The Legacy

The phone call woke her up at 2:17 AM. She knew exactly what time it was because she glared at the clock thinking, ‘Who could possibly want to talk at 2:17 AM?’ Romy didn’t have many friends or family, but she knew a call in the middle of the night never boded well.

“Hello?”, she said in a groggy voice, trying to mask her irritation. After working a double shift, this was a most unwelcome intrusion.

“Please don’t hang up. I don’t have much time.” The raspy voice belonged to an older woman who was breathing with difficulty. “When the time is right, look for the Fleur de Lis. Look in the upper right-hand drawer of the dresser in the master suite. You’ll know when.”

Romy sighed and rolled onto her back. “Ma’am, I think you have the wrong number. It’s late, good night.”

“No, please... Look for the Fleur de Lis. Upper right hand drawer of the dresser. Master suite. Don’t forget. I’m sorry Romy, I wish I had known sooner. I want to make things right.” The line went dead.

“What the…?” Romy was left staring at her phone screen, now wide awake. She tried calling the number back, but the phone had been disconnected. She searched for the number and found that it came from a landline in Georgia. She didn’t know anyone in Georgia.

“Well that wasn’t creepy at all.” Although she was curious, Romy had to wake up in three hours for work. She rolled over and soon exhaustion overtook her.

A few days later Romy was at work when her phone rang with another unlisted number from Georgia. She stepped into the break room.

“Hello?”

“Hello. Is this Romy Montgomery?”

“Yes.”

“Ms. Montgomery, I am the probate lawyer contacting you on behalf of your Great Aunt Madeline Sage. This may come as a surprise to you, but Mrs. Sage passed away earlier this week. You are listed as a recipient in her Will. She has asked that you come to Savannah in three days for the reading of her Last Will and Testament.”

The blood rushed in Romy’s head. She didn’t think she had any family left. She’d been on her own for so long now. Her mother passed away four years ago. Romy’s stomach hurt. They had known about her, but they didn’t reach out? It felt like a slap in the face. For the past four years she had been fending for herself, dropping out of school to work multiple jobs, always just scraping by. She spent three years in foster care and all along she had a family?

“Hello? Ms. Montgomery?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“Your trip will be fully paid. You have been invited to stay at The Sage Manor and your airfare and transportation will be included.” Mr. Lawyer provided the rest of the details.

“I’ll be there. Thank you.”

“I’ll see you soon Ms. Montgomery. I’m sorry for your loss.” Romy stood in shock. What on Earth is going on? How could you lose someone you didn’t know you had?

Three days later Romy flew for the first time to Savannah, Georgia. Finding coverage for work had been difficult on such short notice. She had been fighting a headache all day, reeling from the unfamiliar stress of traveling, and the overstimulation of flying. When she arrived in Savannah, a driver picked her up from the airport and drove her to The Manor. As they pulled up to the historic grand estate Romy thought, ‘tell me again, how am I related to these people?’

The driver handled her luggage as she walked to the top of the driveway in the muggy humidity to be greeted by a taciturn staff member at the door. The woman in uniform led her inside and walked away without saying a word. The inside was even more impressive than the outside of the home, if that was even possible. The floors were made of an expensive-looking marble, the woodwork and trim was all made from a dark gleaming wood, and the grand staircase was a sweeping feat of Antebellum architecture with a sprinkling of French flare.

“Ms. Montgomery?”, said a man in glasses and a perfectly tailored suit who silently appeared from the room to her right.

“Yes, hello.”

“Hello. We spoke on the phone. I’m the lawyer who will be managing today’s reading of the Will.” Ah, yes. Mr. Lawyer. “We will begin in an hour if you’d like to freshen up. I’m sure the staff would be happy to show you to your room.” Romy nodded and the ghostly servant returned to show her to an extra guest room upstairs.

An hour later Romy entered a beautiful room, currently occupied by three people and Mr. Lawyer. One woman wore a silk dress and sunglasses. Romy sat behind a man in his 40s with a bald spot on the back of his head. The third was an unassuming woman nervously pulling on her fingers in the chair to Romy’s left. She reminded Romy of a small finch. Great Aunt Madeline must not have many living relatives, at least not many that she liked.

“Everyone is present. We may begin,” said Mr. Lawyer, breaking the silence.

“Who is she?”, asked the woman wearing sunglasses indoors.

“Ah yes… well… she is your relative. A Great Niece of Mrs.Sage. Romy here seems to be the only living person on her mother’s side of the family, at least the only one listed in the Will.” Romy wondered what it would have been like to grow up with family in this tax bracket. Maybe she’d be more well-adjusted and certainly not as exhausted from the hustle of working multiple jobs.

“Relatives always seem to come out of the woodwork during a Will reading,” said Sunglasses. She visibly turned up her nose at Romy. ‘There goes the theory that I would have been well-adjusted,’ Romy thought.

Mr. Lawyer read through the Will. Sunglasses inherited the mansion and some horse breeding operation. She would have smiled if not for the limitations of her Botox. Bald Spot was given a house in California and a luxury car. He seemed content. The Little Bird received ownership of a family business and a brownstone in New York. She almost twittered with excitement. All of them received a large cash inheritance as well, leaving Romy to wonder what would become of her.

“The last entry is new. ‘As for Romy Montgomery, my Great Niece, I leave you $20,000. I’m sorry I couldn’t have met you sooner my dear. Recently, I had a private investigator find your mother, but I was too late. I was not aware she had passed or that she had a daughter. I understand your journey has not been easy. I am sorry, I ran out of time. I hope this helps.’” Sunglasses guffawed at the paltry dollar amount compared to her seven-figure inheritance. Romy was comforted that the message was kind and $20,000 was more money than she had ever seen.

Mr. Lawyer continued. “There is one more clause here. As you may have noticed, many of the family assets have not been divvied up. There is a note. It says, ‘Most of my family has been spoiled by greed. I have hidden the key to the remaining family safety deposit boxes holding money, jewelry, and deeds in an ordinary object in this house. You have 48 hours to find it. Whomever finds the object will receive my legacy. I only ask that you continue my mission of generosity and community philanthropy. Most importantly, that your life is not ruled by wealth. If you donate money, perhaps you would do me the honor of donating it in my name.’”

Sunglasses stood up abruptly and shoved back her chair. “You cannot be serious. What type of childish game is this!? This house is huge. Plus now it is mine. You’re all trespassing. I demand you leave at once.”

Mr. Lawyer removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. His face read, ‘I am not paid enough for this,’ which is most assuredly untrue judging by his suit. ”Ah, no actually. Ownership of this property is officially yours in 48 hours’ time.” Bickering continued, and Bald Spot immediately jumped up to start looking inside a nearby vase. Romy had enough. She felt jet lagged and overwhelmed. She headed for her room.

Romy changed clothes and splashed water on her face. She was tired but not inclined to sleep. She decided to tour the garden she saw when driving in. As Romy started to walk down the hallway, Romy stopped in her tracks. A unique door at the opposite end of the hall had caught her eye. It had a Fleur de Lis inlaid in rich wood. Suddenly the mysterious phone call came back to her… surely… it was a coincidence? But there was a similar kindness in the hurried raspy voice of the woman that night and the note left in the Will. Could the woman on the phone have been her Great Aunt Madeline? Why would Madeline call in the middle of the night to tell Romy the whereabouts of her fortune?

Romy followed the directions from the phone call and walked towards the door and pushed it open. She felt like she was actually trespassing now, but she had to be sure. The woman’s words from the call earlier in the week ran through her mind. The room was not in use. It was clearly a master suite with a large four-post bed in the French Revival style. The room held many pieces of ornate and gilded furniture, but only one dresser. She cautiously opened the right upper-most drawer, expecting to find an older woman’s delicates. Inside she found beautiful soft scarves. She reached underneath and her hand touched the cool satiny texture of a little black notebook. She removed the notebook and opened it to the inside cover.

There was a handwritten note. “You have found my most prized possessions. I hope you donate what you do not need. Money can buy you comfort, but never happiness. Each page of this book outlines the whereabouts of my assets. I could never be bothered with computers, I detest the things. Best of luck my dear. I hope you live a long life as rewarding as mine and keep my memory alive. With love, Madeline”

On the opposite page was a black and white picture of young Madeline. She was the spitting image of Romy. Romy took a moment to relax for the first time in years. Maybe Great

Aunt Madeline knew Romy would be the person to continue her legacy. It seemed certain that none of the people downstairs cared about philanthropy. You could almost see the entitlement in their eyes by the way they soaked up the news of their inheritance. Maybe Great Aunt Madeline made a quick decision in her final days to trust a family member she had never met before-- a family member who knew what it was like to have nothing.

Romy smiled and clutched her future to her chest. The book was just as precious as its contents; a reminder that she wasn’t alone, and someone cared for her. Madeline cared enough to call Romy in her final moments and share this gift. Romy grabbed a translucent blue scarf and tied it around her neck and with her smile still in place and head held high, headed downstairs to properly introduce herself to Sunglasses, Bald Spot, and Little Bird. Something told Romy they would suddenly be interested in getting to know her better. After all, they were family.