The Will
The morning of the news, I didn’t hear anyone speak until Dad got the call. “Hello?” Due to the silence in the house, everyone heard it.
“Mr. Venus?”
Dad answered like anyone would, so the man went on.
“Sir, I need you to accompany me to your mother’s home. Your children must be with you.” With that, Dad hung up the phone.
“Get the kids.” I looked between Dad and Mum, he mustn’t have realized we were all in the kitchen.
When we arrived, an old, navy blue Cadillac was pulled up with a tall, broad man standing beside it. His suit was black with a gold lace trim. His hair was a mess, but he looked handsome nonetheless. He watched us as Dad halted the car and we piled out. The surprise in his face made him question what he was seeing. The 8 people who just got out of a small Ford facing his direction obviously stunned him. He gestured to inside the home, passing Dad the keys.
“Your mother was a highly respected woman, Mr. Venus.” Dad nodded as Mum held Max’s hand, carrying Oscar in the other arm. Us other 4 children shuffled behind them.
Eventually, we landed in the office. As we stood around, the man, who was named Clyde, pulled a piece of paper out of his briefcase.
“Now, we must wait for-” He was cut off by my Aunt, Uncle and cousin ran inside the room. Dad grimaced at his sister. She did the same. They hadn’t gotten along since she married Uncle Robert.
“Now then, I shall read the will.” The room went silent until my cousin, Alice spoke.
“I bet I got her house.” Her remark sent rage filling my Dad, Mum and me. Nan despised her. How could she think she was given the home?! She flicked her white-blonde hair to her left shoulder, smirking at me.
“Actually,” Clyde’s voice broke the rage, but filled everyone with curiosity and anticipation. He chuckled, reading from the paper. “My beach-home is to be gifted to my son, Marcus and his wife, Sherill.” Aunt Emma stared at Mum and Dad. Nan only ever went to the beach-house once a year, so it was practically brand new.
“What about her only daughter?!” Uncle Rob shouted, sending Clyde to read once again. “To my daughter Emma and her husband, I gift $100,000 each. For their daughter Alice, I gift my silver necklaces.” Alice looked like she was going to explode.
“For my oldest 3 grandsons, I gift my husbands vehicles.” My older brothers, Austin, Jack and Harry, smirked. All three of them were out of school and working, but had no mode of transportation other than Dad. Dad had to get up early to drop all three of them at work every weekday. Speaking of Dad, you could see his eyes light up. He could now sleep in and not have to get up at 4 in the morning.
“For my youngest grandsons,” Mum felt Max squeeze her hands, so she tried to reassure him it would be alright. “I give the collection of original teddys, stuffed animals and such.” He went quiet, the turned to the adults.
“May you please leave? Take the children with you. Except, you.” I tensed a little. I silently watched as Mum and Dad scooted everyone out of the room. Alice struck me a glare, which I returned. After the room was silent, I turned to Clyde.
“Please, sit.” I sat in front of him, watching his eyes trail over the paper he held in his hands. Eventually, he placed the paper down, grabbed another and handed it to me. I sat there, reading my grandmother’s handwriting. It read;
To my dear Alaida,
If you’re reading this, you just turned seventeen and I am no longer around. Please know dearie, death isn’t something to be afraid of. I never wanted to leave you or our family, but what’s done is done. But that’s not what I’m going to explain in this letter.
You’re my second granddaughter and my last grandchild. I loved all of you dearly, but you are... special. I knew it when your father came to me, stating your mother was pregnant again. I not only could feel you, but I could see the amazing person you would become. Now you are seventeen years of age, I can share with you what I spent my entire life trying to give.
You, my love, are inheriting all of my manors, my company, everything. You have the power to hold the world in your small hands. On the next full moon when you're move into my manor, say the phrase;
𝔗𝔥𝔯𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔩𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔪𝔬𝔬𝔫 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔥𝔞𝔡𝔬𝔴𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔲𝔫, 𝔭𝔯𝔬𝔱𝔢𝔠𝔱 𝔪𝔢 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔪𝔶 𝔩𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔡 𝔬𝔫𝔢𝔰 𝔱𝔦𝔩′ 𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲 𝔡𝔬𝔫𝔢.
I love you my dear, never forget it.
~Nana
I had to read it through a couple of times until I realized what was going on. My grandmother had left me everything. Her mansions, the company, the amusement parks, everything. But what was with the phrase? I would later find it held the key to my future..
