THE WILL

I sat on the visitor’s side of the small church where Granny Ford lay peacefully in her plain polished wooden casket, lined with white fluffy linen which matched her white hair. I had stood by a few moments before the service began to look upon the beautiful, wrinkled face I had grown to love through the years growing up and into my young adulthood. Now they had closed the casket and I would never see that face again. That wonderful smile she always had no matter her circumstances. Hear the kind words, she always would have for me to hear. This made me sad and I quickly brushed a tear away which threatened to escape from my eye.

They were singing her favorite Hymn and I looked across at her family. There were her two sons each with wives and children whom I had never seen through the years. Granny Ford spoke often of them living on the West Coast and could not visit more because of their careers. She always made two trips a year to see them. The rest of the time she seemed lonely.

Maybe that was why we grew such a strong bond. I had no grandparents. I had no parents either. I lived in an orphanage not far from where Granny Ford lived and when she started volunteering there, I fell in love with her kind ways. I was ten that first day and from that day forward, I followed her everywhere. When I was fifteen, she asked if I could be allowed to come do chores for her at her home. Permission granted; I was thrilled! After school and on weekends I spent every minute I could in the presence of the woman who had become the only Mother or Grand Mother figure who I had ever had in my life. Of course, she paid me for the little chores I did but I would have done them for free just to have gotten to hang out at her house.

The funeral was over, and I snapped out of my thoughts when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“Excuse me.”

I turned to face a man I had never seen before. I gave him a blank look.

“You are Gabriel uh, Quick?”

“Yes sir.”

“Would you mind coming back to Mrs. Ford’s house for the reading of her will?”

“Why would I?”

“Well, I’m her attorney. She mentioned you in her will and you should be there. It’s customary for all who are mentioned in a will to be present when it is first read.”

“Oh, well then, I’m sure I can do that. There were some books she knew I loved. Ok, I will be there. What time?”

He looked at his watch. You have time to grab some lunch. We will be reading it at one. Her family all have planes to catch so they want to wrap it up today. See you there.”

“Yes sir!”

I left the church smiling for it was just like Granny Ford not to forget to leave me that set of books I loved so much. Bless her!

I stopped at Subway for a quick bite and as I was on my bike did not want to take too much time for lunch. As I ate my meatball sandwich my thoughts returned to Granny Ford. After I graduated high school, I always kept up my visits and shared my dreams with her about my life. The scholarships I received got me through these last four years of college along with the odd jobs I had along the way. She always offered me money to help, but I always refused. I wanted to accomplish it on my own. How my heart hurt thinking about how I was going to miss this woman.

I arrived at her home without a minute to spare. I slipped in and sat as the attorney nodded at me and started, as every family member turned to look at me with some surprise.

“Before I read the will, I have something else to read at the request of Mrs. Ford.” Saying this, he pulled out a little black book and opened it. One I had seen Granny Ford with many times in the past. I could hear her now, “Gabe, help me find that darn Moleskine book, will you? I have misplaced it again!” I would go running off to search all her favorite sitting places until I found it and we would have a good laugh because it was usually in the same spot every time.

He began reading,

“Dearest family,

You all know how much I have loved you always. However, there is one amongst you who won my love in your absence who I feel is part of my family also. There were times I missed you all so much I thought my heart would break and I say this not to make you feel bad because your father and I taught you to fly and fly you both did. We were so proud of the way you managed your lives, the wives you chose and the children you grew into beautiful young adults. I have loved you all but sadly from afar. There is one here today who grew up in an orphanage close by to whom I grew attached to over the years. Because of him, I could smile through my tears of missing you all. Oh, it was not your fault I would not leave my home here that Dad and I shared. You both tried. So, do not go feeling guilty. I will not have it. I do want you all to understand how deep my affection is/was for Gabe and why I chose to bequeath him the twenty thousand dollars plus a few other incidentals in my will. I also hope you can see why he just feels like family.

Gabe, remember when the electric went out and you remembered I only had electric heat? You peddled over from your job to make a fire in my fireplace we had not used in many years and scrapped wood from around the neighborhood to keep it going way into the night? The time my water pipe burst and I Could not get a plumber over the holidays at all! You hauled enough water to last me until I could get one out here. There were so many more instances I could name but I think you all get the picture. I love you Gabe. Please do not turn me down this time as you have declined my offers of help in the past. Let me do this one last act of kindness. God bless and keep you all.

Mom, Granny

There was complete silence, and no one spoke until the attorney cleared his throat.

I sat, trying to absorb what I had just heard but also trying to hear what the man was saying at the same time.

To Jerry and Roger, I leave my entire estate to divide equally, apart from the twenty-thousand dollars I bequeath to Gabriel Quick, along with my car and all my books in my library. My Grand Children each have their own separate trust funds which were started at birth and will be withheld until they reach the age of twenty-one.

The car? Her car? It was priceless! So many times had I polished it just so I could prolong my stay at the house, I could not even remember. Not wanting to return to the orphanage, but having finished all my chores, I would ask if she wanted me to polish the 1954 Buick Skylark convertible. I do not even think I breathed for a full minute! I was sure her sons would object, and I would not own such a treasure or such a huge amount of money. I didn’t think I could even blame them.

I sat while the attorney huddled with the two brothers thinking that it was probably not going to happen the way Granny Ford wanted. They glanced at me now and then causing me to feel heat rise to my face. I stood to my feet. I was thinking about just slipping out when the attorney called out to me.

“Gabe! Come over here, please.”

Here it comes, I thought to myself as I walked slowly to where the three men were still standing.

“Yes sir.” I spoke politely.

Roger extended his hand. “We have not been properly introduced but seeing you through Mother’s eyes, I feel I already know you. I want to thank you for being here for her when we were so far away. I can tell by that letter how much it meant to her. You are an extraordinary young man.”

Jerry offered his hand also and said, “same here. I feel so much better knowing she had someone like you caring about her all these years. I just cannot believe she kept you such a secret! Regardless, Roger is right, it makes me happy to know she was not as lonely as we might have imagined. Thank you!”

Really? They were beaming! Not angry as I had thought they would have been. Their wives joined them and soon after Jerry’s seventeen-year-old daughter and Roger’s eighteen-year-old daughter and nineteen-year-old son joined in also. We were all exchanging stories about Granny Ford. Some making us laugh and some bringing tears. Before we all left, I promised to visit them in memory of Granny Ford.