Page 35 of Plaidypus
It kept my doubts at bay.
TEN
I’d miss the set if I left it behind.
My new phone, in my dream brand, informed me my parents had lost their minds. The laptop, also in my dream brand, was loaded with a bunch of games and all of the accessories I needed to turn into a gamer like my brother. The device promised I would be spending a few weeks having the time of my life before starting to search for a new job in New York.
I needed a break, and my family knew it.
When it mattered the most, my family always had my back, even when I tried to do everything alone.
That would give me a lot to think about on the way to New York City, where I’d start the next phase of my life. After using my new phone to confirm I had money and checking to make certain my sole credit card could handle a hotel room or two, I prepared to leave. As my brother made excellent suggestions from time to time, I discovered Toronto had a rock and gem show going on, and it would take me ten whole minutes to get to it. Delighted at a chance to explore the vendors, admire the pretty rocks, and buy at least one to take with me to my new home, I hit the road.
After paying penance to park, I discovered paradise in the convention center with gemstones and minerals from all around the world on display for me to admire and covet. One vendor carried nothing but opals. A set, held in a wooden case, featured small carvings of flowers from all around the world, and tiny plaques declared the origin of the opal and the type of flower. For the most part, the flowers matched the country’s official flower.
I hadn’t even known opal could be carved into such delicate shapes.
According to the price tag, the set would cost me three thousand dollars, and it featured opals from Australia, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Indonesia, Brazil, Turkey, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. Australia brought ten different flowers to the display, and I only recognized the name of two of the mines. According to the sign, the vendor accepted debit cards. Another check of my phone confirmed my bank account wouldn’t miss the money.
I’d miss the set if I left it behind.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d bought something other than chocolate for myself.
As the nice lady from the CDC had given me her number in case of any questions, I decided to be brave and impose, taking a photo of the display and asking if it could be transported along with my truck. A moment later, she confirmed I could bring it over to the dealership.
My truck wouldn’t be leaving for a few more hours, and she would be at the dealership for the rest of the day, as she was overdue for a new work vehicle and the CDC opted to kill two birds with one stone.
Nice. I needed to ask if the CDC needed a shifter-lycanthrope hybrid with a love of trucks. Everything I’d seen of the CDC employees implied they actually liked their jobs and got treated like real people.
There was something to be said about being treated like a real person and not just some number on an employment roster.
I waited for the older gentleman to finish helping someone else before I pounced, wielded my debit card and my phone like the weapons they were, and bought the flowers. As expected, I needed to call my bank to get them to let the debit transaction through. To my amusement, they reminded me I could dodge having to call if I paid with my credit card and paid the credit card off right away.
They processed credit card payments immediately, allowing me to gain access to the card within five minutes of giving them my money. I joined the modern world, did as the nice woman on the phone suggested, and paid with my credit card before paying the charge off.
For the first time in my life, I had plenty of money left over after a major but frivolous purchase.
Then, because good things could happen to me, the gemstone dealer tossed in an opal pendant on a silver chain matching the flower motif. “This is chorizema, a wildflower found in Australia. I always felt that set deserved to have this in it, but they went with some of the odder Australian plants.”
He helped me put the necklace on, and I admired the opal’s fire. “It’s gorgeous, thank you.”
“Thank you. I’ve had that set for a long time, and it’s a delight to see someone fall in love with it enough to take it home.”
Considering the set’s price tag, it didn’t surprise me he’d had it for a long time. “It’s unique.”
“That it is. It was quite the challenge getting the opals sourced and doing the carving work, but I’m quite proud of how it turned out.”
My eyes widened. “You made the flowers?”
The old man beamed. “I did. I’ve been working with opal since the day I turned ten and my father gave me some scrap material and let me use one of his drills. He carved stones, too, but he never liked opal as much as I did. I started with the bunchberry with a sample of Canadian opal. I’ve redone that one a few times. Canadian opal is difficult to get in good quality large enough for a flower carving. I did ten of them before settling on this one as the best of the lot.” He bent over and pulled out a box from beneath the table, opening it and showing me other opals carved in the shape of the Canadian flower. While each one had a price tag, ranging between fifty and a hundred dollars, I suspected he’d never put them up for sale.
The boxes appeared to be untouched by the countless hands of shoppers trying to get a closer look at the stones.
“They’re beautiful.” I pointed at the smallest of the stones, which had been carved with a rough finish. “Is this one of your earlier carvings?”
He grinned and nodded. “I was sixteen when I got my first piece of Canadian opal and decided I would marry my love of flowers and opals together.”
“I’m going to be driving to New York City. What’s the best way to transport these?”
