Two Dollars and a Knife

I wonder how many people get on this on Friday to see what I have posted? It would be interesting to find out. Is is just people who leave comments? I don't think so, for I know others have read things and not left comments. But what am I talking about that for? I wanted to mention to those who do get on and notice the new look and buttons on the side, that you ought to check out each place.

A & A make the cutest bags that are just the right size. (read the post before this)

As for PaperBackSwap, if you have never been on it, you are missing out. It is a place we love. Growing up reading books and having books read to me, has given me a love for books. (just in case you didn't know that) The only thing was, we didn't have money enough to go to the bookstore all the time. My mom's and my favorite used book store went out of business a few years ago, and so for a while we had no place to take the books we wanted to get rid of nor get "new" ones. It was last year when I got to looking at PaperBackSwap. I will admit, I was quite sceptical at first. I didn't understand it. But once I got to looking at the site, wow! We now use it all the time. If we get low on credits, Mom goes to used books places, calls me and I check to see if books she has found are on some one's "wish list." We have gotten some like new, $20+ books on there. We have saved over $600.00 on books!

And then there is the SwapADVD site. I'm sure many people have DVDs they would like to get rid of and others they would like to get. This site is a great place to do that without spending a lot of money. And you can swap credits from PaperBackSwap to SwapADVD or the other way around.

Okay, I've given you my sales talk, which you probably didn't even read, and now I will post a story. No, I'll tell you right now, this is not Part 6 of Meleah's Western. I should have the next part ready for next week. I was going to post this story before the 4th, but I posted Part 5 instead. I hope you didn't mind.:) I had written this story years ago for a story contest that Vision Forum was having, only they never did have it. So here it is.


July 8, 2000
Dear Mike
You missed all the excitement at Grandpa’s on the 4th. Except for your family, everyone was there dressed in colonial clothes. Even Grandpa, though by the end of the afternoon he was talking of putting on his army uniform, if it fit. It was all because I found a knife pinning two $1.00 bills to a tree. Boy, you should’ve been there! No matter how hard I thought, I could come up with no reasonable or unreasonable explanation for them being there. Dad didn’t know either. As I stood in the kitchen after lunch, racking my brains for ideas, Grandpa startled me by dropping his hand suddenly on my shoulder asking,
“What’cha up to, Patrick?”
“I’m. . . Grandpa, did you stick two dollars on a tree with a knife?” I blurted the question out quickly. Grandpa looked astonished but shook his head.
“Go get ‘em, and we’ll take a look.”
Needing no urging, I rushed outside, leapt off the porch and raced to the tree. Everything looked the same. As I reached out for the knife, my spine began to tingle, and I knew I was being watched! Slowly I turned my head, eyes scanning the trees and bushes. A sudden sneeze whirled me around to see an older man wearing a dark green shirt.
“Your last name Henry?” the man asked
“Yes, sir.”
“Take that knife and money to your grandfather. See what he says.”

After another quick glance at the man, I obeyed. Hurrying as quickly as it was safe to, I reached the kitchen and opening the door shouted, “Grandpa! Where are you?”
“Here.” His voice sounded from the living room.
Stepping quickly in, I laid the knife and money in Grandpa’s lap. All was silent. Grandpa stared, his expression changing from bewilderment to disbelief and delight. Standing up suddenly, he exclaimed,
“Klesingharper! Where is he?”
Grandpa limped quickly to the back porch.
“Klesingharper!” Grandpa thundered. The man came into view. At sight of him, knife and money dropped from Grandpa’s hands as he started for the stairs. I hurried to his side knowing he wasn’t very good on steps. His hand trembled on my shoulder as we slowly descended the last step. Across the lawn, we met the stranger. After a hearty embrace, Grandpa, his voice choked with emotion, invited him in. So, together we walked back to the porch where the family had wonderingly gathered.
To make a long story short. Grandpa and Corporal Klesingharper both fought on Guadalcanal in ‘42. They were great friends. Once Grandpa lent Corporal Klesingharper $2.00, he promising to repay him. Klesingharper became seriously injured, and just before he was sent back to the States, Grandpa gave him his knife. They hadn’t seen or heard from each other since that time until the 4th. All afternoon we sat intently listening to their amazing stories of Guadalcanal, Coast Watchers, the Japanese and the Solomon Islands. I caught the whole thing on video!
Your Cousin,
P. Henry