Over the course of several months, I was under the impression that I had struck gold with the children of my neighbor. They were two teens who spent their Sunday mornings cleaning up the neighborhood as if they were running for public office. Nevertheless, when I discovered that one of them was concealing something beneath a shrub, I concluded that their “good deeds” were not as they appeared to be.
For a number of months, I was under the impression that the children of the neighbor were doing a fantastic thing by cleaning up our neighborhood on Sundays. As a lady who is now in her sixties, I have witnessed a great deal in this area.
The positive, the negative, and everything in between comes to mind, but the sight of two adolescents, who have just graduated from middle school, spending their weekends cleaning the streets and collecting rubbish is unsettling. I must say that it inspired me to have hope for the younger generation.
Every Sunday morning, I would sit by the window with a cup of tea and watch them as they worked outside, sweeping the floor, carrying garbage bags, and making the property appear nice. I was blown away by it.
They brought back memories of my own children when they were younger, before they graduated from high school and went away. It came very close to being admirable.
I noticed their mother, Grace, coming out of her house one morning when I was watering my plants. I was in the middle of watering them. Probably because she was on her way to work, she was usually in such a rush.
“Grace!” Using my hand, I yelled out. “I just wanted to let you know that your children are doing an excellent job with the cleanup of the neighborhood. Oh, you must be very proud!
When Grace looked at me, she appeared to be staring at me with a peculiar face, as if I had just said something that didn’t quite sit right with her. But then, she smiled in a courteous manner. “Oh, yeah… thank you, they’re… good kids.”
It seemed as though there was something odd about her voice, but I ignored it. At the time, I didn’t actually give it much thought. I assumed that she was simply in a hurry, possibly being late for work.
Over the course of several weeks, I continued to observe them, whose names I believe to have been Becky and Sam, as they went about their business on a Sunday morning, exerting more effort than children of their age typically do.
They respectfully declined my offer of lemonade, stating that they had “things to finish up.” I even offered them lemonade once again. When I was younger, I remember thinking that they were older than their years.
Yesterday, on Sunday, a peculiar occurrence had place. Becky and Sam were going about their daily routine, which consisted of them walking along the street with their heads bowed just as they had done in the past. I was observing the scene from my window when I became aware of something peculiar.
There was more to Sam’s job than simply picking up rubbish. Instead, he was squatting down close to the large oak tree that was in front of my house. He was cleaning some leaves away and placing something beneath a bush in a meticulous manner.
I strained my eyes in an attempt to see more clearly through the window, but I was unable to make out what was there. Regardless of what it was, it did not appear to be garbage. As a matter of fact, he appeared to be almost clandestine about it, as he glanced over his shoulder as he stood up and proceeded on to the next residence.
I sat there with a grimace on my face, allowed my curiosity to get the better of me. He is hiding something under a bush, but why would he do that?
I made the decision to hold off until they were finished. I wasn’t going to turn a blind eye to this. In the end, I had been a resident of this area for more than thirty years. When anything didn’t feel quite right, I was aware of it, and this… well, this definitely felt weird somehow.
As soon as the children disappeared around the corner, I quickly put on my gardening gloves and made my way out of the house through the front door. As I ventured along the sidewalk in the direction of the bush, the refreshing breeze brushed across my hair.
I knelt down and moved the identical mound of leaves that Sam had moved aside onto the ground. Despite the fact that I am getting older, there is something exciting about solving a mystery. My heart was racing just a little bit.
Then, there it was sitting there.
Coins are used. There is loose change that is dispersed and concealed beneath the leaves. You can even find a couple of bright pennies, quarters, and dimes. My thoughts were racing as I frowned. The fact that they were concealing money in such a manner is incomprehensible.
After standing up, I looked around me. When I finally figured out what I was looking for, I was unable to stop. Continuing my search, I moved stones out of the way, looked through crevices in the sidewalk, and began looking beneath further shrubs. More coins appeared, and there they were once more.
Hidden in the corner close to the storm drain, tucked down behind the street sign, and jammed between the bricks of the curb are all examples of hidden locations. The amount of money was not merely a few cents here and there either. By the time I was finished, I had amassed almost five bucks in my possession.
“Why in the world would they be hiding money instead of picking up trash?” While I was walking back and forth on the sidewalk, I whispered something to myself.
There was a brief period when I stood there, staring at the coins in my fingers while my thoughts raced over the various options. Could they have been up to something? When they hid the money, were they doing so for another person?
In the later part of that afternoon, when I was still trying to make sense of what I had found out, I ran into Grace once more. Unloading goods from her vehicle was what she was doing at this moment.
This seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to investigate whatever peculiar game her children were playing, so I took advantage of it. Despite the fact that the coins were still rattling in my pocket, I marched across the street.
I yelled out, “Grace!” while inviting her to come over.
Despite her surprise, she looked up at me with a slight smile on her face. It’s me, hey. Is everything all right?
In an effort to appear unconcerned, I mustered up a giggle, despite the fact that the question was burning at the tip of my tongue. “Yeah, I just wanted to mention again how thoughtful your kids are, you know… cleaning up the street every week.”
Grace appeared to be genuinely perplexed as she furrowed her head again. What about cleaning up the street? In what way do you mean?
As I was taken aback, I blinked. “You should know that they are all over the place every Sunday, sweeping, collecting up rubbish, and… From my window, I am able to observe them all the time.
She appeared to be absolutely perplexed for a little moment, but then a gradual comprehension began to appear on her face. In a fit of hysterical laughter, she clenched her sides tightly. “Oh, no, no, no, they’re not cleaning!”
At this point, it was my turn to be perplexed. “Wait, what?”
The phrase “They’re on a treasure hunt!” was spoken by her in between spasms of laughter as she wiped a tear from her eye. Each and every Sunday, their grandfather will bury pennies all over the area for them to stumble upon. The game is a simple one that they have been playing for many years. These individuals are not collecting rubbish; rather, they are looking for treasure!
Trying to make sense of what she was saying, I stood there transfixed, unable to move. The search for treasure? I was under the impression that they were being good citizens and cleaning up the street for a number of months, and now you’re telling me that they’ve just been making a game out of it?
With a smile, Grace nodded her head. Exactly, sir. For the purpose of providing them with something to do on Sundays, my father began doing it when they were young. Throughout the morning, they spend their time searching for the coins that he has hidden, which include quarters, dimes, and even a $1 note here and there.
My jaw was limp as I simply stared at her. “So… all this time, I’ve been watching them, thinking they were the most responsible kids on the block, and really, they were just hunting for coins?”
Still smiling, Grace gave a slight nod. “Yep, that’s about right.”
After letting out a deep breath and leaning against the fence, I then let out a laugh. I was laughing so hard that I almost fell over on the ground. Yes, I will be there! I was under the impression that they were the most adorable young angels in the neighborhood, performing their civic duty, and here they were, acting like pirates!
The sound of Grace’s laughing could be heard throughout the peaceful street as she joined in. “Yes, I am sorry for the amount of misunderstanding! I suppose it might appear as though they are cleaning, but believe me when I say that they are just interested in the wealth.
With a shake of my head, I reached into my pocket and drew out a handful of coins, which I then held vertically. You mean this? “I have been collecting this prize all afternoon long, and it is the grand prize!”
The eyes of Grace became wider. “Oh no, you found their stash!”
“I couldn’t help myself,” I confessed, the laughter returning to my face. Because I noticed that they were concealing things, my curiosity got the better of me. I had the impression that they were planning something cunning!
Grace continued to smile as she waved her hand. You need not be concerned; I will inform them of the whereabouts of their riches. They are going to find it incomprehensible.
We remained there for a brief period of time, the atmosphere between us being filled with the sound of our mutual delight. And then Grace looked at me with a puzzled expression. So, what were you thinking they were doing, if anything? I mean, in seriousness?
I smiled while shrugging my shoulders, embarrassed. In all candor? In an effort to be courteous, I believed that they were cleaning up the area. As an example, a project that involves providing assistance to the community.” The expression on my face changed to one of embarrassment as I halted. “I even complimented you on how thoughtful they were.”
Grace chuckled once more while shaking her shaken head. “I suppose that they are, in a sense,” she said. To put it another way, kids are keeping Grandpa engaged while also being outside and getting some fresh air, right?
My voice continued to chuckle as I answered, “True enough.” But I have to confess that you really had my blood pumping. I was under the impression that I was seeing the activities of potential members of the municipal council.
Grace gave me a joyful smile, and for a little instant, everything seemed to be absolutely light and uncomplicated. She spoke with a friendly tone, asking, “Who knows?” There is a possibility that they are gaining some sense of responsibility after all. Despite the fact that it’s only for a few pennies.”
“Maybe,” I concurred with the statement. “But next Sunday, I think I’ll just sit back and enjoy the show… treasure hunt and all.”
Grace gave a wink. “Sounds like a plan.”
