gold jewelry, gold charms



     The afternoon was filled with sunshine and the sounds of squirrels playing in the trees. I was digging a trench for our new waterline that will feed our garden (small farm), when I hit something that felt like a hollow rock. I began to clean off the top of the object and found that it was a very intricately carved box or small chest of some kind. I started digging feverishly, did I find treasure, or did I find some forgotten time capsule. I finally had cleared all the dirt that was surrounding this mysterious box, and when I freed it from its shallow grave, I was stunned. It was beautiful, and very heavy.


     I stared at the mysterious box, contemplating my next move, when something came over me. I grabbed a hammer and proceeded to beat the top off of the box. The wood gave away easily revealing the contents inside. Gold jewelry, lots of gold jewelry. Gold charms, a gold pendant, some gold bracelet jewelry and a lot of gold ring jewelry. I would say at least 40 pounds. I am rich.


     Turns out I was not rich. The box contained the loot from a house burglary that took place over thirty years ago. The family wanted their heirlooms back, and I was alright with that. But what really got me was when a museum contacted me about the box, they had seen in a photograph in our local paper. Turns out that box is a Civil war artifact, stolen around the same time as the jewelry. When I told them that I had pretty much destroyed the box opening it, they said that they would send me a bill for the damages and hung up. Still waiting for the bill. The story of my life.