Spot Learns about Diamonds

Paul started bringing Cindy home with him from college, when he came to visit some weekends. The first time he brought her home, was after they had been dating for about six months, and we could tell that Cindy was quite nervous. She was shy and didn’t really talk much, unless we talked to her first.

Spot finally broke the ice. He came running up to her, tail wagging, and put two muddy paws in her lap.

“He only does that to people he really likes,” Mom told her, laughing.

After the initial awkwardness subsided, Cindy really felt like a member of the family. She started to be around for all the holidays, and would come with us for our family vacations.

Paul and Cindy were a really good fit. Cindy seemed to be more realistic and practical. Our family knew Paul needed someone like Cindy to keep him grounded. I also think Paul’s adventurous side was a benefit for Cindy. They would tell me about all the wild adventures they would have, including ski diving!

That is why, it came as no surprise to our family, when Paul called us one Wednesday night and told us he was going to propose to Cindy when they came to visit us that weekend.

Mom gave a little shriek, she was so excited. She started asking all sorts of questions, really fast. Spot caught onto her energy and started barking excitedly. Dad and I were also excited, and asked Paul about the ring he picked out.

“It’s actually a lab-made diamond,” Paul said.

Being in my second year of engineering school, my brain was starting to be trained to ask questions about everything.

“A lab-made diamond? How does that work?” I asked.

“Well,” Paul began, “the way it was explained to me at the jewellery store, is that they are made in a lab. The manufacturers, or scientists, whatever you want to call them, have a carbon source that is similar to the carbon source that is in the ground for natural diamonds. They then expose the carbon source to conditions that are meant to replicate the underground conditions that produce natural diamonds.”

“What kind of conditions are these? How can they be replicated in a lab?” I asked.

“What the jeweller told me, is that they have to expose the carbon source to very high pressure, and very high temperature. If I remember correctly, the temperature needed is over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit!” Paul explained.

“Wow! That must be enough to melt the carbon!” I exclaimed.

“Oh definitely,” Paul said. “I think that’s the point. The carbon melts, and then through something called nucleation, the diamond starts to form.”

“You remembered all that information?” I asked, incredulous. Paul had never been one to care about science.

“Well they gave me a little pamphlet to explain the manufacturing process. I had questions about why the lab-made diamond would be nearly as expensive as the natural one!” Paul said.

“Wait, why wouldn’t it be cheaper?” I asked. At this point, I could see Mom, Dad, and Spot all glaring at me. I guess this wasn’t the time for technical questions about diamond manufacturing.

However, Paul had already started answering. “Well you have to think about it from a business point of view. Having equipment that can operate at those high of temperatures and pressures is expensive. Plus, I am sure they need to have safety procedures, and trained personnel to operate the equipment.”

Paul paused before continuing, “In the pamphlet, it also described another process for making lab-made diamonds. This process is called…” his voice trailed off as he was flipping through the pamphlet, “…chemical vapour deposition! Oh yes, now I remember. That process was really interesting, because they put a little tiny diamond piece in the equipment, and use a gas that contains carbon. Then I think they break the carbon bonds, and it is actually the carbon that builds the diamond! Although, I don’t think they have this process at the jeweller I went to.”

He paused, and Mom, always so subtle took this opportunity to turn the conversation back to the proposal, and away from diamond manufacturing techniques.

“So Paul, how are you planning on popping the question?”

“Oh well, I thought that we would all get coffee and take Spot for a walk down to the lake Saturday morning. It’s always so beautiful there in the morning, so I thought it would make a nice background for the proposal! Mom, you’re going to need to take pictures. I know that Cindy would want pictures.” Paul paused to take a breath.

I could tell he must be very excited, because he was talking a mile-a-minute about everything. I also really liked that he had decided to include us, and Spot in his proposal.

“Well Paul, I need to get studying,” I said. “I have an exam Friday that I really need to prepare for.”

And with that, I left my parents in the living room with the phone. As I was walking up the stairs, I heard Dad say, “Did you ask her parents?”

Once in my bedroom, I sat down at my desk and open my calculus textbook to study. Halfway through a problem, I realized my calculator was missing from my desk. As a side note, we don’t actually get calculators on the exam, but I found it useful when studying. It was kind of like a way of checking my answers.

I stood up and walked over to Spot’s bed, which was in the corner, beside my bed. I crouched down and moved a blanket. Under the blank was my calculator, along with my linear algebra notebook.

I sighed. Since I had started college last year, Spot had developed a tendency to decide when it was time for me to stop studying, and would take and hide my notebooks and calculator when I would go to bathroom or go to get a snack.

He must have heard me rifling around in his bed, because I could hear him running down the hall to my room. Downstairs I could hear Mom laughing, and knew she was probably still on the phone with Paul. Spot jumped on my bed when he came through the door and stared at me. As I looked into his eyes, it was almost like he was asking me what was going on.

“Paul’s getting married,” I told him, resting my head on his head. “He is going to propose to Cindy this weekend. You remember Cindy right?”

Spot responded by laying down on the bed. My head slid off of his, and I caught myself before I fell on top of him.

He looked so comfortable and cozy that I gave up on the idea of studying and laid down on the bed beside him. Paul getting married was stirring up a lot of thoughts in my head. Were things going to change between us? And what about me, would ever get married?

By the time Friday evening rolled around, I was tired. The calculus exam was so hard, even after a full day of studying Thursday. But I think that I did well!

Paul and Cindy arrived later in the evening Friday. They drove down after they were done work. We, especially Mom, had to do our best to pretend like nothing exciting was about to happen. Spot did not do a very good job pretending. He was running circles around them when they got there, which is something he’s never done before. When Paul was taking off his jacket, Spot was so excited he started pulling on it, like tug-of-war.

The next morning, we all put on our jackets and shoes and started to walk down the hill to the coffee shop. Spot had played another game of tug-of-war with Paul’s jacket, and now pranced along on his leash. Dad ran into the shop and came out with five, hot coffees.

We continued on down the road to the lake. It was cool out this early spring morning, but the lake was still beautiful. In the summer, the lake was quite popular for boating and canoeing, and in the winter the lake was a favourite spot for skating and ice hockey.

We walked along a path adjacent to the lake. Mom and Dad were exchanging looks, as though trying to see when Paul would pop the question. Paul and Cindy were walking ahead of us. Suddenly, the moment had arrived. Paul knelt down under a big oak tree and was saying something to Cindy. She looked like she was starting to cry. Meanwhile Mom was excitedly taking pictures, and Dad was trying to contain Spot who was trying to run over to them.

Paul was now reaching into his jacket pocket to grab the ring. He withdrew his hand and frantically shoved it back in. He then looked back at us in a panic.

“The ring and box are gone,” he yelled.

“What!” Mom, Dad, and I exclaimed. We all started retracing our steps on the route we have taken along the lake, thinking it had maybe fallen out of Paul’s pocket. It wasn’t there. We reached the base of the hill, and looked up the road at the coffee shop.

“Maybe it fell out of your pocket near the coffee shop,” Mom suggested hopefully.

The whole time we were looking, Spot had been excitedly walking along beside us, occasionally hitting one of our arms with his nose.

“Stop it Spot,” Paul said as we started up the hill. But Spot was persistent this time, continuously hitting his snout on Paul’s arm. “What Spot?” Paul growled, looking down. Spot looked up at him, and dropped the ring box out of his mouth!

Cindy who was standing beside Paul exclaimed, “Spot stole the ring? He must have taken it from your coat pocket when you were playing tug-a-war with him!”

Paul scooped up the ring and put it on Cindy’s outstretched finger. It fit perfectly.

“Look at that,” Dad said, “if a man can make a diamond, then why can’t a dog deliver it?!”