man looked at me in surprise.
– 5,500 times! – the presenter pronounced resoundingly.
– Sir, please buy back this brooch!
– 5500 two!
– This thing is very dear to me. It once belonged to my mother. If you help me, I promise I’ll give you double the value for it!
– 6,000! – I heard the painfully familiar voice of my own father.
– Me-my name is Violet Spikes and I’m Henry Spikes’ daughter. I don’t know if you know him! But please believe me, I’m not some crook or whatever they call me. Sir, I really need that brooch, but I’ve only got a buck20 on me. – To be sure, I took it out of my purse and showed it to my friend. – I didn’t know Mom’s brooch would be on display right now, please believe me!
«What else can I say to this man to get him to help me?»
I was desperately gnawing his eyes, trying to figure out if I could get through to him or not.
– Six thousand, two! – the booming voice of the presenter sounded.
– Ten thousand! – Raising his sign, my neighbor said.
For the first time in my life, I wanted to hug someone as badly as I was hugging this man right now. I took my hands off his jacket and looked gratefully in his direction.
– Thank you, sir!
– 12,000. – It was my father.
– 12,000 ra…
– Fifteen thousand! – the neighbor answered at once.
– Fifty thousand bucks! – my father kept up with me.
My rescuer looked at me questioningly.
– 100,000. – Without waiting for my answer, he said.
I saw a lot of people in the audience starting to look in our direction.
– 200,000!
Apparently my father put my mother’s brooch up for sale, so that he could buy it back himself. But I don’t know why I didn’t want to lose to him at this point. I was well aware that the promise I had just made to the man sitting next to me was beginning to take an unsafe turn. Because even without looking at a good income, I could not afford a brooch for 200 thousand bucks. But at this point I had other things on my mind. Like letting my dad know that I was playing against him?
– Ma’am? – My neighbor turned to me.
– Do you take checks?
The man grinned.
– I accept. 250,000 bucks!
– 250,000 one! 250,000 two!
– 300,000 bucks.
I didn’t seem to want to overcome it at the moment, but I shouldn’t have gotten so carried away. After all, 300,000 bucks was my ceiling, which I could no longer jump over.
– Sir, I think you and I are going to have to slow down.
– Convinced?
– 300,000, one.
– I’m afraid so.
– But it’s your mom’s brooch!
– I know.
– 300,000, two.
– But should I stop there? – We looked each other in the eye. – 350,000!
There was an uproar in the hall.
– Sir, I don’t have that kind of money! – I whispered.
– 400,000 bucks! – my father bellowed.
I imagined his face, scarlet with tension, and grinned bitterly. My neighbor was about to raise his sign, but I stopped him.
– Don’t. I am grateful to you for responding to my request. But now I ask you to slow down.
– 400,000, one.
– Ma’am, I’m afraid it’s a matter of principle. – He made me feel uncomfortable. – 500,000!
I saw Aunt Jo standing up from her seat next to my dad, and she looked in our direction. We met her eyes, and then she sat down again and said something to my dad.
– 500,000, one! – The host’s voice sounded an octave higher than before. – 500,000 two!
The whole room fell silent, waiting for the next bet.
– Please, Daddy, don’t do this. – I pleaded with my eyes squeezed shut.
– 500,000, three! Sold to the man at number 205!
There was applause.
– Congratulations, you finally made it!
I was a little worried when I said those words.
– So are you.
Now that everything was behind me, I was relieved. Never had a charity auction been as exciting for me as this one. People began to rise from their seats to continue the evening over good wine and dancing in the museum’s large banquet hall.
Well, now it’s time for me to settle up for a huge thank you!
Chapter 5
– Here’s my card. – With a trembling hand, I pulled a small piece of paper from my purse with all my contact information written on it. – Call me when you feel comfortable, so I can keep my promise. I am very grateful to you for believing me and redeeming my mother’s brooch. Thank you, sir!
– I couldn’t help you, Miss…» The man looked at my card in his hands. When a young woman asks for help, a man shouldn’t stay away. Thanks to you, this evening doesn’t seem so sour to me now. Here, in case you need my help again.
I took his black platinum card and ran my eyes over it.
– Mr. Moreau? Right?
– That’s right.
– It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Moreau!
– Likewise, Miss Spikes!
– I apologize for dragging you into this adventure. I’m really sorry that you had to spend so much money on such a little contrivance.
– It’s okay. It was kind of fun. It’s not every day that you get something really valuable, like this brooch.
We
