Relocation

Beachcombing was his hobby.

The simple truth of it was that he just loved doing it. At home he had a wonderful collection; gathered over the years. Much like anglers, he had his favourite spot. It was definitely better than any other stretch along that part of the coastline. It was a relatively small patch of beach, formed by two dunes stretching down towards the sea at either end. He seemed to have total rites to it. He should know, he’d been coming to the spot for almost two decades. At least, in all that time, he’d never seen any other enthusiasts combing there. It was truly amazing just what could be found; everything from bits of interestingly shaped driftwood to a great variety of shells, coming in so many sizes and colours. He’d sometimes find fossils, bits of pottery and sea glass that had been tumbled and weathered into strange little shapes. Of course, not so often, coins and jewellery.

However, this all changed the day he found the tin.

At first, it was the tip of something metallic. He knelt down and scooped away the sand around it. As he brought it up, he could see that the object was a round, metal container with a lid. The thing felt quite heavy. It had a screw top that took a lot of effort to unscrew. When it was off, he sat cross-legged, wide-eyed, for what seemed an age, staring at what it held. It was a large, very tightly bound roll of banknotes. He wondered, had it been washed up or had it been buried here? How long has it been here? Months, days, hours… or this morning, even? He looked around. Whatever was the case, somebody would be coming back for it.

His hands were shaking as he finally fumbled with the lid, getting it back on. He quickly dropped it into his knapsack and looked around again. As usual, not a soul in sight.

As he made his way back through the dunes, he tried to clear his thoughts. One thing was certain. Although it would be a horrible sacrifice, he’d have to find another spot. To be safe, he could never come back here again.

Sadly, he would have to relocate…