'Yacht with diamonds'

I have been lucky enough to have a job at a pretty cool toy shop for the last five years with amazing bosses who allow me to come and go in between touring, and who have allowed me to do that from the very beginning. Most days at the toy shop turn out to be fairly similar, but every now and then something happens that really stays with me, like today.

A lady in her eighties or there abouts came in to buy her best friend a birthday present. She told me that her friend had recently moved into a nursing home because of on-set dementia. It always fascinates me how people in their elderly years can speak about deeply affecting issues in a way that seems to be so calm and non-emotional. In reality I know that’s not the case at all, but I must admit that a small part of me can’t wait for old age as it seems to me that that is the point where a person makes peace with everything that they are, everything that they’ve done and everyone in their life. I can only speak for myself, but that would be a pretty handy tool to have in your twenties, I think.

She told me that she asked her friend what she wanted for her birthday and her friend replied with ‘I want a yacht with diamonds!’. Not an unreasonable request I thought for someone who has undeservingly been dealt the short straw of an illness nobody should have to live through. She asked me if I had what she needed, so I pulled the ladder out, climbed up to one of the top shelves and brought down a wooden yacht with a body painted blue and white sails that made it stand to a tall 30cm high. Her face lit up for a moment and I could see a sparkle of gratitude fly out of her. She then followed by saying not to worry about the diamonds, in a ever so slightly disappointed yet throw away manner as if she was trying to convince herself it was too much of a ridiculous request. But I haven’t been working in a toy shop all this time for nothing, I thought. I pondered for a moment and went to collect something else. I came back rather swiftly and presented her with a selection of diamanté rings that would normally go on the wedding ring finger of a seven year old. The only difference was that today it was going to be used to make the dreams come true of someone a lot older in age, but to the same level of excitement that it does for young girls who dream about being a bride one day. She picked up a light purple ring covered in diamonds and placed it on the mast of the yacht. It looked perfect. She knew it, I knew it and we both knew without saying it that her friend would think it was perfect too.

Beth