The Jewels of Sofia Tate

by Doris Etienne

  “Sure, go ahead,” her mother said. “If you can’t find me later, just meet me back at the house.”

  The park was filling up quickly with people as far back as the small lake in the centre. The smell of cigarette smoke intermingled with the scent of spring flowers and fresh leaves. Dan and Justin met a number of friends as they walked around and they briefly stopped to talk with them. Garnet recognized few faces, but soon learned after introductions that many actually went to different schools and they knew each other from sports and church. Dan and Justin were more popular than she had realized, and she began to wonder how she had ended up with them. She thought that maybe she should go back to try to find her mother since she didn’t know anyone and was beginning to feel like a tagalong.

  “Hey, Justin!” a girl called out.

  He looked over and smiled. “Hey, Sarah!” He ran over to talk to her but this time Dan stayed on the gravel path with Garnet.

  “Want to sit down?” Dan asked.

  Garnet raised her eyebrows and shrugged. “Sure.”

  They found a place on the grass under a nearby tree. Garnet wrapped her arms around her legs, a sudden chill making her glad for her jacket; Dan stretched out his legs and leaned back on his arms. For the first few moments they didn’t speak.

  “So, how long have you been delivering groceries to Elizabeth?” Garnet asked.

  Dan lifted a shoulder. “About a year now, I guess, since her health started to go downhill. Pioneer has a free home-delivery service for people who can’t make it to the grocery store.”

  “But you already knew her from church?”

  “Yeah,” Dan replied. “My grandfather’s the minister there. I’ve actually known her all my life. She used to be my piano teacher. She’s a great lady but hasn’t been well for a while. I doubt she’ll be able to handle that house much longer.” He looked over at Garnet. “How do you know her? I didn’t catch that the other day.”

  “Well, I was sitting in front of my house last Friday when she was walking by and fell down,” said Garnet. “She asked for her pills and I gave them to her. She seemed nice and it was hot, so I asked her if she wanted to come in and gave her some water.”

  Dan frowned. “She fell? Where was she going?”

  “Home. She was coming from the bank. I walked her home afterwards and went back Saturday to check on her to see how she was doing. That’s when we started talking. She told me about her husband and his mother and about those jewels. I really am going to try to find them for her. I just hope they haven’t already been stolen.”

  “Stolen? I’d be surprised if they ever existed.”

  Garnet swung her head to face to him. “What do you mean ’if they ever existed’? Of course they did. There’s a picture of Albert’s mother wearing them in the library. Don’t you believe her?”

  Dan shrugged. “Do you know the strange thing about Mrs. Tate’s story?”

  Garnet shook her head.

  “I’ve known her all my life and yesterday was the first time I ever heard of any missing jewels.”

  Garnet lifted her chin and sniffed. “Well maybe that’s because she just never trusted anyone enough before.”

  “And you think she should trust you? No offence, but how long did you say you’ve known her?”

  Exactly three days.

  “So, what are you saying? She invented the story?” Garnet snapped.

  Dan grinned and seemed amused that she was losing her temper. He put his hands behind his head and lay down on the grass. “Maybe.”

  Garnet’s eyes narrowed. Was he always this annoying? “What do you mean ’maybe’? Why would she do that? Who would make up a story like that with so many details if it weren’t true? Are you saying she’s a liar?”

  Dan leaned up on one elbow, his tone suddenly more serious. “No. Not a liar. She’s ...” He paused as he tried to choose the right words. “The thing is, she’s not well. You know it yourself, seeing that she collapsed in front of your house. Grandpa says she’ll probably have to go into a nursing home soon, whether she wants to or not. She had a stroke over a year ago and it took her months to get over it. She’s better now, but she doesn’t always think clearly. She forgets stuff. Everyone who knows her says she’s changed. Some people from church even take turns to look in on her because she has no family and they worry about her. Sure, she has Gerdie to help her out, which I suppose is good. Not that Gerdie will ever win the Miss Congeniality Award.”

  Garnet burst into laughter. “Gerdie is kind of weird.”

  A sudden squeal, accompanied by a white explosion of a thousand shooting stars that lit up the sky before showering back to earth, stopped their talk about Elizabeth.

  Despite Dan’s revelation about Elizabeth and his doubts about her story, Garnet forgot everything for the moment and enjoyed the fireworks more than she had enjoyed anything in what seemed like ages. She was content just to sit next to Dan and watch the show, choreographed to the music of the orchestra.

  Justin didn’t return until the thundering close of the grand finale. Then the three picked their way through the confusion of the departing crowd. They were nearing the pavilion when Dan said, “Hey, isn’t that Laura and Michelle over there?”

  Justin and Garnet squinted where Dan was pointing.

  “Yeah, it is,” Justin said, sounding annoyed. “Come on, let’s go this way!” He turned to go in a different direction.

  But it was too late. Laura had already seen them and waved. “Hey, Dan!” she called.

  “Oh, great,” Justin hissed under his breath.

  Dan waved back. “What’s wrong?” he asked his friend in a low tone.

  “I don’t want to talk to Michelle.”

  Under the dim light of the park lamp, Garnet recognized the girls as part of the popular group that Dan hung out with at school. She had often seen them together at lunch and in the halls. Laura was tall, blond, and blue-eyed, a basketball star in Grade 11. The short jacket and tight jeans she wore tonight emphasized her long, athletic legs. Michelle had soft brown eyes and long, wavy, brown hair that was usually tied back in a ponytail. But her broad smile melted right off her face the instant she saw Justin. Laura hurried over to meet them but Michelle stood back for a moment before slowly following her, stepping around a family with a wagon and stroller.

  “Hey, guys, why didn’t you tell me you were coming tonight?” Laura asked.

  Dan shrugged. “We decided at the last minute. How’d you get here?”

  “Dad dropped us off. He’s coming back to pick us up on David Street. We were just going to meet him there.”

  Laura’s eyes suddenly flicked over to Garnet, a couple of paces behind Dan. “Is she with you?” she asked.

  “Uh, yeah,” Dan replied. “This is Garnet. She’s new in town. Garnet, this is Laura and Michelle,” he said pointing at each.

  Laura’s eyebrows arched upward. “Hey, Garnet.” She turned back to Dan and gave him a meaningful glance before exchanging another with Michelle.

  “Hi,” Garnet said, coming forward, a slight uneasiness creeping in.

  “Hi,” Michelle said. She stole an awkward sideways glance at Justin, standing off to the side, before looking back.

  An unexpected cool breeze chilled Garnet even through her jacket and she hugged her arms, suddenly eager to go home. I don’t belong here, she thought. I don’t know these people, but they know each other well. Too well. What were all these silent messages they were sending each other?

  “Well, we better go. Dad’s probably waiting for us. See you tomorrow,” Laura said, casting one more look in Dan’s direction.

  The girls disappeared into the departing crowd and as Garnet headed into the opposite direction with Dan and Justin, she thought she heard them giggle. Were they giggling about her? There was definitely something odd about it. What was it? Dan had told them that Garnet was with him. But he wasn’t her boyfriend. Not even a potential one. He was only a friendly guy who happened to be in the park with her
, and she was just tagging along like some pathetic puppy. Garnet shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

  Dan turned to Justin. “So, what’s up with you and Michelle?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, man. She’s gone all serious on me. She must’ve gotten the wrong idea when we went out with her and Laura last week.” So that was it, Garnet thought. The four of them had gone out on a double date and now Dan was here with Garnet. That would explain a few things. “Anyway, she wants to go to the formal with me and I told her that was fine but I only wanted to be friends, and that’s all. Now she’s gone all weird.”

  “So what’re you going to do?” Dan asked.

  Justin shrugged. “I dunno. Let her cool off, I guess. I don’t even know if I want to go. I hate those things. Do you remember the junior one?”

  Dan laughed. “I didn’t go, but you make it sound like it was torture.”

  “It was, buddy. It was.”

  They reached the spot where they had left Garnet’s mother earlier, but the crowd had already cleared and she was nowhere to be found.

  “Well, I guess my mother must’ve gone home,” Garnet said. “So, I’ll see you guys later. Thanks.” She started to walk away but had gone only a few paces when she felt a tug at her arm.

  “Hey, you’re not going by yourself,” said Dan. “We’ll walk you home.”

  “Why?” Garnet asked.

  “It’s not safe downtown after dark.”

  “Oh, please,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It’s just a short walk.”

  “I’m serious. Where do you live?” Dan asked.

  Garnet told him and they continued to walk. She listened while he and Justin talked about the Blue Jays, their losing streak against the White Sox, and yesterday’s game, which they had gone to see, as they cut across the park and up Garnet’s street. The porch lamp was on and a faint light shone through the living room curtains when they arrived at the townhouse.

  “Thanks, guys.”

  “No problem. My car’s actually parked just over there,” Dan replied, pointing to the black Grand Am a little way down the street. He pulled the car keys from his pocket. “See you around, Garnet.”

  “Yeah, see you,” said Justin with a wave of his hand.

  Later, as Garnet waited in bed for sleep to come, she thought of what Dan had said about Elizabeth. What if he was right? What if Elizabeth wasn’t thinking clearly anymore? What if she had confused a few details — or worse, had imagined the story about the jewels? Garnet didn’t know how anyone could concoct such an elaborate tale, but it was possible that Elizabeth had once read a book or seen a movie and had somehow mixed up the facts with fiction. Her grandmother had certainly mixed a lot up when she became ill. Garnet didn’t know Elizabeth well enough to judge. But for that matter, she didn’t know much about Dan, either. What was the story with him and Laura?

  Garnet tossed in her bed. What did it really matter? After all, there was nothing between herself and Dan. And there never would be.

  5

  A Mysterious Visitor

  Double, double, toil and trouble. That’s what English class was, Garnet thought ruefully as she stuffed her marked assignment into her knapsack. What was so great about Macbeth anyway? The guy had gone crazy with ambition, the story was as gory as could be, and the worst part was, it wasn’t even written in real English. Why didn’t someone just take the play and translate it into modern English? Maybe then she would understand it better. It was as though all the characters were speaking in code and she didn’t get it.

  Garnet threw the binder into her locker. A “C.” She still couldn’t believe she had done so poorly on the assignment. She would have expected this in math, but not English. English had always been one of her better subjects.

  She thought about the dreaded math assignment now, and knew that the outcome for that could only be disastrous. She had handed it in yesterday, a day late, and would be docked ten percent right off the top. Could Mr. Sanders assign negative marks? she wondered. But what would that matter at this point? She was most likely going to fail, anyway. If the answers were complete, they were probably wrong. Math wasn’t her thing and she couldn’t seem to catch up. She was doomed for summer school, and it wasn’t her fault. If they hadn’t moved at such a stupid time, maybe she would have had a chance.

  She slammed her locker and clicked shut the lock. There was only one good thing about today, she thought as she shrugged into her knapsack and picked up her bike helmet: tomorrow will be Friday.

  Garnet peered through the large window in the stairwell that overlooked the parking lot and stopped as others hurried by her. There he was. Next to his Grand Am. She had been keeping her eyes open for Dan all week but this was the first time she had spotted him. He hadn’t been in the cafeteria at lunch and she hadn’t seen him in the halls between classes. She had only seen Michelle and Justin.

  Dan was getting into the driver’s seat, and Laura into the passenger’s side. Laura threw her head back and laughed at something, and then he started the car and they drove away.

  Garnet turned from the window and descended the remainder of the stairs. That was the other problem with moving: no friends. She grabbed the door before it slammed in her face from the person going out ahead of her, then walked outside to the bicycle racks. She unlocked her bike, attached her music headset, adjusted her helmet, and set off.

  Though she didn’t have much homework tonight, her knapsack still felt awkward as the corner of her French binder cut into her right kidney. She pedalled along with the traffic and wondered whether she would ever fit in anywhere again. No one except the teachers even talked to her at school. The cliques, it seemed, had all been established long ago. No one ever asked her to join them and they might as well have just put up a sign: NEWCOMERS NOT WELCOME.

  Deep down she supposed she had hoped that Dan might become her friend. That was the reason she had looked for him this week. But who was she trying to kid? Friendly as he had been last weekend, what would he ever see in her, a Tenth-Grade loser with curly red hair and a freckled nose, when he could have someone like Laura? Even Amy seemed to be getting along just fine without her since she had left Owen Sound.

  On impulse, Garnet decided not to go home right away and turned the corner. Perhaps a detour to a certain old lady’s house would help her feel better. She hadn’t seen Elizabeth since Sunday and desperately needed to see a friendly face.

  She was riding along the quiet, tree-lined street when, in the distance, she noticed a dark-blue BMW with tinted windows parked at the curb in front of Elizabeth’s house. As Garnet approached, the car suddenly pulled out and to her horror, seemed to be speeding straight toward her.

  “Hey!” Garnet screamed.

  She quickly veered to the closest driveway, then braked and skidded on the sidewalk before coming to a stop. She turned her head to watch as the car swerved to the middle of the road, just missing an approaching green Mazda. The driver of the Mazda lay on the horn while the BMW steered to the right and sped around the corner.

  What an idiot, Garnet thought. Breathless and shaking, she crossed the street to Elizabeth’s house. She dismounted the bicycle and leaned it against the side of the house. Strangely, the front door stood ajar. She ran up the stairs and pushed it wide open.

  “Oh, no!” Garnet cried, putting a hand over her mouth.

  Elizabeth was sprawled out on the tile floor with her cane tossed to the side. Her face was turning an odd shade of blue and a goose-egg lump was beginning to form on the left side of her forehead.

  Ginger mewed and circled around Elizabeth’s limp form, her tail lashing about. The antique oriental vase that Garnet had admired only days ago was smashed to pieces on the floor behind her, next to the grandfather clock.

  Garnet yanked off her helmet and headset and knelt down. She gently shook Elizabeth’s shoulders. “Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Can you hear me? Are you all right?”

  Her eyes fluttered briefly behind lopsided glasses, then cl
osed again.

  Garnet’s heart pounded. What do I do?

  She ran to the kitchen and grabbed the telephone. It was heavy and black and had holes on a disc instead of buttons to dial the number. With a trembling hand, she poked her finger into the hole for the first number: 9. It seemed to take forever for the dial to come back down. She dialled the next two numbers: 1-1.

  Waiting for the emergency response team seemed like a lifetime. Garnet removed her knapsack and sat down on the floor next to Elizabeth, placing a shaking hand on her shoulder. “You’ll be all right, Elizabeth,” she said, partly to convince herself and partly since she didn’t know what else to do. She didn’t know CPR and wished now that she had taken the time to learn it when it had been offered at school. Ginger continued to circle the floor around Elizabeth until Garnet reached for her with a free hand. She held her, seeking comfort from the warm fur, and biting back the tears that threatened. She wished the cat could talk so it could explain what had happened in the moments before she had arrived. The sound of the approaching sirens brought Garnet to her feet.

  “Her name’s Elizabeth Tate,” Garnet told the paramedics as they carried in the boxes with life support equipment. She stood back as the male attendant knelt down and checked Elizabeth’s vital signs. “She was lying on the floor when I got here.”

  He nodded, then said something she did not understand to the female attendant with him. Working quickly, he undid the buttons on the top of Elizabeth’s dress and attached a monitor.

  The line on the screen was a continuous row of small waves. The woman pulled out a defibrillator and used it to shock Elizabeth’s heart back to a heartbeat. The line on the monitor suddenly jumped to life, and an intravenous tube was quickly inserted into Elizabeth’s arm and another tube into her throat. Elizabeth appeared to be alive but, for all their efforts, she did not awaken. After noting a reading on the equipment, the male attendant phoned the doctor at the hospital.

  “Let’s load her up,” he said to the female attendant when he had finished the call. They placed Elizabeth on a stretcher and rolled her onto the waiting ambulance in the driveway.