What Grandma Left Behind

The day was January 25th, 2021, grandma was home on hospice for the weekend, but five-thirty in the morning rolled around and she passed in her sleep. She was a lively person, her smile great, her laugh contagious, her kindness overflowing. She was the definition of beautiful inside and out. She was the glue to the quaint Droddy Family. She was the glue that held them together. One would wonder what would happen to such a family after she passed. After her funeral most went their separate ways. Some stayed. The ones that stayed tried to hold together a broken group grieving for their beloved wife, mother, and grandmother. Almost six months later everyone came back, some with their hands out, ready to claim what they believed was rightfully theirs. Jewelry, furniture, family heirlooms were passed around to various family members until there was one person left. Carter, one of her granddaughters who was 20 years old at the time. All eyes were on her as what was left to her was being read. Her grandmother left her a little black book. There was a condition that she would have to pick it up from the bank. One of Carter's cousins, Arabelle, burst into a fit of tears and anger. She shrieked that was promised to her. She turned to Carter and said

“THE ONLY REASON GRANDMA LEFT YOU THAT IS BECAUSE SHE WAS SICK AND SHE WAS NOT OF RIGHT MIND!” she stormed out of the room.

All eyes were on Carter. What was she to do? It was the book that set Arabelle off, she said their grandmother promised that book to her when she was a child, twenty years ago. However, it had been given to Carter. Arabelle was never going to stop until she got the book. The whole family consoled Arabelle, promising her they would try to make this right. They always did, and Arabelle knew it. She knew if she threw a fit that everyone would cater to her. They always tried to make things right by Arabelle, who was almost 30. Meanwhile, Who was trying to make things right for Carter?

Their grandfather stood up in front of all and since he was the husband, and there was no will stating these things he decided he would take the book and keep it.

“This is not fair, I don’t mean to make a big deal, but that is rightfully my book now. How could you go against grandma’s wishes?”

“I believe your grandmother did promise that book to Arabelle, and since it’s causing a problem, I’m keeping the book for myself. And eventually, I will decide who the book goes to.” her grandfather snapped back.

“I guess I can’t stop you from doing this, but you know this isn’t fair. Everyone is handed jewelry and furniture. I'm given a book! And I can’t even have that!” Carter left the room. Her blood ran hot.

Carter thought to herself: They always try to appease her. If Arabelle is mad, we all have to cower down to her. They always cater to her. She knows if she throws a fit, she will get what she wants. Everyone tries to make things right by her. But, who is trying to make things right by me? Why did grandma leave it to me? Did she know this would cause such a big deal? Maybe I should just give her the stupid book… is it really worth creating war over it? I’m not willing to die over a book.

Carter began driving home, her eyes were tired and burning from crying. The sky was getting darker. She decided to stop at the bank to see what was in the book, assuming her grandfather hadn’t called to stop what her grandmother had in motion. When she arrived the bank was nearly closed. It was the neighboring town of Hughesville. When Carter approached the teller she realized she was the only one there.

“Hello, how may I help you today?” an older woman behind a desk greeted sweetly.

“Hi, my name is Carter Wade, I was here to see if I could pick something up from a safety deposit box. See my grandmother left me something that was in here and I just wanted to look at it, if that is okay.”

“Well of course you can sweetie. I’m sorry for your loss… Could I see your ID?”

“Oh yeah...right.” Carter fumbled in her purse and laid her ID on the desk. The older lady, who was named Andrea, looked at it and pushed it back across the desk.

“Would you happen to know what number box it would be in?” She asked softly.

“Yes, she put it in box 511, that was her birthday, and the street address of the very first house she bought. The house I grew up in. 9511 Meadowlark. A beautiful home. She always took pride in her home. She was the best woman I’ve ever known honestly.”

“She helped raise you didn’t she? She sounds like a lovely woman. I hope my grandkids talk about me how you talk about her. Let me go grab what’s in that box for you.” She keyed in a few notes in the computer and walked into the back. She came back with a slip of paper and a note, but no little black book. “Alright, it looks like she left you a check for twenty thousand dollars and this sealed envelope.”

“Wait… twenty thousand dollars?” Carter gasped, her mouth hung open for a moment in surprise, but suddenly it occurred to her that there was no book. “There was no little black book?”

“No honey, this was it. I don’t know what is in that envelope, but perhaps it’s what you're looking for, best of luck.”

Carter got up from her chair and thanked the teller, and walked out. When she got into her car, she sat there confused. There was no way they could have gotten to it before I did. And I had to prove that it was me for her to even consider opening the box. Grandma, what did you have planned? And what the hell is this black book? Does it even exist? Carter thought to herself, before finally driving off into the dark. She stared at the envelope. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore and she pulled over in the parking lot of a local grocery store. She held the envelope, took a deep breath, and began to carefully open the envelope. Inside was a small slip of paper that read “My dearest Charlotte, I am leaving you this house, your childhood home that you loved dearly. Please keep this to yourself so the family is not torn apart in my absence.” signed “Love, Mommy.” and on the back, a key was taped.

Carter thought: Okay, so grandma’s mom left her a house… Carter looked down to discover that she had another paper within the envelope. She opened it. It was a letter, in it had beautiful loops and lines of her grandmother’s handwriting. “To my dearest Carter, I am leaving you my childhood home… No one would understand why I’m doing so. I had to do it this way. I know you are the only one who will cherish and take care of this home. I love you and hope you enjoy your new home as much as I once did. Love, Grammy.” The address was elegantly placed at the bottom of the letter with a heart next to it.

Not knowing what to do with this information, Carter, sat there. She ran her fingers over the teeth of the key a few times while rereading the letter over and over again. Her eyes welled up with tears and they poured out and onto her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away hoping it would stop more of them from coming. All of a sudden, a black SUV pulled up and Arabelle got out of it. Carter, stunned by seeing her, got out of her car to see what she wanted.

“What are you, stalking me now? Why don’t you go home and pout some more.” Carter had her key to the home in her pocket. Arabelle pulled out a knife and lodged it into Carter’s side.

“You won’t take what is rightfully mine,” Arabelle said coldly to Carter as Carter fell to the ground in pain. Her heart was beating hard, she was fighting to stay alive. Arabelle got into her vehicle and sped off due to someone leaving the store.

The parking lot looked empty, however, there was one person in the grocery store, a manager who was locking up for the night. He came out and saw Carter, he called the police frantically. Would he be able to save her? Ten Minutes passed, and the cops still weren’t there. Finally, they arrived with an ambulance leading the way. They loaded her in, and the police took a statement from the manager.

Carter was in critical condition. She was rushed to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Arabelle had raced back to the family’s home. She exclaimed that she could not find Carter, but Carter had already been to the bank. No one seemed particularly worried at the time. Some hours passed and her mother began to worry. She should be home by now. I think something is going on. Her mother called her phone relentlessly. It was still in the car, ringing, and ringing, no answer. Her mother began to panic. She then received a call from someone at the hospital. They explained to her that Carter had been stabbed, she lost a lot of blood, and is in critical condition. Her mother rushed to the hospital. A police officer had explained to her what happened and told her where they found her. Her mother was only allowed to see her for five minutes. She told her she loved her and kissed her on the forehead.

She found the car, unlocked, she got inside, she read the letter and the note. Wondered for a moment where the black book could be. She sobbed in the car. She prayed to God that her daughter, Carter wouldn’t die. She sat there for hours, numb, contemplating what to do. Somewhere inside her, she knew Arabelle had something to do with this. She called the officer she talked to and told him everything she knew.

Her prayers seemed to be ignored, Carter died in some odd hours of the night.

Everything was given to her mother, the money, the home. Her mother was devastated. She began to spiral in her head. I should have stuck up for her. I should have gone with her. It should be me who is dead! Why? Why did this happen to MY daughter? I’m the worst mother in the world. How could I let this happen?

When winter rolled around her mother packed a few things and drove to the home that was left to Carter. Three hours later she arrived. She held the key tightly, a tear rolled down her face. This was the last thing Carter held. She opened the door, the house was like a time capsule, absolutely beautiful. Carter would have loved this. She thought to herself. There was a letter on the coffee table on top of a little black book. The letter read “My dearest Carter, if you’re reading this it means you are here and my final wishes were answered. I love you babydoll, now you’ll always have a place to call home.” She sobbed as she read the letter. She knew Carter was in heaven with her mother now.

She opened the little black book and it was blank. She gasped. She began weeping. She called her father.

“The little black book… is blank.” she hung up the phone. She sat on the couch and cried herself to sleep. My daughter was killed over a little blank, black book.