Jesse sat on the bed and watched Ian haul the cedar jewelry box from his closet. “What are we looking for again?” He asked as it was plopped down beside him.
Ian opened the lid. “Just a little square of Kleenex if it hasn’t disintegrated.” He opened the lid and began fingering the trinkets in the box. “Blue Kleenex…I know it has to be in here.”
“You’re sure?” Jesse asked as he began to help go through the myriad of treasures.
“Absolutely.” Ian was positive. “I gave it to Aunt Hil to keep for me and this is where she put that sort of thing.”
Jesse held up a gold chain with a heavy ball of colored glass encrusted in imitation gold. “Egads! Someone actually paid for this?”
Ian smiled and took it from him holding the ball to his eye and turning toward the overhead light. “Actually I did. You can hold it up the light and it has a sort of kaleidoscope effect. It just proves the point that no matter how hideous, Aunt Hil always found a way to cherish it.”
He handed it to Jesse who mocked Ian’s earlier motions. “This is cool!” Jesse grinned with the gaudy ball close at one eye.
“Tasteless, yes, but to a mountain kid…loads of fun.” Ian grabbed a handful of gaudiness from the box and continued his dig. “Maybe the Kleenex is long gone, but the little penny itself has to be in here. Maybe at the bottom.”
“Penny?”
“A penny hack sawed in half actually.”
“And you want to give this to Saxon?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me it has the same principal as the kaleidoscope necklace.” Jesse began pulling handfuls of chains and pins from the box to search the bottom.
“Sort of.” Ian defended. “She gave it to me on closing night of “Romeo and Juliet”. It was sort of a physical memory of a promise.”
“If you say so.” Jesse tried to spread thin the pile of jewelry now on the bed. “It’s not in the bottom of the box…and Romeo take my advice. I think flowers say it so much better than a hacked up coin.”
“No, this has special meaning.” Ian insisted, now sitting on the bed and pulling the box on his lap. “Maybe it slipped down behind the lining.” He began to feel the inside of the box.
“Look if you’re hoping she’ll give you some, I think all you have to do is…”
Ian stopped and looked the young man in the face. “I’m not hoping Saxon will give me some…we don’t have that kind of relationship.”
Jesse tried not to laugh. “Yeah…right.”
“Jesse, I keep explaining, over and over...”
“I know. I know.” He said picking up pieces one by one and gingerly returning them to the cedar box. “You’re just old friends, yada yada yada. In case you haven’t noticed, no one is buying that but the two of you. Get your head out of the jewelry box, Ian Justyn. You are head over heels for each other. You just refuse to admit it.”
“Next subject.”
“Naturally.” Jesse puffed. “Dude. It’s not here.”
“It has to be.” Ian scratched his forehead and tried to think back. “I handed it to her and she said he’d put it in my special place.”
“Special place?”
“She told me that there was a special place of things that were for me, things that I’d need later in life and she was keeping them until the time came.” Ian closed his eyes and tried to recall in every detail the day.
“Maybe there’s another box.” Jesse stood and walked to the closet. “Have you gone through everything Reese and Billy brought back?”
“Wait!” Ian put out his hands. “I was standing by the couch and she went into her bedroom and straight to this box.”
Ian stood and looked at it. “She fiddled with it. I could see her do it from the couch.” He twisted the box on the bed and stepped back to look at it. He walked over and turned it just a little more to the right.
“Okay…then she reached down…” Ian slid his hands along the back of the box. “Aha!” He pushed a little knot and a thin drawer popped out of the bottom.
“I’ll be damned.” Jesse bent over to look. “A little secret compartment.”
Ian grinned from ear to ear and reached for the little square of blue Kleenex right on top. “Told ja.” He almost cheered in victory.
“Ian?” Saxon called from down stairs.
“Be right there, Saxon!” Ian called back. He turned to Jesse in panic. “What did I do with the wrapping paper?”
Jesse pointed to his desk. “What else is in here?” He picked up the rest of the drawer contents as Ian wrapped the little half penny and slipped it in his wallet.
“Looks like papers.” Ian said as he slipped a light jacket on.
“Duh…what kind of papers?”
“Birth certificates and stuff I assume.” Ian looked at the small stack in Jesse’s hands.
“Ian?” Saxon called again.
“Keep the tissue in your bra, Saxon. I’m coming!”
“For a guy, you take forever to get ready.” Saxon bellowed up from the bottom of the stairs. “We’re just going bowling not competing on Dancing With the Stars!”
“Coming right down.” Ian said. “Can you put that back in the closet for me?”
“No prob.” Jesse stuffed the papers back in the drawer and shut it. “Have a good time.”
“I will.” Ian smiled. “Thanks, Jess. Enjoy your Saturday night.” He disappeared.
Jesse picked up the jewelry box and slipped it back into the space made for it on the top shelf of the back wall in the closet. He flipped off the light and shut the door.
Rodie popped out from under the bed and looked up at him.
“Hey, sweetheart. Where’d you come from?” Jesse bent to scoop her up. She hopped right into his arms and he scratched her ears.
“Jesse?” He heard his brother calling from downstairs.
“Yuh?”
“Do you know how to get this TV on the right channel to watch a DVD?”
“Be right there.” Jesse turned, Rodie in arms and stepped toward the bedroom door. He heard something kicked. He looked down and noticed a yellowing envelope neatly laying at his feet.
“Jesse?”
“Coming!” Jesse snatched up the paper from the floor and shoved it in his back pocket. He looked at the cat. “Remind me to come right back up here and put this back in that little drawer. It probably fell out of there.”
Rodie purred and Jesse flipped off the bedroom lights.
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