“We’ll manage somehow,” he said gently. “Just buy each grandchild a good chocolate bar. And get one for our daughter too—she loves chocolate.”
Maria shook her head.
“Even good chocolate is expensive these days.”
She stood up and glanced at the small cross hanging on the wall.
“Lord, please help us through these difficult days,” she whispered.
Life had indeed been hard lately.
Their daughter had four children, and even though she and her husband worked long hours, money was always tight. Maria and Tom helped by taking care of the kids whenever they could.
After breakfast, Tom went to lie down for a while because of his aching back. Maria took another trash bag outside.
Snowflakes drifted slowly through the air.
As she reached the dumpsters again, another van pulled up.
Two men stepped out and unloaded several things—a metal bed frame, a bag of old clothes, and another antique armchair. They placed everything near the bins and left just as quickly as the first pair had.
Maria looked closely at the second chair.
“It’s actually very solid,” she thought. “The fabric is dirty, but that’s easy to replace.”
She touched the wide armrests.
“Tom would love sitting in this.”
After struggling again to carry it upstairs, she pushed open the apartment door.
Tom looked surprised.
“Another treasure from the trash?”
“Look how sturdy it is,” Maria said proudly. “Once we fix it up, it’ll be perfect for your back.”
“Where did you find it?”
“By the dumpsters. Some men dropped it off and drove away.”
Tom shrugged.
“Well, let’s see what we can do with it.”
He carried the chair to the living room and started removing the old upholstery.
“It’s built strangely,” he muttered. “Strong frame… but the construction is unusual.”
He removed the fabric from the backrest and then began working on the seat.
Suddenly he stopped again.
“Maria! Come here right now!”
She hurried over.
Inside the seat was something unexpected.
Hidden beneath the padding was a small wooden panel that didn’t belong there.
Tom carefully lifted it using a screwdriver.
Inside was a plastic-wrapped package secured with tape.
They stared at each other.
With shaky hands, Tom opened it.
Inside were stacks of cash.
Maria’s knees weakened and she slowly sat down.
Tom began counting the bills. The more he counted, the quieter he became.
“There’s thousands here,” he finally whispered.
But the biggest surprise wasn’t the money.