He plodded into the bank, pulling a huge trolley, whose squeak broke the quiet, orderly atmosphere. The clerk stared in disbelief, "How many are there? " The old man could not answer. None of them knew how big a fortune he had accumulated in his 45 years of collecting coins.
1. An Ordinary Man
Otha Anders is a perfectly ordinary 73-year-old man with a loving family that supports all his decisions. He had served as a mentor at the Jackson School Board, where he supervised and cared for students who were in the tough position of being suspended. If there was one thing that set him apart, it was perhaps his quirky hobby.
2. An Eccentric Hobby
It all began with him having fun finding coins lying on the ground. Coin collecting wasn't an odd hobby, but his belief made it one: for Anders, each penny he found was a gift from God, reminding him to always be thankful. "There have been days where I failed to pray, a lost penny would show up to remind me." With such belief, the hobby became a full-fledged obsession.
3. Ways Of Collecting
Anders was no longer content with coins on the street and began collecting them by any means possible. "I stopped spending coins, exchanged notes for pennies, and even asked the supermarket cashier to change only in coins." As time went by, the coins that were piled up at home had become a staggering amount. How would the people around him react to his hobby and the accumulated wealth?
4. His Supportive Family
For the first few years, Anders' family and friends were surprised by the number of the collected pennies, but they became very used to it and have always supported his hobby. When the news of his growing enthusiasm for collecting coins spread through the school, his students did something even more touching.
5. Students Trying To Help
As soon as the students learnt of Anders' hobby, they decided to help him in return for his love and help. Several times students approached him with fistfuls of coins, piling them on his desk with glee. They were waiting for his look of surprise and joy, but Anders gave an unexpected response.
6. Stick To His Faith
"I can't accept it without compensation, even if you offer me freely." Anders spoke to the students firmly and decisively. No matter how eager he was to collect pennies, he would never break his word: the penny was a token for him to appreciate what he had, not what he took. Just like that, Anders has collected coins on his own for 45 years, and no one knew how much money he'd accumulated, not even himself.
7. A Significant Number
After 45 years of collecting, Anders managed to store up a vast amount of pennies that could fill 15 five-gallon plastic water jugs. To him, his carefully gathered coins were as worthy of protection as any treasure. He decided to include his precious collection in his home insurance, but as he happily prepared to do so, something unexpected happened.
8. No Cover
"We can offer no cover for your pennies." The insurance company refused without even giving him a chance to explain. Anders went on to every single insurance company in town, but none of them would accept his pennies. Driven to despair, he gritted his teeth and made the final decision.
9. His Final Decision
Anders couldn't keep his pennies safe, and there was no more room for them. He eventually decided to let go of his obsession: make a coin deposit so that they could keep each other company in a different way, and have a better use for it. He called his friend to help take all of the pennies into his truck and headed to the bank. But a bigger problem arose.
10. The Distrustful Glare
Dragging a cart full of barrels, Anders pushed open the door of the Ruston Origina bank. The noisy crowd fell silent when he came in. Everyone stared at him in bewilderment, as if he was weird from the inside out. Finally, a clerk spoke…
11. How Many?
"How many are there?" The clerk asked. "I don't know, about half a million pennies?" Anders answered, wiping sweat from his brow. "Is it possible to make a deposit?" "He pointed at the pennies and asked with a sincere smile. Yet sometimes sincerity can be met with disappointing responses.
12. Being Assertive
The clerk was taken aback for a moment and smiled, "You don't think I have time to count half a million pennies for you, do you?" Anders rubbed his fingers against the cart's handle and said assertively, "I know how crazy it sounds. But believe me, if I had it another way, I wouldn't trade my pennies for the world." The clerk paused for a while, and eventually made the call…
13. The Manager Came
It was her manager she called. The manager walked out of the office abruptly, wondering who was causing such a ruckus. Yet when he saw Anders, the manager's face lit up and quickly walked to the man who had just been questioned. Everyone was stunned as the manager obligingly greeted the strange man, "my dear Mr. Anders, anything I can do for you?!"
14. A Loyal Customer
It turned out Anders was a regular customer of the bank who had never caused any trouble. "It is our duty and pleasure to help our loyal customer." At the manager's direction, Anders and his friend brought in the jugs one by one, and the clerk cracked them open with an ax and hammer. After 5 hours of counting, everyone was amazed by the total sum, even Anders himself.
15. The Final Sum
Under the gaze of all the onlookers, the final sum was revealed. Anders had saved a whopping amount of $5,136.14 in his 45-year coin collection! What would he do next with such a large pile of bills that were no longer collectible?
16. The Use Of The Fortune
Just as he'd made the deposit, Anders had received a hefty dental bill. It seemed that these pennies were bound to help him in his time of need. With his 45-year savings, Anders not only paid off the bill, but also had a wonderful family vacation, and even made donations to his local church.
17. Small Things Matters
Who would believe that Anders' quirky hobby could turn into such a considerable fortune! This special saving is a testament not only to Anders' faith, but also to the importance of sticking to the small stuff. Have faith and perseverance in the little things, and you'll be well rewarded.
Source: buzzfond.com