"Wordsmiths Fiction Week 4: Season 24 – The Family Secret"

Greetings and welcome to my blog. The Team Wordsmiths has made us cross paths again and I will be taking up from their prompt...

The Prompt

When Julie showed up for the reading of her estranged father’s will, she expected almost nothing. Maybe a few old books or that dusty violin he used to keep in the corner. But instead, the lawyer slid a folder across the table. Inside, one sentence had been circled in red:

"The estate is to be divided equally among my three children."

Julie froze. Three children? She had only ever known of one brother. This wasn't a typo. Her father, a man who avoided personal questions and rarely spoke about the past, had legally acknowledged a third heir.

The lawyer handed her a name: Jeremy Cates. Along with it came only a P.O. box and a condition. Unless all three heirs agreed, none of them would be allowed to access the property.

The story's Continuation

Julie's hands legs and feet trembled as she continuously pondered on the circled sentence "The estate is to be shared equally among my three children." "Three?" Was the question in the minds of Julie and her brother Mark. At this point, the air in the lawyer's office became thin and beside her , her brothers voice crumbled "what sort of joke could this be?".

Pixabay

Mr Ellis, the lawyer, cleared his throat. "It's not a joke Mark. Your father called me and amended the will 3 months ago before he died, and it was this time he identified a third heir by the name Jeremy Cates".

Mark blinked and whispered to Julie " You are older than I, have you heard of such name before?" Its quite strange, Dad was distant, but having a third child is what I have never thought about." Julie replied. Seeing the confusion on their face, Elias admitted, "there's limited information about this name. Just a name and P.O. box but the condition is form: this estate should remain sealed until all three heirs agrees.

Julie and Mark simultaneously became sick. Their father had never mention of another sibling and never for once spoke of anything real. And now he has left behind a mystery sealed under the auspicious of legal concrete.

That night was a night I would tag "The search". Julie and Mark searched their late father's study room and among an old abandoned drawer was an ancient guitar case. Curiosity made her open the case and behold, was a faded letter addressed not to Julie or Mark,but to a name abbreviated J. C.

"I am very sorry boy. I wasn't brave enough then".
But my sincere prayers is that one day you would understand better"
Best regards From Daddy

"The letter is unsigned" was the words of Mark looking directly to Julie. "I would recognize daddy's handwriting even the dark" was Julie's words Affirming that their father wrote the letter. At this point, They were left with no other choice than writing to the given P.O box saying

With due respect, if you are Jeremy Cates, please we really need you to reach out to us. We are tied in a manner none of us expected or wished for. From Julie

It was a good move. However, weeks passed and nothing was heard about Jeremy. Mark was compiled by frustration to say "This guy does not exist on planet earth. Probably he is dead or fake. Let's challenge the will". Julie refused him saying "No, it's real and dad has tried to reach him. I trust that looking for him worth it".

One day, the next client came unexpectedly. It was an old photo hidden at the middle of their father's old Bible. A boy with a dark skin and a young looking woman, standing in front of a guitar store. On the back of the picture was "J.C and my dream wife 1993."

Pixabay

"He's real and I will join you to look for him" Mark said with a strong voice. With the help of the guitar store label, they met the manager and he told them "I can remember them vividly, the woman was a guitarist and used to bring him in for training." "Ma'am.." Mark said before the woman interrupted "I have not seen them for more than twenty years now"

Everything went back to dust. Then, one day the lawyer called. "Julie, please come immediately, Jeremy is here". Without responding to the lawyer, Julie rushed to his office leaving Mark informed with a note.

There he was. A tall looking dark skin guy, calmed and welcoming. "Julie?" He asked and Julie nodded with a fake smile.

"I wasn't sure you wanted to meet me" he added. "I am just surprised you ever existed because, I have searched almost everywhere" Julie responded.

At this point, Mark walked in "So you are the ghost?" He asked. Jeremy turned and responded, "Are you MarK?, well, I am not a ghost. I am a human like you".

Mr Elias cleared his throat "Now, all of you are here, the terms of the sealed estate can proceed." All eyes went towards Jeremy.

"I didn't come for the money. But, I came to verify if what my late mom told me about my missing father were true. She told me my father loved me but my grand parents never allowed him to come near me because he was from a poor background."

At this point, Julie stepped forward and handed him the old letter from the guitar case. Jeremy read it silently, then hold it towards his chest. "Dad loved you" Julie added while Mark rubbed his eyes saying"Welcome to the family, I guess."

At this point, Jeremy could not hold his tears and Julie from this moment found the happiness that has been taken from her since the lawyer's pronouncement of a third child of their father.

I invite @waterjoe, @nsijoro, @alexanderpeace @solperez and @josepha to join the challenge.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING