The Anniversary Gift

Howard entered the jewelry store and glanced around in confusion. He stood there, nervously pulling at a loose thread on the cuff of his jacket.  He and his wife, Etta, would be celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary on Tuesday and he wanted to get her something special.

A saleswoman noticed his hesitation and offered her assistance. It turned out that emeralds were traditional for a 55th anniversary. After much deliberation, Howard finally decided on a small, dainty pair of emerald earrings. He knew they would look great with Etta’s favorite dress.

Howard was excited as he drove home, hoping Etta would be at the Senior Center playing cards with her friends. Luck was with him – she was not at the house. He needed to find a hiding spot for the earrings before she returned home.

He stood in their bedroom trying to think where he could squirrel away the jewelry. His eyes fell upon their much-used bed. A thought crossed his mind that he probably should have spent the money on a new mattress set, but, no, Etta deserved something nice. The mattress would be perfect – there was a zipper on one side where he could conceal the small jeweler’s box. Etta would never look there!

Howard arrived home from his son’s house late Tuesday afternoon. As he pulled up, he saw a department store delivery truck pulling away from the house. Etta was excited as he walked in the door.

“You’ve arrived just in time – come see what I bought you for our anniversary!”  She led him to their bedroom and pointed happily at the new bedroom set, complete with box springs and mattress.

Howard’s face paled. “Where … where is the old mattress?”

“The store said they would dispose of the entire bed – the truck just left. Why?”