The Wedding Ring

by Jessica Collins

  Gwendolyn McKinley and Tyler Boston are the most important clients of Kyra’s museum. Without their passion for the past and for the romance that the objects have, there might be no existing Porteza Museum of Antiquities in Manhattan. They are always on the lookout for the most intriguing antiques to discuss with Kyra. Somehow, they had the best information to provide. The moment Kyra takes the jobs they give, the two immediately make arrangements for her, anywhere in the world.

  Kyra didn’t believe in merely gathering such mystical items. She wants the objects to find proper homes and not just stuck in a museum. In her museum, she is more impressed by those who had great interest in even the simplest pieces. It unfailingly saddens her when there are people who make fun of the items she risked her life for. It is better to auction items out. At least, her efforts will not be in vain.

  As Kyra drinks her tall frappe, Gwendolyn hands her the details of the ring that caught her attention in Egypt. It’s only a month ago that Gwendolyn’s colleague and trusted friend did minor research about the item. The supposedly mystical ring was seen last by the son of a seamstress in the Heliopolis area. The boy was fond of exploring and digging up, trying to imitate the archaeologists that frequent the place. Since the small discovery, no archaeologist has attempted to excavate yet. In Gwendolyn’s book, this is the best opportunity for Kyra to be the first to get to the site and the item. The story behind the ring isn’t known yet. Gwendolyn has high hopes that Kyra will be able to complete her mission in just a month because she needs to be out of the country by then.

  Kyra looks into the details seriously and then sips her frappe. Gwendolyn holds her breath in anticipation. She really wants Kyra to take the job.

  “Gwen, can I have an additional GPS device on this one? Just a tiny one,” Kyra asks as she closes the folder and looks at Gwendolyn.

  “Of course, dear. Anything you need,” Gwendolyn says.

  Kyra sips her frappe again and places the folder on her desk.

  “After a month, right?” Kyra asks.

  “Yes.”

  “Then I have to leave in three days,” Kyra finally says. It has almost been a year since a new item came in. She needs this job to keep everything going. Gwendolyn’s face lights up as she stands to give Kyra a warm hug of gratitude. Kyra consistently likes that part. Every time Gwendolyn embraces her, the memory of her own grandmother washes over her.

  Kyra Porteza is a New York girl, but she didn’t mingle with the rich and powerful when she was young. She was an orphan when she turned one because her parents were accidentally hit by a truck whose driver fell asleep. Since the tragedy, Kyra’s grandmother was the one who raised her until Kyra finished college. Her grandmother was diagnosed with brain cancer and passed away a week after she graduated. It was a heavy transition back then for someone who always had a strong pillar to support her. However, even if she was allowed to grief for a longer period of time, Kyra immediately got onto her feet and searched for work three days after her grandmother was buried. She didn’t want to be slowed down. Her grandmother prepared her for the loss and moving on was part of the lesson.

  New York became Kyra’s playground and hunting ground. She enjoyed herself, even if she had three to four jobs to juggle. She had her grandmother’s money, but she didn’t want to use it all. She wanted to show her grandmother that she could make it on her own.

  While she worked at a local restaurant as a server, a regular customer asked what she finished in college. When Kyra said that she finished archaeology, the customer immediately pirated her to work in his office. Since then, she worked hard and saved up to have an antique acquisitions store like she and her grandmother always wanted,

  When Kyra was still starting out, she was the one who looked for clients who would want her to acquire antique pieces that they were interested in. Her first client was an old widow for Long Island. She said she invariably wanted to have the comb that Queen Victoria had on her honeymoon. Stories have always said that the comb intensified the queen’s romantic and sexual side whenever she was intimate with the man she loved. The client paid for her needs during her task. When Kyra returned to New York, the client was extremely ecstatic. She immediately performed the same spell that Queen Victoria supposedly chanted as she combed her hair. With two younger men in her room that night, the old widow proved that the item was indeed real. The next day, she gave Kyra a building that is now where her museum stands.

  The phone rings just as Kyra is just about to place her favorite pair of boots into her suitcase.

  “Hey, Aisha!” Kyra greets in an excited tone. She doesn’t know why but her long-time friend's phone call is making her palpitate and breathe too fast. “Is there anything I need to know?”

  “Still waiting for more information about the ring, Kyra,” Aisha says. Somehow, her voice sounds a bit uneasy.

  “What’s wrong, Aisha?” Kyra asks.

  “Ebo is in the area as we speak,” Aisha explains, Aisha Fisse is Kyra’s informant in Egypt. Ebo Mubarak has the same occupation and is considered Aisha’s number one competition. “I feel that this is going to be somewhat of a battle, Kyra.”

  “Well, we do our jobs right, we end up winning the battle,” Kyra says, hoping Aisha can absorb some of her optimism.

  “Is everything ready?”“As always, Kyra,” Aisha confirms. “How can I fail a highly reputable tomb raider?”

  “You’re a friend, Aisha,” Kyrasays. “I will see you in two days, all right?”

  “Be safe,” Aisha says before she hangs up the phone. A stab of worry flashed through her that moment. Ebo is there, across the street, talking to some of the contacts she asked questions from a few days ago. Aisha needs to know what Ebo was asking them. She narrows her eyes as she picks up her basket of olives. She decides to intercept the two adolescent boys in the next alley. Just when she’s about to confront the two boys, Ebo appears right in the sharp corner to where she’s hiding.

  “Well,” Ebo says as he smiles at Aish, Aisha stands her ground. Ebo starts to circle her but she doesn’t take her eyes off his. She knows what kind of man Ebo can be if he chooses to. Aisha is the only woman who could stare into Ebo’s eyes without twitching. “I think we’re after the same thing, you and I.”

  “We’ll just see who gets it first,” Aisha says. Her dark eyes like fire towards Ebo’s taunting stare. Ebo smiles at Aisha as he walks casually away. Aisha assumes that Ebo paid the adolescents right after their short talk. She searches through the hot, sweaty, market crowd for them but they’re gone. Aisha knows that she has to make some very vigilant efforts to know what’s really going on. Kyra has to get that ring in only a month. Under normal circumstances, they can do it in a week. Even so, Ebo’s presence makes things a bit more complicated.

  Store windows have always fascinated Kyra.

  As she stares at a white, silk, chiffon, button-up blouse through her favorite store’s glass window, a smiles weeps over her face. She knows she will look effortless in that blouse. Kyra breathes in and exhales slowly as she enters the boutique. Immediately, a large collection of whites greets her. Dark denims were paired with almost every top. There were also khaki capris and boots that she thinks she should add to her wardrobe. Kyra figured she would save the dark denims for night functions but the khakis and acid wash denims for her daytime work. Well, not that she has to attend evening functions or anything like that. Kyra just has the habit of being prepared for “emergency” gatherings such as those with unexpected people she just might like.

  Kyra decides to have coffee and cheesecake in her favorite coffee shop. She doesn’t like the commercialized coffees that spring up like mushrooms in almost every corner of every street. Kyra loves the smell of homemade brews. It reminds her of how her grandmother used to prepare their breakfasts together. She would carefully watch her grandmother’s every move, especially when she flipped the blueberry cheesecake pancakes and winked at her. The warm smell of freshly-brewed coffee would fill the entire house, as if it wan
ted to invite everyone in the area to have breakfast with them.

  When Kyra’s coffee is set in front of her, she closes her eyes and smiles. How she wishes her grandmother can see her at that very moment. She always told her grandmother that someday, she would go around the world and see different people. Kyra told her that she would bring her along with her all the time. In her last breath, her grandmother told Kyra that she should never cry when she thinks about her. She wanted Kyra to remember that her grandmother could not at any time leave her heart. And even if ten years have already passed, Kyra still doesn’t shed a tear of sadness for her late grandmother. She knows that it would also do her good if she keeps moving forward and make her grandmother her inspiration every step of the way.

  It starts to rain as Kyra pulled up into her garage. As the garage door automatically closes, she shivers when she opens her car door. She thinks of the red wine she has in stock for days like this. Kyra takes the items she bought and locks the door behind her. The house always welcomes her the same way—quiet but in a pleasant way. She has been contemplating on getting a companion dog once this mission is accomplished. She wants to have a small dog that she could carry around in a bag wherever she goes. She already researched on breeds that were appropriate for air travel. She found out that dogs with short noses like pugs. At that moment, Kyra decides to look for a toy dachshund breeder. It would be the perfect breed for her—smart, curious, agile, but has an independent mind. Dachshunds in general are very loyal to their pet parents as well.

  Kyra turns on her laptop and starts to research on more possible information about the ancient people of Heliopolis. She’s hoping to find out a story that’s somehow connected with the ring that Gwendolyn wants to acquire. If she gets to it first, then the ring will be the property of her museum after a few negotiations with the Egyptian government. She’s pretty good at that sort of thing, especially when rich friends back her up all the time.

  After a couple of hours of nothing, Kyra turns off her laptop and makes quesadillas. It’s always the fastest dinner she can make. This is why she makes sure she has soft tortilla in her fridge at all times. When her speedy dinner’s done, she carries the steaming pile into the living room with her glass of red wine. It’s really pouring heavily outside. It’s a good thing that she made it home just in time. Her favorite series is having a marathon that week, so she takes advantage of the downtime until she leaves for Egypt.

  Kyra thinks of Aisha for a brief moment.

  Ebo is still affecting her so much.

  Aisha had a troubled voice when she mentioned Ebo. Kyra hopes that nothing unpleasant happened to her friend after the call.

  Kyra breathes in deeply and slowly exhales. She doesn’t have the time to be stressed. She needs every ounce of focus for the mission. This is going to do her museum and Gwendolyn a lot of good. Just then, the doorbell rings. It’s a delivery from Tyler—a small working backpack filled with items that she needs for her journey. And it isn’t just any backpack. Tyler had this handmade in Paris just for me. The evidence is her name engraved and printed all over the lining of the bag and the straps. As Kyra closes the door, her phone rings.

  “I hope you like my travel gift,” Tyler says.

  “You shouldn’t have made such an effort, Tyler. But thanks,” Kyra replies.

  “Oh don’t think of it too much, honey. I have one made for myself, as well." Tyler announces as he looks at his bag with pure admiration, “They are so classy, huh? You’re the only one who has that color.”

  The two chat for hours until Tyler hangs up. He said he had to go to a new bar and grace the festivities. Kyra smiles at the thought that her rich friend is going to have another male conquest for that evening. It has been five years since she decided not to go with Tyler to such places anymore. She found herself naked in a motel with a stranger. Tyler was in the other room in the same situation. Kyra had to pull Tyler to their car and quickly made a speedy escape. They were not robbed, but the fact that they slept with total strangers was taboo to Kyra especially with her grandmother’s voice inside her head that time.

  Tyler is a great friend, just like Gwendolyn. She can’t imagine her missions without them. It’s late and Kyra needs to sleep. She needs to prepare early the next day. After tomorrow, she leaves for Heliopolis…for the ring… for her latest find.

  Chapter Three: Ramil’s Passion

  The flickers of candle lights are too overwhelming to ignore. The wine is starting to make him a little dizzy. Ramil already had three goblets of the finest red wine in that particular five start restaurant, but he can’t say no to the table’s wine connoisseur with his team of waiters.

  Ramil Geoffreys sits at a huge, round table with an elite group of philanthropists who believe in his archaeological work. Ramil is still too happy to process the fact that these men are willing to finance an archeological dig in Heliopolis.

  “Our informant is very credible, Dr. Geoffreys,” one grey-haired aristocrat tells Ramil as he starts to light his tobacco pipe. “You can trust him.”

  “I have heard about him when I was in Egypt three years ago,” Ramil says. Silence fills the room. It was pretty awkward but Ramil doesn’t mind at all. To him, the evening is all good news for him and his team. After another hour, the group’s secretary confirms the dig’s details to Ramil. The schedule is set. The people are named. The reservations are confirmed and the budget given. Ramil is surprised at the check that the secretary gives him—it’s signed yet blank. Ramil looks at the secretary, wondering if there’s a mistake.

  “Just write down the amount you need, Dr. Geoffreys,” the secretary says. “They trust you enough to give the results they want.”

  With that, the secretary shakes Ramil’s hand, gets up, and leaves him with the philanthropists. Everyone at the table shakes his hand and wishes him well for the coming expedition. That night, Ramil goes down the huge staircase towards the restaurant’s valet service counter. Right beside it is a comfortable lounge chair occupied by the secretary he met earlier. Ramil approaches her. Her dark blue eyes greets his hazel green gaze as she puts down her coffee.

  “Are you waiting for someone?” Ramil asks.

  “Yes,” the secretary replies. “I was instructed to wait for you.”

  “Do we still have something to discuss?” Ramil asks casually. The secretary stands up and walks slowly towards him.

  “I’m part of the package, Doctor,” the mysterious woman confesses.

  Ramil looks at her and smiles.

  “You’re a very attractive woman, but I already got what I hoped for tonight,” Ramil says as he kisses the secretary’s hand in farewell. He slightly bows to the woman and leaves her with her self-esteem intact.

  Ramil has always been a man with a passion. His work is his life even when the chance to play around gets a chance to tempt him every now and then. Ramil’s priority is to establish himself and his team in the archaeological world. He just doesn’t have the words “mediocre” and “failure” in his book. Even if he does have his shortcomings, he always manages to set things right.

  As Ramil gets into his car, he reflects at the dinner meeting and brings out the signed blank check from his inner jacket pocket. He stares at it for a while and realizes that the check is going to be the gateway to his dreams. Even if the check is blank, Ramil writes down an amount just enough for him and his team that will last them a month.

  It wasn’t an easy road for Ramil to get to where he is right now. He didn’t have parents to support him through high school and college. He was an orphan by the age of eight. His educational fund only lasted until before he started freshman year because his aunt spent it all on her drunk boyfriend. Ramil had to work his way through every academic year of his life since then. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he moved out of her aunt’s house and lived on his own. First, it was with close friends but when their parents weren’t comfortable about the idea anymore, he decided to look for apartments that could help teens like him. One
day, he was overjoyed when the owner of the apartment he inquired at had a vacant unit. The owner said that he could stay in the unit if he did chores for him after school and after his work as a library assistant.

  Being around books all the time fired up Ramil’s interest in archaeology. He read and re-read the hard-bound books about the ancient cultures in every country. He even borrowed some of them and returned them after each semester. After high school, Ramil kept his job at the library but had to get another job as an office clerk in a nearby travel agency. It was a lot of hard work, late nights, skipped meals, and extra projects before he finally earned his degree. After enough time spent in college, masters, and the doctorate (which he finished as an assistant curator in the local museum), Ramil is now a fully fledged archeologist with his own team of aspiring tomb raiders as well.

  Even if Ramil knows that he should ask for more than the amount he just wrote down, he kept his distance. He doesn’t want to take advantage of these people. All they want is for him to know the story behind the Heliopolis community tomb and gather important artifacts for their personal collection. It’s a private project but the exposure and the chance to learn more about Heliopolis is very overwhelming even for him.