“An old sofa? That’s your big inheritance?” My cousins couldn’t stop laughing when Grandma’s will was read. They got the valuable assets while I received her worn-out living room furniture.
But I remembered how that sofa had been Grandma’s throne – where she held me as a child, where we shared secrets as I grew older. So I loaded it into a truck and took it to an upholsterer, determined to preserve this piece of our history.
The craftsman shook his head. “This is the worst condition I’ve ever seen,” he admitted. “The restoration cost will be outrageous.” Still, I couldn’t let it go.
Imagine my shock when he called me back to show what he’d found during the repairs. Instead of foam and batting, the sofa contained neatly wrapped bundles of cash and small velvet bags of gold coins. The total came to over $340,000!
Grandma had taught me an important lesson about true value. While others received obvious treasures, she left me something far more precious – both financially and emotionally. Now I can finally open the bookstore we always dreamed about together.
