Source
"Oh heavens! What's this?" I took a closer look as I bent to pick it up.
I was only 10 when I lost my father to the cold hands of death, and I'd lived all my life without having the vaguest idea about my sister's whereabouts.
Jemima had gone out to play with our friends at the field while I stayed back to wash the dishes in the house. Night had drawn near, and she had not returned.
So my mother and I wailfully searched through the woods, streams, gardens, farms, and every other nook and cranny for Jemima, but she couldn't be found. We continued the search for months with other concerned villagers, yet we still couldn't find her.
We'd all lost hope, with nothing left to hold onto. I became utterly unsociable, delusional, and sad.
Years passed, and I'd not gotten over the ugly incident. My mother had developed an illness that made her bedridden, and each day, her health was deteriorating.
I was beginning to experience the worst reality of my life. I'd dreaded seeing myself go through hardships, but what could I have myself do? I needed to take care of my sick mom in every possible way I could. I had no one, so I strived all by myself.
Just as it has always been a daily routine for me, I woke up in the morning, swept the house, filled the drums with water, and headed to the bush to fetch some firewood. I scavenged the bushes to obtain the dried and scaly wood that'd aid in fast burning.
After getting the required amount of firewood, I turned to leave, but I halted to fix my gaze on something covered with shimmers. It was a silver necklace.
I wondered how long it must have been there. So I picked it up, dusted off the sand, and squashed it inside my small pocket.
The thought of the silver necklace kept hovering in my mind; it was such a precious one. Unimaginable questions kept flooding my mind, leaving me puzzled.
"I shouldn't have picked it up and taken it home. I guess I'd return it tomorrow morning to the spot I picked it from." I said to myself.
That night, my sister appeared in my dream, pleading with me not to return the necklace. I woke up sweating profusely in a befuddled state. This was the first time Jemima appeared in my dream after ten years, and I felt goosebumps all over my body.
The next morning, I went back to where I'd hidden the necklace, brought it out, and had a much closer look at it, admiring its attractiveness.
Without much hesitation, I put it on, feeling its luster and soothing effect. There was something magical!
I felt a peace within, filling my heart with rays of love and compassion. I felt alive and enjoyed every moment of monumental bliss.
"If this is how you'd make me feel, then I don't want to ever stop feeling this way. I would never take you off my neck."
Day after day, the feelings couldn't stop. I began paying attention to myself; my self-esteem was resuscitated, and my hopes were high. How magical!
But there was something more magical. My mom was beginning to respond to treatment. She could stand on her own, walk on her own, and sometimes try to have a conversation with me.
On a very good day, I decided to go out and see the beauty of nature, which I'd deprived myself of for so long. I didn't know exactly where I was going, but I figured I could find myself home.
While glaring intermittently at the flowers as I walked and seeing the birds flap and hop from one tree to the other with so much admiration, I unnoticeably stumbled on a being.
I was enraged. I needed to show him how ferocious I could be, but when I looked up, I saw a jaw-dropping, well-scented, good-looking, and elegantly proportioned man. I looked into his eyes without blinking, imaginatively finding myself in his warm embrace.
"I'm so sorry! I should have been more careful." He apologized.
"No, no, no! It's fine. I should be the one apologizing. I should have watched where I was going."
Then he smiled at me and walked away. For a moment, I thought it was high time I opened my heart to friendship, especially to the one whose presence had captured my heart.
"Hey! Please wait." I called out
So he stopped as I walked towards him.
"I'm Vanessa, and you're?"
"I'm Prince Ethan!" he immediately cut in.
I gasped. "A prince?"
I started fiddling with the necklace on my neck as I thought of my next lines, but he drew my attention to it.
"Hold on! How did this get to you?" he asked.
At that moment, I felt like disappearing. I couldn't possibly tell him the truth, so I lied.
"It was given to me by my grandmother before she passed out," I answered.
"How is that even possible? Ten years ago..." he paused and then continued. "Ten years ago, I gave this necklace made of crystals to a girl I fell in love with. She was my first love. I was thirteen, and she was twelve."
I couldn't believe my ears as I was flooded with tears.
He continued. "She passed on, and for ten years now, I have heard her tell me every day in my dreams to find her sister. Who are you?"
I broke down completely in tears.
"I'm her sister. I still don't have any idea what happened to her." I wept.
"Why did she ask you to find me?" I soberly asked.
"She pleaded with me to look for you and love you the way I would have loved her, and I have been looking for you all these years," he answered.
"Hey!" He gently touched my chin. "Allow me to treat you like a queen; allow me to love you the way you deserve; allow me to fulfill your sister's undying wish. I would always treat you right and stand by you forever. Please, give me the chance."
I felt magnetized by his words. I couldn't resist the way those words tranquilly touched my soul. The feelings were mutual and instant. It wasn't just about what we wanted but also about what my sister wished for.
Without further ado, I jumped into his arms and cried for a moment.
So I would say the crystal necklace worked things out.
