[Eleanor]: 668.Contest entries.Five Words.August 2011

The man behind the counter gave Elizabeth an amiable smile as he took the item she held with one outstretched hand. With the other, she twisted a blond ringlet around her index finger as she chewed apprehensively on her lower lip. “It was my grandfather’s,” she said. The pawn broker held her proffered collateral up to the light and examined it with the aid of a jeweler’s loupe. It was a pocket watch, silver, chased with gold inlay, etched with a name and a date. It only needed someone to furbish it and it would be beautiful. “Are you sure you want to part with this?” he asked the girl. She nodded. “Your leaflet said you’d take anything. I’m desperate.” He carefully laid the watch on a velvet cloth in front of him and counted out three one-hundred dollar bills onto the glass countertop. “A month, my dear,” he told her gently. “Will that be long enough?” Elizabeth gratefully scooped up the money and smiled shyly. “I hope so,” she replied before fleeing the shop.