A Penny from Heaven

She found me! I didn't think she would, but she found me. She looked down just as he tossed me through the portal. I landed face up on the sidewalk in front of her with my shiny copper body glinting in the sun. Now if she will only looked at the date she will understand and her depression will dissipate.

Why did she put me in her slacks packet? She didn't even look at me. She just put me in her pocket and walked on. If she doesn't look at the date she won't know who I'm from. She won't know that he has thought about everyday for the past seventy-one years. She won't know about the tears he shed because he wasn't allowed to see her again after the divorce.

What if instead of looking at me she spends me? What if she never sees the date on my face? It's bad enough she had to read his obituary online. Ever since he passed through the veil he's regretted the fact he didn't get to say good-by to her. He never got to tell her he loved her. If she spends me before looking at my face she will never know how much he loved and missed her. If she spends me, I won't be able to do my job. I'll pass from hand to hand for eternity without completing my purpose.

What was that noise? Was it a key in a lock? Did I just hear a door opening and closing? We must be at her home. Now she will look at me. O Lord, please let her look at me.

Her hand feels so warm. She's looking at me!. She's getting a magnifying glass out so she can see the date on my face. Why is she looking perplexed? Hasn't she ever seen a Lincoln penny before? Now she's turning me over. She's looking closely at the grains of wheat and the one cent printed on my tail.

She still looks confused. That's understandable, after all this is 2017. I mean how many Lincoln pennies from 1921 look as if they were freshly minted. What was that she just said? I can't hear through my tail. O Lord, let her turn me over so I can hear what's she's saying.

That's better, but now she's crying. Why is she crying? Oh, she knows! She realizes I'm a gift from her father. She understands that he loves her, has always loved his first born daughter.