I had begun to really enjoy my new project of going through boxes pack since 2009. I had packed them up and moved them to the lake house and never opened them. I had marked the box, Grandmother, so it remained untouched until this weekend. I decided the lock down would count for something.
I opened a small cigar box that was very old. It had been my treasure box when I was a kid. I was thrilled to find the rhinestones and ball tucked inside a velvet bag. This had been a special gift from my grandmother when I was little. The red velvet bag protected its precious contents with a draw string bow with a tiny key dangling off one end and a tiny pad lock dangling off the other end.
Once when grandmother had offered to baby sit the grand daughter of one of her friends, the gift, was the result a conscious decision I had made. The little girl was very shy and was apparently new to the family. I knew all about that kind of stuff, being adopted myself.
I assure the little girl that it would all be okay and she was in for a lot of love. I got out my most treasured toy. My jax were special, it was the first game my grandmother ever got down on the floor to play with me. We had two balls and several jax. I showed the little girl how to play. We proceeded to play. She finally came out of her shell and started having fun.
When it came time for her to go home her grandmother came to get her. She showed off for her grandmother to show her how good she was at playing the game. Her grandmother got down on the floor and played with her. I knew everything would be find now. She had a good grandmother just like me. They got ready to leave.
My grandmother came and asked me if I would give my jax to the little girl and her grandmother. I said yes. I felt good and bad. I wanted to give her the jax but I did not want to give her mine. I even suggested we give them the money to go buy their own. I loved my grandmother very much and wanted to make her happy. I said, okay. The little girl and her grandmother had left. I went to my room so no one would see me crying over giving up my jax.
About an hour later my grandmother presented me with this little velvet bag full of rhinestones and one of the balls used to play jax. I was thrilled. We instantly got on the floor and played jax... with rhinestones. Years later I found out grandmother had taken the rhinestones out of several pierces of costume jewelry to make up enough for a game. I remember now. I used to ask her why she wore jewelry with missing stones. She would say, “They are not missing, I know exactly where they are.”
I touched the bag against my cheek and could not stop the tears. It smelled just like my grandmother. She always wore “White Shoulders” perfume. My daddy always got her a new bottle every Christmas.
For the first time in many, many, years... I played jax with my grandmother all day last Sunday. It was a wonderful day. My project got short circuited by a very special memory, relived.
Tags: Home Memories Children
