My time capsule

A Story by keerthi_2810

The point of view of an old woman reminiscing her early years.

October 28, 2063

Not only is today my 65^th birthday, it is also the opening day of a time capsule buried 50 years ago. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I walked home from school with my best friend by my side just waiting for the moment we got to bury our boxes filled with priceless treasures from our childhood. Everyone was excited to have their prized possessions apart of the time capsule.

It finally happened; at last they opened the prodigious time capsule. The air was silent as everyone held in their breath. A lot of people from 50 years ago, who buried their memories, weren’t here today instead their sons or daughters were. We all waited in anticipation as a futuristic looking crane buried out the capsule in a matter of seconds which would have taken hours 50 years ago.

‘From 9th grade Keerthana’ was etched onto the metal. My hands shook as I wiped off the dirt on the metallic container. As I twisted the knob off, the yellow-rimed cap gave off a small sigh, unwilling to reveal the secrets it had guarded for fifty years. Inside the time capsule there was a faded photograph, a crinkled note written in my clumsy handwriting, and a few trinkets of which are heartfelt remnants of my younger years. In the photograph, a nearly unrecognizable version of myself sits on a swing next to my mom, who tightly envelops me with one arm. From the glances of a stranger, there seems to be nothing valuable among this pile of junk. While they may have no monetary value, these artifacts in my eyes are priceless.

Each object evokes fond memories of my childhood that have long since been forgotten underneath the weight of adulthood. The photographs conjure pleasant memories. My hand then delicately picks up the stunning blue ribbon, an example of my earlier success at an essay writing competition. I am immediately transported back to the stuffy room with blinding flash cameras and cooing parents as the judge handed out ribbons to the gracious finalist. Alas, my pensive eyes rest on the scratched-up kitty toy. The childhood staple was an essential during slumber parties as the heroine in my elaborate schemes of charming princes and slaying dragons.

Although seemingly unrelated, the objects from the time capsule represent pieces of my life that have been collected together like an intricate puzzle to reveal the final product. I no longer view life through the spectacles of a naïve child, but rather as someone who has experienced the classic insecurities of adolescence and the hardships of adulthood. No one ever told me that the weekly trips to the park would soon be replaced with weekends of work. I was overcome with nostalgia. These trinkets are only pieces of an unfinished puzzle.

© 2014 keerthi_2810

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MAD ENGLISHMAN

This is WONDERFUL. I thoroughly enjoyed read it. Your descriptions are so well observed.
" As I twisted the knob off, the yellow-rimed cap gave off a small sigh, " This is SO powerful a line I found it set the scene for the whole paragraph. Now I'm not a professional but I LIKE this. Please write more.
Very best regards. Clive.