The Silver Key

Theo’s grandfather worked for the same company for thirty years. He drove a small white van. Every morning he checked the engine, the lights, and the doors.

One day Theo asked him about the job. “What did you do, Grandpa?”

His grandfather smiled. “I carried money to the bank. The police knew my van. They knew my face.”

“Were you scared?” Theo asked.

“A little. But I was an adult, and it was my job.”

Theo looked at the old photo on the wall. His grandfather was young there, maybe twenty years old.

“Did you study for it?”

“No, not at a university. I learned at work, every day.”

Theo touched the small silver key in his grandfather’s hand. It was old now, but his grandfather still kept it.

“You can have it,” his grandfather said. “Now it is your job to keep it safe.”