. the ring .

Here's Andrew's account of events leading up to the proposal day.

     I closed my eyes to sleep for a few short hours on Gary and Emily’s couch.  In only 3 and a half hours, Gary would come tap my shoulder and wake me up to go duck hunting.  The backs of my eyelids sparkle like a country night sky, but these stars aren’t free.  For the last week, and intensely for the last 4 hours, Claire and I have stared over and over at countless stars.  Round cut stars, square cut stars, princess cut stars.  New stars, old stars.  Stars already hung in their specific place, and those still hunting for the perfect 4 prongs or hooks to hold them fast as they dance with the light. 

     You see, I dared to wish upon a star many years ago.  I dared to dream a dream upon that distant glow.  I closed my eyes and pictured a princess, skin fare, and locks long, and a classical figure to make the Venus blush and rage.  Her voice true and rich like honey on the comb, dripping with encouragement and peace.  That precious star now births a new star, one my princess can wear on her finger. 

     This search began almost a month ago after lunch with her grandmother, Gran.  As a princess, herself, Gran has many beautiful fairytale toys.  As an heir, Claire hoped to claim one such treasure, a circular star, once traded for a car, shaped by a Jewish expert in the faraway land of New York, then paired with tapered co-stars and mounted in that precious platinum frame.  6 hours of driving to ask 1 question, but that star was aligned against us and made its intentions known before the question.  And so the boy who had mistakenly bragged of not needing to find a star to kneel and wish upon, found himself wishing as fervently as ever. 

     Before the quest could take full form, I had to conquest the Duke Divinity School First Semester Finals.  I did too, conquested them with extreme prejudice. 

     After countless hours of sorting through rings and rings and stars and stars, I found the star to wish upon.  I found it and wished and wished and wished.  I found it but now how to purchase it, you see these things aren’t free.  With a combination of money given by my grandparents as I grew up, another loan from my parents, and a some savings, I made the phone call, exchanged some numbers, and made a deal.  Again, this star had to fly from far away New York City under the care of Israel, to the small, unassuming lowcountry. 

That morning I woke again before the sun, to hunt the ever elusive green headed duck.  In the cold, dark, flooded wood, I wished upon that shooting star.  That star falling South towards, Kingstree, SC.  On the way home, my heart stood on its tiptoes to see the star, but it was nowhere to be found in our castle.  With spoils to clean and a star to await, I sat on the front lawn of my parents respectable home and plucked and gutted plump ducks.  At every passing car, my heart and my eyes lept like a puppy waiting for a school bus bearing his favorite child.  After hours of cleaning, no shooting star had landed in my hands.  Agonizing hours of napping and watching. 

 To clear my brain and rest my waining heart, I went to shoot some poor defenseless skeet.  Again, extreme prejudice.

Returning home, I didn’t breathe or blink.  Scouring the house, like the bird dogs over the swamp this morning, I return to my mother panting and desperate for direction.  “It didn’t come.”  With those 3 words, a million lies flood my brain.  I am overwhelmed.  “I’ve been had.” “The ring doesn’t exist.”  “Told you it was too good to be true.”  Etc. Etc.  Tracking code in hand, and computer in lap, I type each keystroke slowly and fearfully.   

“WHAT?!”

The ring was waiting in the Kingstree post office, only to be finally retrieved by Andrew's dad after he called the postman on his cellphone early the next morning before the mail went out.  *Whew* And now it's on my finger... that beautiful star.