Edward was devastated when his sister, Sarah, called him and told him their grandmother died. He never imagined she would also plan on taking almost everything, leaving him only an old blanket…
“Grandma Sandy is dead. Are you coming to the funeral?”Sarah spoke coldly over the phone
“Sarah, how can you speak so callously? Of course, I’m coming to the funeral,” Edward shared his story with his big sister. She asked, probably because Edward couldn’t move with his disability. He lost both his legs in a car accident many years ago.
Edward took a blanket from his grandmother’s home and grabbed it.
Since then, his family lived on his wife’s paycheck, which was not much. Gianna worked hard, but also had to support Edward and raise their two children. Edward had not been able to find a proper job, but he was currently waiting for a work-from-home offer.
Sarah’s news was devastating. He loved his grandmother deeply and, unlike most of his family, she did her best to support his family after the accident. She didn’t have a lot of money but babysat the kids often.
“Well, whatever. She was old already. Anyway, I’m calling to tell you to get here fast, or I’m taking almost everything,” Sarah added.
“What do you mean? Get where?”Edward asked the question, confused.
Sarah was sorting, taking everything valuable.
“Her house. I’m here sorting through stuff, and I’m taking most of it now. Maybe I can get something out of it,” Sarah explained.
“You can’t do that!”Edward shouted through his phone.
“Yes, I can. She left no will, and we were her only direct relatives. Also, I’m keeping the house because you already have one. I’m being nice and telling you to come here if you want anything before I sell them,” Sarah finished her task and hung up.
Gianna drove Edward to his grandmother’s house, but when he got there, Sarah didn’t let him take anything. “No, I called dibs on that already,” She said this when he pulled out a random vase. It didn’t matter. These things wouldn’t help the grief of losing their grandmother.
Edward was more interested in the blanket his grandmother had given him.
“How about this?”Edward asked the question, reaching for an old blanket in a beautiful pattern. He remembered when he and his neighborhood friends would use it to build a fort with his grandmother’s dining room chairs.
“Oh, that old thing? Sure,” Sarah said dismissively. Edward took the money and told Sarah it was time to go. He didn’t want to spend one more minute in that house, watching his sister callously sort through their grandmother’s things for her personal gain.
“I can’t believe Sarah’s attitude,” Gianna said this on the car ride back.
“I know. She was never the warmest person, but this is just…disgusting. If our parents were here, they would be so disappointed,” Edward added. They moved on with their lives and let go of the subject. He finally landed a job that allowed him to work from home.
Chenoa, a Native American friend, thought the blanket was special.
After years of worry, things were looking up for their loved ones. Gianna also chose to hang the blanket inside their bedroom because of its beautiful, intricate woven design. “I’m going to save up some money, and we can frame it,” She spoke.
Because his wife could appreciate small things like this, he loved her. Chenoa, Chenoa’s friend, came to visit them and Gianna showed Chenoa the blanket. “OMG, that actually looks Navajo!”She was referring to her friend.
“You think so? I think Edward’s grandmother had it for ages. She might not have known,” Gianna added. But Chenoa was Native American. She would definitely know.
“That’s definitely a Navajo blanket, and it looks old but well-preserved. Can I take a picture? There’s a man on the reservation who can identify Navajo anywhere. I’ll text him,” Chenoa explained.
They auctioned it off for a huge amount.
A few minutes later, the man replied and confirmed that the blanket was, in fact, authentic and appeared to be antique. Edward and Gianna invited the man over, and he explained that it could be a blanket from the 1800s.
“This is serious. You two might have stumbled upon a precious antique,” the Navajo expert told them.
So they took the blanket to an antiquarian who confirmed this too. “This could be worth between $200,000 and $500,000…maybe more,” he explained.
Upon learning this, Edward and Gianna decided to place the blanket for auction despite its big sentimental value. The fact is, life is unpredictable, and they needed the money so their kids would be safe. But they didn’t expect how the auction would turn out.
“Sold! For 1.5 million dollars!” the auctioneer yelled. Edward and Gianna looked at each other, dumbfounded. They were now millionaires.
Sarah demanded money and was then arrested for trespassing.
Their big win reached the local newspaper which wrote a story about it, and Edward’s entire family, including Sarah, found out. “I demand half that money, Edward! Or I will sue you!”Sarah shouted at him.
“You kept everything for yourself, Sarah. You don’t have a case. This is our money. Goodbye,” Edward.
Edward was right. Sarah didn’t have a case, so she started harassing them for the money. This urged Edward to have her arrested for trying to break into their home. He also filed a restraining order against Sarah and got her to stop harassing them.
In the end, Edward’s family thrived, thanks to that money. Edward started his own business and gave the kids college funds.
What can we take away from this story?
- Don’t underestimate the value of anything. Not every old blanket in your grandmother’s basement will be worth $1.5 million, but Edward and Gianna saw its real value.
- Greediness is a curse. Sarah may have kept all her possessions, but she ended up losing the most valuable item, which led to a criminal record.
Tell your friends about this story. This story might inspire and brighten their day.
This story is a continuation of the one that I enjoyed. It tells the story of a woman who spent 17 years in a coma and lost her life.
This account is inspired by a story by a reader but was written by a professional writer. To protect identities and preserve privacy, all names have been changed. Tell us your story. You might make a difference in someone’s life. Please send your story to [email protected].