Mini Short Stories: 2020 Volume 1

Treasure - Story 22

Key was minding his business when he stumbled on a box hidden in a corner of the backyard. He had gone to feed Shadow and nearly fell in the bush next to the kennel under the plum tree. He swore quietly and picked it up to check it out. What he saw shocked him. He sat down in the grass next to the bush uncaring what creatures were nearby. The amount of money in that box was more than he'd ever held in his entire life.

He took it quietly back into his bedroom and counted it. There was USD 10,000 in the box. The box itself looked old and dirty. It must have gotten wet too because it was misshapen. The money wasn't crumpled though because it had been in a plastic bag. He spread it all over his bed and just stared at it all. He didn't know who owned it and it had obviously been there for a long time in the bushes next to the fence. Right now, he was the only owner.

Key hid everything away but decided to be cautious and not touch the money for five months until he'd finished his exams. He'd decided to return it if he heard any report of missing money. Those five months were still full of temptation. He felt betrayed by his computer every time he went on the internet. The ads for vacation getaways and tech toys were the hardest but he withstood it and made a plan to use the money wisely.

He started a delivery business in his village. He'd spent his weekends in the last five months doing weekend deliveries on foot but most importantly he'd been building up a list of potential clientele who were interested in outsourcing deliveries for their small businesses. When Key officially began in July he had finally used some of the money to purchase two bicycles and two cell phones for him and the other employee. There were challenges but at the end of the first month Key had earned a modest profit of TTD5000.

Key continued to work and develop his business but he rarely ever tapped into the treasure he found. It was an ultra secret emergency account that no one ever found out about until his death decades later. He'd built up an impressive regional logistics empire which was now run by his family. He had never found out where the money came from yet he had never stopped feeling grateful for that moment when he'd stumbled and fell on a box in the dark