A Tinge of Gold
Diana had just finished her night shift and was leisurely strolling down the street on a busy Monday morning. The street was crowded with people and vehicles. Some were walking their dogs, some were rushing to work, and others were just inching their way in the heavy traffic jam.
On her way to her usual bus stop, she would frequently get distracted by the honking cars or playful dogs trying to reach her legs against the will of their owners. But on this particular occasion, it was neither the sound of the cars nor the licking of the dogs that caught her attention. It was something glittering on the ground that flashed at her eyes. She rushed closer to it and saw a shiny circular-shaped piece of jewelry. It was so bright, so beautiful that she immediately thought of picking it up. She held it in her hand and inspected it thoroughly. It was a mesmerizing necklace, which she impulsively decided to bury in her pocket.
She speedily ran under a nearby tree. Having made sure no one had seen her, she reassuringly breathed a sigh of relief. Then, carefully, she groped for her precious find in her pocket and took it out. It was a beautiful gold necklace studded with brilliant diamonds. She was attracted to it and had firmly decided to keep it. Whoever was the owner was certainly rich enough that the loss of a necklace would not make a dent in her wealth. She was basking in her dream when suddenly someone patted her from behind. Diana shivered in shock. When she turned, she saw a beautiful young lady.
“I saw you pick up a necklace. I think it belongs to an old lady who just passed by,” the lady said gently.
“Oh, do you know where the old lady is? I should give back her necklace,” Diana replied, trying to hide her true intentions.
“It is so gorgeous. It is a treasure…” said the lady, having taken a peek at the necklace.
“It must be very expensive,” interrupted Diana, who had now no choice but returning the necklace to its owner.
“On second thought,” went on the lady, “these rich people wouldn’t mind losing a necklace or two.”
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Diana.
“I mean why should we give it back? It is our day today, isn’t it?” said the lady gleefully, “why don’t we just share it?”
Diana hesitated and thought how beautiful she would look if she wore that necklace. She would be the most beautiful woman, and everyone would admire her.
“How are we going to share the necklace?” asked Diana.
The lady blinked at her and said, “We can sell it. I am sure it is worth at least 1000 dollars; then we can get 500 dollars each. Or you can just give me 500 and keep it if you like it.”
But Diana was determined to keep it. There was no way she was going to sell it, nor was there a way for her to get away from the lady, who looked just as greedy as she was. Then she made up her mind.
“I only have 200 dollars cash on me; that’s all I can give you,” asserted Diana.
“I am not a greedy person,” said the Lady, “it is a deal; after all, you found it.”
Pretending two hundred was all that she had, Diana stealthily pulled out two hundred dollars out of her wallet and handed the money to the lady, who complacently grabbed the money and betook herself.
Once at home, Diana put on the necklace and indulged in its beauty in front of the mirror. As it was her habit, she decided to take a bath before sleeping for a few hours. She leisurely stepped into the bathtub and lay down in the warm water. She was so relaxed that she closed her eyes for a few minutes.
When she opened her eyes, she couldn’t believe them. Her chest was besmirched with a tinge of gold, and the necklace was hard to make out in the translucent water.