Beggar Finds Old Sofa in Dumpster, Turns Cushion over and Sees a Large Zipper — Story of the Day

Alex was a homeless man who was wandering the streets when he found an old couch in a motel's garbage dump. He discovered a bag of diamonds hidden away in the old furniture and fled with it, hoping to finally use the money from its sale to reunite with his estranged family. But soon, Alex learned the owner of the diamonds was trying to hunt him down.

In the dimly lit alley behind the Rosy Grand Inn, Alex's exhausted steps finally came to a halt. A cheap motel on the outskirts of town, the Rosy Grand Inn had been more than a means of survival for Alex over the years.

Every day, he would eagerly visit the dumping grounds behind the small establishment. There, he would find items that the motel staff had discarded—the things visitors didn't need, the objects that no longer added to the charm of the old inn, or the food that was no longer edible enough for the guests.

For Alex, who had been living off the streets for years, another man's trash was definitely treasure. But this time around, it seemed fate had decided to be kinder to him. Alex's gaze was instantly drawn to an old couch dumped right beside the large trash cans…

Usually, Alex had to rummage through the smelly garbage for hours, untying the trash bags to find 'worthy' items—discarded shampoo bottles, expired tins of food, stale bread, and on occasion, old bed sheets or blankets.

But this time, a decent-looking couch sat beside the trash bins right under the flickering street light. He didn't need to go through the dirty trash to grab that!

Alex approached it and ran his fingers over the fabric of the old furniture. While the couch wasn't in the best condition and needed a bit of cleaning, Alex could use it for sleeping. He'd no longer have to shiver on his old mattress on chilly nights.

But as Alex got closer to the discarded piece of furniture, he halted, noticing a prominent crimson stain on one of the seating cushions.

"What is that thing?"

Alex leaned closer to inspect the stain and recoiled in horror. He scrunched his nose in disgust because the stain smelled nasty.

Alex removed the stained cushion, thinking he could still use the couch without it. One cushion less didn't mean he was going to leave the furniture there.

But as he was holding the cushion, he felt there was something underneath it. Alex turned the cushion over and found a large zipper— a hidden inner pocket.

Curiosity got the best of him, and Alex opened it, only for a tiny cloth bag and a wallet to fall out of the secret pocket.

Alex bent down and picked up the wallet. There was $1000 inside, and he stuffed the wallet in his old rucksack. Then he opened the tiny cloth bag, only for his eyes to widen in disbelief.

"This has to be a dream! Is this—Is this…real?" he gasped.

Alex opened the bag wider, leaning under the streetlight, and several glimmery pieces stared back at him.

He had read somewhere long ago that diamonds didn't fog when you breathed on them, and he took out one of the shiny stones and tried the silly trick.

Alex gasped as he realized he had hit the jackpot. The stones were indeed diamonds!

"Good Lord! I'm going home!" was the first thought that crossed his mind as he hurriedly stuffed the bag with the diamonds inside his rucksack.

Exactly four years ago, Alex's wife divorced him because of his gambling addiction. He had blown away all their savings, hoping to make that one big win.

But fate hadn't been on his side all those years ago, and his wife was tired of him and his addiction to gambling, so she thought it was better if Alex wasn't a part of her life anymore.

Alex's life fell apart the day his family kicked him out. He didn't realize when the years went by, and he accepted his fate as a homeless man wandering the streets for a living. Now he lived in a city 120 miles away from his family, and while he wanted to visit them someday, he didn't have the money until…this unexpected find.

"Alex?"

A voice snapped Alex out of his deep thoughts, and he spun around to see his friend, John, at the staff exit of the motel.

A good man who had helped Alex all these years, John often came out for a smoke during this hour. He worked as a cleaner at the Rosy Grand Inn, and a cigarette rested between his lips as he looked at Alex.

"What's wrong, mate? You look like you've seen a ghost!" John chuckled, looking at Alex's nervous expression and taking a puff.

"Uh…Nothin'. Nothin', mate. I was—I was just looking at this couch, you know. I thought maybe I could take it to that old factory where I'm crashing these days. Yeah? The cold has been killing me," Alex said, as he didn't want John to know anything about his find.

"Sure thing, man. The motel staff didn't want to keep it anyway," John replied as he tossed a few trash bags in the dumpster.

"And, uh, sorry, but this all I could get you today," he added as he handed a bag of leftovers to Alex. "I was gonna leave it here, but now that I saw you…Enjoy."

"Appreciate it, mate," Alex shrugged as he took the bag.

"By the way, I saw one of the cushions had a weird stain…Stinks like crap! I'm not complaining, but it won't exactly beautify my den, you know what I mean?" He laughed, pretending to be relaxed.

"Oh, you wouldn't want to know why," John took another puff and leaned against the exit door. "Since you're gonna sleep on that thing, mate, think of it like I'm saving you from the bad stuff, which is why I'm not telling you the story behind it."

Alex's brows furrowed. "Story? Bring it on…I'm listening."

John sighed. "You sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Fine. If you really want to know…" John rubbed his temple, exhaling the cigarette smoke.

"Well, that thing's…blood. We had this guest who had been staying over for the last few weeks. He was, uh…attacked tonight. Brutally. Some whacko practically slashed his throat. And there was blood everywhere."

Alex's eyes widened. "Did he die or somethin'?"

"Nah, mate. But yep, he was left with a deep slit in the throat. Safe to say, though, that the guy who attacked him wanted him dead. And nobody knows who this guy was who almost died…turns out he hadn't submitted his ID and stuff at the reception.

"Paid a hefty tip to one of the motel boys and got away without turning in the identification. The couch was in his room. They dumped it out here after the fight. And soon, the man was gone. Like, vanished into thin air."

"Vanished? But…how? What happened?"

"Don't really know, mate, 'cause I was busy cleaning the lobby, but I heard that a fight ensued between a man and the no-ID guy. Seeing the commotion, somebody called the cops and scared off the attacker, so he fled the scene. Sad thing for our non-identification dude; he passed out, and the motel had to call the paramedics and stuff…Then he just vanished.

"He must have regained consciousness, but nobody saw him leaving. The cops were still in the motel, and he must've got a hint. So he escaped. He was here without a registration, after all. When the staff went into his room to check on him, the window was open, and he was gone…We're guessing he jumped out the window and fled."

"You know what," Alex said after listening to the whole story. "Then I'd be better sleeping on my old mattress. You were right. This thing's got bad energy, mate!" he laughed. "See you later. And thanks for this!" He lifted the bag of leftovers.

Having collected enough food to survive the night, Alex returned to the old, abandoned factory where he slept.

But nobody knew Alex was retiring there in the evenings, or he would be tossed out. So when he noticed a silhouette near the back entrance through which he had been sneaking into the building, Alex was about to bolt. But then, the voice calling out to him caught him off guard.

Alex spun around in shock. "John?"

The shadow walked toward him, and Alex finally recognized his friend.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, noticing John looking terrified.

"Alex, did you find any diamonds?" John asked fearfully, holding his hands. "Man, this guy…remember I told you about that dude who was attacked tonight? He…came to my house. He threatened me that if I didn't tell him where his diamonds were, he would kill me. Alex, the diamonds were apparently hidden in the couch."

"Uh…wha…what do you mean, mate?" Alex stepped away in fear. "I…I don't know what you're talking about. Diamonds? I left the couch there. You know it!"

"I…I know, mate. I know you didn't take the couch with you. But," John paused. "Man, he's some sort of dude linked to heinous crimes, and he's going to kill me if I don't tell him where his diamonds went. He said he saw me bringing that couch out, and he thought I had to do something with it. If you find those diamonds, please pass them on to me. Please. Seems like he had hidden it in a cushion."

"Man, you gotta relax," Alex consoled John. "Look, I know nothing about those diamonds or whatever. I swear…If I knew anything, I would…I would have told you, alright? Maybe it's still there? Who knows? In the trash?"

"I don't know, man," John ran his fingers through his hair. "Maybe…I'm gonna go check it. I…I hope he gets those diamonds soon and leaves me alone."

As John left, Alex knew he would have to sell the diamonds soon, or he would get into trouble. So Alex decided to take it to a pawn shop. However, he didn't want anyone to suspect him of the theft.

So instead of crashing at the factory for the night, Alex booked a room in a small motel. Then he visited a thrift store and bought a cheap shirt and a pair of trousers with the money he had found in the wallet inside the couch.

At the motel, Alex took a good shower, shaved his messy beard, and trimmed his uneven hair before he headed to the pawn shop to get rid of the diamonds. Nobody would recognize him now.

"Yes, sir? How may I help you?" the pawnbroker asked as Alex looked around the small pawnshop.

"I, uh, I wanted to get some stuff appraised," he said, opening the cloth bag and passing it on to the man. "I wouldn't have, but I—I'm starting a business, and I'm compelled in a way 'cause I really need the money."

The man raised a brow as he examined the diamonds. "If you don't mind, can I have the receipt or any proof they belong to you?"

"I'm sorry?" Alex retorted. "What…what are you trying to indicate, man? Look, if you don't want them, I'll just take them back," he said, putting the diamonds back in the bag, but the man stopped him.

"I never said I didn't want them, sir," said the pawnbroker. "In fact, I can contact a customer right now. But it's only normal for us to ask our clients about the jewelry or any other thing they bring here…to our store. We have been in this business for quite some time, sir, and we don't take risks. And if you think you can take them anywhere else, just know they would be asking you the same thing. You are free to go."

Alex rubbed his chin, thinking about what to do as he needed to get rid of the diamonds soon.

"Well, I…I got them from my grandmother," he finally lied. "It was like, uh, a generational thing that passed on to me after she died…An inheritance from her."

"Alright," the man nodded. "Give me a moment. I'll be right back."

The man walked away and was talking to someone on his phone. After a few minutes, he returned to the counter.

"Since you don't seem to have a receipt, we have a buyer on the black market who is ready to offer cash instantly," the man informed Alex. "He'll be here in 20 minutes. Would that work for you?"

Alex nodded and decided to wait for the buyer. Almost 30 minutes later, the bell of the store entrance chimed, and a man in a crisp suit walked in.

"He is here," the pawnbroker whispered to Alex, who rose to his feet and turned to look at the buyer.

"Alex?" asked the suited man. "Hi, you can call me Robert."

"Nice to meet you," Alex said, shaking the man's hand.

"I have been a customer here for years," Robert said. "Can I have a look at the diamonds?"

"Oh, of course, why not…Yeah, here you go," Alex replied and handed the bag over.

"Oh, beautiful! Really!" Robert exclaimed as he inspected the stones. "So now here's the thing, Alex. Since I don't feel safe carrying cash with me as I'm, you know, busy with different businesses the whole day, you'll have to come with me to the bank so I can withdraw the money and pay you. I'm really sorry for putting you through this, but…I can't risk my safety."

"Oh, sure, that—that shouldn't be a problem with me unless…I'm getting a ride?" Alex chuckled as Robert returned the bag to him. "I, uh, didn't get my car."

"Oh, of course, of course, this way," Robert said as they left the store.

Alex got into the passenger seat as Robert got behind the wheel. But as Alex was wearing his seatbelt, he noticed something on Robert's neck that made his heart race.

A sense of fear gripped Alex as his eyes were drawn to the deep, reddish scar popping out from behind Robert's shirt collar. Seeing it, Alex immediately recalled what John had mentioned about the guy who was attacked at the motel—a deep slit on the throat.

"The scar looks recent. It's at the exact same location…So, Robert…He's the guy John was talking about!" Alex realized, but by then, Robert had started the car, and they were already on their way.

Alex had begun to suspect that everything was a trap. Robert had purposefully avoided bringing the money to the pawn shop because he was going to take revenge on Alex. He must have recognized the diamonds and suspected Alex of stealing them.

Alex tapped his feet nervously, panicking about what to do now. He had to escape, but he couldn't jump out of a moving car. Alex thought and thought, and suddenly, he noticed they were approaching a signal. The light turned red, Robert's car stopped, and Alex knew it was the perfect opportunity.

Alex unstrapped the seatbelt and bolted out of Robert's car. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him and didn't stop until he was far away in an area where he could no longer spot Robert or his vehicle around.

Alex had understood that Robert now recognized him and would approach John to get more information about him. At that point, Alex knew he had no other choice to save himself except to come clean to his friend and tell him to keep quiet, so Alex headed to John's home.

"John? You in there, mate?" Alex knocked frantically on John's door and waited.

"John, it's me! Alex! Open the door!"

"Hey, hi mate! I—I wanted to talk to you about something important," Alex paused as John appeared in the doorway. "There's no easy way to say, mate…But I don't have much time, alright? And before you hate me, please, please just listen to everything patiently. Those diamonds you were talking about…I took them, and I tried to sell them."

Alex knew John would hate him for what he had done, so he averted his gaze and went on.

"Look, I know what you're thinking, mate. But I'm—I'm very sorry. I just got blinded by greed, okay? I mean, c'mon, I'm a homeless man, and finding those diamonds just felt like I had hit the jackpot! And honestly, if it were you, even you would have done the same thing! Who would just leave it and walk away?!

"And now the man you were talking about—the dude who visited you—he knows I have them. I met him, and he knows what I look like. He'll most likely come here, wanting to know more about me, and I'm begging you…please don't tell him anything. Here, you can have this," Alex said and reached into his pocket to give a diamond to John in exchange for his silence.

But John refused and was furious. "I don't need any of those diamonds, and there's no point convincing me!"

"What—what do you mean?" Alex was startled. "Are you, like, going to let me die?"

John lost his cool. "Just stop it, Alex! Stop it!" he yelled. "You wanted to set me up, and now you're coming here and—Jesus Christ! So this is what I get after helping you out as a friend all this while?" he snapped.

"You freakin' lied to me! I asked you if you knew anything, but didn't you pretend to be too innocent? And yeah, know that I'm not gonna hate you or whatever for everything you told me because I already gave that guy your information! He was here, Alex! And now he knows everything about you and your family! He even knows your wife works as a cashier at a fast-food restaurant. Now OUT from here!"

"What?" Alex was shocked. "You told him? What the hell's wrong with you, man?! You've endangered not just my safety but also the safety of my family! Lisa and Kayla have nothing to do with all of this! Why did you have to drag them into this mess?"

"What was I supposed to do when he threatened me that he would kill me if I didn't tell him everything?! When you're being held at gunpoint, you don't see right and wrong, Alex. You do all it takes to save your life. And you're the man who started this mess, and you gotta clean it on your own! What I'd advise you is…go home. To your family."

Alex couldn't believe his stupidity had endangered his family's safety.

"Because he knows that you were—I guessed you would've stolen the diamonds because you were desperate to visit your family," John went on. "And he knows that, so you know what to do next. And yeah, don't you dare drag me into this again or come here again!"

John fumed and slammed the door shut in Alex's face.

Terrified about his family's safety, Alex bolted from John's compound and ran to the highway to hitchhike a vehicle that could take him to his family.

"Stop! Stop!" Alex waved his hands at a delivery truck approaching him on the highway. As the vehicle came to a halt, Alex dashed to the driver's side.

"I…I need to get to the city. My family needs me urgently, and I have no other way out," he told the driver, panting. "Can you please give me a ride?"

The man looked at him and shook his head. "Why should I help you, boy? Maybe if you got cash on you, we could talk about something…"

Alex only had the last $200 with him. "I can give you $100," he offered.

"Okay. Alright. That would do!"

Alex hurriedly rounded the truck and got into the passenger seat. Then he paid the man.

"So…what's the hurry, if you don't mind me asking?" the driver asked, his eyes fixed on the road.

Alex lied to him, saying it was a medical emergency, and as they were talking about other things, his attention was drawn to the beads hanging from the truck's rearview mirror. It looked like a talisman.

"...And you know I have been a truck driver for decades. I once thought of quitting this line of work, but somehow I couldn't. And then—"

"Uh, do you mind if I close my eyes for a bit?" Alex said eventually, as he was tired of talking to the man. "Just let me know when we're in the city."

"Sure, boy. Sure," the driver nodded.

Alex didn't realize how tired he was, and using his old backpack as a pillow, he dozed off almost immediately. It must've been a couple of hours when he felt the jolt as the truck stopped, and he was startled awake.

"Are…Are we in the city?" he asked in a groggy voice as he looked out the window and realized the sun had started setting.

"Almost there, boy! We're at the city's entrance. A couple of minutes more is all it should take," said the driver.

Alex nodded and reached into his backpack to feel the bag of diamonds. "Everything is okay," he thought, realizing the bag was still there.

"What you've got in there, boy?" the truck driver suddenly asked, and Alex immediately drew his hand out of the bag.

"Nothing…Nothing! I was just—a couple of minutes, you said, right?" he asked, changing the topic.

"Yep!" the man nodded and kept driving.

As Alex got down from the truck, he thanked the man and said goodbye. "You were really helpful, man! Thank you! It was only because of you that I could make it home after all these years."

"No issues, boy! Hope whatever's up with your family is sorted soon!" The driver waved a bye and drove away.

Alex took a deep breath as he started on his way home. It had been four years since he had visited his wife and daughter, and he could barely wait to see them again. But a fear gnawed at him after what John had told him. He only wished his family was safe.

As Alex arrived at his old home, he hurried up the front steps and was about to ring the bell when he noticed the door was slightly ajar. He gulped in fear, wondering why the door was left open, as he marched inside quietly.

"Lisa? Kayla? Hey, guys? Anyone home?" he called out, but there were no responses.

Alex's heart dropped, and weird thoughts plagued his mind. He dashed upstairs to his and Lisa's bedroom, but there was no one there.

"Lisa? Are you in there?" he asked, opening the bathroom door, but the space was empty.

Alex hurried over to Kayla's room, but his daughter was not there. Even the backyard was eerily quiet and empty.

Alex's voice bounced off the walls of the house as he checked the other rooms. He finally sank onto the couch and buried his face in his palms, imagining the worst-case scenarios.

"I'm so sorry…It's all my fault," Alex couldn't stop blaming himself as negative thoughts flooded his mind. He couldn't even reach Kayla or Lisa as he didn't have their numbers.

But as he looked up, Alex's attention was suddenly drawn to a note on the kitchen counter. Alex hurried over and picked up the piece of paper, reading the message aloud: "Call this number if you want to save your family…"

A chill ran down Alex's spine as his worst fears were realized. There was a phone next to the note, and Alex sniffled as he dialed the number at the bottom of the message.

"Please. Please don't do anything to my family!" Alex could feel his heart throbbing against his chest as the ring was finally answered.

"He—hello? Who's this? Look, I know you want me and those diamonds! You can have me, but please don't do anything to my family! I—I'll return your diamonds! Leave them alone!"

"Calm down, Alex," a deep voice appeared on the other end of the line, and Alex recognized that voice. It was Robert!

"If your family is important to you, I'm sure you'll do as I say," he warned Alex. "Now listen carefully…I'm waiting with your family at the city's exit, ten miles from the gas station on the northern highway. You'll see an old house there. And yes…you are a smart man, Alex, so I hope you haven't had the thought of contacting the police. And well, if you are contemplating something of that sort, you should know what you're risking."

"Fine! Fine!" Alex hissed. "I…I'm not telling anyone. Okay? Please don't do anything to them! I'll do whatever you ask me to. I'm—I'm coming, alright?"

"Time's running out, Alex. If I were you, I'd hurry," the man said and hung up.

Alex grabbed his backpack and pulled out the cotton bag. But as he held it now, he felt the bag was heavier than before.

"No! No! What the hell!" Alex checked the bag and gasped.

There was not a single diamond in the bag! Instead, it contained the beads of the talisman he had seen around the truck's rearview mirror during his ride to the city. His palms went cold, and blood drained off his face.

Alex knew he only had two options at that moment: Either risk his life and save his family or leave his past behind, never return home, and start a life from scratch. But Alex quickly dismissed the thoughts coming to his mind and stormed out of the house, knowing he was going to save his family.

As Alex arrived at the location the kidnapper had mentioned, he found himself in front of a run-down house. It looked like a place where once a happy family would've lived, but now it served as the location of a heinous crime where someone had held his wife and daughter captive.

Panicking about his family's safety, Alex knocked on the door restlessly. "Open the door! I'm here as you told me! You hear me? Open the goddamn door!" he screamed.

Alex was about to bang on the door again when the door burst open, and Robert appeared, pointing his gun at Alex. "Lower your voice, will you? Get in, and don't you dare act smart!"

As Alex entered, he knew that if Robert learned about the missing diamonds, he would kill all three of them—Alex, Lisa, and Kayla.

From the corner of his eye, Alex noticed that there was a brick on the windowsill he was approaching. As he thought the moment was right, Alex lunged to grab it and whacked Robert in the face. But in the heat of the moment, a gunshot echoed in the abandoned house.

While Robert collapsed to the ground with a bloody head and passed out, Alex's hand went to his stomach. He could see the red liquid staining his shirt. And everything seemed to spin.

Alex applied all the force he could muster, trying to stop the blood spurting from the gunshot wound. But he eventually plopped to the floor, and everything went black.

"Alex? Alex? Can you hear us?"

"Dad? Dad?"

When he awoke hours later, Alex found himself in a semi-dark room with pale blue walls. He could hear the faint beeping of machines; then, as his vision adjusted to the surroundings, he saw his wife and daughter standing right beside him. They were in a hospital.

"Oh, Alex! You're awake! How…How are you feeling?" Lisa asked, and Alex could see Kayla was on the verge of bursting into tears.

"Looks like I'm going to live, yeah?" he replied weakly, struggling to smile due to the pain.

"You could've not come to that house, Alex...You could start your life from scratch—" Lisa couldn't finish as Alex cut her off.

"No, I couldn't..." Alex said.

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