When an heirloom is passed down to you it is one of the most special occasions that will go down in your core memories. Many families have such gifts that are passed down from parent to child, these gifts come in the form of necklaces or rings, and they are usually treasured by the receiver. Well or maybe in the ideal world. A young girl, freshly turned 18-years old, her grandmother decided to bestow upon her a family heirloom. But, the girl mistook it for a cheap ring, and she tossed it away ungratefully.
Daniella’s Grandmother
There is something indescribably special about the relationship girls have with their grandmothers. Gone are the days when their grannies have been mothers raising young and wild children, and the amount of stress they have faced has made most things seem trivial. They become your fun mum, the person who takes you out for ice cream and feeds you bottomless pancakes when your mother is always hellbent on a healthy diet filled with fiber and nothing sweet.
For little Daniella, her grandmother, Hilda, was her best friend. They would spend many weekends together baking goods for the local food drive, and for themselves of course. They would go on picnics and walks through the park, and when it was time to go home, there were generally tears of disappointment – from Danni’s side of the course. Her dear granny always wore an old ring. At the time Danni thought nothing of it. Sadly, as it often goes, when Danni grew a little older she became much more introverted, and she started hanging out with her friends more on the weekends. Her gran would call to invite her for a milkshake, but Danni refused each time. Hilda reminded herself of when she was a young busy body, and this brought some comfort at least.
From time to time, Danni’s mom, Hailey, would invite Hilda to come and visit them in their town, which included a two-hour flight on Gran’s behalf. Hilda would be so excited to see her family, but especially Danni. Alas, Danni dreaded her visits. She had become quite pretentious in her tweendom. A typical trait shared amongst all adolescents who care too much about the opinion of others.
Danni’s 18th Birthday
Each year on Danni’s birthday, Hilda would buy her a small gift, and each year, she would call in to see what she thought of her gift but Danni would rush through her answer, avoiding the real question. Hilda always wondered if she even really looked at her gifts. She supposed that she was just “too old now, and didn’t understand what the youngsters wanted these days.
When Danni turned 18 years old, she wanted a big celebration. She asked her parents if they would pay for all the lavish things like a fancy venue, décor, and a gorgeous dress from one of those fancy but expensive boutique shops. They agreed, but it’s not like she had given them much of a choice. Oh yes, and she could be quite persuasive. Her mom said that her only condition was that Danni called her grandmother and invited her personally. Naturally, Danni was not entirely excited about doing this. It involved a long episode of convincing to get Danni to agree.
Irritated, Danni got her phone out and called her gran, but just as she answered, she pretended that she had not answered. She lowered her phone and told her parents that Hilda would just embarrass her around her friends and that she was just too old. Unfortunately, she had not hung up the call correctly, and Hilda heard every word that Danni spoke. She hung up the phone herself feeling heartbroken and unappreciated, repeating her mantra that this is normal teen behavior. When the time came for her big party, Danni realized that her gran had not arrived, and some part of her was hurt by this. She brushed that off quickly and carried on dancing and laughing with her friends.
The Ring had Something Hidden Inside
A week later, Danni received a letter in the mail. Curious, because her parents were usually the only ones who received any mail. As she opened the envelope she could feel something on the inside. Realizing the letter was from her grandmother, her internal eyes rolled s she wondered what her batty grandmother had sent to her now. She was surprised when a ring fell out but was almost immediately annoyed when she saw it was an antique emerald ring that looked like it had been made with cheap materials. She tossed it to the floor, muttering to herself that it had come late anyway. The sound it made as it hit the floor was not what you might expect to hear from the small ring, and it made her curious enough to turn around and look.
Danni gasped, the ring had split open, and inside there was a tiny note folded into the ring. This suddenly brought back memories of the treasure hunts that her gran would create for Danni when she visited. She took the note out, unfolded it, and saw that it was instructing her to look for a key in the ring’s box. Indeed there was a key, accompanied by another note that guided her to the closet in the storeroom.
She used the key to open the cupboard, and she let out another gasp! There was the most beautiful dress she had seen in her life hanging there. there was what looked like a photo album, too. Of course, there was another note, this one was the last. It bore some grave news that Hilda had been diagnosed with cancer, and that was the reason she could not attend her big birthday party. She wished Danni a happy birthday, and she added that she didn’t want to be a bother to them, but wishes they live a long and happy life.
Discarded Ring Becomes Prized Possession
Danni rushed into the sitting room where her parents were lying on the sofa while watching TV. She was crying loudly and begging her parents to take her to the hospital to see her gran. Dani could not stop crying so her parents barely heard a word, but they manage to get the point. She wanted to thank her for the ring, and everything else. She wanted to explain how much she regretted being so selfish over the years, and not caring about her when Hilda had given so much of her love and generosity to her.
Her mother got up and started looking for her car keys to drive Danni to the hospital. Then, the phone rang. She answered and a deafening silence struck. Her eyes became all glossy, and her face frozen. The doctor had just called to inform her of her mother’s passing. She looked at Danni, who knew what had happened. She fell to her knees and cried her eyes out. Tears were gushing down her face uncontrollably. Her dad had to pick her up as he used to when she was a small child, and he carried her to her room. She cried herself to sleep that night, holding the emerald ring tightly in her hand.
Hilda’s Funeral
At her grandmother’s funeral, Danni was the last to leave the ceremony. She stood by her grave and wept a little more. She had the photo album that Hilda had given her for her 18th. Danni went through each page, laughing and crying at each picture. Especially the ones of the two of them baking and covered in flour, gardening with flushed cheeks, enjoying a picnic, and so many more fun outings. She thanked her gran for all of her love and generosity. She wept while she apologized for not being a loving granddaughter. Danni promised she would cherish all her loved ones from then on out. She finally turned and started walking home, leaving two of the same cookies that she used to bake with her gran on her grave.
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