Mr. Schwartz stood all of five feet, four inches tall. By the age of 64 he had been married 42 years, had two daughters, and four grandchildren. He had been an industrial engineer (garbage collector) since he dropped out of high school to marry his childhood sweetheart who would soon be having their first child. I still remember the first day I met him. I commented on his “Members Only” jacket that had been all the rage in the ’70s.
“Oh, this old thing? You’d be surprised what people throw away. Sylvia, that’s my wife, just sewed up a torn pocket and bada bing, bada boom; good as new.”
The second thing I noticed was an old tan shoe box under his arm. When he laid it down on my desk, I saw that the words “Rainbow’s End” were scribbled on the top in pencil.
“You’re wondering what’s inside, aren’t ya, son?” he asked me.
“Maybe a little bit,” I replied.
“Well, let me tell you. It’s the vacation we never took, the fancy meals we passed up, and a lifetime of bottles and cans that these two hands dragged home. That there is the one-carat diamond ring I told her she would get someday,” he said, pointing to a ring in the case. “Go ahead—count it up and be quick about it. My wife’s waited long enough for her diamond rainbow.”
A new, good quality, one-carat diamond was going for over $6,000 those days. I thought that this box must be filled with thousands of dollars—more than enough for Sylvia’s dream diamond. But as I started counting the cash, there were more tens than twenties and more ones than fives. At the end of my count there was exactly $2,231.55. He was short; there would be no one-carat diamond, not with what was in the box. Maybe in the late 1950s this would be more than enough for the diamond of their dreams but not in today’s market. The best they could get would be a half-carat.
“Well, son, do I have enough? When can I pick up my one-carat diamond ring?”
“Let’s see. $2,231.55. That will just cover it. You can pick up the ring tomorrow.”
A good man keeps his promises even if it takes a lifetime. If you’re ever in the position to save a dream, do it.
