Gold

Not everything that glitters is gold. This saying has been around for so long prior to my firsthand experience concerning such.

I was a teenager way back when a boy came to our house, selling jewelry items which he claimed he stole. I had money then, gifts from my “ninongs’ and “ninangs”, so I was eager to look at the said items which were sold at very low prices. It was my first time to see so many pieces of jewelry, all shining, glittering so brightly.

After excitedly scrutinizing each piece, I decided to spend my money on such a great investment, as that boy told me. He was sobbing when he confessed he didn’t like stealing from rich people, but his family was poor, and he was the “breadwinner,” since both parents were sick. I finally bought a few pieces. His parting words were, “Please don’t go to a pawnshop for I may be tracked down because of these stolen jewelry.”

He had left when my mother found out about that purchase. To make a long story short, it was a matter of time before I knew I was duped. The jewelry pieces were all fake. -ARV