Tommy had been spending the summer with his grandmother, Alice. She needed help clearing out the attic because she has decided to move into a retirement home. While in the attic, Tommy noticed a very old book.
Source: People Today
Tommy asked about the book but Alice did not know much about it – just that it was a family heirloom. She was happy to pass it down to Tommy if he wanted to keep it. Little did they know how valuable this old book was.
Taking it to the pawnshop
Tommy wanted to verify the value of this book so he decided to take it to the pawnshop. Victor, the pawnshop owner, told the young boy he had no time for games. But when Tommy showed him the book, he immediately put his glasses on.
Source: People Today
Victor’s eyes widened, “Where did you get this book?” he asked Tommy. Pleased that he finally got Victor’s attention, Tommy told him that it was a family heirloom that he inherited from his grandmother. Victor carefully turned around a few pages.
Calling in the experts
Victor took out his phone. “Get over here as soon as you can. I’m serious! You need to take a look at this!” he told the other person on the line. Victor told Tommy that he had to call in an expert to check out the book and that she would be here soon.
Source: People Today
Soon enough, the expert arrived. She introduced herself as Rose and asked Tommy if she could take a look at the book. Tommy suddenly felt nervous – he was excited about what Rose could say. How valuable can this book be?
She asked him to leave
It was very hard to read Rose’s mind as she inspected the book. She had a very serious look on her face. Tommy started to doubt himself when she finally looked up and spoke to him. “You’re not supposed to have this book,” she said with a fierce look on her face.
Source: People Today
Tommy was confused. It looked like the book was a bigger deal than he initially thought. He waited for Rose to explain what was in the book but she remained silent. Suddenly, she told him “Kid, you need to leave.” she then turned her back to make a phone call.
He can’t take grandma’s book
Tommy stood up hesitantly. He was about to grab his book when Rose yelled at him not to touch it. “The book stays with me, thank you. Now feel free to leave.” She grabbed the book and turned her back on Tommy.
Source: People Today
Tommy was confused. That book belonged to him and his family! How could Rose just take it away? He turned to Victor for help but Victor just gave him a shrug. Tommy watched as Rose went to a room at the back and closed the door.
She called for security
Tommy was about to run into the room where Rose was and grab the book. He could feel his heart beating in his chest as he prepared to make his move. But suddenly, something unexpected happened. This ruined his plan and his chances of taking back his book.
Source: People Today
Two men walked in the pawnshop. They wore suits and had security earpieces on. Tommy instantly knew they were not customers. Rose got out of the room and greeted the guards. She must have called them in.
There was nothing he could do
When Rose saw that Tommy was still there, she looked irritated. “Why are you still here?” Then, she handed Tommy’s book to one of the guards. “Take it to the lab for testing immediately and tell Dr. Roberts to call me as soon as he has the results,” she ordered.
Source: People Today
Tommy watched helplessly as the guards walked out the door with his book. Tommy knew there was no way he could outrun or outfight the two men. So, all Tommy could do was just watch them. He needed to think of another way to get his book back.
Doing his research
Tommy went back home feeling defeated. Everyone must have underestimated his ownership of the book just because he was a young boy. Tommy remembered Rose mentioning Dr. Roberts. It was not much to work with but it was a start.
Source: People Today
Tommy went online and retrieved the article that he had found. He was hoping that he could pick up some clues that he overlooked. Tommy read it several times but found nothing that could lead him to where the book was now.
A comment caught his eye
Tommy was about to give up when he decided to read the comments section. He kept on scrolling until something caught his attention. One of the commenters mentioned “LR’s research” and it immediately made him think – could it be Dr. Roberts?
Source: People Today
Tommy clicked on the user profile of the person who posted that comment. He saw that this user had posted hundreds of comments on other articles. This user must be another expert as well.
Headed to the museum
Tommy read through the comments and finally found something. One of the commenters mentioned that LR was doing lab work for a museum. That museum turned out to be in the city where Tommy lived. Could it be that LR is the Dr. Roberts that he was looking for?
Source: People Today
Tommy quickly looked up the museum online and took note of its opening and closing time. He still had a couple of hours before the museum closes. Tommy decided to hop on his bike and go to the museum.
Blending in
When Tommy got to the museum, he tried his best not to draw any attention to himself. Lucky for him, it was a busy day and there were a lot of families with kids around so he blended right in. He looked around, keeping an eye out for where the lab was.
Source: People Today
As Tommy walked through the museum, he almost forgot what he was there for. It was his first time inside and he enjoyed seeing all the ancient artifacts. It was not until he reached a section filled with old books and manuscripts that he remembered his mission.
Sneaking in
Tommy found a door that had a big “Employees Only” sign on it. Could this be the entrance to the laboratory? Dr. Roberts could be behind that door! Tommy looked around to check if anyone was watching. When he felt that the coast was clear, Tommy sneaked inside.
Source: People Today
Tommy found himself in an empty hallway. He moved forward and decided to check all the doors that he passed by. This could take a while. Tommy hoped nobody else would come in while he was there. If that happened, he would lose his chance of getting the book back.
Wrong room
Tommy stood before the first door. He was nervous and was trying to gather the guts to open it. He should not give up now – he’s come this far. But Tommy was a bit scared. He looked at his watch, he also knew he needed to hurry. So he quickly opened the door.
Source: People Today
It was just a small room filled with cleaning supplies. This must be the janitor’s closet. Tommy closed the door and moved to the next one. It was a small kitchen with several dining tables. This must be the break room.
A secured room
Tommy looked around to make sure the coast was still clear and approached the third door and tried to open it. The door was locked. Tommy saw that there was a security keypad beside the door. This one needed a security code to open.
Source: People Today
Tommy tried to take a peek at the little window in the door but it was too high for him to see anything. He remembered there was a footstool in the janitor’s closet. He quickly retrieved it. As he peeked into the room, Tommy gasped.
He finally found grandma’s book
The room was a lab and on one of the tables, Tommy could see his book! He also saw that there was one man inside. Could it be Dr. Roberts? He quickly got down before the man notices him peeking and returned the footstool in the janitor’s closet.
Source: People Today
Tommy thought of a plan. He had to wait for the man inside to walk out of the room and just before the door closed, he needed to sneak into the lab. There was no other way – he did not know the code and he needed to retrieve his book without anyone seeing him.
Getting caught
Lucky for Tommy he did not have to wait long. A few minutes later, the man took a break and Tommy hid behind the door. He waited for the door to open, he held on to the handle and sneaked in quickly before it closed. The man did not even notice!
Source: People Today
Tommy quickly walked to where his book and started reading the notes beside it. He was so invested that he did not even hear the door open and close behind him. Tommy only realized he was not alone anymore when he felt a pat on his shoulder.
Meeting Dr. Roberts
Startled, Tommy looked behind him and saw that the scientist was back in the lab. He was caught. He expected the man to be angry but he only had a curious expression on his face. He saw his notes in Tommy’s hands and said, “Impressive, isn’t it?”
Source: People Today
Tommy looked back at the book. “I don’t understand – what is so special about this book?” The man started to laugh. Tommy looked at the name tag on his lab coat and found that this man was Dr. Roberts. Fortunately, he was a lot friendlier than Rose.
He wanted his book back
Tommy explained everything and how Rose just took the book away from him without explanation. Seeing how much Tommy had to go through to get his grandmother’s book back, Dr, Roberts decided to make a deal with him.
Source: People Today
If Tommy left the book with him and let him continue his research, Dr. Roberts would make sure that he and Alice would get credit once he was done. He explained to him that the book was a special one and that is why he wanted to research it.
Giving grandma an update
After hearing Dr. Roberts out, Tommy realized how important this book was and agreed to the deal. Dr. Roberts asked for his contact information and promised to give him updates. He also escorted him out of the resticted area without reporting him to the guards.
Source: People Today
Tommy could not believe what he just found out about the book. And to think that it was just in Alice’s attic gathering dust. He decided to ride his bike to the retirement home and pay Alice a visit. His grandmother was very surprised to see him.
From family heirloom to museum exhibition
Tommy told his grandmother about how the book was a rare and ancient text of great historical and cultural value. Alice was surprised to hear all of this. She had no idea how important the family heirloom was.
Source: People Today
A few months later, the research was finally done. Tommy gave permission to have the book exhibited permanently in the museum. In exchange, Tommy got free entry to the museum for the rest of his life.