Memories, Past and Present

“This is what I want,” her daughter said excitedly while pointing to a photo on her phone.

Lucia looked at the picture, it was of an elegant lady’s wristwatch. It brought back memories of Christmas over 30 years ago. When a shy young man was wooing her and wanted to make an impression. He presented her with a watch that looked very much like this one. The chain band with silver links subtly placed in between the gold and the white ivory face with the tiny words in Spanish reminding the wearer of the day and date. The young man was her daughter’s father and Lucia’s husband.

“Mom, what do you think? I don’t want a fitness watch or one that’s high tech and tells me the weather or when I’m getting a call,” she explained. She looked at her mother with want in her eyes. “I’d like something like this for my birthday,” she coyly reminded her mother on her impending special day.

“Izzy, I think it’s lovely and I love that you don’t need to follow the fashion trends,” Lucia couldn’t help but smile. “Let me show you something, wait here,” and with those words Lucia combed her memory in hopes that it would remember where she’d placed that watch from so many years ago. “Izzy!” Lucia called out from her bedroom, “Give me some time, I’ll bring it to your room”.

“Okay Mom, but what is it?”

Lucia was busy searching through drawers and boxes. “When I find it, I’ll let you know,” she shouted one more time, then she heard footsteps passing her room and heading towards Izzy’s bedroom, followed by a door closing. Okay good, she thought, she’ll find something busy to do while I search for the watch. Then she thought, what if it’s not the way I remember it, what if it’s gaudy or cheap looking?

After going through her stand-up jewelry box and it’s eight drawers, plus two side doors, she begins going through the strewn boxes on her bed that she’d found in the closet and scattered on her quilt and pillows. All this is telling me is, is that I keep too many things. Am I a hoarder? Then she remembers, ah-hah, my memory is clicking now, I have more boxes in the garage.

Lucia makes her way to the garage and finds the trunk she was looking for; it contains many items from the early days of her marriage. She finds a small, green leather jewelry box with two tiny drawers under the main area on top. Her heart quickens, because she knows if it’s not here, then it could be anywhere or nowhere at all. She takes a deep breath and pulls out the top drawer and finds many memories of birthdays, holidays, even photos, old coins and baby bracelets, but no watch. She gently pulls out the second drawer and finds at least four watches and a clear bag holding a beautiful, shiny and blue rosary, she tried to remember where it came from. As she reminisced through the different watches, there it was, a replica of the photo Izzy had just shown her. There’s no way her daughter knew of the watch; she’d stopped wearing it before Izzy was born.

She took the watch from the bottom of the pile and tried it on. It still fit, but as she was admiring it, the clasp popped open. She snapped it back, but it popped again. Lucia noted that the clasp needed adjusting or replacing. The glass was also cracked, maybe that’s why I stopped wearing it, she thought. It obviously needs a new battery and a cleaning, but I can have it done for Izzy. It’ll be her birthday gift.

“This is perfect! Where did you get it?” Izzy bubbled and jubilantly almost screamed in excitement. “Mom, I love this,” she said as she took the watch and placed it on her wrist, it fit perfectly, until the clasp popped open.

“I can get that fixed, cleaned, a new crystal and a battery, it’ll be like new,” Lucia beamed, as she felt the years from so long ago fatefully coming full circle. “This was probably always meant for you, and maybe one day for your daughter,” she said. “Your father gave it to me long ago when we were first dating, it was our first Christmas together as a couple. I thought it was beautiful then, and that’s when I knew he loved me,” she smiled. “You see, your father had just begun working after being layed-off for so long and he was only part-time, so he wasn’t making much money. For him to buy this for me, I knew he was trying to impress me, it meant a lot.”

Izzy was completely entranced by the watch and was barely listening to its history.

The following Saturday, Lucia looked for a watch repair who could help her prepare the watch for Izzy. She found a small jewelry shop only a few miles away, it was called The Time is Now. Interesting name she thought. The small jewelry shop was full of customers, there were watches lined up on both sides of the walls and cases, and cases of more watches, plus all kinds of clocks, both digital, analog and vintage. There were alarm clocks, timers, sand timers and even a cuckoo clock. Izzy pulled a ticket from the number dispenser on the first counter, it read #41 and then she placed it in the small pocket of her jeans. While waiting for her number to be called, she used the time to peruse the different time pieces and thought, I guess people do still wear watches, I thought everyone just looked at their phones.

After what seemed like at least 45 minutes, Lucia heard the words she’d been waiting for, “Number 41!” a young man called out.

“Here I am,” Lucia walked over to the counter to meet with the young man, he looked as if he was in a hurry to get through all the customers, or maybe he was just born agitated.

“How can we help you?” he blurted out and she came near the counter.

No, how are you, how’s your day, just right to business. Lucia took the watch out of her purse and showed it to the young man. “I’d like to get this fixed,” she pointed to the glass. “It also needs a battery, a cleaning…” she was searching her mind to make sure she remembered everything. “Oh, and the clasp is not working properly” she quickly added. “Can you help me?” she asked, feeling a little as if she were asking for more than she deserved.

Without a word, though still in Lucia’s line of vision, he took the watch to another counter. Lucia could see him conversing with another employee. She waited, because she assumed that’s what she should do, though he gave no instructions.

The young man returned to Lucia and handed the watch back to her, “It’s not worth fixing, it would be at least $100. You can buy a watch just like this for fifty bucks” and he pointed to a case on the wall behind her. “And it will take 4 weeks,” he further explained.

Lucia felt like a balloon whose air had quickly escaped without warning. “If you’re not sure what you want to do, I’ll have to take the next customer, but I suggest getting a new watch,” the young man stated with little empathy.

He doesn’t know what this means to me, $100 is a lot, would my husband be upset for a watch he probably paid $30 for?

“Number 42!” the young man didn’t even wait.

With little thought as to a decision, Lucia interjected, “No, don’t call another number, not yet” she said as an older woman, not much taller than five feet and carrying several watches approached the counter where Lucia was standing. “I’m sorry ma’am, but were’ done yet, it won’t be long,” Lucia kindly said to the woman. The woman smiled and went back to a chair in the corner.

“I want the watch fixed, cleaned and ready in 4 weeks,” she sternly stated. I guess I did make a decision, she thought.

“But I explained to you, it’s really not worth it,” he said, as if she hadn’t heard before.

“It is worth it, to me. You see, my husband gave me this watch 30 years ago, it was the first Christmas gift he ever gave me. And now it means something to my daughter. So yes, it is worth it to me,” Lucia suddenly got the feeling that she was pleading a case in court.

A gentlemen stepped out from behind the back counter and stood next to the young man, He took the watch and examined it under a magnifying glass. “They don’t make this watch anymore, and yes, my son is not wrong, it’s not worth getting fixed. But I heard your story, and I can see it’s not just a watch, it’s a memory. We’ll fix it for $75 and it’ll be done in two weeks,” he handed the watch to the young man and instructed him to check the watch in.

I guess I won my case!

Two weeks later and on the eve of Izzy’s birthday, her father was able to give the same watch to a new young lady, his daughter. “Happy Birthday Izzy, this is from me and Mom,” he handed her a small pink box with ivory colored lace. As she accepted the box,her dad asked, “What time is it?”

Izzy opened the box, smiled and said, “This is the best birthday present ever.” She quickly put the watch on and pranced around the room showing her family.

“I think the money we spent for the watch was worth it, and I can’t believe you still had that watch,” Lucia’s husband said as he watched his daughter opening more gifts. Lucia felt comforted in the thought that this watch will be in their family for generations, and that Lucia and her husband’s story will be at the core of its memories.