My Nan’s Handbag

This happened in the living room in my home as a child.  I was about 6 or 7 years old.  It was about 1983 – 1984.
Our house was on Croxteth Road, Liverpool 8.  There was a Formica side board, that I was facing, with my back to the rest of the family and the living room. This wasn’t that long after my Nan’s death – my mum’s mum.

My Nan had had a big plastic or leather, beige handbag.  My mum had stored it in one of the sideboard cupboards.  I had spotted it there the week before and had a look through it before just to see what was in there.  So, I knew that there was money in her purse. I feel terrible saying this, but, when no one was looking I carefully moved the things in the cupboard, so that no one would know they were moved, and then went into my Nan’s bag and took a pound coin from inside her purse.

Now, I think it was either a big snot rag or a handkerchief that was also in the bag – a big one. I don’t know why I did it, but for some reason I put the pound coin inside the handkerchief .  I wrapped it all up inside the handkerchief and held it in the palm of my hands, clasped together, and sort of shook it up.  I don’t know why I did it, but I did it.

Afterwards, I opened the handkerchief up and the pound was gone! I looked everywhere for the coin and I didn’t tell anyone what had happened as I didn’t want them to know that I gone to me Nan’s purse and taken money out.  I was shocked that the coin had gone.  I checked my hands, the handkerchief, I checked the floor – everything.

So then I put the handkerchief back into my hands and did the same as before, in a bit of a panic, thinking, I hope it comes back!.  Anyway, I opened up the handkerchief and it HAD come back.  I thought about it, “did I make a mistake before and miss the coin when I looked for it?” But, I was 100% sure that I had checked everywhere and that it was nowhere to be seen.  I’d checked that it hadn’t rolled anywhere too.  Anyway, there was the coin, it appeared back inside this handkerchief.

I remember being aware of all the colours around me and I can remember still, where I was sat and everything around me.  I remember thinking that it was my Nan watching over me saying, “I know what you are doing – rooting through my bag and my purse! Don’t be doing that! You can have the pound this time, but don’t be doing any more ‘rooting’ after that”

I kept the pound, but didn’t go in my Nan’s bag again
Now, here is another story about my Nan, which is interesting.
I used to stay at her house quiet a lot. She lived in Huyton and I used to stay there nearly every Saturday, cos my Mum, my Nan and me would go shopping together and I’d say, “Nan, Nan, can I stay at yours tonight?” She’d say, “Oh alright, come on then”.  But, this one time, she said, “No, no, you can’t”  she said, “Not tonight Josephine!”  I was annoyed and replied, “Oh well, I don’t want to anyway, cos your bed’s on fire!” My Nan drove home and found that her electric blanket, in her bed , had caused a little  fire and burnt the middle bit of the bed…

Andrea