Memorable Gifts

It was the first and the last
gift I would ever give to him
bought in reflection of our
wedding anniversary. Many other
anniversaries were to follow
and gifts there were but always
the same, given over and over
again: my heart. But in the 
summer of 1956 we were both
19, best of friends for the past
five years, and it was the first
anniversary of our marriage.
A neighbourhood jewellery shop
stood beside the stop where I
daily disembarked from the bus
after work, and there, showcased
in the window, an advertised
special buy. I arranged a modest
monthly payment and bought a
gold-toned Bulova wristwatch
and had the back engraved. The
date on the engraving is wrong 
but nothing was wrong with the 
marriage. He was quite surprised 
I was happy, and from that time 
forward we continued to build our
lives around one another. In the
time that has passed he has
acquired quite a few timepieces
to satisfy his fascination with
watches. My little gift is by far
the least among them. So much 
so it's been forgotten, but today,
on his wrist it rests, its mechanized
heart beating in tandem with mine.