My grandfather, a man with whom I shared a special bond, left my siblings and me a choice in his will: $10,000 in cash or a photo album. My siblings, Mina and Lucien, quickly chose the cash, but I chose the album because it felt like a part of him. As I was going through it, I discovered a hidden, handwritten letter from my grandfather with a cryptic riddle.
The letter explained that he had hidden his savings in a place “where no banker, burglar, or greedy hand could reach.” He wrote that he knew I was the only one who would choose him over money, so I was the only one who deserved what he left behind. The letter ended with a riddle that would lead me to his hidden savings.
I went back to his house, and as I walked around his old garden, I suddenly understood the riddle. The garden used to be full of trees, but a burst pipe had destroyed most of it. There was one spot that my grandfather had called his “thinking spot” with a stone slab that had no name. I began to dig, and a foot down, I hit something solid: a lockbox. Inside, I found stacks of hundred-dollar bills and another note from my grandfather, telling me I had found his life savings of $112,000.
I didn’t tell my siblings right away, but the secret weighed on me. When Mina and Lucien started making fun of me for choosing the photo album over the cash, I blurted out the truth. They were stunned and accused me of being “shady” and of receiving a payout that wasn’t “fair.” But I explained that we had all had a choice and that I had simply looked deeper. Lucien admitted I was right, but Mina still felt it was unfair.
I decided to use a portion of the money to do something good, as my grandfather had instructed in his note. I used about $40,000 to open a community repair shop called “Second Hands” in his honor. To my surprise, Lucien and Mina both wanted to help, with Lucien helping with the finances and Mina helping with her photography. My grandfather’s gift was more than just money; it was a way to bring our family back together. I had received a purpose and a real connection with my siblings that was worth more than any amount of money.