By eight thirty Tuesday morning, the soapy green water in the plastic tubs on my back steps had cooled to room temperature.

I wiped down the last tray of dark copper coins with a clean dish towel and lined them up in neat paper rolls along the edge of the kitchen table.

Irene Bauer patted her apron pockets from habit and glanced at the clock on my wall.

“We need to show Paul Vance what clean copper looks like before his morning staff meeting,” she said in her soft lilt.

At nine o’clock sharp we carried forty paper rolls into the cafeteria kitchen at Washington Elementary.