Post Valentine's Day Story

09 March 2023

1093

R. Linda:

I meant to let you know that on Valentine's Day, I had run over to the local jewellery store in a more populated town. While I was there, there was this older gent who hadn't bought a piece of jewellery for his wife ever. Not even a wedding ring! So she being not well and he being at the end of his "golden years" (his verbiage, not mine), he decided to buy her a pin! Yes, a pin R. Linda. If I bought my wife, a PIN I'd be sent back to return it. Not many pins are being sold these days, but back in HIS day well, pins were the thing.

So I bought Tonya another charm for her bracelet, to commemorate her completing her doctorate in Education Specialties. At least I think that's what it is. Anyway, while I was waiting for the gift wrapping to be done, this old fellow came up next to me and started chatting while he was waiting for a tray of pins to come out. He told me his sorry story, but hey, better late than never right?

The tray came and there were scant pins, but he looked at the dazzling display and he had no clue what she'd like, though they have been married 50 some years. He turned to me just as I got me purchase and said, "If it were your wife which one would you pick?" 

Well, none. But I didn't say that, I looked for the smallest, plainest pin and pointed to this little gold heart pin with no adornment, just a gold heart with a stylised arrow through it. And I shrugged. He thanked me and told the salesgirl to wrap it up that was the one. 

I went on my merry way across the street to the pet store to buy treats for the dog when it hit me that he never asked the price. Well, I am sure the girl at the counter told him, and I shrugged to meself and went on my way to buy the dog treats. When I came out I saw the ambulance pulling into the jewellery store lot. 

See the red ambulance on the right? Well, it was pulling in as I was waiting for the light to change.

Better shot for you

Well, turns out the next day there was a small blurb in the newspaper, that an older gentleman was in the local jewellery store buying a 18-karat solid gold PIN for his wife when suddenly he suffered a heart attack. I mentioned this to me Mam who said casually, "Wheel now, da mon probably hadda heart attack when he saw da price of da pin dare, Gabriel."

How to make me feel really bad. I gaped at her thinking she could be right and it be all my fault!

"Ya, noo pins are expensive dunt ya dare, Gabe? Dats why noon buys em'."

"Uh, I did not know that." I blabbered. 

Well, I read on and sure enough, as soon as he got the bill for $5,014 bucks his face turned a purple colour, he held his hand to his heart as he clutched his wallet tightly, and then well, he collapsed and the ambulance took him to hospital. I KNOW it was the reaction to that price tag, I do. It didn't say that just described what occurred. But you and I KNOW it was the hefty price tag. 

"Who knew pins cost that much?" I stammered feeling so very guilty.

"Any eejit who buys 18 karat gold designer pin has got to noo dat." Me Mam shook her head as if men were all fools. 

I explained to her what happened and how it was my fault, and she said trying to make me feel better, which she didn't, "Dem pins back in da day as dae say here were like $5.00 and if he'd been married 50 years ago, he shoulda realised prices are oop and designer pins are all ya can buy!"

"He does now," I said. 

She took the paper and read the story.

"Says here, the store never finalised the sale, so he's home free."

All I can say be, this is not the first time I've been in a jewellery store where someone had screwed up a purchase. I learned my lesson this time, never engage in conversation with another customer. I swear to you R. Linda, I will never, never, never do that again!

P.S. The old gent is going to be okay I understand. Just had a shock to his system said he in a follow-up article. He, the salesgirl, and meself know what that shock was. Oi!

Gabe

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