We don’t come from money, and we don’t have much now.
While we were stuck in our house in Queens, New York, James started researching new ways to make money.
When he found out that all magnet fishing needs is a strong magnet on the end of a string, he decided to give it a go.
I was so excited and wanted to be part of the action next time.
Friends have since said we should have just taken the money and run, but it wouldn’t have felt right.
Back home, the money started to petrify.
As it dried off inside the bag, it started to get stiff; it looked like the notes were becoming one solid block.
It’s like winning the lottery, but we don’t know how much we’ve won or when we’ll get it.
I’ve known James, my partner, for nearly our entire lives. Our mothers had a close friendship. We are not financially supported, and we currently lack it. James was employed as a merchant mariner prior to COVID-19, and I had early childhood teaching experience. I had a medical procedure go wrong just as the first lockdown was about to begin. James had to take care of our kids and stay at home to help me heal. He lost his job because his work was insufficient to cover the time off.
James began looking into new income streams while we were cooped up in our Queens, New York home. He had always desired to be a treasure hunter, but he had assumed that would require pricey gear. He chose to give magnet fishing a try after learning that all you need is a powerful magnet on the end of a string.
He simply brought my son along the first few times. He called me thrilled to have caught something incredible on their third trip. The bike was a Yamaha. I wanted to join in on the action the next time because I was so excited. My goal is to document our travels and discoveries on my Let’s Get Magnetic YouTube channel.
Pardon the pun, but we were hooked. We’ve discovered a variety of items in the little more than a year, including jewelry, firearms, knives, and grenades from the Second World War. We now know so much more. After we discovered $200 in a phone case in Central Park Lake, we discovered that the Treasury Department office in Washington, DC, will accept damaged notes and provide you with a check for the amount you turn them in.
We decided to visit Corona Park, which is close to our house, one day. There was something there, James felt confident. We’d had safes in the past, but they’d never held anything, so I wasn’t expecting much until James cried out, “Baby, we got a safe!” after about 45 minutes.
I saw something inside and a hole in the back as he raised it into the air. According to James, “It looks like a stack of bills.”. He took out something rectangular that was wrapped in a bag and covered in black sludge, and that’s when I started to believe him. He opened it up and revealed all of these $100 bills. There was another bag there when he peered inside again. I was still in disbelief over what I was seeing.
We had to call the police, even in our shock. Although it wouldn’t have felt right, friends have since advised us to simply take the money and run. There were thousands in this case. That was terrifying, because someone’s life could have been destroyed.
The authorities stated that they could not find any proof that we had broken the law and could not determine who owned it. It was our money, they said, so we could keep it. My body trembled with complete shock. Even though we were thrilled, we were still certain that the money would be taken. Particularly not to us, such things don’t occur in real life.
The money at home began to grow pale. It appeared as though the notes were solidifying into a single block as they dried inside the bag and became stiff. Furthermore, the stench was revolting—it was like feces—and it would cling to the air if we opened the bag for even a brief moment. We scheduled a Megabus three days later and personally delivered it to the bureau in Washington, DC, because we wanted to convert it as soon as possible.
The exact amount remains unknown, but our research indicates that each stack—of which there were two—could contain anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000. We’ll eventually receive a check from the bureau, but it might take anywhere from six months to two and a half years.
It is similar to winning the lottery in that we are unsure of the amount we have won or when we will receive it. We’re considering our options for spending the cash. Our cell phones really need to be replaced, but we can’t stop talking about bigger ideas.
We should move out of New York and into a place where the dog can run around and there is space for goats and chickens. Although it seemed unfeasible, I had always wanted to move somewhere with less concrete. We never win anything, and our recent bad luck has continued. Therefore, everything that happens, no matter when, will be fortunate.
Telling Grace Holliday the truth.
