V. Day 2007: A tale in enduring love
My father died a few months after my eighth birthday. And although he didn’t die on Valentine’s Day, I think about him more and more on this day.
I met Jay on the anniversary of my father’s death. I mentioned this to him a few months on. From the bits and pieces I remembered and stories from my mother, I told him about my father. About how much his life and unfortunate death had made me the person I’d become. He’d soon come to understand and on our second Valentine’s Day together he’d show me how much he understood.
Before my mother would marry the man I call dad today, she’d give me my father’s aged broken watch given to him by my grandfather and ask that I never forget my father.
The watch would become the most important and constant item in my life, it stayed with me through numerous moves, travels, my parents’ divorce, the bitterness, anger, ugliness and my uncertain and sad place with my dad and his new family.
As I try to put my past behind me, the watch has become a bridge and reminder of my history. Tucked amidst nicks knacks in my bedside drawer, it just laid there, knowing so much.
I knew it was a great watch of some probable monetary value. It was a vintage classic Cartier piece but very so tarnished and old; the crystal had come off, the face a little crooked and in a very sad state, the mechanics however was intact.
Jay had the watch restored to its original glory and gave it to me as a surprise on our second Valentine’s Day together!
The watch was evaluated and then sent the manufacturer to be restored with emphasis on preservation.
The watch, it turns out is a circa 1930s Cartier Tank, its value when appraised, could very well feed a small family for years on.
It’s the most amazing and loving thing anyone has ever done for me and it’s my most memorably Valentine’s Day ever.
I always knew the watch was special and I’m glad I regarded it as such.
It means even more to me than before; it’s a part of me, my heritage.
I hope to wear the watch when I go out to dinner tonight, it doesn’t matter what my Valentine’s Day gift, I have the ultimate gift to last a lifetime of Valentine Days.
