Old McLarsen Had Some Farms - a memoir: Book Two - The Milky Way

Chapter 17 - A Two Ring Circus

"Hmm... all that loose stuff made the base for the next years cut. Imagine... then the ring would have been covered even deeper." Kanute's eyes sadden. Life went on, but the pale dent in Kanute's finger remained, as did the sad empty space in our hearts. You don't feel a wedding ring on your finger after a few years of wearing it - and yet you certainly DO feel the loss when it's no longer there. Kanute can attest to that.

Some six months later, on a day no different than any other, he was lifting bales of hay onto the back of the utility to feed out to the cows. Nothing new about that - except that in those six months the exposed hay had weathered to a dull brown on the outsides of the bales.

Although the tale is indelible in my mind, he can't resist telling me all over again.

"As I turned back from the ute, ready to lift the next bale, there it was... sitting there and gleaming cheerfully on the top of the next bale." His wedding ring!

Shock, disbelief, wonder and then the greatest joy flashed by as we studied this unimaginable find.

"Felt like a pirate discovering hidden treasure." Kanute grins from ear to ear. "Struck 'pure gold', didn't I?"

How I wish I could report that the lottery ticket we bought in celebration was equally joyous - but it would seem we had received our quota of good luck. It mattered little. We were more than happy to settle for Kanute's most special discovery.

I cannot leave this triumphant moment without sharing a story of another ring in another place, even though it's an off-farm tale. We were in Western Australia, finding our way around our first Royal Perth Show, when we were attracted to a crowd of spectators in front of an unusual stand in one of the pavilions. A long glass aquarium contained all the usual sea grasses and rocks and small plastic ornaments. Instead of real fish languishing in the water, brightly coloured fake fish and turtles bobbed around above several thick layers of closed oyster shells.

The small Japanese showman encouraged his audience to pay $2.00 to go fishing with a net on a handle, "give it a twist, a flick of the wrist" and catch an oyster shell. He would shuck it open and reveal... maybe just a grain of sand, or even nothing at all!

"So sorry," he would say. "Because I'm such a kind fellow, I'm going to give you a second dip!" And then he wagged his head with a most serious expression. "... But no more chances after that. My last offer, peoples." And he went on to explain that anything larger than a small peppercorn with a 'pearly' hue was considered a fair return for your money.

Now and then someone would get one a little larger and that was the appeal and charm of this unlikely 'fishing trip' - and the reason for the crowd.

"It's a bit of a joke," I said. "But let's do it!"

Kanute laughed out loud. "As if we'd ever win anything more than a bottle of wine or similar!" And we dutifully lined up for our turn to choose 'the' one, following serious and careful deliberation. Lady Luck had a grin from ear to ear that day, because my pearl was enormous! It had a most beautiful and rich creamy glow, with warm apricot and palest pink hues. There was only one tiny flaw where it had been joined to the shell.

The poor little stall-holder paled and looked near to collapse as a collective gasp came from all the onlookers. I could barely breathe and wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time... and I did. The shock and disbelief on the vendor's face as he told us this had never happened to him before was mirrored by those gathered around. The first offers to buy my pearl were made right then and there by envious onlookers in the crowd. But there was no way we were parting with our $2.00 pearl.

For years afterwards we agonized over the best way to treat our beauty until we made the decision to keep her intact until a more financial day arrived, hopefully sometime in the near future. But it happened our treasure went into safe-keeping for quite a few years, as we struggled through the toughest and leanest of our farming life. Sometimes years would go by without a thought of this treasure, until 1980 arrived and we realised this would be the year of our Pearl wedding anniversary, by 'Modern' interpretation. Traditionally, Pearl is the 30th anniversary - but that seemed a lifetime away... back then! Now we remembered our wondrous pearl and fetched her out of safe storage. How we gasped and wondered at her beauty.

"Fell in love with her all over again, didn't you?"

I smile and nod happily. After being tucked away for so long, it was like seeing her for the first time. And how the memories of that miraculous triumph were fanned.

We took her to a trusted jeweller for his advice and were not disappointed by his reaction - OR his suggestion, after much careful deliberation. He was profoundly impressed and confirmed what we already suspected - this was a valuable pearl. In fact, it measures 8mm across and we believe it to be 5 carats and 1 gram in weight.

"I see it as a ring, with that pearl sitting high on a strong but simple gold claw on a plain gold band," our highly experienced jeweller suggested. "Absolutely nothing should detract from its beauty." We needed no convincing. It sounded wonderful... and he was SO right. It was a perfect choice.

The ring was ready for us to collect shortly before we were, due to our farm commitments, so our jeweller kept the ring in pride of place in a locked glass cabinet on his counter-top. He had a particular pleasure in continuing to admire the treasure and his own artistic contribution. When we came to collect it, he told us how much attention it had attracted - plus offers to purchase.

One lady returned several times, raising her bid each time, to an amazing high of $450.00 (a tidy sum in 1980).

"I promised her to ask you if you'd consider selling," the jeweller said. "But... I warned her, I had a sneaking suspicion you would refuse." How right he was.

Impossible to believe it is more than 48 years since my beloved pearl emerged from its shell, to be greeted with the shock and wonderment of all who witnessed its unveiling. The mellow beauty never changes, never diminishes or dulls with age.

This would have to be the BEST $2.00 we ever spent.