Главная страница «Первого сентября»Главная страница журнала «Английский язык»Содержание №17/2007
The Black Diamond Ring
YOUTH ENGLISH SECTION

The Black Diamond Ring

The incident took place at the height of the tourist season on the Bahamas. Among the tourists was the wife of a known Italian minister. Her name was Silvia and she had arrived with her best friend, called Monica. They spent most of their time on the beach swimming, diving with special breathing equipment, sunbathing in order to get a suntan. They enjoyed watching seagulls hovering over their heads or looking for seashells. In a word they gave themselves up to an inner sense of happiness. Silvia got acquainted with a young man. He was suspicious enough and he was much younger than her and there was something in him crafty and artful. She had a ring decorated with a black diamond which she had inherited. At every opportunity she put it on, as it was her favourite ring. Her holiday came to an end when her ring was lost. How did it come about that the ring was stolen? One day previously Silvia and Monica had gone shopping and Silvia told her friend that she did not have any plans for the evening because she was tired and wanted to spend the evening on her own in her hotel room and added that she was going to order meal in the room. So she did it. She ordered meal and then went to the bathroom to take a shower. She knew the waiter who always brought her meal very well, therefore she went to the bath not having closed the door. Her most important mistake was that she had left the precious ring on a bedside table, having absolutely forgotten about it. The next day her lover asked her out for a meal in a Chinese restaurant. Silvia was delighted with the offer, she put on her wonderful black dress, she had her hair styled by a skilful hairdresser. When Silvia was going to put on jewellery she noticed that there was not the ring in the casket. She had hysterics. She came to Monica and told her about the loss. Monica sympathized with her and assured that they would find the diamond ring. Then having summoned up the courage she went to the reception and told the manager everything about the loss. Certainly, Silvia suspected the waiter of the theft. The manager told her that there were surveillance cameras on the floors at the hotel and that they could help her. It was visible on the video that when she was taking a shower the waiter and Monica were in her room. Monica left the room with the black diamond ring put on on her finger. So Silvia understood who had stolen her ring. It was a terrible blow for her, she took away the ring and informed her husband that she was about to leave the Bahamas for home…

By Olesya Bebeshko