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“So, as you know, Jerry wanted you to come and see me in the event of his death. This is the paperwork that you will need to sign here, and a copy of his will.”
My chest rises and falls. I pick it up and begin skimming it over. Jerry has left his house to me, and asked that I keep it in the family. My father grew up in that home and that’s where him and my grandmother spent most of their lives. I keep reading and then I see the inheritance. The stipulation is I have to graduate. Not that Jerry wouldn’t have removed that if I decided to drop out, but I’m in my last semester.
“He didn’t need to leave me money. Why didn’t he donate it to charity or something?”
It feels weird taking his hard earned money even if he is dead. Charities could make such better use of it.
“Jerry was adamant that it is yours. He also said that it could be passed on to your children if you would like.”
$520,000.
I can’t imagine having that kind of money in my account. How did he have all this after traveling so much? He must have made good investments over the years.
He hands me a pen to sign on all the dotted lines, and after the last page, I stand up. “I really need to be going. Thank you for being such a great friend to Jerry. He truly loved you.”
“I’ll see him again. And your grandmother. That’s a fact.”
The clouds have covered the sun, and I get in my car and put the key into the ignition, letting the air conditioning blast in my face. What am I going to do? Jerry left me his house, but it’s too big for just me. Although, I don’t see a reason to keep paying rent either.
I have some decisions to make, but none that have to be finalized tonight. Jerry’s house isn’t going anywhere. Next week, I can take the paperwork down to the utilities office and get everything switched into my name. It would be stupid to pay for electric and water at both properties though.
I grab my phone and dial Jennifer without even taking my eye off of the road.
“Hello?”
“We are both off tonight. Wanna come over and drink some wine? It’s been a shit day.”
“I’m on my way.”
She might not like it, but Jennifer is the only person I have left. I need to talk all this out with someone. My therapy appointment isn’t until next week. Some wine and a good friend might be just what I need right now.
I pull into my driveway and she is already parked, posted up on the side of her car.
“That bad of a day, huh? I got us a bottle of red. It might be a two bottle kind of night.”
She follows me inside, and doesn’t waste any time grabbing the glasses and filling them up.
“Spill. Something has been bothering you, so let me help. What kind of friend am I if I let you go through this shit yourself?”
I take a deep breath and explain to her about my grandfather. She never had the privilege of meeting him, but after I’m done she will know as much about him as I do. She lets me ramble on and on about his adventures and the epic love story of him and my grandmother. They were truly made for each other and after she passed, I wasn’t sure how long Jerry would last. They say that when you lose your soulmate, it’s likely you will pass soon after.
She lets go on and on about how I feel guilty about not reaching out to him as often as I should’ve, and how I didn’t even know he was in town when he ended up in the hospital. What kind of granddaughter am I?
I take a big gulp of wine, and then the silence starts. Jennifer’s eyes get big, as if she knows I’m about to bust out my secret. Should I tell her? This is something that is very dark and she might never look at me the same way.
“When I was almost seventeen years old, my house was broken into. My father was nearly beaten to death, and I was sexually assaulted.”
Her jaw drops, and she takes another sip of wine. “Why have you never told me this before?”
“I don’t want you to look at me differently. Or with pity.”
She leans in for a hug. “I would never. A friend can tell when you are hurting. Please don’t keep things from me. I can be here for you.”
Tears begin to spill and we are locked in an embrace for a good solid five minutes. I want to tell her there’s more, but it just doesn’t seem like the right time to tell her. So, I drop the other bomb on her.
“The man who did it got out of prison a couple days ago. I’ve been having trouble sleeping. Looking over my shoulder at every turn. It’s like it reopened this wound that will never close again.”
There is much more to unpack with her, but this is enough for tonight. She offers to stay with me as long as I need her to, and I take her up on the offer. It provides some comfort having someone else here with me.
