The Spoon
Love. Everyone wants it. Every person on Earth wants to be loved, share love, and look for love. It is a fundamental part of being human. Keeping this in mind allow me to tell you a story. It is about a boy and girl. At least…that is how it starts. Two souls, who have never met and know nothing about each other. One faithful day their paths will cross and that is where we will start this story.
Jackson opened his lunch box and found that hi smother had forgotten to give him a spoon. At the age of five this is a very important part of lunch since you can’t eat your pudding without a spoon. He ate all of his lunch except for that one cup of pudding. He looked at longingly with despair in his heart started to put it back in his lunch box. A little girl with curly brown hair and bright blue eyes came up to Jackson.
“You can use my spoon,” she said. She pulled it out of her lunch box and gave it to Jackson. “Give it back tomorrow.” She left with her class and He ate the pudding happily.
The next day Jackson brought her spoon back but couldn’t find her. He brought it the next day and the next until he was very worried. It was Friday and they wouldn’t be back in school until Monday. He got up his courage and went to see her teacher. He knew who it was because the teachers always walked by their students on their way to lunch.
“Mrs. Ellen, what happened to the girl with brown curly hair? She let me use her spoon and I need to give it back.” Mrs. Ellen gave Jackson a very sweet motherly look and pulled out a small piece of candy.
“Well. Elizabeth had to move away. Her daddy, Mr. Weston, is the police chief and the bad criminals want to hurt him. They had to take Elizabeth away so the bad men can’t hurt her or her daddy.” She gave Jackson the candy and sent him back to class. He didn’t understand anything Mrs. Ellen had except for Elizabeth was gone.
* * *
Years passed by and Jackson had hidden he spoon in the far corner of his closet. He hid it so well that he forgot about it. He graduated high school and went off to College. It was his senior year at the University when he went home for Christmas break.
Jackson had developed into a fine young man. He had built himself up and was tall with black hair and brown eyes. He had gone to college on a football scholarship and was even being looked at by the NFL. He however wanted to be a detective. It was New Years Eve and he was headed to a party his parents had been invited to. It was also a celebration for the retired chief of police, Mr. Weston.
When Jackson stepped through the front door he saw Mr. Weston standing with his wife and a beautiful young woman about the same age as Jackson. She had wavy brown hair and a thin figure. Her smile was as bright as her blue eyes. When Jackson saw her he had feeling of knowing her. She shook his hand and greeted him happily.
“Hi, I’m Beth.”
“I’m Jack. Nice to meet you.”
After that Jackson couldn’t get her out of his mind. She was beautiful and seemed to give him a feeling that he was unsure of.
* * *
He graduated and went on to become one the best detectives in the U.S. He was now about twenty-nine when he went home for his father funeral. He had died of a heart attack in the night so he went peacefully. His mother was in a terrible state to wake up to her husband dead. After the funeral his mother started cleaning. It was one of the things she did to ease her stress. She started going through Jackson’s old closet and found a wooden box that seemed to be built into the wall. She opened it and found the old spoon.
“What is this?” she asked Jackson.
“I had forgotten.” He suddenly remembered everything and it all made since. “When I was in kindergarten you forgot to pack me a spoon. The Police Chief’s daughter let me use hers and the next day they moved her away.” Then he realized that Beth was short for Elizabeth and that he had seen her that night on New Years.
He took the spoon with him when he left and wondered if he would ever see Elizabeth again.
* * *
Jackson turned thirty-seven when he received a present from one of his friends. It was a book titled The Mysteries of Love by Elizabeth Weston. He stared at the cover in disbelief. On the back of the book was a schedule for book signings. The next one was in his town at the local library. In fact it was tomorrow.
The next day Jackson found the old spoon he had held onto for all those years and went to the book signing. There she was. Sitting at the table as beautiful as ever. He waited in line for an hour.
“And who can I make this to?” she asked in her bright voice.
“Jack. I had a question. It’s not about your book.”
“Yes.”
“In kindergarten do you remember letting a little boy borrow your spoon at lunch.” She dropped her pen.
“Why do you ask?” her voice cracked a little. Jackson pulled the spoon from his pocket and laid it on the table.
“I was that little boy. We met at your father’s retirement part on New Years. I’m Jack.” She started to cry silent tears. “What’s wrong?”
“You brought it back. You gave me back my spoon.” She pulled it toward her and looked at the underside of the spoon. “To my granddaughter, may this spoon bring you what ever you want.” She had read it from the spoon. “My grandmother didn’t have a lot of money and when I turned five she had one of her antique spoons engraved for me. My mom told me to leave it at home but I didn’t listen. Then I thought I’d lost it forever. But you brought it back.” She got up and gave Jackson a hug. He felt a charge go through him. The kind you get when all is well with the world. “I’m here until tomorrow. Go down to the café on the corner and I’ll meet you there.”
Jackson did as he was told and waited at the café. He waited and waited. He waited for hours and she never came. When the sun started to set and the café closed Jackson went home. He was angry and upset that such a beautiful and kind woman would stand him up in such a way.
It wasn’t until a few days later he discovered the truth. She had been on her way to the café when a man with a knife mugged and killed her. There were no leads and no clues to whom had done it. Jackson became filled with rage and for twenty years searched for Elizabeth’s killer. After countless dead end leads Jackson enlisted the aid of a psychic. Her name was Karen. The moment he stepped near her she looked at him.
“Oh child. I am so sorry. Go to the place you met her the first time and all will become clear.” He never even managed to ask a question but continued on as she had instructed. The first place they met.
When Jackson arrived at the old school he found that it was now a housing development. The place where the cafeteria once was had become a shabby house with peeling paint and molding carpet. Jackson knocked on the door and a man of about forty-three came to the door.
“I’m detective Thompson and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?”
“Sure. Come in.” the man poured Jackson a cup of coffee and gave him a spoon.
“Thank you.” Jackson started to stir his coffee and noticed a scratch on the underside of the spoon. He pulled it out and looked at it. It was an engraving, to my granddaughter, may this spoon bring you whatever you want.
“Is something wrong, detective?”
“Where did you get this spoon?” Jackson asked with a great deal of force. The man started to get jumpy. He eyed the doors and looked around at the floor and ceiling.
“Well ya know it’s just a spoon.”
“You didn’t answer my question.” The man grabbed a steak knife from the tale and with a quick movement cut Jackson’s throat. He fell backward with shock as the blood poured from his neck. The spoon was still clutched in his hand. No. Not yet. He must pay for what he did to her. The spoon started to glow with light. A scream filled the air and the coffee cups exploded. The man ran for the door but they all closed and wouldn’t open.
Orbs of light started to appear all around Jackson. One after another. Each one eased Jackson’s pain. The orbs took form and showed themselves. They were men and women wearing a white gown. The final orb took form and it was her, it was Elizabeth. She extended her hand to Jackson. His soul was lifted out of his body and he stood next to Beth looking much younger.
“What is this?” cried the man. “Not her! I killed her!”
“My sweet Jack,” said Beth. “You have suffered so, and now we can be together.” All of them became orbs and vanished. The man become insane and died. The spoon has traveled around the world bringing thousands of couples together.
When Jack and Beth left the spoon they left the mark of a soulmate. The energy in the spoon draws souls together and to this day that spoon travels and does for others what Beth and Jack could not do until death…be together.
Very original. Great job!
