AN ARTIFACT

 Hans and I would have been married for 60 years when he died last summer.  We lived together, as a couple, for 45 of those 60 years.  We were married in the Hampstead registry office in London, July 26, 1963.  We exchanged wide gold wedding bands as was the custom of the times.  He never wore his.  I dont know where it is.  I didn't see it, or find it when I was there.  I did find mine. I had taken it off when I moved to Dominica and left it at home in Perth.

But some years before that, as my finger knuckles were swelling and knotting and becoming arthritic I had to get it cut off.  I could not get it past my now misshapen ring finger knuckle.  Steve, a local artisan goldsmith fashioned a little hinge and catch on it, so I could open it wide and then clip it on.  I wore it like this, safely, for years after, until I  took it off and left it in the Brooke Valley house. Then when I was home this past summer to say goodbye to Hans I found it and put it back on.  I don't know why, we had hardly even talked to each other for the last ten years, but it seemed the right thing to do and I was comfortable doing it. So I kept it on my finger when I came back. 

 After months of gardening, swimming in the sea, hauling stuff around, washing dishes, etc it never opened or slipped.   A couple of days ago I was feeding the dogs in the pouring rain and they were jumping up on me, night was falling.  I had slippery sandals on.  Down I went, onto the muddy cement path, scraped my knees, and had a hard time getting up as the dogs had me all tangled up in their rope.  That evening I noticed that the ring was not on my finger. The catch must have snapped open when I fell. 

I was more surprised at the emotion I felt when I saw it was gone than the fact that it was gone and that I had lost it. Sad.  I figured  I had lost it forever.   How could it not be gone in the rain, and mud, with mad dogs about?  A hunk of 18-carat gold.  I wrote it off.  No point in worrying about it, or grieving its loss.

The next morning dawned dry and sunny,  I went out with my coconut broom to clean up the path where I had fallen down. Sweeping, sweeping, sweeping......and there it was.... lying alone, clean, open, waiting to be found and put back on.

I haven't put it on.  It is safely put away with my other gold jewelry.  An artifact from another life.