The Bust

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By Nick Hardeman

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           I remember going through my grandmother’s old things when we were emptying out her house. My dad told me if there was anything that caught my eye that I could keep it. Framed pictures of nature scenes, old dolls with holes in their china cheeks, and jewelry could be found throughout the house. I gazed upon a shelf in the hallway, lined with little picture frames of snapshots throughout her 92 years. I locked eyes with a mini bust next to a picture of her in Athens, Greece. Something about the bust intrigued me, and for some odd reason I had to have it.

           On the plane ride home, I researched the little head of this mystery woman that I now called my own. I found it to be of Athena, goddess of wisdom. Having a childhood filled with a love for Greek mythology, excitement flooded my body. For many people it was probably only a figure, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew this was something special.

           I thought about what the little figurine must have meant to my grandmother. I could not help but wonder whether it had any significance to her. Did she pass it day by day and think nothing more of it than some clay head? Or did she, perhaps jokingly, pray to the goddess for a bit of wisdom on her worst days. With her two sons, I know I probably would’ve prayed to somebody for some help a time or two. As I feel the smooth texture and rivets of facial features of the bust, I wish to be able to talk to her again and ask about this little hidden piece.

           Today, I look at Athena’s head and think about what she means to me. She is not the same woman I met two years ago at my grandmother’s house. She has taken a couple falls, and her nose, once round and smooth, is now chipped clay, whose pieces no one knows where fell. I know I look at her sometimes and hope I do well on a test or paper. I don’t have two sons, but I’m eager to see what I’ll wish upon her someday if she continues to rest atop a shelf or a desk in my future home. Maybe someday one of my grandchildren will stumble upon it years from now and wonder the same things I did when I first met Athena.