The Perfect Jeweler

By Laura C. Walters

In the House of Orphans lives a young woman whose only identity is the number 29. She dreams of becoming one of the Chosen. Those who are Chosen from birth are given names and inherit homes in the Land of the Desired. But Orphans have been rejected or abandoned, and only on Adoption Day, which happens annually, do they have the chance to gain names of their own.

When the day arrives and 29 is once more passed over, she faces an uncertain future. She’ll be eighteen soon—too old for adoption. Her only option will be to live in the Valley of the Solitary, a dark place filled with numbers and faces, not names and family. But then she receives a shock: someone sends a letter addressed specifically to her, complete with a map. She soon finds herself on an unexpected journey on the Path of the Unknown, facing struggles and hardship. But what she discovers about herself leads her to a future she could never have imagined.

This novel tells the story of an orphaned young woman who sets out to learn the truth about her past and what that entails for her future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LifeRich Publishing
• Release date: Apr 4, 2019
• ISBN: 9781489722140

Laura C. Walters

Laura C. Walters graduated from Baylor University in 2011 and began teaching in Plano, Texas, shortly after. She has taught both English and Reading to middle and high school students and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in school counseling. Laura has written and contributed articles to the American PTSD Association. She is a member of Village Church in Dallas, Texas, where she currently lives with her beagle, Jimmy Charles. This is her first book.

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Copyright © 2019 Laura C. Walters.

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Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-4897-2213-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-2214-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019903401

LifeRich Publishing rev. date:  03/30/2019

Contents

A Note to the Reader

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Acknowledgements

In Memory of Gladys Dorsey

A Note to the Reader

Thank you for choosing to read The Perfect Jeweler! My heart behind writing this book is for it to be a reminder of the truest source of hope and encouragement we have in Christ. I characterize it as an allegory because though the plot in itself can be read and enjoyed all on its own, it encompasses a larger meaning- a metaphor of faith that includes elements of my own journey and potentially elements of your own journey as well. My hope is that The Perfect Jeweler guides you to reflect on the truth of the moments throughout your own journey and path and that you would read with yourself in 29’s shoes and become part of her journey and all that it entails.

Laura C Walters

1

Two digits were transcribed on the palm of her hand. One number, 29, preserved the only identity she had ever known. From the moment she arose in the morning, stretching her scrawny arms up into the air and then pushing aside her dirty blonde curls, she saw this blurred number marking her skin. After reaching across her prickly wooden nightstand and placing her glasses on her face, the number no longer was blurred; instead, it shouted a discouraging, nameless reminder of her identity. This number, though physically nothing but a dark, permanent mark on her skin, screamed of who she was: Nameless. Fatherless. Unwanted. Otherwise Unidentified. Orphan. Rejected. Abandoned. Alone.

The Society of the Named exalted and esteemed those with a name made up of letters, not numbers. It was a society that for all of 29’s life had excluded her and left her without the hope the society could provide. Those with names were deemed as a part of the Chosen—a group with identities rooted firmly in names chosen by mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers. The Chosen were surrounded by brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and cousins galore in the Land of the Desired.

From the moment of birth, those with names would automatically be Chosen and inherit homes in the Land of the Desired. The homes were large, comfortable, and welcoming to any member of the Chosen. Yards surrounded the homes, and fences were present only to keep anyone other than the Chosen out. Any Chosen was welcome, anywhere at any time.

Those with names had more than just a title. From the moment a Chosen received her name, a band of the most desired jewels was placed on her ring finger as proof that, indeed, this child was Chosen. The ring symbolized that each Chosen had value. Some names like Rose symbolized beauty and love, while others like Elizabeth symbolized royalty. The Chosen had names, bands of jewels, and most importantly, identities of utmost importance in society. They were revered, respected, and always seemed to exude a joy that those outside of the Chosen could never understand.

Number 29 dreamed of being one of the Chosen. How much more beautiful would a name like Allison or Lillian roll off the tongue than a choppy and dissociated 29. Not only would a name contribute to her worth, but the ring … oh, the ring. How 29 dreamed of having a ring with even one shimmering diamond or glossy pearl to wear upon her finger to remind her of how truly Chosen she was. She wouldn’t even be picky and desire the biggest or best ring—just a ring in itself would be enough.

But for now, 29, with her rough-and-tumble hair and wire glasses, looked down at the two-digit number etched onto her palm. Maybe one day, a mere 29 will mean something, she thought. For now she would just have to accept the fact that she did not belong to the Chosen but instead was merely an Orphan. And for now, she would not live in the Land of the Ideal but instead would take up Room 29 in the House of the Orphans. Her dwelling place would not have a lawn of flowers and trees or a bedroom of lace and charm. Nobody would frame her photograph in a living room. Instead, she would dwell in a small room in the House of the Orphans, with plain white walls, dilapidated wooden furniture, a scratchy mattress, and nothing of excess except for hopes and prayers of one day no longer bearing the title of 29 or Orphan.

Unlike the homes in the Land of the Ideal, the House of the Orphans was cramped and stuffy. It was large enough to fit and house the unwanted orphans but not large enough to be considered spacious, much less comfortable. The air had a slight stench of mold, the rooms were dark, and dust sat upon every shelf and windowsill—though not many windows were present.

Once a year, 29 could sense the hope that one day she would become worthy to be a member of the Chosen. Every year on the first of September, Adoption Day was held for Orphans. On Adoption Day, members of the Chosen would bring a ring to a lowly and once-abandoned Orphan residing in the House of the Orphans and would give him or her a new name—a new hope for a future in the Land of