“How did you get this necklace Mr Johnson?” The police had appeared infront of his door the next day, his family was home, Latoya sat beside her mother..Tina, her father and mother was there too.
“I found it. ”
“Found it where Sir? ”
“I ..I don’t remember. I woke up one morning,went to work as usual, I am an electrician and was told to go fix up some old lady’s light in the basement . And I went there,she was in her chair and Rocking it back and forth back and forth. I went in and fixed the light and I left..Or I think I left . I ask for a glass of water which she pointed me to her fridge and the next thing I remember was waking up at home. And the necklace in my pocket” He was sweating
“What are you saying Johnson? ” His wife gasps
“Are you saying that you don’t remember killing the old woman in her apartment? ”
“I didn’t kill the old lady in the apartment. I went there to work”
“And the tools we found there belonged to you right? ”
“I don’t remember seeing them back home with me” he confessed “But I didn’t kill any old lady I swear. I think I blacked out but I don’t know how. I woke up and the lady was still there on her chair quiet..not moving, and the necklace was just there and…I thought it was thrown away you know so I think I took it because when I woke up the next day it was in my pocket and I wanted to return it but I heard that the lady had died and then I didn’t know who to give it to. but I forgot ..but I don’t remember anything. Nothing. but I know I didn’t kill no woman’”
“Father , ” Latoya cries ” The necklace , it is mine right. you got it for me. I found it.. I should keep it father right. .I should , it belongs to me father ” Latoya cries louder
“Oh my God” Trish hugs herself “Murderer Murderer! !” She cried pointing at him
“I swear I didn’t kill her, I don’t remember what happened. ” He begged.
The police began to cuff him and nudge him outside …While his family cried for him..
Tina stands staring at him..then she turns away
” The Fool.”
*
“Miss Catherine …Can I have my grandmother’s necklace now?” Tina knocks coming into the office ,
The principal was backing her, when she turns suddenly she was wearing it..
“Oh I am so sorry dear, it is so beautiful ” She gushes touching it..
“I know, can I have it now. The killer has been apprehended and taken to jail. Can I have it back now?” she stretches out her hand to her
“No dear..I don’t think you can. it is mine now” She says walking out of the room leaving Tina to stare after her.
“I found it, I should keep it. it’s so pretty ” She says over her shoulders
Tina is staring at her. She isn’t smiling.
*
“Mother, The principal refused to give me back grandmother’s necklace ” Tina says to her mother
“Why not, ? I called her this morning and then she said she would give it to you as soon as you came to school …but I don’t understand it, I would go there myself tommorow ” Trish says
*
“Did you hear ?” Some teachers were whispering as Trish and Tina got to school
“I would love to see the principal please ” Trish tells the secretary
“You didn’t see the news did you?”
“What news”
“The principal was found dead this morning, no eyes, no tongue and in some gory state…Oh dear lord. they don’t know who did it” The lady says dabbing her eyes
“Oh my God” Trish exclaims
“The necklace, did they find the necklace?” Tina asks
“What necklace ?”
“A green daimond necklace, she was wearing it yesterday ”
“Oh that pretty little thing , ..No. sadly that was the only thing missing.” The woman says turning away
Trish takes her daughter and leaves..
“Its gone Tom, it’s gone again. I don’t understand ” She cried in her husband’s arms
Tina is seated in her grandmother’s chair and rocking it back and forth nonstop till she falls asleep
*
it’s a year later when she sees it again… it was around a little girl’s neck. .And this time she decided not to take any chances.
The little girls was playing amongst the children , she was about four years old and her parents sat close by watching her.
Tina went to sit beside them.
“Your daughter? she is beautiful ”
“Oh thank you dear. you are beautiful yourself. ” The lady smiles turning to her and taps her hands.
The little girl turns and runs up to her mother ‘Can I have juice mama?”
“Sure dear, ” She picks up her bag and hands her a ribenna
“Oh wow such a beautiful necklace, where did you get it from, I would love to get one for my little sister ” Tina lied
“Oh.. necklace , I ..I don’t remember. .” the woman says…. “I erm, I think a friend gave me. she is late now. ‘” she touches her temple
‘”She came home one day with it and she doesn’t remember buying it. but, my wife suffers from amnesia so I figured she purchased it for our lil girl but didn’t remember from where. she has been wearing it ever since.”
“Oh. .but it is beautiful ” Tina says
“Yes indeed it is,ever since I gave it to her, she never takes it off, she doesn’t even let me touch it. she is so selfish with it and sometimes I want to wear it too but she wouldn’t let me…” the mother says frowning
‘Yeah , I know the feeling…. Oh well, have a nice day…” Tina says walking away.
*
She followed them home and waited till they were asleep then she climbed through the window and peered down into the little girls bed..
“Hello, I am here to take what is mine…” She whispers leaning in and taking it off the little girl’s neck..
Then she turns to find the girl’s mother standing there…
“What are you doing ? give it back to me”
“No, it is mine,it is my mother’s mother’s ” Tina says
“No, it is mine. I found it. I keep it.it is mine. my daughter didn’t want to give it back after finding it in my bag,and she made me wear it for her and she has refused to take it off ever since. it is mine.. I found it..I keep it. ”
“No…This belongs to my family you are nothing but a thief ” Tina says trying to leave but the woman pushes her aside and begins to struggle with her for the necklace.
They struggle for a while and then Tina pushes her to the wall causing the woman to hit her head.
While she falls to the ground, she towers over her.. the child was still asleep.
Good.
She puts her hands into her pocket and then brings out a screw driver; a clipper and she sets to work.
The next morning there would be news of a woman found in her apartment with no eyes, no tongue and bleeding ears, dead.
But that wouldn’t be her concern. she got what she came for.
*
“Tina ?”
“Yes mother ?” Tina turns to find her mother standing behind her
“Where were you last night?”
“I went out with some friends.”
“Okay, come down for breakfast..you are late for school”
“Okay mother”
She was smiling at herself as she got to school.
Finally; she had it. Finally she found it and it belongs to her.
She taps her jacket pocket where she had kept it last night , then she had frowned.
it wasn’t there.
It was there last night. ..where she had kept it…
No no no no. .
She began to retrace her steps , even walking back home to see if it had fallen.
it was no use..
She goes back home,angry, sad.
she lays on her bed wondering where it was this time, did she have to kill another person again?
“Tina?’ Tom!!!’ Her mother had called from the palour screaming of joy
“Come down quick” Her mother called
Tina goes down to find her mother gushing over something , Tom her father was smiling ..
As she goes closer , she realised what was making her mother happy..
“Oh I found it Tina,I found mother’s necklace, I found it. it’s been so long it had been missing but it has been here all along…I saw it on the doorway, maybe a good samaritan dropped it off or an angel I don’t know. but the most important thing is that I found the necklace that belonged to mother , and it is now mine, as it always should have been. I found it and I am keeping it safe this time. ..Oh Tina can you imagine.?” She laughs clapping
Tina doesn’t smile, she doesn’t say anything
She turns away and goes back upstairs and her mother begins to gush.
She lays on her bed and closes her eyes. .anger boiling inside of her.
If only her grandmother had been nice , she would have given her that necklace instead of always insisting that it was meant for her mother first instead of her, and while she was trying to take it off that stupid fool electrician came, she had to knock him out, then she dropped the necklace and began to work on her grandmother, she wanted her death to look dramatic .. and then she left the house, thinking the necklace was in her bag..
But it wasn’t. by the time she got there the electrician had left..And so was the necklace.
Then later that stupid principal,she should have just given it to her too..
but No..some stupid talk of “Finders Keepers’
Whenever someone saw the necklace they were drawn to it to own it, to keep it for themselves.
but she wasn’t like that. she just wanted it now not later.
And now that girl at the park and her mother.. And now just when she thought that finally she had it,she found the necklace…
Her mother had it on.
She sighs turning on her bed.
Now she would have to take it from her mother…She hopes she wouldn’t be screaming too loudly like the others..And she hated their eyes staring at her when she wants to take the necklace.. it felt as though it was judging her.. and removing it only gave her peace. And their ears? What good was a ear to a dead person.
What good was their ears when they couldn’t see ,not talk. it was just an added package.
she sighs
She could still hear her mother’ laughter..
She turns again…
She would have to go down later and give her father wine to drink to celebrate. And she would keep pouring him more glasses and makes sure he drinks, so he sleeps like a log of wood till the next day too knocked out to he bothered with noise .
She sighs again.
Grandmother should have just given her the necklace when she asked nicely. ..now she would have to kill her mother too, The necklace was hers..it was hers..
Not some finder’s keepers. it didn’t matter who found it.
it belonged to her.
It should always be with her.
*
It was midnight when she walked to her mother’s room, seeing her asleep,her hands over the necklace, her father’s face was turned the other way..
“It is mine” She says before she closes her mother’s mouth , as soon as her eyes flew open, she jabs her mother’s eyes with her other hand
“Stop looking at me” she breaths
*
Later that night she smiled with the necklace around her neck. She sat on her grandmother’s chair and rocked front to back , front to back. She touchs the necklace. ..happiness filling her .
Tommorw her father would find her mother dead.
But it wouldn’t matter.
she had what she wanted…She found it now..and she was going to keep it.
And maybe trully “Finders were Keepers !!’
She laughs and laughs silently , rocking in her grandmother chair and drifts to sleep.
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***** The END****
