Connecting With Jeannie

Buried Treasure

Prompt 3: Write about something you lost that you’ll never get back.

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I lost my wedding ring and engagement ring. I put them away in my jewelry box because I wanted them soldered together. They were rubbing up against each other and wearing down each ring; plus, my engagement ring was larger than my wedding band. It just didn’t look right.

Two of my children decided to go gold hunting in our empty calf house. It was all freshly done up with hay and this seemed the best place for them to hide my jewelry box. I’m not sure if they took each of my necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and wedding rings and individually hid them, but this is what they decided would be the gold they would find. Brian was seven and Gail was four years old.

Brian took something else along on this gold hunt. Why he brought this I never found out? What it had to do with gold hunting is beyond me. He brought along some matches. Did he want to burn the hay to find the gold faster? What went through his young mind I’m at a loss?

I was in the house cleaning out the closets when my older son came running in “Yelling fire!” I looked out the window and saw our calf shed in flames. There are three other buildings close by, our chicken coop and hog shed. I had to act fast and called the fire department, called my husband, then ran out to find out what happened. Kevin already pulled down the lever to shut off all electricity. Thank God his father told him about this the other day.

I asked Kevin how did this happen? He told me that Brian and Gail were playing in the shed. My legs gave out on me thinking they were still in there. He told me they were sitting on the screened-in porch, both rocked together in the rocking chair. I guess they had a shock of their lives! The fire department arrived in time to save the chicken coop filled with chickens. My husband arrived a little later.

I decided it was time to question Brian on what happened. He told me they were looking for gold and took my jewelry box out to the calf shed. I asked why he took matches along? “There was so much hay, I couldn’t find anything, so I lit a match to see better. That scared me, mama!”

I thanked God that my children were safe. I was sad about my wedding rings, and my husband made me feel better that he will find them with his gold metal detector. The next weekend he decided to look for my rings but to no avail. The fire was hot and could have melted them. Who knows? They were gone and that was that. We didn’t stop trying though but gave up when nothing was found. The best thing that came out of this whole mess was that none of our children played with matches again.