It never occurred to me that my neighbor’s yard would hold a long-lost secret,

but life is full of surprises. It was going to be my chance to find the secret prize

that the enigmatic next-door neighbor, Mrs. Harper, had been holding for years.

Observing her stealthily enter my yard with a shovel intrigued and alarmed me at the same time.

What was it she was looking for? Why did she act in secret?

I felt bad for her since I could see fear in her eyes when we were close.

I noticed a little, raggedy bag and couldn’t help but wonder what was inside.

She told me a story of fear, desire, and ultimately, liberation.

The fact that her spouse had discovered the reward several years prior was what ultimately took him down.

With every statement, I became more and more aware that the prize represented

Mrs. Harper’s tremendous burden, which she had been bearing for a very long time,

in addition to a collection of priceless items.

We all decided to try to solve the mystery of the award by taking it to a museum.

However, we discovered something unexpected: the reward was phony and had no real value.