She remembered how her husband struggled to sit comfortably for long periods because his back hurt constantly.
“This chair could help him rest properly,” she said quietly.
With great effort she dragged the heavy armchair back to the apartment building. When she opened the door Russell looked at her in disbelief.
“You brought another one from the trash,” he asked with surprise.
“Look how strong it is,” Diana replied proudly. “After we repair it your back will finally have a comfortable place to rest.”
Russell scratched his head thoughtfully.
“Where did you find this one,” he asked.
“Near the containers again,” she answered. “Some men arrived in a van, dropped it off, and drove away.”
Russell nodded slowly.
“That is strange,” he said quietly.
“Stop thinking so much and help me instead,” Diana replied with a small laugh. “Start removing the upholstery.”
Russell carried the chair into the living room and began carefully cutting the old fabric. Diana prepared the sewing machine and gathered new material she had stored in a box for many years.
“This chair is built in a strange way,” Russell muttered while examining the frame. “It is strong but the construction looks careless.”
He removed the cloth from the backrest and continued working toward the seat cushion. Suddenly his hands stopped moving.
“Diana come here right now,” he shouted.
She hurried toward him and leaned over the chair. Both of them stared at the interior of the seat with disbelief.
Hidden beneath the foam and wooden panels was a small compartment carefully built into the structure.
“Russell there is something inside,” Diana whispered while her heart raced.
Russell grabbed a screwdriver and lifted the narrow wooden board covering the space. From inside he pulled out a package wrapped tightly in plastic and adhesive tape.
They looked at each other without speaking for several seconds. Russell slowly opened the package with trembling fingers.
Inside were bundles of cash stacked neatly together.
“This cannot be real,” he murmured softly. “There is so much money here.”
Diana felt weak and slowly sat down on the sofa. Russell began counting the bills and his face became paler with every bundle.
“That is thousands of dollars,” she whispered. “This could change everything for our family.”