DAD'S SURPRISE

It had been almost 11 months since Dad passed away and Treniah was feeling a little anxious and sad, knowing that she had to return to her childhood home town to get together with her siblings, mother, auntie and a few close cousins. She was excited and looking forward to seeing her cousins because they all grew up so close, closer than most siblings. Also when they got together they would tell old stories of growing up, singing and dancing and playing games at Treniah’s childhood home. Her dad was family driven, everything he did was strictly for family. He was the one that everyone turned to in times of trouble or a loan here and there, after his parents passed away years earlier. He stepped out on faith one day, walked off his job as a Foreman and started his own business. He helped to care for his aunts and uncles, sometimes taking long road trips to visit and see to their welfare. That was the type of person he was which is why his death left a great void in the lives of his family. Treniah wanted nothing more than to continue his legacy of a strong family bond. So it’s her hope and dreams to have a home big enough to host her family for the annual family reunion, just as her dad did for so many years. You see, her dad was ill during the time when last year’s reunion should have been and so, there hasn’t been a reunion in two years.

Before her dad became ill, Treniah and her husband, Tony had been saving up for their dream home. They got a little side-tracked over the past 11 months, but have managed to get back on track and now they’re only a couple thousand dollars away. Treniah hopes to inform every one of her plans to host future family reunions when she goes back for the anniversary of her dad’s passing.

Mysterious Key

Treniah was in her daughters’ room the other day and ran across the mysterious key. This mysterious key appeared after her dad had passed away and she and her husband noticed it for the first time after they returned from the funeral. They were unpacking the girls’ suitcase and this key fell out of the suitcase that the girls shared when they went to the funeral. At the time, they asked the girls where the key came from and they said they didn’t know. We didn’t have any locks that would fit the key and wondered if they had been playing around in the bedroom at her dad’s house and somehow picked it up by mistake. But over the past 11 months, no one has called or inquired about a missing key so we set it aside and thought nothing else of it. Then while going through their clothes in preparation for the upcoming trip, this mysterious key has resurfaced and is now at the forefront of Treniah’s mind. “I’ve got to get to bottom of this mystery,” Treniah thought to herself. “I have to check every box, every lock, when I get back to Atlanta,” Treniah said out loud. “Who are you talking to, mom?” Trudy asked. Startled, Treniah turned around and saw the beautiful, sweet face of her baby girl starring back at her. “Oh, just thinking out loud,” Treniah said. “Still trying to figure out where this key goes to,” she continued. Taliyah entered the room and said, “Granddad.” Treniah looked at her and thought to herself, she must’ve misunderstood my comment. So she shrugged and went to the kitchen to get them an afternoon snack. She thought no more about it.

The Road Trip

A month passed and finally the family was packing the car for the road trip to Atlanta. Treniah loved road trips. Her husband not so much because he said road trips tire him out. Treniah didn’t think of it that way. She got excited for road trips because every road trip reminded her of family vacations with her dad. He would load the car up with all the kids once a year for a weeklong trip to the beach. They packed sandwiches and drinks and cards and checkers and those things kept the kids from asked “are we there yet” every five miles! Even as Treniah and her siblings got older, some of them still tagged along on family vacations. So Treniah adopted those things for her girls and every road trip has been an adventure and a memorable event.

Twelve hours later and the Thompsons had finally arrived in Atlanta! First stop is the family home. Treniah’s two closest cousins, Tricia and Gayle, greeted them at the door with a Martini for Tony, a Margarita for Treniah and Trudy and Taliyah’s favorite blueberry Icee! That’s what favorite cousins are for!!! They knew everyone would be exhausted, thirsty and hungry! They unloaded the car, had a drink, took showers and back in the kitchen for tacos! After a few hours of catching up, they were off to bed. Trudy and Taliyah were exhausted when Treniah and Tony tucked them in and kissed them good night.

Little Black Book

The next morning, Taliyah woke Treniah up to show her the “box.” “What is this,” Treniah asked. “It’s the box that Granddad left us, the one with the key,” she continued. Treniah yelled for Tony to join them. “What is going on,” Tony asked. “Taliyah said the mysterious key goes to this box,” Treniah said. “Where did you find this box, Taliyah,” Treniah asked. “Granddad told me in the dream,” Taliyah answered. Curious, Tony inserted the key into the box and starring back at them was a little black book about six inches by eight inches. They opened the little black book and to everyone’s surprise, there were two stacks of money! More money than any of them had ever seen up close and personal! Because Dad was a carpenter, he had carved out a black box, perfect in dimensions to hold two stacks of $100 bills. Along with the money was a letter from Dad saying he had been setting aside this money for Taliyah and Trudy since they were born, money from lottery winnings he had won over the years, money “for college or whatever you choose to do with it,” were his words in that letter! For the next 20 to 30 minutes, they counted all those $100 bills, to a sum of $20,000! Because money can divide a family, the Thompsons chose to keep this secret between them and Treniah’s Dad because it was Dad’s Surprise! And now because the girls’ education is taken care, Treniah will be able to continue with her plans to host the annual family reunion and honor her Dad at least until her girls are old enough to continue the tradition.