Apostle Bracelet - The Watchers

Tarland, 1911. Agatha Moir grew into her voice the year she stopped shrinking her opinions. In Tarland, she served tea to neighbours who talked loudly and listened poorly. One afternoon, she noticed the sugar tongs resting by the bowl, their two apostles facing away from one another. Her grandmother had once called such figures “watchers,” small iron witnesses said to keep balance in a house. Agatha liked that idea. One watcher, she thought, minded what was spoken. The other minded what was held back. She lifted a sugar cube, hearing the precise clink against china, and then spoke calmly, clearly, without apology. The room changed. When the tongs were later made into a bracelet, Agatha wore it when she needed steadiness. The iron reminded her that confidence isn’t loudness, but the courage to stand your ground while letting others do the same.