on the porch.

I looked at it open-mouthed, still shivering from shock! We've never had a box delivered to our house by a drone. In 7 steps, I walked close to the box and bent down to examine it! It was addressed to us, but with my name on it!

I'm not allowed to communicate with my friends or accept invitations without his permission! So no letters or gifts for me!

Delivery before 6 a.m. is not normal. I dropped the box and looked around uncertainly. I was hoping to see if the one who delivered the box was anywhere to be seen in the overgrown trees that fence our house!

I heard the 6 o'clock alarm set off and ran inside the house, waiting to answer his call.

He says he’s a man of discipline, only when it comes to scheduling my day. He also keeps a journal where he writes all the chores I have to complete daily.

I got a call as expected.

"Hello?"

"It's me."

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"Cleaning."

"Don't step out of the house, even if your life depends on it, understand?"

I know that voice and disobedience can cost me my precious time with my boys.

"Yes"

After a few seconds, he said that he needed to get ready to awaken the kids. He said not to enter his room I.e. into our room with an attached bathroom. I'm not allowed to use it, I mean the bathroom.

I brought the box in and sat on the carpet in our living room! Excited and hopeful, 2 emotions I’ve never felt in the 14 years of my marriage! I rubbed my palms together and opened it to find a black velvet jewelry box!

"What the...."

"Oh my goodness, who would send me a jewelry box?

I rechecked the address and confirmed it was addressed to me alright! Giggling I opened the jewelry box

I saw a beautiful necklace, precious stones with an intriguing matrix, and three beautiful penny-sized luxe blue diamonds, surrounded and scattered by flawless, unblemished pearls. It was surreal that my heartbeat accelerated.

Who would send me a valuable gift? I've never been that significant to anyone!

The only piece of jewelry I was allowed to wear was his ugly wedding ring. He didn’t want me to lose his jewelry so one year into our marriage he gifted all the jewelry including a few precious jewels mom owned to his sister! That’s the last time I spoke to him.

There was a piece of A4 paper attached to the lid of the box with sellotape. I took it off and opened the folded paper. There was a handwritten letter written to me.

Hi Eliza!

This is your mother's necklace!

They are real gems. I gasped and dropped the paper to properly look at the necklace. As a girl whose mother's life was stolen by a stolen necklace, I looked at it with intrigue! After staring at it for ages with awe, wonder, and anger squirming inside my insides. Curious, I took the letter back!

This necklace belongs to you, now!

You would have heard different types of tales about the lost necklace from different types of people & I'm sure those stories by now would have been marred with anger, jealousy, envy, and all types of negative emotions people wanted to unleash either on your mother or me!

I'm telling you my side of the story because you deserve to know the truth. I deserve a chance to tell you my side of the story! My truth.

The only thing that I ask of you is to PLEASE read this letter until the end.

Your mother owned a beautiful heirloom necklace passed down to her from the paternal side of her family.

Even though your mother was an outcast in her own house because she divorced her suspicious, untrustworthy husband! She was allowed to keep it since your grandma wouldn't have it any other way! She stood by the rules as she always does and made sure I was sidelined at every party she attended! After all, she’s a mother!!!! She did her best to exclude me from the guest lists of many of the distinguished elite society parties! Even though I had more money! She comes from an old and powerful family!

I might have deserved it!

Okay,

This is what happened.

I met your mother for the first time at a party hosted by your grandmother. She was a timid thing keeping to herself in the corner. Her mother made a great effort to make her speak to the guests, and ever the obedient daughter, she did as she was told! Your grandmother was a wonder to look at; she ruled with an iron fist!

That was the first time I saw the necklace. Your mom wore it. It was a piece of art... Many people said it didn't suit her like it did her mother. I'd say it was as rare as her personality!

We became fast friends and of course, your grandmother never approved of it! Once I asked to borrow the necklace for a business function and she naively said yes!

One of the contracts my husband had been rooting for, for years was awarded to him. He linked his success to the necklace his wife wore, an heirloom that we did not own! That spineless bastard!

He was convinced it was because of the lucky necklace! So, when your mother asked for the necklace, I was forced to refuse!

He bought a glass box to display it and the first and last thing that he saw was that necklace! He acted as if he was possessed whenever I brought up the topic of returning the necklace.

A month later your mom called me again and pleaded with me to return it. My husband accused her of giving it to an ex-lover and slandered her character. That was all that was left of her!

She gradually confined herself to her house. I heard your aunt cheated her into signing the documents to loan your mother's home.

I got news once in a while through servants that your mom was treated badly! I had my first heart attack from guilt when someone I trusted told me your mom fainted on the way home from grocery shopping. She had been starving for the past few days!

When my husband heard about it, he banned me from gossiping. For a long time, I wasn't allowed to speak to anyone without his knowledge. He appointed a servant to keep an eye on me 24/7. I was a prisoner in my own house.

I told myself that my husband loved me, but he didn't want me to return the necklace. He borrowed it from me and tried it on his mistress. Fortunately for me, the necklace brought only bad luck for him, whenever she wore it! So he was forced to keep his mistress where she belonged locked in a high-security luxury apartment!

11 years 11 months and three days after my first heart attack my husband, then 51 years old, was seriously injured in a car accident. He was on his way home from his mistress. Someone said he had a bastard child. But that's not my problem.

I am finally free. I got the green card to start my life all over again when the doctor informed me there is no chance he will get back up!

I took a long breath of life. Free after a decade of confinement.

It was he who chose me for the vast expansion of estates and my father's million-dollar company when he had previously been a beggar. My father's choice! The only time he did anything for the company was finalizing the contract at that Business Function. It was insane to think people would grant him contracts just because I wore an heirloom that didn't belong to me. He never had any confidence in himself.

I told the doctor that all medical bills and aftercare would be covered by the company. I instructed his secretary to call his mistress to be by his side and then take him to their house as my doors are permanently closed for him.

That was the last day I saw him crippled and confined to a bed!

My prayers were finally answered!

In the next few weeks, I fired his secretary and took control of the company. It was easier than I thought because all the documents were in my name & my lawyer already had a divorce lawyer ready for me!

Even though my dad didn't believe I could run his company, he always had a backup plan. In his final days, he asked me to work as an assistant for his best friend for a year. Even though I wanted to continue my husband unleashed his siblings on me! They had a vicious tongue that could make or break a person!

I sent my lawyers to his apartment a month later. I gave him the choice of being satisfied with his four-bedroom luxury apartment, his least favorite car, and his collection of watches, pens, and cufflinks worth millions. He showed no restraint in granting me a divorce as he probably didn’t want his dirty linen washed in public. Having obeyed his request, I asked him not to force me to publish the video with his secretary! Now I run my business and estate on my own.

In my quest to find my freedom back, I completely forgot about returning the necklace!

I wanted to meet you in person but I am not sure you will want me to. After all, I am the reason your mother died so young. I still carry the guilt of inflicting unnecessary pain on your mother.

The only thing I can say to you is that I regret borrowing her necklace! In my quest to wear that necklace at least once, I forgot to see the beauty of the one wearing it!

I'M EXTREMELY SORRY!

There are no words to express my apology to…

Uncontrollable tears fell onto the paper. Crying louder, I stopped seeing and tore the paper into pieces!

I fell onto the carpet, hugging myself!

My mother and I were huddled on a teak bed, a polished surface with no mattress, so we used mama's old clothes for pillows.

One day I asked her about the necklace, and I heard my aunt chastise her about it! Calling her a disgrace to the family and asking her to leave with the young demon! I always wondered who that was!

"Will we get back your necklace ma?"

"No"

"Grandma says it's yours?"

"Not anymore"

"What if you get it back?"

For the first time, I saw her eyes red with anger. She said, "I will break it into pieces and put it in the ocean!"

“Mama?’ I was shocked as I had never seen her so angry before. Not even when my aunt didn't give her food for a day for breaking the cookie jar. Even though she knew it was me who broke it!

“But grandpa said it was worth buying 10 houses!”

Mom looked at me for a long time, her eyes brimming with tears and a half-hearted smile she said "Okay, let's see….what must we do about it…..she stopped speaking for a dramatic effect.

“Mama?” I whined.

“I will go to several popular jewelry stores and ask them to price the necklace and sell it to the highest bidder! I won't tell anyone about it. Except you! Only after I consult a lawyer, who aunt Mary (mamas best friend) recommends I will sell the jewelry and buy a house with a big garden for my princess to play...."

“And a bed with a mattress?”

“That too” She hugged me tight my head on her shoulder

“New frocks?”

“freshly baked cookies like cousin Ann gets to eat?

"A room of my own?”

I remember sleeping peacefully that night.

The next day, I woke up to the maid banging on the door of the store room. My mom always wakes up before dawn and doesn't allow anyone to disturb my sleep.

I sleepily shook my mom, "Mama?"

The only thing I remember of that day is that she was finally smiling in her sleep, resting in peace!

It was noon by the time I recovered.

I took a quick shower and headed to Aunt Mary's house on a bus for the first time in my life! I was more or less confined to a place all my life! However, I didn't realize it until now.

I took a seat by the window. My life was confined to a cramped storeroom until I was old enough to leave. I was given in marriage to a man who was 14 years older than me when I was around sixteen.

I'm thirty now and have five boys! They are the only reason I’m alive.

I was always treated as a table, chair, and most of the time like a mop, often as his toy and a sounding board when angry! His temper is skyrocketing! And he’s out of control these days, and my boys have started to notice it.

The only reason I'm out now is that he's on holiday with the kids.

By the time I got off the bus, I had already made up my mind. My sons must see a strong mother. I walked 52 steps and turned into a private lane. And I reached the black gate in 71 steps, knocked on the door, and rang the bell wringing my hands together, as was my habit.

Aunt Mary opened the door, stared at me for a long time, and hugged me tightly crying.

"I was worried about you, Eli baby"

"Thanks for giving me the paper with the bus route details and the directions to your home. I remember it by heart."

"I'll never forgive myself for not stepping in to help you"

"You did! I'm here because of it"

"Does your promise to help me still stand?"

"Of course! Before we continue, I have some leftover cookies I made for Steven"

And she hurried inside.

I kept my head on her lap while she kept patting my head and saying soothing words. I cried my heart out! After a few minutes of enjoying her warmth, I showed her the jewelry box. When she opened it, her eyes mirrored mama. Her hands trembled, and her eyes turned red with angry tears. I repeated Mama's instructions. This time I asked her to keep it a secret from my husband and the rest of my family!

She nodded and called Steven.

He came out with a teasing smile. It stopped the instant he saw me. I consciously tucked my white-streaked hair behind my ears. He sat beside me, took hold of my hands, and laughed teasingly.

"Those eyes are worth dying for"

"Steven," I said, not able to conjure a smile.

Aunt Mary said, “I've already spoken to a divorce lawyer!”

“But,”

“All you have to do is come with me. Everything is either done or needs to move forward."

I nodded.

"I have faith in you. I want to make things easier for myself and my children."

She held me while tracing the scar she helped bandage, the day she wrote me the instructions on that paper! When I was expecting my first child!

******

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Umrah Rdiya.