A mountain of coins tumbled out. One, five, and ten-peso coins. Some were blackened by use; others were still sticky with old gum.
The guard froze. The luxury-clad customers stared. Hearing the noise, the manager—Ms. Carla—stepped out of her office.
“What’s going on? Why all this noise?” she asked.
“Forgive me, ma’am,” the guard said. “I was just removing this homeless boy. He was causing trouble.”
“I-I’m not causing trouble…” Popoy said, soft but firm. He pulled a crumpled, yellowed pawn ticket from his pocket. “I’ve come to redeem my mom’s necklace.”
Ms. Carla looked at the ticket. Item #2045. A gold necklace with a locket. Pawned a year ago.
“Son,” she said gently. “The interest has grown quite a bit. You need to pay 5,000 pesos. Are you sure you have enough?”
Popoy pointed to the mountain of coins. His fingers were covered in small wounds, calluses, and dirt that soap couldn’t wash away.
“Yes, ma’am. It all adds up to 5,250 pesos. I counted it last night, three times.”
Ms. Carla was stunned. “Where did you get so many coins?”