The Book

"No matter what, promise you'll take care of yourself." His brilliant blue eyes had already begun to fade as his large hand trembled in hers. Pleading with her, he pulled her closer, "promise me Elizabeth that you will always try your best." Elizabeth watched helplessly as the life continued to fade from his once strong body, "the answer is in the barn…" with widened eyes and a ragged breath he was gone.

"Grandpa?" Tears streamed down her face as she raised his frail hand to her lips one last time, "I promise."

The days blurred together after that. It was a steady flow of people, apologies, and just… noise. She stared at the place where her grandfather's bed had been for his final days. He could sit in front of the large bay windows and look across the ranch he’d worked so hard to create. At times she could swear he was still sitting there, eyes closed, chin lifted, taking in the warmth of the sunlight.

"Come sit with me for a second," his rough hand wrapping around hers. "This used to be fields as far as the eye could see. We'd take our horses out at sunrise and work the fields until you thought you'd melt from the heat…" pausing to cough when he couldn't hold it in any more and then cursing under his breath, "we'd put the horses up, let them get some water and cool off while we went inside for sandwiches and some of your grandmother's pie."

"You always say how much you love her apricot pie," squeezing his hand. Elizabeth stood looking through the same window. The landscape was spotted with houses, dairies, and orchards as far as the eye could see. "It must have been beautiful to watch the sun come up."

"We'd work from sun up until sun down. Back breaking work," tears silently streaming down his cheeks, "now look what I've become! This damn cancer has taken everything. I wish I could do more… wish… well wishing is an old man's curse isn't it. I've kept it for you all these years. You'll find it when the time is right." With that he closed his eyes. She watched him drift off into an uneasy sleep and wondered what he'd been talking about.

Curled up in a chair with her grandfather's blanket wrapped around her, Elizabeth drifted off into an uneasy sleep. With grandfather's voice still fresh in her head, Elizabeth saw flashes of John, as a young man. His blue eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief in his smile. Standing there leaning casually against a barn door while the harnessed horses patiently waited in the shade for the heat to break.

"Lizzy! It's about time you get here!" John looked so vibrant and alive. "The boss will have your hide if you drop any of those eggs again."

"The… boss?" Elizabeth stood frozen.

"Yeah, the BOSS. Your grandma may be little but she'll have both our hides if you drop those eggs again." He smiled motioning towards the chicken coop, "now scoot!"

Elizabeth stood there a moment longer watching her grandfather, young and happy, before making her way into the barn and to the coop. Lizzy! Nobody had called her Lizzy since she was a little girl. Dreams can be cruel sometimes.

"Lizzy…" frigid fingers rested on her shoulder, gently shaking her awake, "oh! Fiddlesticks, Lizzy, wake up!"

Blinking the sleep away, Elizabeth slowly turned and adjusted her blanket. Her grandmother, Eva, was standing there in her nightgown, in the dark, looking lost. Eva suffered from dementia and while she had her good days it seemed the bad far outnumbered the good lately.

"Grandma! You're freezing! What are you doing out of bed?" Elizabeth took her blanket and wrapped around her slender grandmother.

"Lizzy, have you seen your grandfather? He said he was getting a glass of water…" Eva's face twisted with worry, "you don't think something’s happened. Do you? "

Wrapping her arms around her grandmother, she gently guided her back to her bedroom. She'd had this same conversation with her since the funeral but never really knew how much Eva understood.

Days turned into weeks and Eva's health continued to decline. She grew more and more restless. Elizabeth often slept in the overstuffed chair she'd moved to sit next to her grandmother's bed. Nights became an assault to her senses, she'd often dream of John only to be pulled back to consciousness by Eva's constant yells.

"Where did that man run off to now?" drawing her blankets up around her frail body, "doesn't he know I can't sleep with him stomping around the house?"

Smiling weakly Elizabeth caressed her grandmother's arm, "go back to sleep there's nothing to worry about grandma. Just try to rest."

Eva shifted uneasily for a moment, looking into her granddaughters sorrowful eyes, "Elizabeth you're such a beautiful woman. I'm so proud of what you've become." Eva's slender, trembling hand reached up and wiped away the fresh tears that had stained Elizabeth's face.

"...do you know where your grandfather went?" Eva looked around the dark room once more, "he said he was going for a glass of water, but that was ages ago."

Elizabeth dried her tears and knew her grandma was once again lost in her own world. "I'm sure he'll be back as soon as he can." Her voice never betrayed her as she adjusted the blankets around Eva and then curled up into the chair next to the bed.

Before long Eva's health had deteriorated to the point Eva was no longer able to leave the bed. Elizabeth spent all her time curled up in the chair next to her grandmother's hospital bed that was now in the same place her grandfather had been. Elizabeth sat silently, watching Eva's restless sleep and found little comfort knowing that Eva and John would be reunited soon enough.

"They can never know!" Eva looked past Elizabeth, "John! We've got to hide it! Quickly, before they get here."

"Grandma… it’s just a bad dream there's nothing wrong. You're just having a bad dream. Can you hear me?"

"No!" Eva shrieked, "you can't! You'll never keep us apart! John!" with wide eyes and ragged breathing Eva called out, "it's hidden. You'll never find it! All of it… it's gone. You won't get one red cent you scoundrel!"

"Grandma!"

"John it's right where you said to put it, no one will ever think to look there. I love you. Please be sure to come home to me."

"Grandma?"

"John! This pretty lady has been sitting with me for days," Eva smiled absently. "I don't think the poor thing has a job,” she whispered. “That's alright dear," taking hold of Elizabeth's hand, "we know some awfully handsome single men, don't we John. Why, John even has a brother!"

Elizabeth's heart ached watching her grandmother. Nothing she did or said reached her so she sat quietly crying as she watched what was left of her grandmother slipping away.

"What's that John?" Eva tilted her head for a moment, "do you think we should?" Again she seemed to be listening to something only she could hear, "alright… alright. Hold your horses."

Turning towards Elizabeth, Eva gave her a dazzling smile that lit up her eyes, "John is adamant that you'll find it in the barn."

Elizabeth gasped, "what's in the barn?"

"Why the box of course!" Eva giggled. "It's in the barn under the first stall."

"What's in the box?"

"The book… and the money." giving her a soft smile, "I'm tired child, let me rest."

Helping her grandmother get situated, she then sat in her chair and watched the frail woman sleeping. What had just happened? What was she talking about? Did Eva even know? So many questions.

Elizabeth woke just before midnight. She sat there looking out the big bay window lost in thought as the clock chimed midnight, her hand absently stroking her grandfather's blanket. Her thoughts returned to Eva and what she'd said earlier. She wasn't sure she believed any of it but still… what would it hurt to look?

There'd be nothing there and she'd be back in no time. Elizabeth pulled on an old pair of rubber boots and quietly slipped out the back door. The night air was crisp and the moon shone brightly as she made the short walk to the barn. Eva had said in the barn under the first stall. They'd had horses in this barn for years and she'd never noticed anything.

She opened the outer stall door and clicked on her flashlight. Standing in the middle of the stall she moved her light across the floor… nothing. Just as she had expected. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and decided to head back to the house. No one ever needed to know she was here.

Just then something caught her eye. There was a board that didn't match the others. She bent over and dusted off the board and noticed there was a notch on one end of it. Glancing around, she found a hoof pick that just fit the notch. She pulled up on the pick and the board easily came loose.

It was a secret compartment! When she looked down into it there was a simple wooden box covered in dust. Elizabeth carefully pulled the box out and placed the board back. She tucked the box under her arm and made her way back to the house. Back in her trusty chair she opened the box. A book! As soon as she grabbed the book she was able to see the money that littered the rest of the box. There had to be thousands of dollars there!

It must have been a diary, she thought. She ran her fingers gently over the worn black leather cover. She opened the aged pages which revealed beautiful penmanship. Her heart raced as she read.

"My dearest Eva,

I count the days until I can see you again. Your father has made his disapproval known to all. I can't ask you to turn your back on your family. I can only hope that I prove myself worthy of you before another steals your heart.

With all my love and devotion, John"

Flipping to another page Elizabeth read on.

"You must see reason, my love. My father is a cruel man. I am ready to leave with the clothes on my back and nothing else if that's what it takes.

Please darling let's put this mess behind us and look to the future.

Forever yours, Eva"

Flipping through page after page Elizabeth learned of her grandparents plan to elope and the dreams they had. It was magical reading their letters.

"Did you read how it ends?" Eva's voice was weak and her eyes looked like they'd finally lost their spark.

"They live happily ever after?" Smiling as she watched Eva.

"No. Real stories don't end like that," giving Elizabeth a rare smile, "my father was furious when we eloped. He said we would never make it and only paid my dowry because my mother forced him. We received twenty thousand dollars and a note that simply said, ‘I have no daughter’ with my fathers initials at the bottom."

"You struggled so long, why didn't you use it?"

Eva gave a soft chuckle, "because we were determined to make it on our own. Foolish pride you might say."

"I was always proud of you," Elizabeth smiled as tears ran down her cheeks, "always."

"We were so proud of you Lizzy. Now let me go! I've got work to do. The laundry doesn't wash itself…" with one last squeeze of her hand Eva passed away.

Hugging the book to her chest, Elizabeth wept. She wept for her loss, she wept for her grandparents' struggles, she wept until she didn't have any tears left but she felt relief knowing that she had their treasured book with her.