Read this...i wrote it!!!
I got the pin a little late, about a month after my 16th birthday. The pin was of a blood red rose, with a long silver stem, and four graceful silver leaves. The diamond in the middle was almost invisible but when the light hit it the right way it glittered like a shiny disco ball in a dark room.
The pin has been a part of the family for four generations, passed down from mother to daughter, the stories told over and over. I remember the first time my mother told me a pin story, the beauty and the love that it holds awed me.
It was originally given to my great-great grandmother by her husband. My great-great grandfather was worried about leaving his young and pregnant wife behind for two months while he was patrolling the Wild West. He wanted to get her something special to remind her of him.
He spent days searching for the perfect piece, and finally at his final stop he saw the beautiful pin, but sadly it was not for sale.
My great-great grandfather tried to haggle and argue with the shopkeeper, with no success. The shopkeeper’s wife overheard them arguing and talked her husband into selling it. She placed two conditions on the sale: one, their first daughter was to be named Sophia and two, the pin was NOT to be sold, but it was to be given to their oldest daughter on her sixteenth birthday.
Desperate, my grandfather agreed to the conditions, and bought the pin. He went on his trip, and returned safely two months later, shortly after his return my great grandmother, Sophia was born and so was a tradition.
When I turned sixteen however things went a little bit differently.
~*~
My mother was a foster child; coincidentally her first name was Sophia, although she preferred to be called by her middle name-Rose. At age thirteen she came to live with my grandparents, who at the time were foster parents. My grandparents fell in love with the little girl, and when they found out that her biological mother had passed away, they offered to adopt her. She officially became their daughter three days before her fifteenth birthday.
When she first came to my grandparents she was a shy and easily frightened girl who had difficulty making friends. My grandparents got her to open up and she became a part of the family.
Even though she was adopted, my grandparents treated her like their own child, and when she turned sixteen she got the pin. My mother loved the pin and wore it every chance she got, from school dances to her wedding. She even wore it to the hospital the day I was born!
~*~
It was Friday, November thirteenth, my sixteenth birthday. My parents were throwing a huge party for me; they had rented a banquet hall and booked a DJ. I made sure to buy a dress that would complement the pin, because I expected my mother to come into my room while I was getting ready and give to me, after all that was how she got the pin. I made sure to take extra long and wait for my mother, but she never came. I was disappointed, but thought maybe she was busy and had forgotten so I would go talk to her. When I went to go find her though she made no indication that she was going to give me the pin and all of my hints just flew over her head. Instead she told me to show my dad so that he could get a picture. I guess she wanted to present it to me during the party, at least I hoped that was what she was going to do.
The party started at six o’clock and all night I kept an eye out for my mother with the pin, but she never showed. When I opened my gifts I looked out for the present from my mother, and expected to find the pin, but the gift only contained a jacket and gloves. Disappointed I hinted again that I was waiting for the pin, and now would be the prefect time to present it.
The guests all left at around mid-night, so I thought that maybe she would come into my room while I was getting ready for bed and we would have a mother-daughter moment, but that moment never came. All of my hints went ignored, and soon after I went to my room, I heard my mother get ready for bed and fall asleep. I decided to confront her tomorrow and ask her outright incase she forgot, or was really slow.
~*~
It was the day of my daughter’s sixteenth birthday and by tradition I had to give her the pin. I didn’t want to give it up though. I was certain she would break it or lose it, or that she wouldn’t understand it’s true value. I hid the pin in my jewelry case in the little secret compartment. Hoping that she wouldn’t remember that I was supposed to pass it to her. I had no such luck, all day before the party she kept dropping hints, and when she came into my room to show me her beautiful black dress with red lace accents I was tempted to give it to her. I didn’t though, even though the pin would of looked so beautiful on that dress.
I avoided her looks all through the party, and even when the look of disappointment passed over her face when she opened my gift I held back. After the party, when she went up to her room I almost gave in and took it out of the case, but then I remembered when she was five and broke one of my fine china plates. She was too young to value the pin. It just wasn’t the right moment to pass it. I felt selfish keeping but, I justified it by thinking about what could happen if I gave it to her.
I heard my daughter getting ready for bed, and then shutting off her lights. I figured I was safe for another day. If I was lucky she would forget about the pin after today, but I knew that I would not be so lucky. Instead I would need to dodge questions and avoid conversation with her.
~*~
That night I had a very strange dream…I was in an empty room and then there was a women crying. All of a sudden she turned to me and started to scream and melt. She melted into the pin, and then the pin turned into my daughter who started crying. When she turned towards me I startled awake.
~*~
During breakfast Sophia tried to bring up the pin at least a dozen times, I avoided the topic each time, but there were a few close calls. I almost gave away where I had it and when I planned on giving it up. When she asked me outright I avoided her demands by telling her to eat and to not bug me I would give it to her in time. This upset her, and she was grouchy the rest of the meal.
Right after breakfast she started her pestering, but I told her if she didn’t leave soon she would be late for school, this annoyed her even more. I felt kind of bad giving her so much grief but I really didn’t think she was ready to handle the responsibility that comes along with the pin.
~*~
The next morning at breakfast mom kept dodging the topic of the pin, and when I asked she got irritated with me. I kept at it though, bugging her every change I got, and each time she brushed me off and made up excuses as to why shouldn’t give me the pin right then. I was begging to think I was never going to get the pin. My patience was wearing out and I started to get very upset with my mother, she was keeping something from me that was rightfully mine she had no right to do that!
When she shoved me out the door after breakfast for the fifth morning in a row I decided that after school I was going to search the house for the pin and take it, I didn’t care anymore if my mom gave it to me or not.
~*~
The only thing on my mind that day at school was the pin, and more than once teachers had to snap me out of my thoughts. When I started to think about it more I realized that my mother probably was never planning on giving me the pin. All the times she had promised my grandmother that she would pass the pin on were just to keep my grandmother from complaining and getting upset with my mom.
When the last bell rang, I was out of the school and walking home as fast as possible. I made sure that my mom was still at work and got to searching. I started by looking through her room; going through her jewelry case and drawers, then through her closet. I even searched my dads things incase she got him to help her out. I looked in all the places I had found my Christmas presents and other things my mother wanted to keep from me. When that turned up a whole lot of nothing,
I searched her study. I looked through the file cabinet and her desk. In the bottom drawer of her desk all the way at the back was a small key taped to the back of the drawer. It was a tarnished silver color, and my mom had strung a faded pink silk ribbon through a curlicue at the top of the key. The weird part was the key was shaped like a rose, the bud was the top and the shaft of the key was the stem. It looked like the key belonged to my mother’s old jewelry case.
I went back to further inspect the case, it was an old piece, about the size of a small backpack. The top flipped open to reveal a mirror, and the two sides swung out to reveal hooks for necklaces and bracelets. The middle portion had 3 small drawers for earrings and rings. Just as I was about to give up I noticed something strange about the case. In the back was a panel that didn’t quite match the rest of the case. When I tried to remove the panel, it popped off quite easily, like it was meant to come off. Under the panel was a small keyhole, it fit the rose key perfectly. I turned the key a half turn and a small compartment opened up above the keyhole. Inside was, you guessed it the pin, I took the pin and then replaced the panel on the case. I cleaned up all evidence of my search and took the pin to my room to further inspect it.
It’s graceful beauty attracted me to it, like a moth to a light. I did not at all feel guilty about taking the pin from my mother, after all as of yesterday it was rightfully mine. When I heard the garage door open and my mother pull in I quickly hid it in my treasure box.
~*~
At supper that night the pin never came up, in fact my daughter did not even talk to me. I could only suppose she was upset with me, but I was sure the whole thing would blow over in a few days time.
By the end of supper I was really starting to feel bad about not giving up the pin. I decided that I would give it to her after supper, when she was getting ready for bed, and apologize to her. Maybe then she would talk to me, and I would feel relieved of my guilt. Even just thinking about giving the pin to her made me feel better. I would just make it very clear to her how special it was, and how important it was to care for the pin.
While she was helping clear up the dishes and kitchen I went into the study and got my key. Then I went to my room and got out the case. I opened the little compartment and the pin was gone! After looking through the entire case and double checking that I wasn’t imagining the pin missing, I started to panic. Now I would have to tell her that the pin was missing, at least this gave me an out as to why I was keeping the pin from her. The pin I was so sure she was going to misplace was actually lost by me, I felt terrible. In my mind I was a horrible person and a irresponsible parent. Thoughts of what I should of done, from turning over the pin when I was suppose to to all the times my mother told me to never lose the pin. Then a horrible thought came to mind, not only would I have to tell my daughter, but my mother would need to know as well, because I wouldn’t be wearing it anymore. If only I hadn’t been selfish and turned it over when I was suppose to.
~*~
Years later I finally confessed to my mother and my daughter. I told them that I had misplaced the pin and was unable to find it. Although my mother was disappointed she did not seem to unhappy. My daughter however took this as an opportunity to tell me something that made me feel awful and relieved at the same time. She said…
~*~
Years later my mother finally confessed that she had meant to give me the pin, but had misplaced it. She apologized to me and told me she felt awfully guilty about it. I however told…
~*~
“I took it”
let me know what you think...i'll post a final version Friday, because i left my edits at school.
The pin has been a part of the family for four generations, passed down from mother to daughter, the stories told over and over. I remember the first time my mother told me a pin story, the beauty and the love that it holds awed me.
It was originally given to my great-great grandmother by her husband. My great-great grandfather was worried about leaving his young and pregnant wife behind for two months while he was patrolling the Wild West. He wanted to get her something special to remind her of him.
He spent days searching for the perfect piece, and finally at his final stop he saw the beautiful pin, but sadly it was not for sale.
My great-great grandfather tried to haggle and argue with the shopkeeper, with no success. The shopkeeper’s wife overheard them arguing and talked her husband into selling it. She placed two conditions on the sale: one, their first daughter was to be named Sophia and two, the pin was NOT to be sold, but it was to be given to their oldest daughter on her sixteenth birthday.
Desperate, my grandfather agreed to the conditions, and bought the pin. He went on his trip, and returned safely two months later, shortly after his return my great grandmother, Sophia was born and so was a tradition.
When I turned sixteen however things went a little bit differently.
~*~
My mother was a foster child; coincidentally her first name was Sophia, although she preferred to be called by her middle name-Rose. At age thirteen she came to live with my grandparents, who at the time were foster parents. My grandparents fell in love with the little girl, and when they found out that her biological mother had passed away, they offered to adopt her. She officially became their daughter three days before her fifteenth birthday.
When she first came to my grandparents she was a shy and easily frightened girl who had difficulty making friends. My grandparents got her to open up and she became a part of the family.
Even though she was adopted, my grandparents treated her like their own child, and when she turned sixteen she got the pin. My mother loved the pin and wore it every chance she got, from school dances to her wedding. She even wore it to the hospital the day I was born!
~*~
It was Friday, November thirteenth, my sixteenth birthday. My parents were throwing a huge party for me; they had rented a banquet hall and booked a DJ. I made sure to buy a dress that would complement the pin, because I expected my mother to come into my room while I was getting ready and give to me, after all that was how she got the pin. I made sure to take extra long and wait for my mother, but she never came. I was disappointed, but thought maybe she was busy and had forgotten so I would go talk to her. When I went to go find her though she made no indication that she was going to give me the pin and all of my hints just flew over her head. Instead she told me to show my dad so that he could get a picture. I guess she wanted to present it to me during the party, at least I hoped that was what she was going to do.
The party started at six o’clock and all night I kept an eye out for my mother with the pin, but she never showed. When I opened my gifts I looked out for the present from my mother, and expected to find the pin, but the gift only contained a jacket and gloves. Disappointed I hinted again that I was waiting for the pin, and now would be the prefect time to present it.
The guests all left at around mid-night, so I thought that maybe she would come into my room while I was getting ready for bed and we would have a mother-daughter moment, but that moment never came. All of my hints went ignored, and soon after I went to my room, I heard my mother get ready for bed and fall asleep. I decided to confront her tomorrow and ask her outright incase she forgot, or was really slow.
~*~
It was the day of my daughter’s sixteenth birthday and by tradition I had to give her the pin. I didn’t want to give it up though. I was certain she would break it or lose it, or that she wouldn’t understand it’s true value. I hid the pin in my jewelry case in the little secret compartment. Hoping that she wouldn’t remember that I was supposed to pass it to her. I had no such luck, all day before the party she kept dropping hints, and when she came into my room to show me her beautiful black dress with red lace accents I was tempted to give it to her. I didn’t though, even though the pin would of looked so beautiful on that dress.
I avoided her looks all through the party, and even when the look of disappointment passed over her face when she opened my gift I held back. After the party, when she went up to her room I almost gave in and took it out of the case, but then I remembered when she was five and broke one of my fine china plates. She was too young to value the pin. It just wasn’t the right moment to pass it. I felt selfish keeping but, I justified it by thinking about what could happen if I gave it to her.
I heard my daughter getting ready for bed, and then shutting off her lights. I figured I was safe for another day. If I was lucky she would forget about the pin after today, but I knew that I would not be so lucky. Instead I would need to dodge questions and avoid conversation with her.
~*~
That night I had a very strange dream…I was in an empty room and then there was a women crying. All of a sudden she turned to me and started to scream and melt. She melted into the pin, and then the pin turned into my daughter who started crying. When she turned towards me I startled awake.
~*~
During breakfast Sophia tried to bring up the pin at least a dozen times, I avoided the topic each time, but there were a few close calls. I almost gave away where I had it and when I planned on giving it up. When she asked me outright I avoided her demands by telling her to eat and to not bug me I would give it to her in time. This upset her, and she was grouchy the rest of the meal.
Right after breakfast she started her pestering, but I told her if she didn’t leave soon she would be late for school, this annoyed her even more. I felt kind of bad giving her so much grief but I really didn’t think she was ready to handle the responsibility that comes along with the pin.
~*~
The next morning at breakfast mom kept dodging the topic of the pin, and when I asked she got irritated with me. I kept at it though, bugging her every change I got, and each time she brushed me off and made up excuses as to why shouldn’t give me the pin right then. I was begging to think I was never going to get the pin. My patience was wearing out and I started to get very upset with my mother, she was keeping something from me that was rightfully mine she had no right to do that!
When she shoved me out the door after breakfast for the fifth morning in a row I decided that after school I was going to search the house for the pin and take it, I didn’t care anymore if my mom gave it to me or not.
~*~
The only thing on my mind that day at school was the pin, and more than once teachers had to snap me out of my thoughts. When I started to think about it more I realized that my mother probably was never planning on giving me the pin. All the times she had promised my grandmother that she would pass the pin on were just to keep my grandmother from complaining and getting upset with my mom.
When the last bell rang, I was out of the school and walking home as fast as possible. I made sure that my mom was still at work and got to searching. I started by looking through her room; going through her jewelry case and drawers, then through her closet. I even searched my dads things incase she got him to help her out. I looked in all the places I had found my Christmas presents and other things my mother wanted to keep from me. When that turned up a whole lot of nothing,
I searched her study. I looked through the file cabinet and her desk. In the bottom drawer of her desk all the way at the back was a small key taped to the back of the drawer. It was a tarnished silver color, and my mom had strung a faded pink silk ribbon through a curlicue at the top of the key. The weird part was the key was shaped like a rose, the bud was the top and the shaft of the key was the stem. It looked like the key belonged to my mother’s old jewelry case.
I went back to further inspect the case, it was an old piece, about the size of a small backpack. The top flipped open to reveal a mirror, and the two sides swung out to reveal hooks for necklaces and bracelets. The middle portion had 3 small drawers for earrings and rings. Just as I was about to give up I noticed something strange about the case. In the back was a panel that didn’t quite match the rest of the case. When I tried to remove the panel, it popped off quite easily, like it was meant to come off. Under the panel was a small keyhole, it fit the rose key perfectly. I turned the key a half turn and a small compartment opened up above the keyhole. Inside was, you guessed it the pin, I took the pin and then replaced the panel on the case. I cleaned up all evidence of my search and took the pin to my room to further inspect it.
It’s graceful beauty attracted me to it, like a moth to a light. I did not at all feel guilty about taking the pin from my mother, after all as of yesterday it was rightfully mine. When I heard the garage door open and my mother pull in I quickly hid it in my treasure box.
~*~
At supper that night the pin never came up, in fact my daughter did not even talk to me. I could only suppose she was upset with me, but I was sure the whole thing would blow over in a few days time.
By the end of supper I was really starting to feel bad about not giving up the pin. I decided that I would give it to her after supper, when she was getting ready for bed, and apologize to her. Maybe then she would talk to me, and I would feel relieved of my guilt. Even just thinking about giving the pin to her made me feel better. I would just make it very clear to her how special it was, and how important it was to care for the pin.
While she was helping clear up the dishes and kitchen I went into the study and got my key. Then I went to my room and got out the case. I opened the little compartment and the pin was gone! After looking through the entire case and double checking that I wasn’t imagining the pin missing, I started to panic. Now I would have to tell her that the pin was missing, at least this gave me an out as to why I was keeping the pin from her. The pin I was so sure she was going to misplace was actually lost by me, I felt terrible. In my mind I was a horrible person and a irresponsible parent. Thoughts of what I should of done, from turning over the pin when I was suppose to to all the times my mother told me to never lose the pin. Then a horrible thought came to mind, not only would I have to tell my daughter, but my mother would need to know as well, because I wouldn’t be wearing it anymore. If only I hadn’t been selfish and turned it over when I was suppose to.
~*~
Years later I finally confessed to my mother and my daughter. I told them that I had misplaced the pin and was unable to find it. Although my mother was disappointed she did not seem to unhappy. My daughter however took this as an opportunity to tell me something that made me feel awful and relieved at the same time. She said…
~*~
Years later my mother finally confessed that she had meant to give me the pin, but had misplaced it. She apologized to me and told me she felt awfully guilty about it. I however told…
~*~
“I took it”
let me know what you think...i'll post a final version Friday, because i left my edits at school.