Paying it Forward

“Kieran, STOP!”

“Why?! What’s wrong?!” Kieran yelled as he slammed on the brakes. The old pickup truck rattled as it came to a sudden stop.

“There,” I said and pointed at the bright yellow couch sitting on the side of the road. The word “FREE” was written on a cardboard sign placed strategically in the center of the couch. I could tell even from this distance that it had seen better days. Nonetheless, it was perfect.

My mother always said I was so hyper that I couldn’t sit still for very long, much less finish a project. She said I didn’t have any ‘stick-to-it-iveness.’ This time, I was going to prove her wrong. Hell, I was going to prove everyone who doubted me wrong. And this couch was just what I needed. You see, my latest interest was refinishing furniture. I hadn’t actually refinished anything yet, but that was only because I hadn’t found the right project. But I’d watched dozens of YouTube videos to learn how to stuff a sofa cushion, replace the upholstery and stain and varnish wood, as well as basic general repairs (like how you could put a piece of sturdy wood under the seats if they are sagging). But this old, forgotten yellow couch was just what I needed. The upholstery was well-worn and ripped in a few spots. It had lost quite a bit of its stuffing. However, the wood accents looked like solid walnut and the couch appeared to be sturdy and well-built. It looked like it had a history and I planned to bring it back to its former glory. With a little tender, loving care, this couch was going to be my greatest project ever!

Kieran leered at me as I gazed at the couch, taking in all its flaws and beauty. “Really, Jenna? You scared me half to death! I thought I was about to hit an animal, or worse, a person! Do you always have to be so over the top?”

“Oh, get over it, Kieran! I need this couch for my refinishing project. Help me get it in the truck. Please?” I stepped out of the truck and Kieran followed my lead. He could never resist me when I said ‘please’ and looked at him with my puppy dog eyes. The couch was a bit heavier than I expected, but Kieran and I still made quick work of loading it into the truck bed then headed home.

Kieran and I met in college. We both went to University of Houston where Kieran was an accounting major, and I did general studies. OK, I know that plays well into my mother’s ‘stick-to-it-iveness’ theory that I never picked a major, but I just wanted to learn about everything. I didn’t want to limit my learning to a single topic or set myself up for a career that I would grow to loathe. By “sticking to” general studies, I believed I was keeping my options open. Who knows what the future holds, right? Lucky for me, Kieran loved me just the way I am. After graduation, Kieran joined a Big 4 accounting firm and soon after, we married. Since then, I’d done a few temporary jobs, but nothing that I felt I could turn into a solid career.

After two years at his firm, Kieran transferred from Houston to Denver, where we had been living for the past two years. Kieran’s salary was good, but with the high cost of living in Denver, we had to cut back on some things like eating out and entertainment. Also, we wanted to start a family, but I was worried about how much it would cost. I’d heard from my friends with children how expensive it is to buy formula, diapers, and clothing. Since the move, I felt like I should just find something more permanent. Kieran would never put pressure on me like that, but I felt like I wasn’t carrying my own weight in our little family.

After unloading the couch, I was eager to start my refinishing project. After all, the sooner I got started, the sooner I’d finish and be able to show off my awesome work! And you never know...maybe I could turn a hobby into a career. It was 10 am on Saturday, so I reasoned that I could make a lot of progress over the weekend stripping the couch and prepping for the refinishing work to come. I immediately pulled off the sofa cushions and set them aside. Then I walked around the couch trying to decide where to start. Finally, I decided to strip off the upholstery to assess any hidden damage underneath. There was a small tear on the right side of the back of the sofa, so I started there.

As I ripped away the fabric, I noticed a small, thin wooden box attached to the interior of the back of the sofa. I hadn’t seen anything like this in any of the videos I’d watched. I wondered if it might have been added at some time in the couch’s history to make it sturdier. The more fabric I tore away, the more curious I became. The box didn’t appear to have an opening, at least not on the side facing me, but its placement there just seemed odd. The box wasn’t really large enough to add much to the strength of the back of the couch, so I ditched my earlier theory.

“Kieran, would you come look at this?” I called into the house. Kieran stepped into the garage, holding a half-eaten sandwich that looked like a creation made by Shaggy or Scooby Doo. “Wow!” I said, then jokingly added, “I guess you’re not worried about losing your youthful figure.”

“Funny…very funny. Don’t think I won’t remember this the next time you’re gobbling down those chocolate-covered caramels you love so much!”

“All right, all right, I give! But, seriously, what do you think about this box in the back of the couch? I’ve never seen anything like it in any of the refinishing videos I’ve watched.”

“Hmmm…I don’t see an opening. Could it just be…no, it’s much too small for that. Maybe we should just open it up to see if there’s a secret treasure trove inside?”

“Ha ha! What are the chances of that? Slim to none, I’d say.” Still, the curiosity was killing me, so I went hunting for a crowbar to open up the box. Crowbar in hand, I returned to find Kieran on his back trying to reach up underneath the box. “What are you doing?” I asked him.

“What? Oh, I just thought…wait!” Then I heard a small click and Kieran lifted the box free of the couch. “There was a small button on the inside of the couch. Apparently, there’s some kind of mechanism that was holding the box in place. Pressing the button activated the mechanism and released the box.” Kieran explained.

“That’s crazy!” I replied. “Maybe the joke’s on me and it really is hidden treasure. Here’s the crowbar. Let’s get this box open and discover its secrets!”

Kieran pried open one corner of the box, then moved on to pry open the remaining three corners. Once the lid was removed, we looked inside. There was a little black notebook sitting on top of a burlap sack. “OMG!” I exclaimed, “This is really a little bit of history! This is so exciting!” I picked up the little black book and examined the cover. In the lower left-corner, the initials “RMG” were engraved in gold lettering. I wondered aloud who RMG could be.

“What?” Kieran asked.

“Oh, I was just wondering about the owner of the notebook. The initials ‘RMG’ are engraved on the front.”

“Well, open it up and see if there’s anything inside that will tell you who it belonged to.” Kieran suggested.

The story inside was compelling. A story of hardship and hunger during the Great Depression, and the success and fortune gained later in life when the writer invested what little money he earned in a small start-up company that paid off with big returns. He never named the company, but it sure sounded like Microsoft based on the timing and description. I couldn’t put the book down until I reached the last page. The story touched my heart in unexpected ways. When I’d read the last page, I noticed a note on the inside back cover.

“To whoever finds this box:

I’ve been so fortunate in my life and I just wanted to give back to someone who might be struggling in his or her life. So, inside the burlap sack is $20,000. It’s a little more than what I invested back in the 70’s to make my fortune, but with inflation, I thought you might need a little more these days. I hid the box inside this old, worn-out couch and left it on the side of the road thinking that only someone really in need would find it and take it home. I don’t know how long it will be before the box is discovered, but I hope that it will help you, the finder, with your life’s struggles. I hope that you will find a little start-up that you can invest this money in and make your fortune.

Sincerely,

R. Gimbal”

“Kieran!” I shouted, “Open the burlap sack! It says there’s $20,000 in there!” Kieran grabbed the sack and quickly opened it. His eyes grew large as he pulled out 10 stacks of $20 bills, each one neatly wrapped with a $2,000 currency strap. “OMG, Jenna! You really did find a treasure trove! What are you going to do with all this cash? After all, you found it, you should decide how you want to spend it.”

“You know what?” I replied, “I think I’m going to follow in R. Gimbal’s footsteps. I’m going to research start-up companies and find just the right one to invest the money in. I’m sure I can turn my good fortune into a great fortune and maybe even a career in investing!”

    

With the $20,000 start-up cash, I became a very successful investor. Kieran and I started a family and we had three children: Daniel, Samantha, and Evan. I loved being an investor because I had so much time to spend with my family and to work on my hobbies. Oh, and I finally finished a project…the couch, I mean. I refinished it in a beautiful soft indigo fabric and stained the wood a deep walnut. And inside the back, I reloaded the box with a burlap sack containing $100,000 in $100 bills. I made 10 times that amount from my first investment, and with inflation, well you know the rest. I wrote my story in a little black notebook and placed it carefully on top of the burlap sack. Yesterday, Kieran and I carried the couch out to the street, well-worn and ripped in a few places, and with a strategically placed sign reading “FREE” on the center sofa cushion.