Heirloom
L'Envol
He wasn't sure how he ended up here, kicking up sand on the beaches of Normandy. There were many things he needed to do, but busking was tiresome, and with him never being able to afford much more than a sandwich each day, his motivation was dwindling.
He had lost everything on this beach, not so many years ago. It was on this beach that he had received the phone-call he had dreaded, and heard the declarations of lawyers reclaiming of his property and possessions. In that moment the world seemed to crumble, and he now sat in dirty clothes, dragging his finger through the damp sand of this accursed beach.
He recalled his family; his daughters and his wife, and how they scorned and left him alone. And he recalled his passion for numbers; his accounting job and his office work. Countless memories cycled through his mind as tears began to fall once again, absorbed instantly into the sand which had been dented by his frustrated hands. He scraped at the sand in increasing hurtfulness, cursing it under his breath and not noticing the passing time until the tide brushed his fingertips.
The rising water was cold and it foamed gently in front of him, and his hitched breathing settled for a moment. When the wave retracted, it washed up a single, peculiar object. It shone under the setting sun with blinding elegance, and he gazed solemnly at it for a while. The gold had been formed into the easily distinguishable shape of a hairbrush, domed around bristled which had been tousled by the gradual abuse of the currents. With short breaths, the man lifted it in his hand, and turned it, staring into the clear reflection of himself which painted the back of the shining brush. Perhaps the beach sought to atone.
The night had passed slowly, and the man watched hopefully as the pawn shop doors unlocked. He held the brush with a gentle touch, murmuring under his breath and pressing it to his chest.
In his head, he painted a shopping list.
A suit. A tie. A haircut. A resume.
Overhead, the clouds parted, and he watched the brush shimmer for the last time.