“What do you mean Row 207? That’s unacceptable!”
“Don’t complain now, Carolina. We’re lucky enough to get a seat. You don’t know how much I had to pay those scums to get a ticket.”
“Fine! Just don’t forget why we got here. I expect to go home with Victoria.”
Mr. and Mrs. Jones were opposite poles. The bespectacled Christopher Jones, pudgy like his bank account, married Carolina Sta. Barbara, stick-figure and unrefined manners included, six months after he got her pregnant. Three months later they had bright Tommy whom they sent to Christopher’s relatives in Canada to study.
Earlier that morning, the arguing couple answered an ad Mr. Jones received in his e-mail:
Come one, come all!
Victoria is in need of a new home.
Name your price, shout and call,
This royal piece of jewelry could just be yours!
The underground auction house Elena’s was giving away Victoria, a rare pink diamond unearthed in Africa the previous year and was cut to a roughly 400-carat necklace charm on an intricately designed white gold chain, along with other rare gems collected from different black markets across the globe.
“That beauty’s the last piece to be auctioned today so please be patient and don’t cause any trouble,” reminded Mr. Jones.
A lot of gem collectors went to the said event, buzzing and eyeing possible competition to their most coveted stones. Carolina Jones sat on Seat 207, too far from the stage for her liking, and cursed Christopher for the nth time. A few minutes later, a man in a black sleek tux went onstage.
“Welcome ladies and gentlemen! Count your cash because here comes our first item,” announced the young man as he signaled to another pushing a cart. On it was the bluest sapphire the couple had ever seen.
“The Mermaid’s Last Tear, ladies and gentlemen,” said the auctioneer, “bluer than the seas of Greece itself, is a 100-carat sapphire rumored to calm the wearer’s spirit. Shall we begin at thirty thousand for this treasure?”
One by one the people in Elena’s placed their bids until the Mermaid’s Last Tear was sold to Mrs. Valencia, a famous gem collector and gambler, at two hundred forty thousand dollars.
A lot of rare jewelry followed and even the dust from shaping the Cullinan Diamond was sold at such a large sum. After selling the ruby Dragon’s Eye, the auctioneer beamed at center stage.
“The moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…” The auctioneer paused for effect. “Victoria!”
The other guy in tux wheeled in Victoria and everyone was awed by its splendor. Mrs. Jones who had been drooling at the previous jewelries stood to get a clearer glimpse of her most coveted Victoria (though she need not stand to see its beauty). Even Mr. Jones was convinced that the jewel was worth an investment.
“Four hundred-carat Victoria, chained on an intricately-designed white gold chain specifically designed for its exquisite beauty, is a rare pink diamond shipped here from another continent. This rarity once belonged to the Salazar family, one of the largest business tycoons a decade ago. Until various catastrophes inexplicably landed on their doorstep, that is”
“Cursed this diamond, they say. But something this exquisite couldn’t bring such misfortune now, can it? I know how long you’ve waited for this so without further ado, let the bidding begin! Let us start at a million dollars.”
“One million dollars!” cried Mrs. Jones, waving the fan given to her at the entrance and was literally jumping.
“One million and six hundred!”
“One million and seven hundred and fifty!”
“One million and eight hundred!”
“Two million!” shouted Mrs. Valencia.
“Two million and five-hundred!”
Panicking with the others’ bids, Mrs. Jones shouted: “Three million!” Mr. Jones was all sweaty.
“Three million for the very eager lady in white. Anyone up for anything higher than two million?”
Mrs. Jones was smug seeing that even Mrs. Valencia appeared to have withdrawn, sure of her victory. She was to give her husband a comforting smile when a young lady wearing a thick fur coat raised her fan and shouted.
“Ten million!”
Everyone looked at the young miss, taken aback by her bid. Mrs. Jones slowly turned at the young lady and gave her the look.
“Ten million for the young miss wearing a fur coat. Going once…” announced the auctioneer.
“What the –,” mouthed Mrs. Jones, but she had already gone wobbly after seeing Mr. Jones shook his head in defeat.
“Going twice… Sold for ten million dollars!” The auctioneer banged his gavel and everyone clapped, except Mrs. Jones of course, for the young bidder.
One by one, the bidders left. Mr. and Mrs. Jones went home heartbroken, puzzled as to who the young bidder was (Mrs. Jones was too numb to be angry with her husband. She threatened to divorce him when they got home though).
At Elena’s, the auctioneer was signing the papers for Victoria with the winning bidder.
“You mean you’re the Salazar heiress?”
“Yes I am. And I intend to bring Victoria Salazar’s necklace back home.”
“Have a safe trip then, Miss.” The auctioneer shook the hands with the petite young lady.
Natalie Salazar, sole heiress of the Salazar empire, carried the jewel's briefcase to her limousine. She sat there still for a while, then wrapped the briefcase with a large scarf inked with a prayer of a distant language.
“Work your magic now. To the airport, Nigel.”
