The Lucky Find
Malachi was out one day looking to find glass bottles to sell. He noticed something dark and shiny jutting from a storm drain while sifting through the mess at the side of the road, and it was a wallet! What would he do?
The Lucky Find
Seeing What’s Inside
Shocked that it hadn’t gotten washed away, Malachi fished it out. The leather looked new because it was clean and polished, so he thought he could sell it and help his family put food on the table. However, he gasped when he opened it!
Seeing What’s Inside
Filled with Money
There was tons of money in the wallet. Malachi checked the area, but no one was there. He was overjoyed and couldn’t wait to tell his family. Still, he knew he must be careful because that much money could get him in trouble.
Filled with Money
Hiding the Cash
When he got home, he went to his bedroom, which he shared with his sister and brother. He wasn’t ready to tell his parents because he didn’t know if it was right to keep the money. His siblings followed him to see what he had in his hand.
Hiding the Cash
Keep It
Reluctantly, Malachi showed his siblings, hoping they’d tell him what to do, but they begged for him to keep it. Instead of determining if it was right, they wanted what it could do, so he ran away when his older sister came toward him.
Keep It
Making Up His Mind
To conceal the wallet, the boy ran out into the darkness. He realized what he had to do now that he saw how his siblings reacted; he had to track down the owner and return it. Hiding in a bush, he buried the wallet to give him time to think.
Making Up His Mind
Preparing Himself
Malachi’s mother called everyone in for supper as he finished burying that wallet. He wiped himself clean as best he could to cover up what he’d been doing and prayed that his siblings would stay quiet. Otherwise, there would be a fight at the table.
Preparing Himself
Dinner Time
When his mother brought the bread, Malachi saw bites taken out of it, meaning she’d stolen it from the restaurant where she worked. He looked at his siblings and mouthed for them to stay quiet, but his brother’s nasty smile said something else.
Dinner Time
Relief
His parents were too tired from working to talk, but Malachi’s brother gave an ominous look. Still, he only talked about his day, and this caused Malachi to relax just a little because he thought things would work out for him.
Relief
No One There
Malachi went to bed after supper because he knew tomorrow would be hard. Finding the wallet’s owner would be challenging, even if he had the person’s ID. In the morning, he heard an odd noise and realized his siblings weren’t in bed. He was shocked at what he witnessed!
No One There
Searching for the Wallet
His siblings were searching for the wallet with torches and checking known hiding spots while muttering to each other. Malachi knew they wouldn’t find it but he still wanted to divert their attention away from the location.
Searching for the Wallet
He Leaves
He rushed to get the wallet and put it in his pocket, wanting to leave before they saw him. As he wiped the sleep out of his eyes, he went to town, noticing that most of the townspeople weren’t awake. Still, he stayed out of the roads and somewhat hidden.
He Leaves
The Right Choice
Malachi knew his mom would be worried if she saw his bed was empty, and his siblings would tell what they had learned. However, it was the only moral choice to return the money, and he had to find the wallet’s owner today.
The Right Choice
Looking for the Man
Though Malachi loved his family, he knew they’d take it or persuade him to keep it. Therefore, he kept going, though he was hungry and tired, comparing the ID to the faces he saw. None of them looked like the older man in the photo.
Looking for the Man
All Poverty-Stricken
He was careful to check faces from a distance so that no one knew why. Though the residents in his little town weren’t dangerous or aggressive, they were impoverished. They’d do anything to get that money, so he stayed out of sight.
All Poverty-Stricken
Caught
Suddenly, someone grabbed Malachi’s arm and pulled him behind a dumpster. He almost fell and yelped in shock. An elderly man towered over him, and the face was oddly familiar. He asked what the young child was doing.
Caught
Filled with Fear
Malachi was frozen in terror because he didn’t know the man. Plus, he was alone with him, which could be dangerous. He glanced downward, hesitant to respond, and then decided to do something else completely.
Filled with Fear
Getting Away
Malachi waited until an opportunity arose to get away. He didn’t know where he was headed, but he knew he had to get to a safe place away from that potential threat. Finally, he found an abandoned house, but the man followed!
Getting Away
Taking a Breath
Malachi rested for a while to catch his breath, but the man was there, screaming outside. He wanted to know where the boy was, so he sat down and waited him out. Surely the man would go home at a certain point?
Taking a Breath
Spending the Night
Though Malachi wanted to go home, he couldn’t until he found the wallet’s owner. Therefore, he stayed in the abandoned house. The following morning, he woke up to loud traffic and pangs of hunger. This caused him to wonder about spending a little on food.
Spending the Night
Fruit for Breakfast
He saw a fruit stall across the street, and his mouth watered at the idea. After checking the cash inside the wallet, he thought that one piece of fruit wouldn’t be that much. Surely, the man wouldn’t mind!
Fruit for Breakfast
He Stopped
Before he left the house, Malachi changed his mind. It didn’t matter if he was hungry; that money wasn’t his, and it wasn’t right. Maybe the people at the fruit stand would give him a piece for free, so he hid the wallet in his pocket and walked over.
He Stopped
Kind Woman
An elderly woman asked him how old he was and why he was alone. He told her he was searching for someone and said he hadn’t eaten in a full day. Though famished, he didn’t think she’d help.
Kind Woman
No Breakfast
The woman told him she couldn’t give food out for free because she needed money, too. His eyes filled with tears, though he stopped himself from bawling. Then, he did something he would regret as he walked away.
No Breakfast
Stealing
Malachi took a piece of fruit and went to leave. However, a hand fell on his shoulder. He started apologizing to the woman, but he saw the man from yesterday! Today, he seemed a little friendlier, but it still shocked the child.
Stealing
Gentler Now
The man told the child he was a fast runner and was wearing a suit that probably cost more than his parent’s house. He caught the attention and waited for the reaction, but the man said he wanted to help.
Gentler Now
Deja Vu
Malachi’s terror slowly subsided, and he decided to trust the man. He might not be a bad sort or may even help him trace down the wallet’s owner. This man looked familiar, but where would he have seen such a dapper guy?
Deja Vu
Asking Questions
The man asked about Malachi’s residence and why he was alone, but he didn’t talk about the wallet yet. Instead, he wanted to learn about the gentleman, so he asked similar questions and was shocked at the responses!
Asking Questions
Being Secretive
This man said he hadn’t planned to stay there long, but he had to reconsider because of a snafu. Malachi wondered why the man was so mysterious; he was wearing a suit in a highly impoverished place, so he definitely didn’t belong.
Being Secretive
What to Do
After eating the fruit, the man offered to take Malachi home, but he said he couldn’t go yet. This confused the man, and he asked what he had to do. Malachi hesitated because the man might decide to steal the wallet.
What to Do
How He’d React
Malachi said that he had to find someone because he’d found something and needed to locate the owner. Suddenly, the man was more interested in the boy, kneeling down to him and asking what he’d discovered.
How He’d React
Possible Mistake
Malachi was confused by that change in attitude. He said he’d found something personal, but the man wasn’t amused. He was very interested to know what Malachi had just discovered, so he thought it was a bad idea to have trusted him.
Possible Mistake
He’s Stubborn
It was too late; the man wanted to know what Malachi had found. He asked where the child had located the personal item, and Malachi took a moment to think before responding that he found a wallet near his house on the ground.
He’s Stubborn
Too Much
Realizing he’d said too much, Malachi gasped. Now, the man’s attitude shifted once more, and relief swept over his face. He asked if the child still had the wallet, and he said he did keep it on him at all times to protect it.
Too Much
Giving the Man His Wallet
Malachi realized that the man was likely the owner of the wallet. However, he didn’t hand it over. Instead, he pulled out the ID card to check it against the person before him. What did he see?!
Giving the Man His Wallet
He Remembered
Malachi said, “It’s you!” The man smiled broadly, and Malachi did the same. Finally, he could go back home and handed the gentleman the wallet, saying he should keep track of it better. When he turned, the man stopped him.
He Remembered
A Reward
The man was surprised to see that nothing had been removed from the wallet. He wanted to give a reward, so he tried giving the cash to Malachi, but the boy refused. Instead, he offered another suggestion.
A Reward
Helping the Town
Malachi said he didn’t want a big sum of money, though it would help his family in the short term. Instead, he wanted the millionaire to make financial investments in his community, building new homes. This shocked the man, and he asked why.
Helping the Town
Everyone Deserves Kindness
The man started crying when Malachi told him his reasons. Everyone deserved a good life, and improving the standard of living was the best way to do that. This millionaire granted that wish, revitalizing the economy and bringing more job opportunities.
Everyone Deserves Kindness
Everything Works Out
Poverty levels decreased gradually, and the man told the world what Malachi did. Meeting his family, the man decided to help Malachi by building their family a new house!
Everything Works Out
