THE COLOUR OF LOVE (Wattpadprize14)Completed

Chapter 45 - Silver Locket

Three months after her father had passed away, Cherrie and her mother were getting ready to visit his grave and place the wreath of orchids she had pre-ordered for this monthly occasion.  She had always intended to go into the florist to collect the wreath herself but something always came up and she had it delivered to the house. 

Today, however, her mother had decided she wanted to go to the florist and collect the wreath herself, as Cherrie continuously mentioned the beautiful arrangements and artificial waterfalls she had seen the last time she was there.

“Mom, have you seen my locket?”  Cherrie called from upstairs.

“Which locket, Honey?” Her mother asked.

“The silver heart shaped locket. The one Dad gave me after my heart transplant.”

Climbing the stairs her mother responded, “No Honey, I haven’t seen you wearing it for a while. Are you sure it’s not in your jewellery box, or maybe in the bathroom. Don’t you take it off when you wash your hair?”

“Well, I normally leave it on the dressing table, but I can’t find it anywhere. Come to think of it, I can’t remember when last I wore it either.” Cherrie replied.

“Have you looked under the bed or in the bed to see if it may have come off in your sleep?”

Cherrie immediately went on her knees and searched under her bed, “Nope, it’s definitely not under the bed.”

Cherrie watched as her mother stripped her bed completely shaking off everything, but no locket appeared.  Thinking she had really lost it this time, she was very upset.  It was the one special piece of jewellery she owned, that her father had taken the time to go shopping and pick out something for her without her doing it for him. Now it was missing.

Sitting cross legged on the floor with her elbows resting on her knees and her chin resting in her hands, she looked up at her mother and felt the tears stinging her eyes.

“Oh, Honey, don’t cry. I’m sure we’ll find it when we least expect to.  It’s probably right under our noses and we can’t see it.”

A tear slipped down Cherrie’s cheek as she stood up and gave her mother a hug.

“Cherrie, when we get back from the cemetery we will turn the house upside down and inside out till we find your locket. Okay, Honey?” Her mother asked, hoping that would make her daughter feel better.

“Thanks Mom.” Cherrie replied, “I’ll just get my coat and boots and we can go to the florist.”

Cherrie was lucky enough to get a parking just outside the florist and did not have to cross the busy main road this time. The purple sign above the florist caught the sun and blinded Cherrie for a moment as she looked up. In that blurry vision she could have sworn she saw white doves sitting on top of the sign board, but as she got closer and out of the sun’s rays she realised it was just her imagination and there were no birds, let alone doves. She pushed the door open and allowed her mother to enter first.

Inside her mother was struck by all the different varieties of orchids in such an amazing array of purples, from light to the darkest purple she had ever seen, it looked almost black.

“Cherrie, you were right. I have never seen so many orchids in such different shades of purples.”

When Cherrie didn’t reply her mother turned around to see her daughter looking at a waterfall. She wondered over to see what had attracted her attention. It was not that waterfall that had caught her daughter’s attention, but a waterfall a short distance away at the back of the room.