Tragedy in Blue

Tragedy struck my life yesterday. I was sitting at my desk quietly working away, one hand on my tablet, the other absently – and recklessly, as it transpired – fiddling with one of the necklaces I was wearing. One moment I was staring at the screen, the next, the calm was shattered as the string broke and beads went spilling! And bouncing! And tumbling!

One or two colleagues rescued a few beads for me. One of them – need I clarify, a MALE – thought it would be a good idea to throw one and watch it bounce two feet into the air. I gaped in indignation, and when I had recovered my breath, roundly ticked him off for wanton stupidity.

Really, I shouldn’t have been surprised at the sudden destruction of the stringing material: it was fishing line. Add to this the fact that my travelling companion who bought a similar necklace, had long ago experienced this same misfortune. I had already repaired her pink agate beads, and always intended to restring mine properly, but naturally never got round to it.

What’s that old proverb? A stitch in time saves nine? So very true, but fortunately I am able to report I recovered all my beads.

They are chalcedony, in the most beautiful, pale shade of turquoise: the colour of a morning sky in winter… a colour that makes me sigh in pleasure.

They also bring back memories of the summer evening that I purchased them, from Temple Street Night Market in Kowloon. What fun my friend and I had shopping in that whirl of a tour of Hong Kong! It makes me look forward to my upcoming holiday in exotic lands abroad… what new treasures will I find?

These blue beads must be repaired in time however, so that they may accompany me. Not to bring me luck. I just love them.