A Nickel's Worth of Thread

The seam was torn and its gap ignored, in the canvas tent at the campsite. Dark clouds surged from the west, appearing suddenly over the Kentucky hills just as the evening sky turned pink. The parents' eyes met with understanding. He had been sure it wouldn’t rain during this get-away weekend-- had ignored her pleadings. Comfort found in a nickel’s worth of thread. The preparation was made in great haste, in response to the call of distress, regarding the death of a close relative, on a cold winter day in March. He packed his suit with other clothes, remembered underwear and shaving kit, but not a belt or suspenders, so the trouser button did all the work. Reassurance found in a nickel’s worth of thread. A toddler walked up to the ledge, not sensing danger or a threat, until a parent grabbed it just in time, before the fatal plunge. The grasp was firm, the fingers tight around the fabric of the shirt, to save a life when buttons held, and the danger was soon forgotten. Safety found in a nickel’s worth of thread.