The Gift

The Gift

by

Karen D. Hall

The police officer hung up the phone before I did, I moved the phone from my ear and just looked at it. This can’t be right; it has to be some sort of mistake. I quickly shake off the shock, drop my phone in my pocket and get in my car. My heart is beginning to pound from excitement and this sunny day seems a whole lot brighter now.

I enter the police department from the side door since it’s after 5:00 PM. There is an officer sitting behind the glass. “Can I help you?” he asks.

“Hello, My name is Roxie Moore, Officer Cornish called and asked me to come here.” My voice is shaky, I just feel completely out of place here. Well, to be honest, I have been here more times than I care to remember, I raised 4 honest, but mischievous boys. There was a time that the officer behind the glass knew me by name. Thank goodness they all grew into successful adults…and there is a new person behind the glass.

A door opens and a large man in jeans and a long sleeve shirt opens the door and says, “Ms. Moore?” I walk over and extend my hand, “Hello Officer Cornish, it’s nice to meet you.” He shook my hand and held the door open for me to come inside. Walking down a long dark hallway with doors on each side brought back many memories, I sighed out loud shaking my head. Officer Cornish heard me and looked back to see if I was okay. I’m so glad I don’t recognize anyone here!

He stops by a door and holds it open for me to enter, there is a table, and chairs, but not much else. I notice a shoe box on the table and immediately know what it is. As excited as I am, this just feels wrong to me. The officer motions for me to have a seat and opens a folder with some papers in it.

He clears his throat and says, “Here is the shoe box with the cash in it that you found in the used car you purchased. We did an investigation and the person who owned it before the auction house did, has passed away with no known survivors. Therefore, the cash is yours, there is $20,000.00 in this box, I would suggest you take it straight to the bank.”

I can feel my hands shaking as I open the box, everything seems so surreal. I have never seen this much cash in my life. Raising 4 boys was tough, the food bill cost more than my mortgage at times. With all of them gown and living on their own, I’m finally financially comfortable. Not rich by any standard, but I am comfortable. I can’t help but think, where was this box 10 years ago?

As the officer was escorting me to my car, I heard a voice say, “Hey, Ms. Moore? “I looked back and saw a very familiar face. Sigh….

“Yes?” I asked as if I didn’t recognize the uniformed officer.

“This must be the first time you came here and we gave you money.” He waved and went inside.

Officer Cornish just smiled; I think he already heard about the “Moore boys.”

I went straight to the bank to deposited the cash. The strange look I got from the bank teller was quite amusing, until she got the bank manager who asked me to go to his office. I guess it’s not often that a 60-year-old woman comes in carrying a shoe box full of cash. And this particular bank manager has always looked down on me. Probably because my bank account was small, but at least it wasn’t negative. So, I decided to have a little fun.

Looking at me with a very serious face, one that was probably supposed to intimidate me, he said, “Ms. Moore, that is a lot of cash to be carrying around in a shoe box.”

I nodded.

Frustrated that I didn’t continue, he said, “You must have sold something very nice and gained a profit from it?”

I shook my head no.

I could tell he wasn’t happy with me, he tried to stare me down and I almost cracked a smile, but before I did, he continued, “Can I ask where you got that large sum of money from?” This made me want to laugh simply because I could tell it was killing him. So, I did what I thought was best.

I shook my head no

He was about to say something else, probably trying to make me feel threatened or something, but I put my hand up in a motion to silence him and asked, “This is all I had time to count, should I take it somewhere else while I count the rest or are you going to deposit it?”

He looked shocked for a moment and his disposition completely changed. “Oh no, please allow me to help you with this.”

Now I know I should just change banks, but I feel like that’s changing the devil you know for the devil you don’t, so I decided to have a little fun with the devil I know. Call me silly, but having this extra money gave me confidence I never had, mostly because I never had a true savings account.

I walked out of the bank with a smile on my face as I looked at my used car that literally gave me more than I paid for it. It’s a small Nissan Sentra, in a very common silver, but it’s beautiful to me.

I drive to the park, walk towards the creek and sit on the rocks. I have just been given $20,000.00. It might be pocket change to some, but to me, it’s more than I have ever had sitting in a bank account in my life. I worked in the education field for years, COVID came and I lost my job, unemployment is almost up and I have to face facts, I will never make the money I made before. Normally my heart would start pounding with anxiety at this point, but now, I’m relaxed, I feel like my husband is looking down on me, watching over me as he promised to do in life. He always pushed me to follow my dreams, but I couldn’t afford to stop working long enough to pursue my own goals.

Before he passed away, my husband collected expensive pens. Pens that had fancy nibs and inks. He would tease me because writing was my hobby and most times, I would use an old pad and pencil to write. The last Christmas we spent together, he bought me a beautiful Visconti Fountain pen, he told me that my writing deserved a better pen. I miss him so much!

We struggled financially but always loved each other and everything we had, went to our kids with not regret. I wish he was here to enjoy the peace this money brings.

I stand up and head back to my car. It’s hot and I turn the air condition on to cool things off. I open the glove compartment to see if my sunglasses are in there, while reaching around I feel a small book. When I pull it out, it’s wrapped in stripped paper. I can’t remember buying anything for anyone. With my luck this is a bill for $20,000.00 gift wrapped. I laugh to myself as I open it. It’s a beautiful black moleskin notebook, the kind my husband would buy so his inks wouldn’t smear or run through the pages.

I can feel the emotions welling up inside me as I hold the book, I can almost smell my husband next to me. As I open the book, in large letters, is says, “Stop thinking, just write!”