The Locket

Asanda believes in finders keepers. But where would that belief, and the little white lies that follow, lead her?

- Asanda Zani

WHAT time does your lunch break end?”

Anathi was lea­ning over, trying to get my attention, but I wasn’t really listening.

My focus was on something else – a shiny gold locket lying on the floor. I lifted my hand towards my lips, as if to hush her, and then she saw it too.

I shot her a warning glance, “Stand on guard,” it said. Anathi knew me well enough to understand exactly what I meant.

Even so, I looked around before bending down and quickly snatching it up. I felt paranoid that the locket’s owner was somewhere out there, watching me.

Now what was I going to do? If I opened it and there was a picture inside, would I make it my mission to find the owner and return it? Would I throw the picture away and claim the locket as my own? Would I put it back where I found it, or hand it into someone?

I opened the locket. A rose petal. What a let­down! No picture, just a ragged­ looking bit of flower.

“Take it!”

I’d forgotten Anathi was standing there. “I’m doing that, aren’t I?” I snapped back, still nervous. “And throw that dead flower away, it’s ugly.”

But I didn’t want to. I couldn’t explain why. I liked to think it was dying, not dead, which somehow meant I wasn’t meant to throw it away.

Someone had placed a rose petal in their locket, and I imagined it was part of a beautiful love story. I’m a sucker for love, so I decided to keep it.

“Now,” I said, returning to the present.

“Huh?” Anathi sounded confused.

“My lunch break ends now,” I explained, as I walked back to the shop where I worked during the university holidays.