THE SMALL WOODEN BOX

It was a good day for Grace Templeton.

It was a bad day for Jonas Bard.

Jonas managed to reach the bank just a few minutes before it

closed.

The teller frowned as she looked at the withdrawal amount. The

other tellers were starting to close their cash drawers, while she

was trying to garner up the large amount that was being

withdrawn.

Jonas had carried a small wooden box with him to the bank. The

teller put the stack of bills in two envelopes. She gave the two

envelopes to Jonas. He placed them into his box and placed the

little lock on the box. No one would ever suspect that the little

locked box contained a large sum of money.

Jonas had saved up a part of each paycheck until he reached his

goal of $28,000. It had taken quite some time. He relished the

feeling of triumph as he started his walk to the train station.

Jonas looked at his watch. Time would be tight, but he would stop

at the street vendor to eat a hot dog. The train that would take him

to the car dealership ran every hour.

His pace quickened as he chomped on his hot dog. The imminent

train was the last train that would get him to the car dealership

before it closed.

As he approached the station, he could see the train as it entered

the station from the west.

Jonas broke into a run.

As he set foot on the platform, the doors of the train were still

open!

Jonas smiled to himself.

As he ran toward the closest door, it started to close. He reached

with the box in his hand and pushed his arm into the train to try to

stop the door from closing completely. This should cause the door

to reopen.

But it didn’t!!

Grace, along with her mother, sat in a seat nearest to the train

door.

“Mom, I think that man is trying to give me that box,” Grace said

curiously.

Her mother continued to doze.

The train began to move.

Instant panic set in.

It was time for a quick, decisive decision. He had to try to pull his

arm back out through the door. His arm slid out easily enough, but

the box would not come through the door. He had no choice. He

dropped the box inside the train as he was running toward the end

of the platform.

Grace reached down and snatched up the small little box.

“Mom,” Grace said as she pointed to her box.

Mom was dozing during this short episode of the afternoon.

“Mom,” Grace pleaded in a louder voice. “Look at what a man just

gave me.”

Mom opened her eyes to see Grace holding the box.

“Where did that box come from?” Mom inquired.

“A man outside the train reached inside the door to give it to me,”

Grace explained.

“Let me see it,” Mom requested with an extended hand.

It was a nice wooden box. It was actually quite handsome. But,

why a lock on it? She shook it and could feel contents rubbing

against the walls of the box. But, why a lock?

“I’m going to hold it for you,” Mom recommended. “We will be

getting off the train soon.”

Mom wondered about the story that she had heard.

Who was this man?

Why did he choose Grace to receive his box?

What might be in the box? Why is it locked?

Could it be drugs? Or something stolen?

When they arrived home, Mom put the box high up in a closet,

way at the back. Maybe one day . . .

Jonas sat on the platform bench, despondent. He would wait for

the next train. He had saved so hard to build up enough to buy his

first brand new car.

Easy come, easy go?

No!

As the train approached the station, Jonas stood on the platform

to greet it.

Actually, he welcomed its arrival.

His jump onto the tracks shocked the few train riders preparing

to board. Three pulled out cell phones to call for help.

The train proceeded to leave the station. If there was any life in

Jonas, the train departure would finish the job.

The job had been finished as the train arrived.

Mom was busy getting Gracie ready for the Girl Scout meeting.

“Have you got your Girl Scout uniform on?” Mom begged.

“Gracie, we have got to leave now, or we will be late! It’s Girl Scout

cookie night once again. You’ll get your order forms, and you can

start selling cookies. I’m sure Grandma will buy at least two boxes!

She did last year.”

Gracie hemmed and hawed but did make an appearance within

five minutes.

“Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?” Gracie would

say to many a person as time marched on.

Mom would help to pick up the cookies and deliver them.

Delivery was the hard part. The process was a long-term life

learning experience.

The leaves already had fallen from the trees. They blew over the

gravestones at the Mount Sinai Cemetery. They fell each year over

the grave site of Jonas for five years.

After six years of selling Girl Scout cookies, Gracie was hit by a

car as she was crossing a street on her way to school. She died

instantly.

Utter tragedy had struck!

It was devastating!

If Jonas could welcome Gracie, he would.

He might get that chance!

Tangerine was now alone. Her husband left after two years of

marriage and now Gracie had left her! Her mother had passed away

just seven months earlier.

Alone!

Tangerine decided to move and downsize. Too many memories

surrounded her and she was confident in making a move. As she

packed up things in the bedroom, she came across the long-

forgotten box.

“Joey, would you come over and help me open this old box,”

Tangerine asked? It needs the lock pried off. My daughter told me a

strange story about a man giving it to her on the train when she

was about eleven years old. It was when she was selling Girl scout

cookies.”

“Sure will. I’ll come over tomorrow evening if that’s alright,” Joey

replied. He was a high school sweetheart. Over all these years, they

had been close friends.

Now they were both alone.

Joey pried the box open carefully in an effort to preserve it.

What Mom saw made her jaw drop. There was $28,000 on top.

Below the cash was an additional amount of $12,000 that was rolled

up in a wad.

What was this man thinking?

Joey was excited and so was Tangerine!

Tangerine and Joey went on a cruise together and fully enjoyed

each other’s company.

They remained best friends until the end.

The time will come when each person arrives in the hereafter.

Tangerine had no living family relatives. She had named Joey the

sole recipient of her estate, which included the box and its

contents.

“Welcome,” Jonas said.

“Hi Mom,” Gracie screamed.

Tangerine was taken aback. Stunned.

“Welcome,” Jonas said again in a soft voice. “We have been

waiting for you.”

“Dad, Mom is finally here with us!” Gracie exclaimed.

“How could something like this happen?” Tangerine asked. “We

were only together for just a few months. So, you really are Gracie’s

father? I have always wondered.”

“Yes, I am,” Jonas smiled. “Let’s move forward.”

“Mom, you’re finally here!” Grace shrieked with a great big hug.

“Better late than never, honey,” Tangerine said as she smiled

intensely

at Jonas.

Their lives had not been perfect.

But together they now moved forward.