The Goldsmith and the Stone Pg. 9

Barely escaping the torrential downpour, Goldsmith entered his small cabin with great anticipation. The little wood stove still had a few coals from the morning fire, and he quickly gathered his wood for the night. The glass door on the stove flickered orange and yellow rays of warmth as the tired but happy explorer fell fast to sleep.

The rain poured and poured day after day. This was much to the miners disappointment as it would mean high waters and an anxious wait for Goldsmith and company. 

Days turned into weeks as the buzz at Mammy’s felt as tense as a groom’s wedding day. 

Mammy helped ease the disappointment with her homemade stew, buns and cherry pie. Goldsmith sat looking over his maps when suddenly he felt a warm hand slide past his shoulder. He jumped a bit and looked up. A middle-aged woman moved her lanky body in a provocative way and sat next to his chair. He looked up in dismay as he studied the stranger. She wasn’t particularly beautiful, hair tied back in a ponytail, with no makeup but just a hint of lipstick that looked purposely put on. It wasn’t so much her looks as the way she moved. 

“Hello, I hear so many great things about you, Mr. Goldsmith! I find you so amazing and we are so honored  that someone like you has come to our little town!” she said, her face lit up and a large, if not, managed smile stretching her pale face. 

Goldsmith was feeling down and the sudden friendly company and encouraging words picked up his mood a bit. 

“My name is Lola, and I’ve been wanting to meet you! Have you been mining for gold for some time?”  She said, settling in with eyes penetratingly open. 

Lola was known around the village for her ‘escapades’. Her husband, a miner with a conscience, worked out of town at another mine. This took him away for weeks at a time. 

Lola, a selfish woman, used this time to explore relationships. She was known to take down the strongest man, and sadly ruin several lives. 

Goldsmith looked openly back at her seductive eyes. It wasn’t so much her beauty that was getting to him, more her words. She knew how to manipulate a man and make him feel like a king. 

Goldsmith reached into his pocket and rolled his stone over and over. Grandfather’s words came into his mind. “Remember the four C’s! What makes for a quality gem. Cut, colour, clarity, and carat. What you want to look for in a stone and in a person. Don’t waste your time with anything less.”

Goldsmith sat up in his chair, the room seemingly closing in on him. Her eyes looked penetratingly at him for any encouragement.

“Have a nice evening mam,” he stated briskly and walked into the night back to his cozy cabin. 

“Whew! Stay away from that one,” he thought to himself as he stoked the fire, slinking into his single bed with the old quilt wrapped tightly around his legs and falling fast asleep.