Penny for Your Thoughts

Have you ever seen a penny glued to the floor and wondered why or how it got there? These days no one really gives much thought to a lonely penny lying on the ground so pranks like that usually go by unnoticed. Someone passing would likely bend down to pick up a quarter or even a dime, but never a filthy measly penny. Young Johnny wouldn't even have spotted the copper coin sitting in the corner of his bedroom if it weren't for the fact that it was so shiny, nor would he have bothered wasting so much time with it if it weren't for the fact that it seemed glued to the floor. No matter what tool he used, he was never able to pry the penny off the wooden floor- causing much damage to his room but never the mysterious coin. Every day since he'd noticed the stupid thing he'd relentlessly tried to remove it but with no success until one day he swiped some industrial glue remover from his father's garage. Once the penny was finally free he rinsed it off and held it to the light to admire it.

"This is underwhelming." Johnny frowned as he realized he no longer had something to look forward to when he got home. Just then he could hear the garage door start to open. Freaking out, he scrambled to hide the remover he had stolen from his dad in the closet still clutching his treasure.

"Hey, have you been in the garage today?" he met his dad in the kitchen as he walked in, "It's a mess in there!"

Johnny scrambled to think of an answer before blurting out the first he could think of.

"You left the garage open when you left for work this morning and raccoons got in." he lied so rapidly he didn't realize what he was saying until it was out of his mouth, "I closed the garage for you though."

Then something odd happened, it was as if his father began to speak without opening his mouth.

"I could have sworn I closed the garage this morning as I left," came the words with no lip movement. Johnny blinked in disbelief wondering if he'd inhaled too many glue remover fumes. Was he hearing his dad's thoughts or was he hallucinating?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" his dad had actually said out loud, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Like why you couldn't be bothered to clean the garage for me after I've worked so hard at work today?" came his voice after his mouth had stopped moving, "I don't know what I expected from him. All he does is mess around with that stupid coin all day."

"Um, no Dad." he still didn't understand what was happening. Was he hearing his dad's thoughts? His father let out a sigh and shrugged, heading back to the garage.

"Wait!" Johnny was suddenly flushed with guilt, he'd been so focussed on the penny he hadn't bothered to think about the mess he made looking for the solvent, "I'll clean the garage for you. You've been working all day."

With a grateful smile, his father laid down on the couch to nap and began to snore noisily. Stepping into the garage he wondered what had just happened. Could he hear other people's thoughts now? How did that happen? He opened the palm of his hand, drenched in sweat, and still holding the gleaming penny. Was it the coin that was giving him this ability? He always wondered why the coin never dulled no matter what happened to it and after so much time had passed. Could it be magic?

"What are you staring at, Sweetie?" the sound of his mother's voice startled him. She was carrying grocery bags in her arms and he could see more in her car behind her. He held his hand out to show her.

"I finally got the penny free!" Johnny told her excitedly. Surely she'd be just as delighted about it as he was, she always supported him in his endeavors.

"Oh, yay!" She replied with a smile on her face, "I'm so happy for you."

As she moved past him into the house it happened once more. He began to hear his mother's voice as clear as day even though she was already in the kitchen.

"Maybe now he'll finally do something useful, like helping with the groceries." the voice sounded annoyed and tired a bit like his father's had and guilt panged him again as he thought about all the times he'd ignored his mother's pleas for help with groceries or chores because he had been trying to chisel the coin free and making a bigger mess. Grabbing the rest of the bags and putting the coin away, he brought them in and set them on the kitchen counter. As his mother turned suddenly, she was surprised to find him there. She saw the remaining grocery bags sitting neatly on her kitchen counter and beamed.

"Oh thank you, Honey!" she said, planting a kiss on his cheek, "You're so sweet."

"Now if only he was like this more often." came her second thought. Watching her humming happily as she started to make dinner, he wondered how often he was selfish even if he didn't intend to be.

"Can I help you with dinner, Mom?" he asked her.

"Really?" she asked smiling even wider.

"It's just like when he was younger and I'd let him help me wash the vegetables."

As he set the table in the living room he could see his dad still sleeping in the living room, but something told him he wasn't actually napping anymore. He took the penny out of his pocket and tested his theory.

"Thank goodness." came his dad's voice as his eyes remained closed, "Now I don't have to help her."

Heading back into the kitchen, Johnny looked at the shiny penny in his hand for the last time before putting it back in his pocket. As he washed his hands he thought to himself how he never realized how selfish he could be at times and strived to never be as thoughtless again.