The Missing Solitaire Part II

After a couple of minutes into and out of cryogenics, her senses began to return slowly. She got her bearings back. Her mind raced through many things all at the same time. From their respective spots, she and her instructor exchanged glances while the routine continued. Pam waved at her and showed the forked ring minus the crown. Her teacher signaled back ‘keep going’ and continued with her jig. The instructor, naturally, couldn’t fathom the gravity of the situation. The fifth routine came to an end after a few minutes. She then got a chance to speak out aloud. She told her class that she lost a real stone. A typical break between two routines lasted for two minutes. The whole class spent a good four minutes sweeping through the floor visually. And she wasn’t lucky. The instructor promised that she will get the floor swept after the session and search once more. The class resumed.

Pam took leave from the class and went down to the locker room. Her next stop of search. She thought to herself that it was a lose-lose situation all the way. If she announced to the attendants and the concierge that she had lost a real stone she wouldn’t get it back. If she didn’t tell that she had lost a real stone she wouldn’t get it back. She searched inside her locker, the floor and the washroom. She decided to tell the attendants. She showed to them the bare ring with it’s mouth wide open and told them what she had lost. Also offered a reward if it was found.

She sat there for a while. In her mind, she wandered about her home, the basement parking, the car and the entire route from home to gym. There were too many possibilities. Which all places was she going to search? How was she going to search? Which all were to be prioritized and how? What was the probability of finding the lost stone? It was much worse than a needle in a haystack. She walked out of the reception and reached her car. Looking down the whole time. No. She repeated this drill of walking up the isle to her car and back. Thrice. Nothing was remotely glistening under the sun. She walked all the way back to the locker room keeping her head down one last time with a hope to find a tiny shiny object somewhere. She packed her stuff and went back to the car.

Pam unlocked her car. Slided the driver’s seat back. She then meticulously examined the car’s floor. It was squeaky clean. She sat behind the wheel to drive back home. She thought to herself, how could god be so unkind to her miserable soul? Why was god adding another misery to her already existing ones. Pam regretted suppressing her intermittent impulses to take the ring off her finger during the past six months after she realized that the stone had been shifting inside it’s cage at times. The ring was manufactured by a popular diamond store of Singapore. She had noticed the loose stone, but she assumed it was never going to come off. She was going to pay a heavy price for her ass-u-me attitude.

The drive from gym to home used to take a good twenty-five minutes. Her head was exploding with mixed emotions. She drove in a state of shock and dismay. Her thoughts lacked order. The most overpowering thought was how to plan her search after she got home. Where to search and what to leave. The sofa was black. So it would be the easiest place to search. How was she going to stay calm whilst telling her sister who was then staying with her?

She relived every moment since she woke up. She recounted her movements at home from the time she woke up till the time she left for the gym.

For once could a miracle happen? Was a miracle absolutely impossible? What if god made her lose the stone first and then helped her find it? Just for once. Just this time. Just to teach her a lesson. She prayed.