The Wallet

Twenty-six years ago today my dad's heart stopped for the second time in a year.  The best efforts of then-modern-medicine could not repair and restart his damaged heart.  Someone likely handed my mother the contents of his pockets.  The wallet, his watch, his coins, his nitro-disguised-as-Excedrin went into the zip-lock bag and then into the cedar chest for safe-keeping.  A few weeks ago, Charles D. Offenbacher, the grandson and namesake he never got to meet, graduated from Olin College of Engineering.  In the cedar chest was also a cross pen engraved "Charlie O." that would go to young Charlie to sign important papers.  And that is how I found the wallet.

A folded $50 peaked out from between family pictures.  "Oh, did you find the fifty?" says Mom.  Yes, there was the $50 and three $100, another $50, and a $20.  "Where did he get that?"  And what was he going to buy?  I could smile, thinking of him laughing at our discovery.  I think he carried it because he could and because he might see a good deal.  Known to like car shopping and tools, he might see something he wanted like a lawnmower.  He was also generous and soft-hearted and might want to help someone out.  He loved to go to Reno and played poker with some success.  Maybe it was winnings?  Or getaway money.

So what to do?  I could hear him saying "take it to Reno and blow it!"  Carefully divided, the long-cold cash was given to the grandchildren.  Using the prices at The Jacksonville Inn, where chicken livers have increased in price on the Bistro Menu, the $210 would be worth about $630 today.  If it hadn't stayed in the wallet.  There is a lesson in how stashing your money is foolish.  On the other hand....

I don't know what Charlie will do with his lucky money, but Claire just looked stunned when she opened the note.  She tells us that she had been contemplating her summer trip to Las Vegas with girlfriends on her drive to Charlie's graduation party, lamenting that one friend was indecisive as the date drew near.  Claire was thinking about the $210 price of the airline ticket.  Could she swing it for a present for her friend?  Done.  Exactly airfare.  Grandpa Charlie would be hooting with joy that his cash goes to Las Vegas!

So here's to my dad and friendship and generosity and good fortune and a happy birthday in Las Vegas!