A Change In Her Life

Ava gazed out at the stormy, rowdy sea. "Oh dear, I hope father returns safely.", She thought, worried. Clutching her little raggedy doll, she headed home. Ava was from a very poverty-stricken family, and apart from a home, which was rented, and a small, tattered doll, Ava had nothing. She had her mother, but her father was in a tiny canoe on the sea. She thought how her pa had sacrificed so many things for her. She loved him too much. He would send a letter to them every month or so, which had all information enclosed to convince her mother that he was fine. This month, he sent a letter saying, "Dear Ava, I miss you guys a lot. Sending some money and a lot of love. Me and Uncle Andrew are out in a boat. I will come soon.

 Yours,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Daddy"

As she headed home, she looked out again at the enormous waves streaked with a shade of purple-blue. Then she stepped inside the cottage, got out the mattress, and instantly fell asleep. 

The next morning, her ma woke her up at dawn. "Ava! Wake up, dear! Wake up, I say." Her mother shook her and yelled in her ear. Ava glanced up and spotting her mother, she immediately yawned. "Mother! You didn`t have to yell!" "Sorry, dear. Your father is coming home today. Wake up now, wash, and brush your teeth and hair. Come for breakfast. Then, go to Mrs. Robin and complete your job. She told me you polished her floor very well yesterday. So she wishes to increase your salary. Isn`t that amazing! Oh, and Mr. Jeremy will come tomorrow for it's the end of the month and he wants the rent money." Ava asked, "Mother, will father surely come by today? The landlord demands money, and father has everything." "Yes, dear. Don`t you worry.", her mother assured her soothingly. Ava continued eating her cereal, then went to Mrs. Robbin`s.

A piece of disastrous news came in the evening, that the canoe had been wrecked by some pirates. They had, however, spared her father and  her uncle, in the icy waters. Ava sobbed and wept, for she had great love for her father. She couldn`t forget this, and the next morning, went swimming, intending to drown herself. While swimming, she wandered here and there. Suddenly, a barrier came. She could feel a kind of sharp blade, rather like a knife`s. She pulled hard, and it was yanked out of the seabed. She dried it with a corner of her tattered dress, for it was very wet. Of course, it had been in the waters for a long time, so she wasn`t very surprised. When she examined it, she understood at once that it was an ancient knife! It was adorned with pearls, emeralds, opals, rubies, and even sparkling diamonds. It glinted and glimmered in the sun. 

Ava now knew it was precious. She decided she needed to tell her mother and seek her guidance. She swam to the shore and showed her mother, who was laying the clothes to dry. "Look, ma, what a pretty knife! Why don`t we sell it? We could use the money to hire a search team for dad. I hope he's safe." Her mother kissed her and said, "Honey, let`s use it for rent and your fees. Your father will arrive soon." That was exactly what they did, and would you believe it – her father returned that day in a miracle, all wet and with a heavy cold (at least he was alive) and was immediately met with greetings, hugs, and kisses. Ava liked sketching and was an excellent painter, so she started a business in which she created portraits for people, and people paid her good money for them. This business funded some of her fees, and her mama started working at a salon, and her dad started working at a food factory, so both made some money which managed their needs. After some years, after she had completed college, she started working as a bank officer and earned loads of money. Now, Ava is very old and even has grandchildren. She tells whoever she meets, "A small knife changed my life."