Here is the story. The short version anyway, as it unfolded over several months, and it would take a few pages to share all the gritty details. Before Christmas, one morning, around December 13th, I took my wedding ring off because it was tight on my ring finger. I actually had a tough time getting it off, and there was a groove indented into my skin where the ring sat. In fact, even today the "skin ring" is still there. Anyway, not knowing what to do with the ring, I put it on my pinky because it seemed to fit so well. Interesting thing is, by noon that same day, when I looked at my pinky, the ring was gone! I counseled myself, now don't panic.......you didn't even go anywhere! It has to be in the house, on the walkway, or in the car. End of story. Well, I have been looking in those places for weeks upon weeks, and so far, no ring. I began contemplating buying a new ring. Mind you, my old ring was just a simple 14 Karat band, that the jeweler would call a "comfort" ring, size 9 & 1/2. It basically means that the ring was more than just a flat band; it actually had a little gold in it and so wasn't just a facade. You know what it would cost to replace the ring I lost? About $1,000. due to the sharp increase in gold over the past three years. Needless to say, once we found that out, buying a new ring was on hold. In the past week, a notion has been brewing in my mind that maybe the ring is in the trap of the bathtub. I washed my hair that day, and perhaps with the suds helping, the dang thing just slipped off. At first I rejected this idea because I figured I'd hear it. But you know, being deaf on the right side, my hearing is not what it used to be. More than once I thought I might want to check the trap. Problem is, I've been under the house before when the drain was flowing slow, and there is no way to unscrew the trap. It is glued in place. Shortcut plumber I'd say. I doubt it is an industry standard to glue everything together and then call it "good". I had an urge to just go down there an cut the ABS pipe and install a real trap that screws in and out. But, it was raining today, and I was so comfortable in the house, getting little things done, I let it go. However, tonight, while sitting in the tub, I wondered if I could unscrew the drain plug and just "take a look" down the hole. After the water was gone, I unscrewed the metal drain plug, and the first thing I saw was the ring! There it was, standing up and lodged between two of the four metal protectors that keep large objects (like rings) from going down the drain. I was surprised and amazed that it would be so easy. While I was there I pulled out the wads of hair that exist in virtually every bathtub in the world. I put the ring on, showed Olga who was thrilled, and I realized, "I am still married" afterall. Thanks for listening to this unusual story. The ring appeared at last!
Do you remember that Robert lost his ring at the house we lived in, prior to Fellowship St? Years after we had moved, the people who had moved into the house, called and asked if he had lost it. The ring had been found outside in the dirt. My own ring is out in the back yard, somewhere in the soil of the garden. One of my ancestors will find it, and wonder where it came from. Where it came from used to be inscribed inside the ring, but wore away since 1964, which is when I bought it. It says inside, "Hecho in Mexico." Great story, Bro.
ReplyDeleteLoved the story, Noel. Great lesson there too - just let the notion be, adn bubble around and eventually things just might work out.
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ReplyDeleteYes, I do remember the story about Papa's ring being lost in El Monte on Pen Mar Drive. In fact, I told that story to Olga, thinking maybe that would shed a positive spin on the bad omen of loosing the wedding band. And, who knows, maybe Mark, you yourself will find your own ring as you weed tomatoes in the spring. Thanks to both JT and Mark for sharing this experience with me, and as JT points out, there are always new lessons to be learned!
ReplyDeleteFrom Pauline to Noel: "It might interest you to know there is more to the story than that. The ring that Robert lost and then had returned, was one half of a pair of rings that my parents wore for twenty-five years. After the ring was returned to Robert, we continued to wear those two rings for another twenty-five years." Pauline
ReplyDeletePauline's additional information about Robert's ring is very sweet! I had no idea about the family history involved.....
ReplyDeleteToday I got my ring sized....the jeweler will stretch it out another half size bigger. She put it on her scale and said if I was buying the ring today it would cost $900. Oh my!
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