Curiosity got the better of me. After they vanished around the corner, I grabbed my gardening gloves and went outside. Bending down, I uncovered a small pile of coins—quarters, dimes, and even a few pennies. Puzzled, I searched under more bushes, finding even more coins hidden around the street.
Why were they hiding money instead of cleaning up trash?
That afternoon, I saw Grace unloading groceries and decided to get to the bottom of it. I marched across the street, the coins jingling in my pocket. “Grace!” I called, trying to sound casual. “I wanted to mention again how thoughtful your kids are, cleaning up every week.”
Grace looked confused. “Cleaning up? What do you mean?”
“You know, they’re out here every Sunday, picking up trash and sweeping.”
She burst into laughter, clutching her sides. “Oh no, they’re not cleaning! They’re on a treasure hunt! Their grandpa hides coins around the neighborhood for them to find every Sunday. It’s a game they’ve been playing for years.”
I was stunned. For months, I thought these kids were model citizens, but all along, they were hunting for hidden coins!
Grace, still chuckling, explained that their grandpa started this game to keep them entertained. As the realization sank in, I couldn’t help but laugh too. “I thought I was watching future city council members at work, and here they were, playing pirates!”
We shared a laugh, and I showed her the handful of coins I had found. Grace grinned. “Oh no, you found their stash! They’ll think that’s hilarious.”
As we parted ways, I couldn’t stop smiling. All this time, I believed they were cleaning the neighborhood, but they were just on a treasure hunt. Still, maybe Grace was right—whether for a few coins or something bigger, they might just be learning responsibility after all.
Next Sunday, I’ll sit back and enjoy the show… treasure hunt and all.