Ring reunion
Woman cries when she retrieves her cherished long-lost rings
Orlanda Drebit has finally gotten her hands back on her cherished rings - and the long-lost jewelry back on her fingers. Drebit had hidden seven rings in a board game in the summer of 2015 when she left her Appin Road, P.E.I., home to take in the Cavendish Beach Music Festival.
Later, she forgot where the rings had been tucked away.
Despite a furious search that included turning her house inside out and checking out local pawn shops and Kijiji ads, she failed to uncover the prized personal items that include the wedding and engagement rings from Drebit’s late husband.
Last month, she was told by her niece of a story in the National Post about some Australians who bought MindTrap during a holiday in P.E.I. around Labour Day and found rings worth at least $17,000 hidden in the bottom of the box.
Chris Lightfoot of Toronto brought his story of the incredible find to the media and told one reporter, “if someone from P.E.I. saw the story and ... it’s their Granma Harriet’s ring or whatever, you can have it.”’
Well, last Wednesday in Toronto, Lightfoot handed over the rings to Drebit.
“I cried when I got them,” Drebit said.
“It was just so overwhelming to have them all back after all this time. He’s just an outstanding young man.”
Drebit, 56, plans to wear the wedding ring and the engagement ring every day.
Some of the rings will need adjusting because arthritis is causing her fingers to swell.
She has also decided to give one of the seven rings - an opal one to the niece who got Drebit on track to getting the rings back.
Drebit says Lightfoot was quite shocked when she offered a reward for the safe return of her rings.
“He said ‘you didn’t have to do that’, and I said ‘yeah, I think I do have to do that.”’
Drebit notes she will no longer turn to any board game as a place to hide her rings.
“Safety deposit box is norm now for storage,” she says.