Page 8 - EGO Magazine December 2019

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The Amber Necklace

A Short Story By

Jeremy Baynton

e hadn’t planned to on the way back to the car. Maybe it was ‘Particularly good Baltic amber, you
buy it of course, bit going to be too expensive. It looked like can tell with all the lovely fish scales in it,
of an impulse. They’d quality. giving that slight sparkle’
agreed on a quiet ‘All done, have a rinse round’. Yes yes, he thought, I know that.
Christmas as the kids He went down, paid, booked a check ‘But I expect you already know all
Hweren’t coming this up and left the surgery. Retracing his about that’ said the old man ‘It’s the
year. Just bought each other a new pair of steps back to the car, he had a moment clasp that’s always fascinated me.’
slippers and wrapped them up. of panic. The little shop didn’t seem to ‘Oh really?’ He laid the necklace on the
It had caught him by surprise, the be in the place he remembered, thought flat of his hands.
shop and everything. He couldn’t he must have gone past it, but no, there ‘Oh yes, unusual. Two serpents of
remember having seen it before and he’d it was a bit further up the side street. some description, beautifully detailed.
been living in the area for forty years. Opening the wooden door and entering, They sort of twist and interlock. It won’t Shutterstock.com
It was on the way to the dentists. He’d it was like going into someone’s old come undone again unless the wearer
parked up and was walking to the surgery fashioned front room. The smell was twists gently and separates them. Very
when he passed it. More like a terraced a curious mixture of polish, dust and safe’.
house than a shop. Antiques, curios and boiled vegetables and the place seemed He studied them more closely. They buy the necklace before he got back. inspected him again. ‘It has a matching had already gone through to the back. He
a bit of old jewellery in a display case in a bit gloomier than it should have been really were probably more beautiful than Offer the old boy more money. design pressed into it.’ moves fast for an old bloke he thought
the bay window and there it was. Not in the middle of the day with a bay the rest of the necklace, enchanting, He waited a couple of paces behind ‘Matching?’ as he crossed the threshold back into the
showy, understated and pretty. Silver and window letting the watery winter light in. mesmerising almost. Very detailed the woman at the machine, while she ‘Yes the two silver serpents. They’re daylight.
amber well balanced and long enough, Walking over to the display case, he leant work. This was going to be more than he seemed to take her time. His impatience here on the box too. D’you see?’ He felt a childish sense of excitement
with what looked like plenty of fish forward and peered in. expected. growing along with the damp and cold The old man handed him the box, in those last few weeks before Christmas.
scales set in the amber making it glitter a ‘You like the necklace I see’. ‘I could probably let you have it for that gripped him while he wasn’t moving. slowly, reverently. He often felt compelled to check it
little. No visible price tag. He started at the slightly cracked voice seventy-five pounds, if you want it.’ He was overtaken by a sudden desire ‘Oh yes, yes. Just as beautifully was still in the drawer in the spare
Heading on for the dentists, he wanted that came from behind him, there had What? That was cheap. It was a done to push her aside. His hands twitched. detailed too.’ room tucked under one of the kids´
to think about it and maybe pop in on been no sound of anyone else coming deal in his mind. He couldn’t be accused Thankfully at that moment she took her ‘Isn’t it just.’ old jumpers. Sometimes he felt like the
the way back to the car if he still felt it into the room. He turned and took in the of being too extravagant and he knew, cash and left. ‘Here, I’ve got the cash for you.’ necklace was whispering to him. He’d
was a good idea. Lying back in the chair small old man wearing a tweed jacket knew, she was going to like it. Taking the money from the slot and ´Oh,´ the old man almost seemed even dreamt about it one night. Those
having a tooth filled there wouldn’t be looking back at him. Bright beady eyes ‘I’m afraid it would have to be cash putting it in his wallet, he set off back surprised by this, ‘I should find snakes on the clasp coming alive and
much else to do. enlarged by the thick glasses perched though,’ the old man smiled at him, but towards the shop, which came up on him something to wrap it in.’ creeping up at him across the duvet
‘Any change in medication since I last on his nose, all capped off with bushy it seemed to stop at those magnified eyes sooner than expected this time. Could ´Don´t worry about it. I will be cover. He’d woken up in quite a sweat. It
saw you?’ eyebrows and white hair. behind the glasses. have sworn it was further up the street. wrapping it up anyway and the box will was just the excitement.
He could distract himself by thinking ‘Yes, I do. I was wondering if I could Old bugger´s not paying any tax then As he walked in through the door, the be enough to keep it safe.’
about the necklace while the dentist was take a closer look.’ he thinks. ‘Okay, I’ll just have to nip to a old man came through from a room at ´If you’re quite sure.´
drilling, and a lovely romantic picture of ‘Help yourself, the case has no back cash machine. I’ll be a few minutes.´ the back. He turned around as he opened the
his wife opening it up and smiling in the on it’ He hurried down to the cash point, ‘I’ve found the original box for door to leave and said ‘Have a good Pick up next month’s magazine
glow of firelight came into his head. He Taking it out he held it up against the feeling a totally illogical sense of urgency. the necklace. I was so worried that Christmas.’ to read part 2!
knew he was going to have to check it out light. It really was nice. Like someone was going to turn up and I’d mislaid it’. Those magnified eyes There was no response. The old man

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