Chapter 5 - Half-Dollar Lost

When my family and I lived on Earl Wallace's place in Pendleton County, Kentucky, I was seven years old. One day I had a half dollar and was playing with it on the floor. In the floor was a small knothole, and I was trying to see which was larger, the half dollar or the hole. All at a sudden I found that the hole was just a little larger than the half dollar, and I dropped the half dollar in the hole. After my initial fear subsided, I just placed the event of the lost half dollar in the back of my mind and accepted the fact that I would never see it again.

My brother, Vernon, called me from Florida the other day and reminded me of that lost half dollar; but don't think it took him to remind me, because I have had this lost coin in the back of my mind ever since I lost it in 1951. Part of the old house is still standing, and I have often thought that I would like to go back and see if I could find that half dollar. You would think I would forget about this sometime, but I cannot forget that lonely half dollar lying there all these years waiting for me to find it. I am now 64 years old, and that little thing is still there as far as I know.

Now, what if I go there to find the coin and find that someone has got there sooner and has stolen my coin? Well, I suppose that then I would need to investigate the crime and see if I can find out who stole my coin. Then I could take them to the law and have them to pay back my half dollar. But then it would not be the same half dollar, I suppose.

You may think I am making too much of this little thing, but remember that one half dollar can purchase a stick or two of gum, or if I invest it, it may bring another half dollar in about 10 to 20 years. If I do not find this half dollar, just realize how much I have lost. If I could invest it for 20 years and realize another 50 cents, I would be 84 years old. Maybe by then I will be able to put it with another $99.00 and purchase a sweater for my thin blood. Won't that be nice!