It never occurred to me that my neighbor’s yard would hold a long-lost secret, but life is full of surprises. It was going to be my chance to find the secret prize that the enigmatic next-door neighbor, Mrs. Harper, had been holding for years.
Observing her stealthily enter my yard with a shovel intrigued and alarmed me at the same time. What was it she was looking for? Why did she act in secret?
I felt bad for her since I could see fear in her eyes when we were close. I noticed a little, raggedy bag and couldn’t help but wonder what was inside.
She told me a story of fear, desire, and ultimately, liberation. The fact that her spouse had discovered the reward several years prior was what ultimately took him down.
With every statement, I became more and more aware that the prize represented Mrs. Harper’s tremendous burden, which she had been bearing for a very long time, in addition to a collection of priceless items.
We all decided to try to solve the mystery of the award by taking it to a museum. However, we discovered something unexpected: the reward was phony and had no real value.
That was when something changed. Stress, worry, and concealment had all vanished. Rather, there was a sense of liberation and joy.
As we left the museum, Mrs. Harper gave me a tearful look and said, “Thank you, April, for everything.”
The anxieties and lies that had been preventing us from moving on for so long had been dispelled, as far as I was concerned. As we parted ways, I realized that our lives would never be the same.
