maybe its too late

seeing happy couples has become quite ordinary
but sometimes 'the unordinary' is a gentle reminder
to appreciate my ordinary day

this was 2 weeks or so ago...
he came in just minutes after we opened
dark hair with hints of grey
late 40s even 50s? my guess?
a little edgy, avoiding eye contact
i observed an expensive shirt sitting beneath
his thick knitted jumper
he was eloquent and had sharp eyes
and an eccentric vibe that strikes me

20grand he wishes to spend
to replace 2 precious rings once on his wife's hand
they were robbed he said shaking his head

didnt want to hear about the 4Cs of diamonds
done it before knows all about
literally brushes me off
i obliged
guy knows EXACTLY what he wants to replace
the large stones in its exact design
easy for me... barely any negotiation in price
the sale was completed under an hour
thought i'll get to know him,
an economist he was when i sought to get to
understand his eccentricity

he left but returned next day when i was away
and spoke to another member of my staff
concerned about the size of the smaller diamonds
to the wedder, the discussion led to the mention
of his wife... and how he felt he had'nt been a good husband
all those years... yes... people confide to strangers more
sometimes... how strange are we... :)

got a letter this morning
addressed to me in my full name and details
busy with my own paper work, and certainly
not expecting any personal mails, i wasnt concerned
my director opened it to read out to me its contents

in it was a letter from him saying his wife has passed
on due to complications in surgery, and his regret
that she will not get to wear the rings we are to make
he was fine to forfeit the deposit if necessary... etc

what hit me was the copy of death certificate he enclosed
and most of all the sadness that overwhelmed me thereafter

multiorgan failure, aortic stenosis and a whole short paragraph
of medical complications...
never quite held a death certificate before of someone i never met

my heart goes out to him...

marriage and life
short and transient
we get busy we forget
we look back
we'll regret

i am reminded of my 'ordinary' today
and i want to share it...
for life is only so long or short as you make it to be
sometimes beyond your control
sometimes too late...