Unforgettable: "Free Money"

Hi awesome people, I hope we are doing fine. It's week 124 prompt @hive ghana. So, I have come to share my unforgettable experience. Like many other people out there, many things have happened in my life, and some experience are unforgettable. One of them that I cherished so much, though it's kind of bitter is what I termed "Free Money".

You know, how much we are always willing to find money on the road but not willing to lose any. You can be trekking and just find money by the road side. Most times, these are notes that fell from unknown people. It usually happened when they are in a hurry or fell from them when they are carefree. Anytime we found such money on our way growing up, we used be very happy and spend such money lavishly. So, growing up, it's always our prayer to find "free money".

On that fateful day however, I was in my neighbour's apartment, sitting in their parlour waiting for my friend that was busy running errands for her mother. Suddenly, I lifted my eyes and saw some coins sitting upon each other on their window. So, I thought it was "free money" again since nobody was in possession. I stood up and graciously approached the window and packed the coins. Not long after, my friend was done running errands, and we both went out to play. I brought out the money and told her, I found "Free Money ". We started buying things. I mean all manners of things, from mangoes to biscuits and others, until we spent all. It was late in the evening and we both returned to our houses.

Few hours later,.we were already at dinner, we heard a knock on our door. We weren't expecting anybody, so everyone looked amazed. My mother went to open the door and I saw my friend and her entire family walking in. They told us they had been looking for some coins at home but couldn't find it. They turned to me, asking if I found the coins, because my friend told them we have been buying things. I told them I only found some 'free money'on their window and I took it because I thought it didn't belong to any... Before I could complete the statement, a thunderous slap landed on my face. I thought I had gone blind. My mother started beating me out of annoyance. She beat me to stupor and no one even said that was enough. As she was beating me, she kept asking if I had become a thief, but the whole thing was somehow to me, I only thought I found "free money". That was the day I knew the difference between finding money and taking someone else's thing. It was a terrible and unforgettable experience for me. It happened about 20 years ago but till today, even if I find anything anywhere, I don't take.

Thanks for reading.
Picture used is mine.