A Discovery Under the Tub
A week of being bedridden with a fever and cough was now behind her. Mary stretched in bed and smiled. For the first time in a long while, she truly felt good. The morning began with sunlight streaming through the curtains. Mary was full of energy and determination.
“Right, time for coffee and a bit of cleaning!” she cheerfully said to herself as she got out of bed.
In the kitchen, her husband, Simon, was already sipping coffee and browsing the news on his ancient laptop.
“Morning,” he muttered, not looking up from the screen.
“Good morning!” Mary replied joyfully. “I feel like a million bucks today! I’ve decided to do a deep clean. I’ll tackle the bathroom first with that new cleaner I bought before I got sick.”
Simon just nodded, clearly not sharing her enthusiasm.
“Why today? It’s my day off… You’ll get me to help as well, and I wanted to relax.”
“Don’t worry, darling, I’ve got enough energy for both of us!” Mary assured him, finishing her coffee and the last bite of her avocado toast.
She hummed quietly to herself while pulling on rubber gloves. How good it felt that the kids had grown up, and cleaning didn’t have to happen so often! Their daughter had gotten married the year before, and since September, their son was off to university and living in a dorm. She made a mental note to call them both. Picking up a new cleaning paste that promised shine and freshness in minutes, Mary noted with satisfaction that its scent resembled lavender or some other pleasant aroma, far from harsh chemicals.
First, she tackled the sink, followed by the toilet, and then moved on to the tub. The paste worked wonders, and a floral scent filled the air.
“Wow!” she exclaimed in admiration, looking at the gleaming surface. “It’s like new again!”
But her energy didn’t wane. Feeling on a roll with the cleaning, she got down on her knees to take a look under the tub.
“Goodness, there’s so much dust!” she exclaimed, grabbing a cloth.
Then her eye caught something shiny. Mary extended her hand and pulled out a small glass coffee jar. Inside were neatly folded banknotes.
“What’s this?” she murmured, opening the jar in surprise.
Mary emerged from the bathroom, holding the jar. Simon was still at his laptop, but seeing the look on her face, he grew alert.
“Simon, what’s this?” she asked, showing him the jar.
He paused for a moment. A flash of tension crossed his face, but he quickly composed himself and shrugged.
“I’ve no idea. How should I know? Maybe it’s your secret stash?” he said, gulping and looking at the jar as though it contained the last piece of bread on Earth.
His look was edged with poorly hidden regret, but Mary didn’t notice. She was already counting the money with amazement.
“My stash? I wouldn’t hide money under the tub. Clearly, this is your doing.”
Simon raised his hands in surrender and swallowed another lump in his throat.
“I swear, I don’t know where it came from. Maybe it was left by the previous owners?”
Mary squinted.
“We’ve lived here for five years. I doubt they’d leave money lying around.”
Simon tried to appear casual, closely watching every move of Mary’s hands. Meanwhile, she decided that since she’d found the money, they were now hers. With a smile, she counted the notes. Her eyes gleamed with a healthy dose of excitement.
“Well, if no one’s claiming it, then it seems I got lucky,” she declared.
Simon tried to interject, his voice smoothing over his emotions with effort:
“Perhaps we could buy something useful? Like a new laptop? This one’s on its last legs. I’ve had my eye on one with a powerful processor…”
“A laptop?” Mary smirked. “Why would I want your laptop? I have a better idea.”
The next day, Mary came home with a beautifully wrapped box. Inside was a set of jewelry: earrings, a ring, and a delicate pendant. She proudly showed them to Simon.
“What do you think?” she asked, slipping the ring on and beaming like a queen. “Don’t I look fabulous?”
Her expression clearly warned Simon: “You’d better not argue!”
“Beautiful,” he readily replied, trying to hide his disappointment and bitterness. “You’re my number one, let’s hope no one takes you away now.”
Mary spent the evening flaunting her new jewels, eagerly telling everyone, including friends, her mom, and mother-in-law, about her discovery and happy purchase. Before bed, at ten o’clock, she carefully laid out her treasures on the bedside table so she could put them on first thing in the morning.
Simon lay awake much longer, unlike Mary, who was out like a light in fifteen minutes. Knowing his wife’s deep sleep pattern, Simon quietly tiptoed to the balcony door, slipping his weary body outside. There, in a juicer box, he retrieved a hidden pack of cigarettes, along with a pack of mint gum.
He lit a cigarette and took a drag. He had quit long ago, after all… It was Mary’s insistence due to his frequent bronchitis and pneumonia bouts. Remarkably, he hadn’t had a seasonal ailment all year. Feeling a bit more settled after the nicotine hit, Simon grabbed his phone and dialed a friend’s number.
“Well, mate,” he said, “I won’t be joining the game anytime soon. You’ll have to manage without me… Yeah, the wife found my stash. Been saving for six months, finally got the needed amount. And she just went and bought herself some jewelry.”
“That’s rough,” his friend sympathized. “No worries, you’ll save up again.”
Simon sighed, glancing back into the bedroom. Mary was sleeping soundly, her new jewels sparkling uselessly for him but bringing her clear delight.
“Yeah… She’s in high spirits now. Even mentioned that she should shed a few extra pounds for the jewels to look more striking. I’m actually glad it brought her so much happiness.”
The next morning, Mary was in a great mood again. She put on her new earrings and pendant, admiring her reflection in the mirror.
“How do I look?” she asked Simon.
“Fantastic,” he replied, managing a genuine smile, enchanted by her radiant eyes.
Indeed, every woman needs spoiling now and then. Yet deep down, Simon was already devising a plan for where to stash his next savings. This time, definitely not under the tub.
