Lucky Penny - Jon Kelley (popular books to read .TXT) 📗

"You know, I think it was for the best." Bretton said, taking a drag from his cigarette, staring blankly at the horizon. "I mean, she was crazy. And now, she's no longer messing with your head. You don't need that shit now."
"Ugghh, why did she have to choose now. Of all the times to fuck me over. Two days after they bury my brother. Fucking some guy in my bed. What a bitch. I gave her four years of my life." I said, handing another beer to Bretton. "Well, I just can't stay here wallowing." I said, wishing Bretton would have said it.
"Yeah Chuck, why don't we go somewhere for a few days?" Bretton asked.
"Why do you wanna go with me?"
"Well, just so you're not lonely, you know? How bout the beach? We could hitchhike there. It'll be fun."
God, he really wants to go with me? Why, I don't even want him here now. Just some beer and this gaze from my apartment's roof.
"Hey, you think you can get some more beer? I kinda wanna chill here for a bit. Is that cool?" I reached into my pocket for money. "Get me some Newcastle." I counted the change, noticing something. "Holy Shit Man!" I couldn't believe it. "Check this out!" I handed him the penny.
"What, it's just a penny," he said, inspecting it closer, "what's so crazy about it?"
"Look at the year." I answered, pointing out what it had printed on it.
"Fuck me, this is worth money. Like, you can find someone to buy this. This is worth money." Bretton said, repeatedly, I had to pry the thing out of his hands.
"Go get the beer, I'm gonna see what this is worth." I said, half-knowing that there wasn't going to be anymore beer until I got it myself.
"No way! I wanna look this up with you." he said following me to my living room where my laptop was.
"Then give me some space." I said. This changed everything.

After looking for what seemed like forever, I wanted to give up. There were no list for coins with wrong dates. My penny was from over seventeen years in the future. They didn't have any listing for this, just coins with mis-struck errors, clipped planchet errors, double dies, or double denomination errors. Not that I knew any of those terms before I got online.
Nothing was listed for coins with errors in the dates. Well, if there had been some, the dates don't matter now but this one does. I called my Uncle Rob, he was a member of a country club, there had to be some rich guy that would love to drop a mil for something like this to show off.
"Wow, you just found it in your pocket? That's crazy. Okay, just send me a picture with your cellular. I'll show some of the boys at the club. I'm sure I can help you with it. How's your back? You feeling good enough to come help me at the shop sometime? I really would like to see you more often." he always tried to get me to work with him at his antique shop.
"Uncle, you know I can't get a job now, I'm on disability I was hit by a mail truck." I replied.
"Well, I know but since Geoff died, I realized that we had many chances to get together and now all the time wasted, I still have so much to tell him. Now, I'll never be able to. I don't want that to happen to you as well. You know? How you been since Sarah pulled that bullshit? You alright?" Rob said. He is basically my father.
"Look, I'll manage, I wanna sell this and take a vacation. How bout sometime soon we get some dinner? Tell Aunt Margie I'll wear that blazer she got me. Just help me with selling this. I need to get a new bed, don't ask, and I really don't wanna stay in town. I'd like to go to the beach for a week or so." I could never get Rob off the phone. But this time, he wasn't so pushy to stay on the line.
"I can't make any promises, okay? I think Greg's son has a collection and might want it, or know of someone that will. Stop by before you leave, alright? I'd really like to see you before you go. Alrighty, you take care, I'll call you soon when I hear back from Greg. I love you, bye." he rarely says he loves me.
I told Bretton that I'd like to be alone, and that I'd call him tomorrow. He could see that even with this new excitement with the coin from the future that I was still feeling down and wanted to be alone. He gave me a joint and told me to listen to happy music before he left.
Lying on my bed with the coin in my hand, I couldn't help but wish it was Sarah instead of money I'd be getting. I played our song on my computer, lit the joint, and closed my eyes.

Within two days, I had received calls from everyone, friends, relatives, and strangers. Each of them asking where I got the penny. I told them it was change I got from the 7-11 down the street from my apartment. All of them hinting that they needed money for their car's timing belt or doctor's bills. The other calls requested I meet up with them so they could make me an offer. I set up times to meet up with three men, who said they would pay up to $40,000 for it providing they could see it themselves first. I decided to bring pepper-spray with me.

I met up with Anthony Somebody, he showed me his collection. He explained that he had been collecting since he was seven years old. That he had never seen any coin with a future date. That he wanted it and would even throw in a used car from his lot. I told him that I was looking for money to support myself for awhile and to take a much-needed vacation. That after I met with the rest of the men, I'd give him a call.
"Okay, Charles, I'll cut you a check for $80,000.00." he said. He would write it out now and that I could wait until the check cleared to give him the coin and that he'd give me any car on his lot. Any car, new or used. Mine.
"You got a '69 SS Chevelle?" I inquired. "With white stripes across the top, maybe red, lime green or black with the stripes?" That was my dream car.
"Muscle man, nice taste. I'll call a friend. Until then, I'll let you take my showroom Camero. Sound good?" his eyes stared at my cane.
"I guess, I just want the Chevelle though." I answered. Letting him know that's what it would take.
He cut me the check and took a polaroid of both sides of the coin. I told him I'd call him when it cleared.

I called both of the other men from my car and asked if they could do better than 80k. They didn't sound convincing. I told them I had to go with more money and they asked me to send them a picture. I said sure. Then deleted their numbers.

I called the bank on a daily basis. It took four days until I was on my way to Anthony's place. I gave him the coin, he gave me the title to the Camero and said he'd have a Chevelle at the end of the month. That I could exchange titles. We parted.
All this time, even with my excited disposition, I still felt empty.

I stopped by uncle Rob's in my buster brown blazer. Had dinner with him and Margie. We really didn't say much. I remembered to show him the Camero, he couldn't stop talking. We went for a quick drive around the block, and I gave him $9,000.00 for helping with Geoff's funeral. Of course, he told me to keep it and have fun. That I deserved it. I'll never forget the look in his eyes before we said our goodbyes.
I hugged them, and headed to see Geoff's headstone.

I arrived at the grave, tears in my eyes. Remembering all the good times. After my crying subsided, I wiped my eyes and tried to keep my cool.
"I just got $80,000.00! I can't believe it. I'm happy but, I still feel like I'm on auto-pilot. I hope I meet a nice girl. I wish you could go away with me. I miss the old days."

I called Bretton and told him to feed my fish. He was still pissed that I wouldn't take him with me. I told him I needed to be alone. I guess he understood. I drove three more hours to my hotel. It was dark when I got there. I couldn't see the ocean from my car.

"Charles Gibson. I have a reservation." I said to the lady at the front desk.
"Hmmm, I don't see you. Are you sure that you have the right hotel?" she asked.
"Of course, I might've put my name in as Chuck Gibson, like the guitar." I said, she typed in the computer.
"Ahh, I have it. Room 1334. Take the elevator up five floors and it'll be on the left." she replied.
"It has a view of the ocean? Right?"
"Umm, no, I'm afraid it doesn't. but we are right on the ocean sir."
"I asked for a view."
"I see that in the records sir, but you called yesterday, this room is all we can provide."
"Fuck it, I'm here. Send up a bottle of Jack and a 12oz tenderloin steak cooked medium. Can you do that much?"
"We can have someone put that order in, here is your key. Have a nice night."
"When do you get off? You wanna help me kill that bottle?"
"Sir, I'm married."
"Of course you are." I said taking my key and getting in the elevator.

The next morning I got dressed and went out to see the ocean. I bought some pot off a hippie along the beach and he told me I should check out this head shop a mile down the road.
"Yeah, my cousin owns it, tell 'em JJ sent you. He'll hook you up brotha'" he said.
I walked to the water, took off my shoes and sparked up my one hitter a few times. I really wanted to talk to Sarah. I couldn't get her out of my head. I put my headphones in and listened to some Phish and stared into the horizon, the birds flying by, the surfers, the pretty girls in bikinis. Trying to get her out of my head.
I went to this shop and bought a boogie board and some new trunks. There was a girl eyeing me from the other end of the store. She had light brown hair, a tie-dye bikini, and a dark tan. I walked by her.
"You're not from around here are you?"
God she was beautiful.
"How'd you guess? I'm Chuck."
"Steph. You're as white as a ghost. Where you from?"
"You ever hear of Gatlinburg, Tennessee? I'm about an hour and a half south of there. God, it must be nice to live here. What do you do for fun?" I asked, trying to hide my staring at her body.
We walked out together and