Pennies from Heaven

Pennies from Heaven

The gentle rain went unnoticed as Sarah trudged down the city street with her shoulders hunched. Grey clouds weighed heavy above and dull terraced houses lined Sarah's way like silent mourners as she turned her wedding ring round and round her finger. The dreary day suited her mood perfectly as she headed towards the shop where she hoped to sell the band of gold. Sarah and her husband had already sold everything else of worth in order to survive and this was the last of their valuable possessions.
Her last few coins chinked in the front pocket of her dark trousers. It was the only money she had left since the bank had requested the return of her cards and frozen her account. If only their luck hadn't turned, if their business hadn't folded and the interest rates hadn't gone up, making their mortgage repayments all but impossible. 'Forty-two and reduced to this,' she thought bitterly.
She stopped abruptly. Wiping strands of damp, blonde hair from her face, Sarah stared at the penny glistening as it lay discarded on the damp pavement. She stooped down and picked up the copper coloured coin, rubbing off the water with her fingertips. Sarah smiled thinly as she looked at the penny resting on her open palm. Then her gaze fell on the wedding ring beside it and her smile vanished immediately.
Looking up, she could see the pawn shop a little way down the road. Sighing, Sarah put the penny in the back pocket of her dark trousers and then continued towards the door which loomed before her.
Coming to a halt before the pawn shop's glass door, she wiped a drop of rain water from her nose. As she did so Sarah's gaze fell on the poster in the window of the newsagents next door. It was an advert for scratch cards and she delved into the front pocket of her trousers to retrieve the few coins she had left. There was exactly one pound and she didn't need to spend the penny in her back pocket.
Before Sarah had time to talk herself out of buying a card she was walking through the blue door, the bell above tinkling as she entered. 'Another angle has just got their wings,' she thought, a fleeting smile upon her face as she recalled the film 'It's a Wonderful Life.'
'Can I help you?' asked the short shopkeeper as she peered over the top of her steel-rimmed glasses and Sarah moved to stand before the blue counter.
'One scratch card, please,' she replied.
'What kind would you like?'
Sarah simply tapped the plastic card holder to her right without looking over.
'One pound, please,' said the assistant after she tore off one of the cards.
Sarah handed over the collection of coins she'd been holding in her hand.
The shopkeeper counted, her lips moving as she totted up the loose change. 'Thank you,' she said finally, ringing the amount into the till.
Sarah picked the card up from the counter and stared at it for a moment, her eyebrows rising when she noted its name; 'Pennies from Heaven.'
The bell above the door rang once more as she walked back outside and fished the penny from her back pocket. It was the obvious coin to use for rubbing the card, it was also the last coin she possessed.
Slowly, fingers trembling slightly, she began to rub the card with the penny and reveal her fate.

One Month Later

Rain had been falling most of the day. There was a patchwork of puddles on the pavement reflecting the cloudy sky. Karen's brown hair glistened with water as the chill wind ruffled it with invisible hands. She walked with head bowed, a crumpled letter held tightly in her right hand. The words on the page contained promises he'd never kept. Steve had said he loved her, had said he'd ring her, keep in contact, but there'd been nothing.
She swallowed hard, fighting back tears. Her eyes were red and sore from the crying she'd already done in the privacy of her home and she had no wish to shed further tears in public.
Karen didn't know where she was going, had no destination. She'd needed to escape the confinement of her apartment and the sadness that seemed to be compounded by the walls which surrounded her.
A well dressed woman came towards her along the pavement, head high, face bright and full of happiness.
Their eyes met and the other lady's expression changed when she saw the pain clearly evident in Karen's eyes. Her pace slowed as she brushed blonde hair from her eyes, wedding ring glinting as Karen thought she heard a faint tinkling sound.
The woman passed by, her smile returning and eyes sparkling.
Karen walked a little further and then stopped, her gaze attracted by the glint of the penny on the pavement. Bending down, she picked up the small coin. It was warm and dry, and she realised that the other woman must have dropped it. She thought about chasing after her, but she was already quite a distance down the street.
Tucking the penny in her pocket, Karen then continued to walk along the street and lifted the collar of her grey coat in an attempt to protect her face from the cold wind.
'Karen, wait!' It was Steve's voice.
She turned with a look of surprise on her pale face as the sound of quick footsteps drew closer.
'I saw you walk by the office. I've been trying to ring you, but your phone must be out of order or something,' said Steve breathlessly as he stopped before her, a smile on his clean shaven face and dark eyes filled with genuine delight in seeing her.
Karen released the crumpled letter and let it fall to the wet pavement as she flung her arms around him, her eyes welling with tears of joy.