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Remembrances The old man had died after a short illness. He'd lived a long life, retiring on profits from the sale of a successful business. A life-long bachelor, he was survived by nieces and nephews who gathered for the reading of the will. Their uncle's death being a natural one, the only mystery was who would inherit his wealth. That he had wealth left over was not in doubt. What he'd arranged to do with it was about to be revealed. Mandy smoothed her perfectly pleated skirt and arched a penciled eyebrow at her brother. “Did you jog over here, Grant? Your suit looks a bit rumpled.” Grant rose, stretched lazily, then stared out the window, pointedly ignoring his sister. They both lived in San Francisco, their houses not far from their uncle’s home. Cousin Ron, who lived across the bay in Berkeley said, “Ease up, Mandy. Uncle Aiden always urged us to get along.” From the shadows of the dark office came a soft cough from Emma, the cousin who ran a bed and breakfast inn in New England. She didn't get to the West Coast often, but when the end was near for Uncle Aiden, she’d scrambled for someone to take over the inn so she could see him before he passed away. “Ron’s right, we should be united in our grief, not sniping at each other,” she said. “You bet I’m right,” Ron said, smiling at her. “Let’s get through this then we can feast together at Fisherman’s Wharf.” Grant said, “Ah, Emma. Too late to get in his good graces now. Since we lived so close, we got to know him quite well. But still, I'm sure he was glad you flew out to see him at the end.” Mandy hushed him, and Ron patted Emma’s hand. As the minutes passed by, the cousins fidgeted, not wanting to appear too eager to hear what the lawyer was about to read from the will. Emma alone sat calmly. She had long been in on her uncle's secret to leave his estate to his favorite charity. She was curious to see her cousins' reactions. Quietly the attorney entered, greeted them briefly, then sat behind his heavy desk and read in deep tones from Uncle Aiden’s will. "To Mandy, I bequeath the menus from the rehab center where I stayed after my hip surgery. I understand I couldn't stay at your place when I'd reached the point where I simply needed someone to keep an eye on me while I regained my strength, since you were still recovering from your Paris vacation. I thought you might like to contrast the exotic meals they served at the home with your Parisian fare." Mandy gasped softly at the verbal slap. "To Ronald, I leave the photos of my last visit to Golden Gate Park. You said the distance from your house was too large for you to take me to San Francisco's great oasis as I'd hoped, so I took a cab. You might like to compare my snaps with the photos you sent me of your pleasure trip to Palm Springs later that month." Ron had the decency to blush. Click on this: next column |
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"To Grant I leave my collection of receipts for my quarterly taxi rides to the doctor's office. I understand you were too busy to take me; retirement has presented a string of golf courses you need to check off your 'bucket list.' Living up the street from me though, you might have noticed the taxis, and wondered what they cost." Scowling, Grant cracked his knuckles. "Finally, to Emma, I bequeath the balance of my estate. I know you thought I was leaving my estate to a charity, so please forgive the deception. I thank you for the many phone calls and emailed stories of your life at the inn, and for our shared hobby of ornithology. The photos of birds in your part of the country line my study walls, reminding me of the time you flew me to Maine to visit the inn. Most of all, thank you for spending time listening to the ramblings of an old man, and for sharing your heart." Emma looked down at her hands folded neatly in her lap. Tears splashed on her skirt, spreading a dark patch across the background of bright flowers. She looked up at her cousins, holding their eyes. "It's true I didn't get to visit Uncle Aiden often, but we did keep in contact, as you can see.” She rose slowly and walked out of the office, lonely, and sad for her cousins’ shock, but grateful she'd been able to see her beloved uncle one last time before their relationship, built up by years of sharing details of their lives across the miles, came to an inevitable end.
Thanks Patricia for a story,... J. Wolf
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"VENI, VIDI, VELCRO - I came, I saw, I stuck around." |
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