“I know that Grandad had a bit of money, but it wasn't enough for you to go through all this trouble, was it? I am just now finding out that he has passed, so I am really not thinking about his stuff.”
“I'm sorry that I called in this way, but I didn't know how else to do it. Gerald was very clear that he wanted this all taken care of as soon as possible. I made a promise, and when someone makes a promise to your grandfather, they really want to follow it. He meant a lot to me, and I am sorry for your loss. We're all going to feel a loss like his. Gerald is really going to be missed.”
I wanted to ask him how he knew that, but I guess it really didn't matter. Whatever it was that he wanted to show me or give me, I would have to be there to receive. It was my grandfather’s last wish, so, of course, I wanted to know exactly what it was. I had been to his house every single summer since I could remember. He was an integral part of my life, and I couldn't even fathom my life without him. How was this going to ever be better?
“Thank you. If you want to meet somewhere, it'll probably take me a day to get down there. I'm staying in Chicago right now, and I will call and see how quickly I can get a flight.”
“The sooner the better. You're grandfather wanted to make sure that you got everything that was entitled to you.”
“I know that he had a little bit of money, but what exactly is this all about?”
“The house, Ms. Ravel. One of the biggest assets that he left to you was his house.”
I was floored by that. My grandfather’s house was pinnacle to all my memories. I had always loved it. It was huge, sprawling, and had multiple levels. I remembered playing hide and seek with the maid for hours and still not being able to find her sometimes. My eyes started to tear up with all the memories coming over me. I was really going to miss him, and I could already feel a hollowness where he used to be.
I assured him that I would be there by the morning and we would go over whatever paperwork he had for me. I was hoping that I could get an early flight. There was also things to deal with as far as his funeral, and I made mentioned to that before I got off the phone with his lawyer, but the man insisted that everything was already taken care of.
Apparently, my grandfather had been rather good at taking care of everything. He even did it after he was dead.
I got off the phone and I just kind of stared at the model for a time. Finally, I had my assistant, Gemma, tell the models that they could go home for the day. I wasn't going to be able to get any work done.
“Gemma, try to get me a flight to Alabama. The sooner, the better.”
“Alabama?”
“Yeah, my grandfather died, and now I have to go there and take care of his estate.”
She wanted to know more and give her condolences, but I didn't really want to listen to it right then. My mind wasn’t working. I grabbed my keys and my purse, and I left the office. Why did it feel like this homecoming was going to be different than all the rest?
My flight was late, and I didn't get back to town until it was well past dark. I drove the familiar route to my grandfather’s house, trying to imagine what life was going to be like without him. I still, even at twenty-five-years old, would go to visit him every summer; although, I couldn't stay as long as I used to. I would stay as long as I could and help him around the house, do any fixing that he needed. Just spent time with him. I hated to think that all of that was going to go away.
The realization of his departure was even harder to deny when I went into the house. It was the first time in a long time that I had gone in without several lights glowing. This time, it was not only quiet, no sound except the ticking of the clock, but a stillness creeped me out. It almost felt like he was sleeping, but I knew that wasn’t the case. That he was never going to wake up.
I sat down on the couch that still smelled like him and I cried a little bit. It wasn’t my best moment by far, but I couldn't help myself. I knew that one day I would lose him. I didn’t know it would be so soon. Maybe I was just greedy and wanted more time with him.
I looked around, and all sorts of feelings and emotions came up. It had just been so long since I’d cried, and I cried for at least an hour. Right there on the couch in the living room, not a light on inside. The darkness was the only balm I could feel.
The next morning, I called the lawyer that I’d talked to before, and he wanted to meet at Christy’s Diner. I had not found a better place for pancakes anywhere, even with all of my travels. I agreed to the location because of that fact, and I said that I would be there soon. Staying in the house and thinking about it all didn’t sound like anything that I wanted to do.
When I got to the diner, Emory was already there and had ordered for both of us. Apparently, there was nothing else that was worth ordering as
