THE COINS
By Charles Childes

     Many times in my life, I have seen an apparition of my maternal grandfather. This one evening was exceptional. I was probably around 12 years old and had been sitting and practicing the piano for awhile. Suddenly, I felt as if someone was watching me. I did not think anything of it as often my mother would sit in the kitchen chair and listen. She, being a pianist herself, could tell right away if I made a mistake.
     After maybe 20 minutes had passed, I turned and there, in the doorway, was the figure of a man. As solid as you and I. He proceeded to sit in the furthest chair from me. He looked familiar, but I was not sure. When I realized who it was - my mother's father - he disappeared.
     When I went to tell my mother, she confirmed who it was. I, then, went back to the piano and, on my way, I noticed coins on the floor and one coin on the chair my grandfather had sat in. My grandfather died in 1928. The coins I picked up were as follows and notice the dates on the coins. Liberty half dollar 1918, Liberty quarter 1926, Liberty nickel 1912, Liberty quarter 1907, Liberty nickel 1894, Liberty nickel 1899, Liberty nickel 1902, and Wheat Pennies 1917, 1918 and 1910.
     I showed the coins to my mother and her face went blank. She looked at them and asked me where I had gotten them. I told her that when I went back to the piano, they were there where I saw the man. She said it was impossible because the coins we were holding were the coins that were in her father's pocket when he died. She knew because she still had them. She went to her bedroom and brought out the crystal container with a very ornate silver cover. She had always kept them in that container, she said, since his death. When she opened it, the container was empty!
     She put them back into the crystal container and gave it to me. She said that her father must have wanted ME to have them. I have had them since - sitting on my bureau beside his photograph.

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