The Golden Pendant
Josh woke up to a surge of excitement. At first, he didnÕt realize what he was excited about, but after a second or two, he remembered it was his birthday. But not just any birthday, it was his twelfth one!
For his twelfth birthday, his dad had promised something very special. He raced down the stairs. ÒHowÕs my favorite birthday boy?Ó His mother cooed to him. ÒCome on, IÕm not a little kid anymore,Ó he complained, annoyed. ÒWhatÕs for breakfast?Ó ÒAnyway, your father wanted me to give you something,Ó she continued, ignoring JoshÕs question. ÓYour father said something about you being old enough, family tradition, blah blah blah. Honestly, I kind of zoned out.Ó JoshÕs dad was a college professor, and he loved to give slideshows and other kinds of boring stuff, so he could be VERY boring. ÒWhatÕs for breakfast?Ó he repeated. ÒOh, anything you want. Your birthday treat.Ó His mother replied cheerfully. Josh got some cereal, and his mom pulled something out of her purse. After he sat down, his mother came over and sat down by him. HereÕs your special thing from your dad. She held out a tiny black box. Josh was a little disappointed. He had hoped for a computer or a new phone. Instead, he got a ring box and inside it a... he was so disappointed that he hadnÕt even looked inside. Then, he thought he must have looked so rude, staring at it with a disgusted face. He looked at his mother, expecting a crestfallen gaze. But instead, her face was as normal as ever, and actually a little amused. ÒDonÕt be sorry, Josh. ThatÕs what I thought at first to,Ó she reassured him. ÒWhatÕs important is your feeling after you open it. Go on, open it! It wonÕt bite!Ó she teased. Not sure what to expect, he opened it cautiously. What he saw inside stunned him.
Imagine your most excited feeling. Multiply it by a million. Then you might have a feeling close to what Josh felt as soon as he opened the black box. Inside it was a golden pendant, as big as the tip of a grown mansÕ thumb. What shocked him more was that his family didnÕt have very much money, due to the bank loans they owed. ÒHow could his father ever had afforded it?Ó He squeaked. ÒHe inherited it.Ó His mother answered. On it were jewels. Not completely covered, just a little bit of them, shaped like a diamond. ÒIs-is this pure gold? And the gems?Ó Josh had meant to say it calmly, but they came out as a peep, not to mention the stuttering. ÒYep,Ó she replied. She was definitely amused now. ÒItÕs worth thousands!Ó Josh was bursting with curiosity and questions. ÒWhy donÕt we sell it and pay the debts we owe?Ó Josh asked, confused. If they had that much money, then they would not be in such a bad state, living in a rented house, barely
managing to pay. ÒYour father said that it was very ancient and valuable, passed down by a king of a European country, but no one would believe it, so they wouldnÕt buy it. ÒIÕve also got the chain for it, if you want.Ó ÒOf course I want to wear it! Why wouldnÕt I?Ó he said excitedly. He couldnÕt wait for school to show it to his friends. ÒOh, and a few more thing before I leave.Ó She said suddenly. ÒItÕs a tradition. DonÕt forget to pass it on to your children when theyÕre ready. And donÕt forget, itÕs very valuable. Do not lose it, or your dads going to flip. Got it?Ó ÒYeah mom, I wonÕt lose it! Bye!Ó ÒGoodbye, birthda- I mean, Josh!Ó As soon as his mom went out the door, he put the necklace on. By the time he got ready for school, it was 7:30 am. He only had 10 minutes to spare. He raced out of the house, and just barely made it. He glanced at his watch: 7:38. Just enough time to show Joseph, he thought. He scanned through the students, and located Joseph, his best friend. ÒHey, whatÕs the rush? YouÕre usually a few minutes late, not early!Ó Joseph teased. Josh gave him a soft punch on the shoulder. ÒI wanted to show you something.Ó He said as he pulled out the necklace from under his shirt.Ó ÒHey, whatÕs that?Ó A voice said from behind him. ÒOh, hey, Wilson.Ó Josh said dryly, quickly stuffing his necklace back under his shirt. ÒWhatÕs that?Ó He asked again. ÒItÕs nothing,Ó Josh said quickly. ÒJust a, err, rock.Ó ÒOh. Okay, cool. See you later!Ó said Wilson. He had a habit of stealing valuable things, and Josh had already lost... actually, even he forgot how much Wilson owed him. He said he would pay it back, but wait for so long that you really donÕt care anymore. It always works. ÒNice save there.Ó Joseph congratulated him. But Josh wasnÕt so sure, because he had felt disbelief in WilsonÕs words. Just then, the school bell rang. ÒWell, see you later!Ó Joseph told his friend. ÒYep.Ó Josh replied as he hurried inside. The day past quickly, and it was time for his last subject: PE. He was really eager to go there because he was a skillful athlete. He hastily got on his shorts and rushed into the gym. As usual, Josh was there first. He always wanted to know what they were doing first. ÒSoccer,Ó The coach told him. Soon, the rest of the students came pouring in through the doors. They all swarmed around the coach, wanting to know what they were doing today. As the coach explained, Josh did some warm up stretches. After everyone was informed, they all got in line and went outside. They tramped through the dead leaves. It was fall, but surprisingly quite warm. When the coach told everybody to take off their jewelry, Josh felt for his necklace. To his surprise, it wasnÕt there!
ÒOh no, where is it?Ó He muttered to himself through gritted teeth. ÒI couldnÕtÕve taken it out, IÕve got to find it!Ó He asked the coach if he could look for something he lost in the locker room. ÒSure, but do you want someone to help look for it?Ó Before he could speak, a voice cried out ÒMe! Me!Ó ÒWilson! Him again,Ó grumbled Josh. He didnÕt want to be rude, so he said okay. When they got there, they got on their knees and started crawling around the floor. Suddenly, he heard a small gasp. ÒWas that you,
Wilson?Ó Josh asked. ÒNo, you mustÕve imagined whatever you heard.Ó he said quickly while stuffing his hands into his pockets. Just then, the bell rang. Wilson rushed out the door but tripped. Something gold and shiny fell out of his pocket. ÒMy pendant! You stole it!Ó Josh shouted with surprise, though he had expected Wilson to do something like that. Wilson grabbed the pendant and ran like the wind. Josh bolted straight after him with no hesitation. He quickly over sped him and tackled him, thanks to his football practice. Just then, the principal, Mr. Brown, quickly sprinted over. ÒYou two boys come to the principalÕs office immediately!Ó He said sternly. When they got there, Josh explained everything to Mr. Brown. ÒWell, is it true?Ó Mr. Brown asked Wilson. ÒUmm... yeah, I guess.Ó Wilson murmured. ÒBut that was only because he didnÕt show me it before school started, and he showed it to Joseph!Ó He quickly added, a little louder than he intended. ÒGive me a second to think.Ó Mr. Brown said to them. After about 10 seconds, he said ÒJosh, you must write a letter of apology to Wilson.Ó Wilson gave Josh a smirk. ÒAs for you, Wilson,Ó Mr. Brown said, wiping that smug look off WilsonÕs face. ÒYou will be suspended for two weeks.Ó ÒWha...-but, but w-what?Ó Wilson protested, red faced. ÒNow off with you children, schools out!Ó said Mr. Brown ignoring Wilson as he handed me the golden pendant.
When Josh got home, his dad was angry at him. Even though he expected it, he had hoped to find him in a better mood, so he could ask some questions about the pendant. ÒMr. Brown called me, and told me about what happened at school. What did you think you were doing? That thing is worth thousands! WhatÕs your version? Is it all true? Ó His dad chewed him out more, then after he was done, Josh flopped on his bed. Then Josh reassured his father. ÒDonÕt worry, dad. I wonÕt ever do it again.Ó ÒAre you sure?Ó JoshÕs dad asked warily. ÒYes IÕm sure,Ó Josh answered. ÒTrust me. IÕve learned my lesson.Ó ÒAll right then. Just donÕt do it again. Now, where do you want to go for your birthday dinner?Ó His father said more calmly. ÒBuffalo Wild Wings will be fine. But first, let me put my necklace away!Ó