The Treasure

Treasure

1918, New York, America

“Evelyn, stop fidgeting. Stand still for one moment, it won’t kill you.” My mother impatiently demanded. I myself couldn’t understand why she wasn’t fidgeting. We were standing on a train platform along with many other women and children, waiting. My fingers twitched and I reached to grab a hold of my lucky charm. The necklace with the silver coin on the end.

“Look, Evie, there’s something shining in the dirt,” Will said as he started pawing at the earth to free the shining object.

“Gosh, when is this train arriving!?” My foot started tapping on the dirt smeared platform.

“It’s a coin,” I explained, thinking out loud.

“I know Evie,” Will said with an annoyed tone. “I have my own set of eyes.”

“Can I keep it?” I asked hopefully.

“I found it, I should keep it!” Will said exasperated. “I should keep it.”

“But Will,” I whined. He gave me a look that said no argument but I didn’t listen. I snatched it up in my hands and ran away.

The train tracks started to vibrate and everyone looked expectantly down the track for any sight of the train. Time wouldn’t go fast enough. The train slowly appeared, it seemed, but it roared as it pulled into the station. The doors opened and men in uniform poured into the crowd. I searched frantically, looking for any sight of him.

“Evelyn, come back!” Will shouted.

I was hiding up in the cubby house where he couldn’t go because he was afraid of heights.

“If I come down, you’ll take the coin and probably hurt me for taking it though.” Even though I was up in the tree, I was still scared that he would come up and take the coin.

“Evie,” Will said, his voice taking a calmer, softer note. “You can have the coin. I just don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

Could I trust him? I thought to myself. “Promise?” I asked. I wouldn’t come down unless I believed he wouldn’t take it.

“Promise.” He returned. I believed him.

“Evie,” a familiar voice said, I swung around and saw my older brother smiling down at me.

“Will!” My voice came out as a squeak.

“Will? Where… WILL!” My mother screamed with excitement. She went in for a life threatening hug and pulled me in too. After a moment she pulled away and dusted her dress and looked around, making sure nobody saw her little outburst. That kind of thing wasn’t lady like, right?

We took Will home in our Ford, asking him questions about the war and how it ended and all the little facts that the newspapers didn’t say. He answered vaguely but explained that he had a good time in his five month departure.

As soon as we got to our snazzy city apartment, the driver parking our car nearby, a group of girls ran to Will and formed a circle around him.

“Oh Will, was it horrible?” One girl asked.

“Did you kill anyone,” asked another.

“Are you hurt?”

“Did you miss me?”

“Were you brave?”

I tried to push my way into the group but failed as they were so tightly circled around Will who adored the attention.