The old coffee can treasure

Benet studies the old can. He still feels stunned. The contents lay on the kitchen table. He arranged them as though they were on display. Connections are forming in his mind. And he stares at the items on the table. They were undoubtedly his Granpa’s. In fact, some of the pictures look very old. And then there is the stack of letters. Plus the money. However the thing that fascinates him the most, at the moment, is the medallion.

He found the old coffee can buried in the garden. In fact, it would still be there if not for the Rose bush. Benet liked the Rose bush. It was one of five in the little garden behind the house. However, this particular Rose bush was not growing like the others. Therefore he was moving it to the other side of the flower bed. More sunshine might be the solution to the ailing bush’s survival.

He began digging around, and then under, the well established plant. Then Benet encountered something unyielding and solid in the soil. At first he thought it was a rock. However, it soon became apparent it was more than a rock. For starters, it was an ancient, faded blue color. When Benet saw this, he began digging by hand. Removing the dirt from around the old container. A few minutes later he was pulling the old coffee can out of the ground and into the daylight.

The Old Coffee Can

He stares at the medallion. It appears to be extremely old. Furthermore it is unlike anything he has ever seen. The strange piece has intricate carvings and symbols . Similarly it appears to be gold. There are traces of silver in the symbols but it is difficult to tell where one metal ends and the other begins. It is so finely crafted and pristine, that Benet can scarcely believe he found it in the ground.

With this in mind, he thinks back to the last time he saw his Grandpa. It was well over a year ago. It was the last time they ever talked. Back then, Benet was unable to make sense of some parts of their conversation. His Grandpa was very old at the time. After his wife (Benet’s Grandmother) passed, he continued to live in the old house. This was not unusual. In fact, the only part that was unusual, was Benet’s grandpa.

Most everyone thought of Benet’s grandpa as eccentric. He kept to himself for the most part. Then when Benet would visit him, they would have long conversations about the past. Sometimes the stories were slightly bizarre. Other times Benet would find himself fascinated by the stories his grandpa shared with him.

The Treasure

Now, after all this time, his thoughts fixate on their last conversation. On the table in front of him is everything that was in the old coffee can. Including the medallion. The stack of letters are yellowed with age and appear to be parchment. The money is also aged and of a strange, and unknown, origin. But it’s the medallion that Benet can’t stop thinking about. He feels certain this is what his grandpa was talking about in their last conversation.

The words still echo in his mind as he turns the medallion this way and that. The details of the engraving are stunning. But it’s his grandpa’s parting words that fill his mind.

“It is more than magic, young Benet. It is also on the outside of time.”

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