The Suprise

In a small depressed area of W-burgh, Brooklyn a group of friends Jamal, Jose, and Joey were constant companions looking for things to keep busy on their summer vacation away from PS 51. As it turned out this day their travels led them to a recently demolished building that was vacant for years.(used to be one of their hangouts inside while it was standing) The guys were a bit depressed as their "clubhouse" was destroyed , but they still had fun digging through the rubble looking for anything exciting or useful to them and their families.

After being in the hot sun for over an hour searching the broken bricks and concrete, Joe and Jose glanced up seeing Jamal running excitedly waving his arms mumbling something about a discovery. Once Jamal caught his breath, hands on his knees stated" dudes I found something". "It was stuck in the cement" of the freshly destroyed building. "Guys I couldn't pry it out of its encasement and I need help to get it out".

The group trotted over to the spot where Jamal said the discovery was found. Once there a unbelieving Joe said" ok boss where's this big treasure". Before the last words came out of his mouth Jose said " here it is." The guys scurried over and realized there was a metal box stuck in the fallen masonry amongst the pile of bricks and dust.

At that moment the three of them attacked this box like a hungry dog attacking a food dish. It proved to be fruitless as this newly found "treasure" was in too deep to remove it from its cement prison.

They needed tools Jamal said "we don't have any left as my dad took them to his business(defunct landscaping job) and never brought them back home". Jose and Joe looked at each other both shrugging their shoulders meaning they would be no help either getting the needed equipment. Joe said " I have an idea, why don't we "borrow" some from Red's Hardware over on Island St a few blocks away." Good idea screamed the other two.

Upon arriving at Red's they were in luck there was a barrel of tools (most that could be used to break concrete) out front with nobody around. Jose said " I am the fastest so I'll run buy grab some and meet you guys back at the site"

"On your marks, get set, go' yelled Jamal and Jose took off like a flash as the other to guys ran back to their future excavation site. In about 15 minutes Jose came back carrying an ax and sledge hammer. This adrenaline still going through their bodies they began smashing the cement trapping the metal box.

After pounding the cement and parts of brick mixed in they finally freed the mysterious box from its prison. Now the question is what's inside and should we just smash the box to get in or should we take it to the playground and open it there where we can be out of sight and out of the sun. The decision was made, the box would be opened at the playground under that big elm tree.(would provide a twofold situation one for shade and one to stay out of sight).

The work begins as the boys took turns hitting the box with the hammer, first Jamal BAM good dent not opened , Jose whack, a crack and then Joe finished it off as the top flew off exposing a little black book.

The boys were amazed that was only thing in the metal box that they tried so hard to open. "Well only one thing to do lets see what's inside the book" stated Jose. Once inside the book held many maps of the neighbor with an "X" marking locations that the guys knew well from their summer travels .

On the book were the initials A.G.C. an intriguing prospect of the past owner. So after a restless night of sleep of all the friends started the journey of visiting the 5 locations marked with the "X".

The first 3 stops didn't provide much as most of the locations were not there any longer as Urban Renewal has struck the area cleaning up much of the rubble of downed buildings. Stop number four was intriguing , however as it gave a more detailed map leading to the fifth location and supplied many more hints. The guys were onto something now as they only had to go quarter a mile away from their present location.

Their hearts were pounding hard as they thought they chests could no longer contain this powerful organ. Take ten steps inside the door "ok " Jamal speaking softly. Jose read the next direction," 5 steps to the left "of the foyer that came from the first direction. Finally Joe had the honor of reading the last of the directions. "we need to sidestep eight medium length steps and start to dig one foot down". Jamal swung the ax opening up a decent size hole the others dug with their hands and almost passed out with what they saw.

It was stacks of money of all various denominations wrapped in a letter addressed to Alphonse G. Capone.(he was from that neighborhood so many years prior). The boys were over-come and didn't know weather to cry or laugh or a combination of both. Once gaining composure the stacks were counted totaling $250,000. The three looked at each other speechless, dreaming how to spend their new found wealth.

It was decided to be divided three ways spending the loot anyway they wished. Jamal stated he would help his parents with living expenses and buying special gifts for himself and his 3 sisters. Joe was a few years away from driving so he decided to buy a car for the family with the stipulation that it would become his once he turned 16 and of legal age to drive. Finally Joes said" guys I feel a bit guilty borrowing the tools so I will pay for them at Red's, put much of it away for college, and using some to assist his family to move to another nicer neighborhood .