Travels of The Penny

The Penny:

Here I am, lying on the cold ground for a month now. I feel discarded, unwanted, lonely. Guess I shouldn’t be talking to myself, but who else is there to listen to me? Soon the snow will come and cover me up; then I have no hope of being found until Spring.

I’ve had a busy life since I was printed in 1941. For crying out loud, I have one of the country’s most famous presidents on my face, President Lincoln. Let me tell you, I’ve traveled some in my life; France, China, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and most of the United States. I’ve been kept by numerous persons aging from five years old to a hundred. I’ve been to WWII, Korean War, Vietnam, Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

I ask you; is that any way to treat a veteran of war; just throw it on the ground and forget about it?

You want to know about progress. Just ask me. I’ve seen it all from Model T’s to the first man in space. I could be a history major. Alas, I’m just a penny, and nobody cares for pennies any more. They all say I’m not worth the metal I’m printed on.

I remember back in 1952 when a little girl, only eight years old had me. She was so excited to walk to the store with her friends where she could use me to buy two pieces of candy. I enjoyed being able to make her happy for such a short time.

Once, around 2010, I was displayed with all the other pennies my age in a coin book. We were so proud; felt we finally found a home. The best part was that we were shined up again, just like new. Sometime in 2013, the owner of the house died and we were sent to an auction. Some of us, like me, fell out of the book with all the juggling around. I miss those friends; I wonder where they are now?

I don’t care for little boys anymore. Not since the time a boy around thirteen and his friends put me on the railroad track to see if the train would flatten me. I was lucky, the vibration of the train made me fall off the rail just before the wheels came by. I remember how disappointed they were, but I was happy. They ran off and left me there but a nice little girl, who was watching, came by and picked me up. She kept me in a cozy warm pocket for a long time. Sometimes she would reach down and touch me to see if I was still there. I guess she must have grown out of her dress because it was packed up and sent to a thrift store. I didn’t mind being in the store, I could listen to the shoppers talk as they looked at the clothes.

Someone bought the dress and cut it up to make a quilt and they laid me on the dresser. One day they threw me in a jar with lots of other coins. It was nice to see some faces like mine again. Eventually the jar was full and we went for a ride in the car. Then something very scary happened! The jar was opened and all of us were thrown into a machine where we spun round’ and round’ faster and faster. When the machine stopped, I found myself in a pile with other pennies but it didn’t last for long. We were scooped up and put through a funnel and wrapped up tight in a brown piece of paper. I didn’t like that at all because it was dark and I was squeezed in between other pennies. I did get to know some of them, we were in there a long time, but most of us were crabby and uncomfortable. We didn’t know where we were after that.

One day, I felt someone pick us up and then BAM, we all came crashing out into a cash register. I knew it was a register because I had been there many times before. It was so good to see the light again. After that, I was traveling all over the country again, it was exciting to be free. Sometimes I would end up in a penny jar near the cash register but that never lasted long. I must admit it was a little degrading to hear someone tell the cashier to put me in the penny jar, they didn’t want me. On the other hand, someone would come along and need me, so back in the register I would go.

I have many other stories I could tell about my travels but because of time, I will get to the reason I am now lying on the cold ground.

Once again, I was in the possession of a teenage boy, YIKES! He was at the park, counting out his change so he could go and get an ice cream. He dropped me on the ground and never bothered to pick me up again. I guess he had all he needed for the ice cream. Now I am waiting to see what my next adventure will be.

Epilogue:
A few months later, the little forlorn penny heard a tick, ticking, sound. It stopped near the bench where it had fallen. The man with the metal detector stooped down and picked it up.

“Look here, I’ve found a 1941 penny. I need one for my coin book.”

The man took the penny home and polished it up just like new. He placed it in the open spot in his coin book where it has remained ever since.

Once again the little penny has found a home.

967 Words
Brown Ribbon Winner by Person Who Gave Prompt