Girl Sets Old Clock’s Hands to 42 Minutes as Her Late Grandma Asked In Her Will & Clock Opens – Story of the Day

A young woman inherits an old house and a clock from her grandmother, and when she follows the instructions in the will, the clock opens to reveal her true legacy.

Emily Olsen passed away and left her two granddaughters alone in the world. Her daughter had succumbed to cancer when Catherine was 12 and Alice was 14. She was the girl's safe harbor, now she was gone.

Catherine stumbled through the funeral, dazed by loss, but her older sister Alice was cool, calm, and collected. The only time she showed some emotion was when Emily's lawyer asked them to drop in the next day.

Alice and Catherine were sisters, but their characters were very different. | Source: Unsplash

That night, Catherine cried herself to sleep in her small apartment, and Alice talked to her boyfriend about what inheritance Emily might have left for her granddaughters.

"Listen, back in the 50s, the family had oodles of money!" Alice said. "I know Gran Emily's gambled most of the family fortune away, but there must be SOMETHING left!"

So Catherine went to the meeting at the lawyer's office expecting nothing, and Alice was expecting a windfall. Mr. Kalton, the lawyer, explained: "Emily's will is very straightforward, especially because her estate is very small."

"Small?" snapped Alice. "What do you mean? How much?"

Catherine adored her grandmother, Emily. | Source: Unsplash

"Emily Olsen left her home, the house at 42, Farlow Road, to be shared equally between the two of you. I'll read you an excerpt that I think is relevant: 'Along with my house, I leave you the clock that has marked all the important moments of my life.

"'My dears, never forget where you come from because our greatest legacy is always our origins, and those special moments ticked away by that old clock will open a treasure trove.'"

"Seriously?" asked Alice. "Was Gran Emily senile? Counting moments on that ratty old clock? Treasure trove of special moments? What about money?"

Mr. Kalton frowned. "There is no money, Alice," he said. "Emily lived on her pension."

Alice loved luxury and money. | Source: Unsplash

"So it's just that dilapidated old house and that ratty old clock?" Alice cried. She turned to her sister who had been listening in silence. "You can have it all, Cath! I don't want it!"

"In that case," Mr. Kalton said. "Please be so kind as to sign a document declaring you turn over your part of the inheritance to your sister."

"With pleasure!" Alice sneered. She signed the declaration and flounced out of the office. Catherine shook her head and wiped away her tears.

"I love that old house," she said. "It's where I grew up. I want to live there! Gran Emily is right. There are memories in every corner of that house, and all my best moments I lived there, with her."

The lawyer told Alice and Catherine about Emily's will. | Source: Unsplash

A week later, Catherine hired a contractor and started renovating her grandmother's house. Because her budget was small, there were things she did herself, like painting the kitchen.

It was while she was mixing the paint that Catherine's eyes fell on the old wall clock. "That's got to come down!" she said to herself and went to fetch a ladder.

Catherine struggled to take the clock down because it was a lot heavier than she expected. She placed it on the kitchen table and remembered what Mr. Kalton had read in the will: 'Those special moments ticked away by that old clock will open a treasure trove.'

"Remember where you come from," Catherine told herself. "So where do I come from? From 42 Farlow Road! 42..." Thoughtfully, Catherine pushed the minute hand to 42 minutes and heard a strange click.

Catherine decided to live in Emily's old house. | Source: Unsplash

Slowly, she pushed the second hand into alignment with the minutes and heard a second click. Her heart started beating faster and faster, as she pushed the hour hand into alignment.

There was a third, louder click and the front of the clock opened! Inside Catherine saw the gleam of gold and the sparkle of diamonds! The old clock held a treasure trove indeed!

The jewels that had been worn by the Olsen women for generations lay on the kitchen table. Diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, and Catherine knew she couldn't bear to sell any of them!

Catherine searched the inside of the old clock again and found a package. Inside was a thick wad of cash, but the banknotes were old, very old. The money totaled $12,000.

Catherine found the family jewels inside the old wall clock. | Source: Unsplash

What can we learn from this story?

• Value is more than money in hand. It is about love and memory. Alice only valued money, so she ended up missing out on her grandmother's legacy.
• Never forget where you came from, and you will always know where you are going. Catherine cherished her memories of her grandmother, and she made that love her legacy and her treasure.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about two men quarreling over the division of an inheritance who are taught a lesson in justice, selflessness, and brotherly love by two poor young boys who have nothing.

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