The Hidden Compartment

This was supposed to be my dream home, I thought as I walked up to the front door of the once beautiful home that had belonged to my grandparents. For years I had wanted to buy their home, but I wasn’t able to afford it. Surprisingly enough, it sat vacant for 15 years. I guess no one wanted to deal with the bank. And now that it sat, uninhabited for years, it needed a lot of work.

“I can do this.” I whispered to myself and walked through the front door. Looking around I noticed that a lot of my grandparents furniture was still there, set up exactly how I remembered.

“Time to get to work!” Clapping my hands together and grabbing a garbage bag I started my work on getting my new, very used home, cleaned up.

By lunchtime I had finished cleaning the whole downstairs. After I had my lunch I decided to move upstairs and get back to work. I started in the study. Wiping everything down and throwing away old papers and empty boxes.

As I was going through my grandfather’s desk, I must have hit something. A loud crack came from the bottom of the desk. I bent down to take a look, thinking that the desk was just old and was probably breaking. But to my surprise, there was a hidden compartment underneath. I don’t think I have ever seen so much dust in one place.

I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, letting it out into the compartment so I would have a better look. Turning the flash light from my phone on, I noticed a small black book. There was an envelope on top. In bold black handwriting it said Kate.

I starred at it, completely dumbfounded. My grandfather wrote me a letter and left it for me to find in his desk. How could he have known I would have gotten it? I sat down in his chair and opened the letter.

My dearest Kate,

By now nana and I will have probably been long gone. I pray that you find this letter and know that we love you with all our hearts.

In this book, I have left you the key to our safety deposit box. The bank and address listed in there as well. It and the contents of the box now belong to you. I know that you will use it wisely.

Love,

Papa Richard

Wow.

Was all that popped into my mind. How in the world? Looks like I will be heading to the bank in the morning. Might as well go get myself cleaned up and head to bed. It’s been a long and amazing day.

The next morning

I woke up with the sun today. I’m never up this early, but I am so excited to find out what my grandparents have left for me.

After a quick breakfast, I threw on some jeans and tied up my hair. As I hopped in the car, I punched in the address to the bank that my grandfather had written down in the little black book. As I started my drive towards downtown, I rolled down the windows and sang along to the radio. The sun was shining and the air was crisp. Before I knew it, I had arrived at my destination. This was it!

As I walked inside, I walked up to one of the tellers.

“Hello, my name is Rebecca. How may I assist you today?” The teller asked.

“Hello, Rebecca, my name is Kate Woods. I am here because my grandparents left me their safety deposit box. Number 124.”

Rebecca looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

“Uhh yes, one moment ma’am. I need to go and get my supervisor. He deals with all the safety deposit boxes.” Before I could say anything, Rebecca had turned on her heels and quickly walked away. As I stood there waiting, the other tellers started to stare and whisper among themselves. I tried to ignore the stares by looking through my phone, but I couldn’t help shake that burning feeling.

What felt like hours later, Rebecca finally came back with her supervisor. He was a tall, very handsome man, maybe in his early thirties. He walked right up to me and introduced himself.

“Hello Ms. Woods, my name is Liam Carpenter. I apologize for the hold up.”

“Please, call me Kate. There is no problem at all. Although I am curious as to why I am being stared at?”

Liam gave a small smile and directed me towards his office. Once he had shut the door, he gestured towards the chairs.

“Please, have a seat” He said. “I apologize for my employees, they are just excited to find out what is in box 124. It has been unopened for the better part of 15 years. Long before any of us started working here.”

“Oh wow,” I stated. “ I had no idea. It once belonged to my grandparents. I just bought their old home and found a letter left to me in my grandfather’s desk. I am just as curious as they are.”

“Well how about I take you back and we get you into the box?”

“That would be great, Mr. Carpenter. Thank you.”

“Please, call me Liam.” He said with a smile.

Was he flirting with me, I wonder?

“Liam it is! Let’s go open up the box.”

With that, Liam led the way. Passing back through the lobby, catching more stares along the way back to the vault. Once we located the box, I handed Liam my key. He then used the bank’s key and mine, to unlock it. Before he opened it, he set it on the counter.

“I’ll leave you to it. I don’t want to impose. I am sure this is an emotional thing to go through.” Liam turned and started to walk away.

“Liam, wait. Actually it would be really nice to have some company.”

Liam turned around and came back to the counter.

“I was hoping you would let me stay, I am sure that I am just as curious as you are.” He said with that amazing smile of his.

I smiled in return and turned to open the box.

We were both silent as we stared down into it, eyes wide. Holy crap! There was a stack of cash in there, a check written out to myself for $20,000, as well as some of my grandmother’s jewelry. The best thing in there though, was the photo of my grandparents on their wedding day. Tears threatened the corner of my eyes. Liam looked on in awe. Even though we didn’t know each other, it was nice to have him there with me. Something about him made me feel comfortable.

As I pulled the items out one at a time, I noticed a small box hidden underneath the money. I opened it to find my grandparents’ wedding rings. That was extremely unexpected, I didn’t think they would have left them to me. This made my heart swell and the tears went streaking down my face. All of a sudden I felt a warm hand on my back and I sunk into Liam, who seemed to have tears in his eyes as well.

For the next few minutes we just hugged each other in silence. I suddenly came to my senses and heat went rushing to my face. How could I have cried and hugged someone I didn’t know like that? As I started to pull away from Liam, I got the sense that he didn’t want to let go.

I turned to look at him, he placed his hand gently under my chin and leaned in to kiss me.

I had hoped that buying my dream home would lead me to be closer to my grandparents, but never had I thought it would lead me to my true love as well.