The Locket

Draft a post with three parts, each unrelated to the other, but create a common thread between them by including the same item — an object, a symbol, a place — in each part.

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World War I had come to America.  After sitting by for too long, the country was finally mobilizing to enter the European  mess, and America’s young men were signing up by the thousands to go “Over There” to keep the enemy from actually invading America. The eyes of the world were on  the war effort in the United States, hoping that this young, energetic country could put an end to the misery.

Joe wanted to give his sweetheart something to remember him by. One day he spotted the perfect gift; a beautiful gold locket with pink flowers embossed on the cover. He persuaded Annie to have her picture made, and he did the same. The tiny portraits faced each other when the locket was opened, and Joe like to think they were embracing when the locket was closed. 

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Fran was a neat, orderly person. She couldn’t stand mess, and she’d never understand how people could keep things in attics, sheds, barns and basements that would never be used again. The house she and Ed had just purchased proved to be a rat’s nest of discarded boxes, trunks, suitcases and bags that they hadn’t noticed in the main part of the house. Everything had been shoved under the rafters, into dark corners, anywhere it could be covered and camouflaged. But now, Fran and Ed were faced with the job of clearing it all out.

As she worked, Fran shook her head in disgust.  Moldy, ancient clothing. Mildewed books. Papers that fell apart at a touch.  Ed was thrilled with the discovery of some antique tools, but she only rolled her eyes in despair.

One day, she came across a wooden box.  She blew the dust off, and was surprised at the intricate carving and lovely painted flowers. There was no lock, and the lid opened easily. Inside, there was an assortment of old jewelry. Most of it was junk. But there was one piece, a gold locket with pink flowers embossed on the cover, that struck her fancy.

She decided to keep it.

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Lauren loved antique stores. She and Cody had spent many wonderful hours poking into the nooks and crannies of  wonderful shops that had everything from trash to treasure.  Lauren was a crafter, and she was especially adept at taking old jewelry and recycling it into retro pieces that were wildly popular with young women.

As she poked through the pile of jewelry from an estate sale, she paused when the flash of gold struck her eyes. Digging carefully through the mess, she pulled out a lovely old locket that had pink flowers embossed on the front. Carefully opening the locket, she gazed at the faded faces of a young man in World War I uniform and a pretty young woman with thick, piled-up hair. Wondering about their story, she decided to buy the locket.

One day, after she had cleaned it up and decided to leave it intact, she noticed a handsome young man browsing through her shop. He paid special attention to the jewelry.  She walked over to him, asking if she could help.

“Yeah, I really like this old-fashioned locket.  I’m looking for something special to give my girlfriend before I leave for Afghanistan. Can you tell me how much it costs?”

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