Follow The Sea Glass

Follow the Sea Glass

Can’t believe it's been a year since grandpa passed away. I pull up to my grandparent’s old house. It has been in the family for years but after they both passed away no one has really come out here, everything is pretty much how they left it. We are doing a memorial and wanted to see if we could find some pictures from when they were younger. Although we all moved away the two of them stayed, they loved being near the beach and having all this quiet space to themselves.

Rummaging through my keys I find the one I need, I unlock the door, take a deep breath and step in. Wow... first time being here without grandpa here. Still has that warm feeling… First thing that always catches my eyes everytime I come over is this tall wooden grandfather clock across from the entrance. I can see it is still ticking. The next thing I see is my grandpa’s recliner; it was his spot at the end of each day. I look over to the coffee table. There was a heart statue that grandma made of clay with their names engraved into it for their 50th Anniversary. I took another deep breath “Miss you guys…”

I look over to the bureau on the far side of the room, I head over and start going through the drawers since it is where grandma usually kept her pictures. I found mostly pictures of me and my cousins, dad and his brother when we were younger. I go to check out my grandpa's study. I remember seeing a few pictures of him and grandma on his desk and on the wall.

He was usually very picky about letting people into his study. I was only in here once or twice. I am surprised to even find it unlocked. His study is not too big. He has his desk by the window with the view of the beach. Several different kinds of art pieces on the walls, some grandma made but there is also a couple I have done as well. I walk up to one of the bookshelves and I start reading the names of the books. All the titles of the books had to do with the ocean. I guess that's why they never wanted to leave the area. I always enjoyed looking for seaglass and shells with grandma, she would use them for some of her art pieces. I even got to make my own mosaic piece with her one day my grandpa loved it so much it's still hanging in his study. I smiled looking at it remembering when he put it up. It was one of the few times I was allowed in so that I could see him put it up.

I picked up the piece that I made, it was perfectly inched between two bookshelves. When I took it off the wall there was a shelf behind the piece, it held this little black notebook. That's strange. I don't remember that being there when he hung the piece.

I hesitantly grab the black book and look over my shoulder as if he would be there telling I shouldn't be touching his things. I open the book and froze as I read the first words. “Dear Luca…” He knew I'd be here reading this? I walk over and sit at the desk.

“We all know you are reading because my time on this earth has come to an end because you wouldn't be here otherwise. Make sure you keep those feet off my desk. Took me a lot of time to make it!” I slowly bring my feet down… he knew me too well.

“I have one more lesson to teach you even though I'm gone. I know you always enjoyed our scavenger hunts when you were a kid so let's see how much you'll like this one I set up for you. This picture is your first clue…

Never forget how much I love you Luca.”

I looked at the picture that was tucked away in its pages. It was a picture of me and grandma’s when I was probably like 10. We were both full of paint in the garage. I laugh remembering the day. I flicked grandma with some paint by mistake and she took no mercy on me. The painting she was working on got messed up with all the splatter but she still kept it.

I head over to the garage to see if the next clue is out there. What was I even looking for? Grandpa would usually use sea glass as clue markers when I was younger…

The garage was grandma's studio. The easel is still set up with the painting she was last working on. But something was off about the brushes… they were in a formation of an arrow…? It was pointing to where she stored her art pieces. I walk over to the rack and start looking at the art pieces and I notice one of the edges has some pieces of sea glass. This one has to be it. I take it out and it is a painting of sea turtles. Sea turtles?

I remember them having sea turtle night stands by their beds. I walk over to their room. I look at the night stand. I don’t see any sea glass anywhere but something else caught my eye. I notice one of the sea turtles in one of the night stands is missing a turtle. I recall there being three in each one. “Hmm… where’s that turtle?” I start searching the room for the other turtle. I check under the bed, nothing. In the closet? Nope. I searched some of the other bedrooms and the bathrooms. I look through the kitchen cabinets. “Maybe the oven?” I open it up. “Not there.”

I walk into the back porch and I spot the turtle with mini sunglasses on and a faded soda can next to him. He was on a lounge chair facing the ocean. He had some sea glass stuck to his shell. I pick him up and turn him around, on his belly it says “Two hearts brought together and never pulled away.”

Where have I seen this quote before? It sounds like grandma’s words… I step back into the house. I look around the kitchen to see if anything reminds me of the quote.

I step into the living room and start scanning everything again. My eyes stop at the statue on the coffee table. She had also engraved the quote on the other side!

As I step closer and I see a small piece of sea glass stuck near the bottom. I pick it up and underneath it just says tick tock and has a small key with tape on it. I grab the key and immediately look back at the grandfather clock. I never noticed before but it had a little key hole on the bottom front of the clock. I open it up and there is a small shoebox with an envelope on top that reads Luca. I pick up the envelope and take out a letter and some pictures of me and them. My eyes become damp as I read his words. Luca, my boy, I want you to know that life is going to be hard but never forget to keep moving forward. Make choices with your heart. Live without regrets for you only have one life to live. I really want you to enjoy everything this world has to offer without complications. Always remember time never stops moving… neither should you.”

I wipe some tears from my cheeks. I pick up the shoebox and I take the lid off.

My eyes opened wide.

“What?!”

It is a whole box of cash! There is a note on top. “Should be about $20,000... don’t spend it all in one place kid.”.