Chapter 61
Paintings with different themes were hung on the walls and Adam led me in deeper into the small room, taking a painting of a boat stuck in a storm in the middle of the open sea off the wall and settled it down carefully on the floor beside his feet.
"This was my mom's studio. She had a passion for painting and used to spend majority of her time in here before she fell sick," he croaked. He cleared his throat but didn't bother saying anything else. It was the first words that he had said to me after finding out that his mother had passed and I wasn't going to interrupt in case he wanted to sputter out another few words. It was a give or take and I'd take whatever I can if it meant having him talk to me again.
Behind the painting was a safe box inside a rectangular hole that seemed to be measured accordingly to the size of the box. Adam started pressing the numbers that were written on the paper to open up the box. I waited with my hands above my heart, trying to calm my breathing and assure myself that nothing was going to jump out of there and bite our heads off.
When the safe clicked open, Adam pulled the door wide open and inside laid papers; pictures, letters and more pictures. Each letter was addressed to different people with their names written on top of the envelope. Pictures were piled on the other side of the safe, pictures of Adam with his siblings when they were younger or recent pictures that they took before the sickness started affecting Carla.
Adam grabbed the pictures first, going through them and I could see that tears were gathering in his eyes. I didn't want to intrude so I stood there awkwardly, letting him have his moment. His eyes scanned each and every one of them, drinking up the pictures and his mother is appearance in each of the pictures.
A lone tear escaped his eyes and he was quick to wipe it away. He took out the letters next, his eyes going through the names on them but they stopped on two of them.
I was about to look away, wanting to walk out of the room and leave him to it for a while but a hand that was offering me an envelope stopped me. My eyes, full with surprise, caught Adam's. My fingers gently taking the plain white envelope from him.
Above it, my name was written in calligraphy. I stared at it for a moment before turning it and prying the letter open as carefully as I could. Inside, I found a small pendant and a folded paper. I took the pendant first, the emerald stone sat on the middle, catching the light from one of the bulbs on the ceiling. I dropped it inside the envelope again before taking out the folded paper next.
With a deep breath, I opened the letter and started reading through.
My dear Casey,
By the time you read this, I'm probably on my death bed. I'm sorry to leave you with my despaired family to deal with but I beg you to remember what you promised me.
In case you forgot, you promised me that you won't leave them to fend for themselves during their time of grief. You promised me to be you and be the light in this dark moment.
I know that you've experienced the pain of losing someone dear to you so I beg you, dear child, help them; help me.
I hope that you realized that you are a part of our family the second that you stepped through that door. My son is head over heels for you, you've got him wrapped around your fingers and from what I saw; you don't even know how deep his love is for you.
He cares for you, Cassandra, and I don't mind because I know that you're a great woman and that you will make a great mother someday. I see how my young ones are around you and how much you care about them. You will make a wonderful mother, I can feel it.
And I want to thank you for being there for my Adam right now and for the money you've slipped in my room to help pay the bills for my medications. You might not know it but I was never asleep when you would drop by and slip the money inside the room.
Thank you for helping us with the bills but I fear that it was too late for me. Thank you for trying, for extending my time with my children and husband.
The pendant, inside the envelope along with this letter, was something my grandmother gave to me as a child when I deliberately risked my life to save someone else's. She told me that this was a recognition for my bravery that day because no one else was there to witness the incident.
I don't know where you gained that much money but thank you. Maybe you risked your life in getting that money but then again, maybe you didn't. Nevertheless, you did something that not all people would do and you deserve this pendant. I know it's not much but I held it close to my heart ever since the day my grandmother gave it to me. I hope you will cherish it as much as I did.
Thank you Casey, I know you will keep your promise. Be patient with them, they aren't the easiest family to deal with but they are good people. I wish you a happy life, may God be with you for the rest of your life and even after that.
Love,
Carla
Needless to say, tears escaped my eyes and I immediately took off the necklace I was wearing to slip in the pendant. The necklace didn't have any pendant on it before the emerald stone and I only wore it because it used to be Bryant's so it was a perfect way to keep the stone safe.
‘I will keep it close to my heart, Carla, I'll cherish and treasure it, I will protect it with my life,' I thought silently, caressing the beautiful green pendant; so small yet worth a million lives.
