A Christmas Story

Tony Parkins tells a fictional tale about an unexpected Christmas discovery. IT was time to tackle the second drawer down.

It was something that I'd been meaning to do for several weeks… but so far had never got around to it.

I'd occasionally been critical of my predecessor as churchwarden, but after a couple of months I'd begun to see that it wasn't possible to do everything in the time available.

He'd retired after 26 years of sterling service and although I'd only been in post for a fraction of that stint, already I could begin to see some cracks appearing in my complacent façade.

So, with some trepidation I pulled out the large drawer and placed it onto the vestry floor. As I'd half-expected, it was a real treasure trove.

There were service sheets dating back to the 1950's and a set of PCC minutes relating to the parish merger during the following decade.

There was even a set of half a dozen hymnbooks from the 1930s.

I sorted out what might be beneficially recycled, and what might be retained for historical interest.

Then as I was almost finished, I saw a slight reflection from the dim vestry light.

I squinted down, peering at the source more closely, and spotted something that seemed to have become wedged into the frame of the drawer.

Gently, I pulled at it with my fingernails for several seconds without success, and then suddenly it came loose.

It seemed to be an old coin, and how long it had been there was anyone's guess. "I never did find that penny," said a soft voice from behind me, and I started slightly, since I hadn't heard anyone enter the room.

Slowly, I arose to see a man of the cloth.

It wasn't our Rector, nor any of the clergy from adjacent parishes, but even so his face seemed familiar.

He had an air of ethereality about him, as though he wasn't quite of this world. "I put the offertory into that drawer as usual at the close of my final service," he went on, with a slight smile, "this being before we got that nice new safe.

" He glanced across the room, and automatically my eyes followed.

New, I thought with sudden suspicion, since surely it was far older than me?He went on: "I was painfully aware that I was a penny short, because my entry on the register didn't tally. . . " I understood exactly how he felt, since I'd acted as Sidesman myself on occasion, and knew just how easy it was to make a minor mistake with the money.

He said: "I hunted high and low for it the following day, but without success. . .

as you can see.

Still, I expect it must be worth a few bob by now. ""Perhaps," I agreed, since it seemed to have been newly minted, and was in excellent condition. "It's the little things that bind us," he said sagely, as though a large load had been lifted from his shoulders, "and I'm so glad that it's finally been found, since now I can rest more easily.

Also, I do hope that it will solve your difficulty with the church roof. " Clearly, he knew all about our current appeal, with which we'd got a long way to go before we could consider ourselves… well, watertight. Then I held it up to the light in order to examine it further.

Yes, it was indeed old, and the head was that of George V. . .

so good King George V was firmly on the throne when this was minted.

I turned back towards my companion and blinked, since there was no trace of my mysterious visitor and there had been no sound of him leaving. Then my eyes fell on the framed photographs of our Rectors past and present on the vestry wall.

"Oh, my," I breathed since there he was, smiling slightly out at me just the same as he'd been doing a few seconds previously in the flesh…. so to speak.

The information under the picture read: "Wilfred Watson, Rector 1910 - 1933. "Then I looked again at the coin, this time at the reverse side, and my hand shook uncontrollably.

I was holding a 1933 penny, one of the rarest coins in the world.

I'd read that only six or seven such were ever minted, and that most were already accounted for in museums or underneath foundation stones.

"Fix the church roof," I thought, still in shock, since the proceeds from this single 1d would easily cover that, and also allow the parish to make a generous donation towards the recent overseas humanitarian appeal. "Merry Christmas, Wilfred…. " I murmured, "". . . . and to you too," I half-heard in reply…. or was it just my imagination on the wind?The endTony Parkin is the Deputy Church Warden and Treasurer of Hambleden with Frieth.