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Money stashed in a glass jar buried on the ground | Source: Shutterstock
Money stashed in a glass jar buried on the ground | Source: Shutterstock

Poor Boy Takes Care of Grandma’s Garden after Her Death, Finds Dozens of Stashes Buried There – Story of the Day

Sonali Pandey
Mar 11, 2024
05:50 A.M.

While shoveling my late Granny's beloved garden, I stumbled upon dozens of jars buried beneath the soil. Little did I know this discovery would lead me to a secret that would change my life forever.

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What happens when you fail to respect the last wishes of your elders? And what if they had secretly planned or "buried" a jolting surprise for you "only if" you fulfill that wish?

My brother, Kevin, and I were torn between such a wish. After our Granny Josephine died, we got her last letter stating we would get her beloved garden as an inheritance. Her main condition was that we care for her garden and ensure it produced rich fruits and vegetables all year round.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

While the then 16-year-old me happily accepted the offer, my older brother Kevin, 18, was furious with our Granny for leaving us a small garden and nothing else.

"Just a garden?" he fumed upon reading her letter. "Who wants to till the soil of this piece of useless land? I thought she'd bequeath her house. Silly old lady! I hate her!"

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"But Kevin, Granny loved this garden, and maybe she wants us to cherish her last wish," I said, hurt by my brother's fury.

"Last wish, my foot. Why didn't she take it to the grave with her? I'm not getting my hands and legs dirty in this mud. Suit yourself with your silly old Granny's wish, loser."

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Furious, Kevin hurled Granny's letter at my face.

"And yeah, don't you come to me begging for money! You'll make a fortune by selling those rotten potatoes and tomatoes!" He mocked me as he stormed out of the garden.

I was upset, but I decided to honor Granny's wish. The following morning, I rolled up my sleeves and began watering the garden. Granny maintained it so well, I thought, looking around. Just some pruning is needed, and I'll start transplanting the bushes.

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In her letter, Granny had explicitly asked Kevin and me to transplant the rose bushes to new spots. The soil was moist, so I thought it would make my job easy. I took a shovel and spaded the area around the first rose bush with all the force I could muster.

"What was that noise?" I exclaimed after hearing a crackling sound of glass. I shoveled again and realized it was coming from the soil.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

I grabbed my small handheld shovel and began digging. Moments later, I sat back in surprise after finding a broken glass jar with a note. "A note? Is it from Grandma?" I muttered and carefully took the letter out.

"Thank you, boys, for not forgetting me. I'm not so heartless as to leave you with only tomatoes and cucumbers!" read the first line. "Don't stop digging near the rose bushes because you have many more 'treasures' to dig out, 24 to be exact! I just needed to make sure you honored my memory!"

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"23 more glass jars buried in the garden? No way!" I exclaimed and began looking around for more rose bushes. I found 23 rose bushes in 23 different spots in the garden.

Exhausted and panting, I found 22 jars, each stashed with cash and coins. I was tired, and it was scorching hot, but I was determined to find the last jar and dug the last rose bush. To my dismay, there was no jar there.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

"Where is the last one?" I mumbled, looking around to see if I had missed anything. After the digging, the garden was a mess. Besides, after my failed attempts to locate the 24th jar, I was exhausted thinking about the long work I had to do by replanting all the bushes in their new spots.

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I looked up at the sky and promised Granny I would plant them the next day. But before that, I have to find the last jar. It's not here. Where is it? I wondered and marched across the garden for clues.

That's when I remembered Granny's favorite plant, a rosemary bush on the farther end of the garden, just below her bedroom window. Granny Josephine loved the herb's fragrance and had always wanted it to be near her bedroom window to enjoy its scent.

"That must be it!" I shouted in joy. I walked over to the spot with the rosemary bush and began to dig. My instincts proved right when I heard the clinking of glass.

I carefully dug out the jar but was a little taken aback. There was no money in it, but it was stashed with a scroll.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

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Curious, I opened the jar and realized the scroll was a document. It asked me to contact the enclosed number for further details — the number belonged to a certain Alex. I reached out to him and was called to his office the next day. Turns out this man was Granny's lawyer.

"Oh, you must be Mrs. Parker's grandson," Alex said, handing out another document to me. "She told me that her grandsons would do anything to honor her wish. Well, I am surprised that only one showed up!"

The document he gave me was the second part of Granny's will. According to it, the grandson who possessed the first part of the document — the scroll I found in the 24th jar — would get her house and a family heirloom. If both Kevin and I found it, the inheritance would be equally divided.

"A family heirloom?" I surprisedly asked. "She never told me anything about it."

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash

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The lawyer smiled and gave me a jewelry box. I was stunned when I opened it and found a stone-studded ring and a few pieces of expensive jewelry with a note.

"It belonged to my grandma, my mother, and me. Now, it belongs to you. I hope you keep it to remember me by. Love, Granny Josephine," read Granny's words.

I shed tears of joy. Although I would have to wait two more years until I turned 18 to claim the inheritance, I was happy and thanked Granny for everything she had left me.

Two years later, on my 18th birthday, I became the legal heir to Granny's house and heirloom. I refurbished the house with the $22K I inherited and moved in after finishing school.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

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Kevin tried his best to claim the legacy in those two years and throw me out. But his wicked efforts turned futile, and all he got was disappointment for not honoring Granny's wish.

Meanwhile, I continued to work hard in Granny's garden. I bought another piece of land near it and cultivated exotic fruits and flowers. Ultimately, I started exporting fresh garden produce to other states and became an aspiring businessman.

A once-poor lad, I now owned several acres of agricultural land and a deluxe house in town. Regardless of my newfound riches, I continued to cherish Granny's wish. I ensured her garden was filled with beautiful flowers, rich fruits, and vegetables throughout the year.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

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Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed reading this story, here's another one | Lili, an elderly woman, finds a young boy named Harry alone on the street. Harry asks Lili to help him and his friends because they live in a bad foster home. The police send Harry back, but Lili decides to rescue the kids on her own... Full story here.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.

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