My Elderly Neighbor Died — Two Days Later, I Dug Up the Secret He Hid Under His Apple Tree for 40 Years

For forty years I have kept a secret. Under the old apple tree in my yard, something is buried.

I protected you from the truth for as long as I could.

But now you deserve to know.

Please don’t tell anyone.”

I read the letter three times.

It made no sense.

I barely knew the man.

Why would he leave something like this for me?

That night I barely slept.

The words kept repeating in my mind.

Under the apple tree.

The next morning curiosity finally won.

After Richie left for work and the girls went to school, I grabbed a shovel and walked next door.

The apple tree stood near the fence where it always had, its branches crooked with age.

I pushed the shovel into the ground.

The soil was soft.

After a few minutes the blade hit something hard.

A dull metallic sound echoed through the quiet yard.

My heart started racing.

I knelt down and brushed away the dirt until the edge of a small metal box appeared.

It was rusty and heavy.