The morning started off with the sun streaming into Henry's small bedroom window. Trying to ignore the sun waking him up, Henry winced at the brightness he could see through his closed eyes. "I've got to get that blind fixed", he thought. He rolled over, back facing the sunlight and slowly opened his eyes. After what seemed like forever he got up, and proceeded through his small apartment to his bathroom to get ready for work.
"Damn it." he said angrily to himself. He sat on the edge of his bed and looked the alarm clock, 7a.m. He wasn't scheduled to go into work for another hour, so it couldn't have been his boss asking where he was. He didn't have many friends, actually, he didn't have any, so it wasn't anyone calling to check on him. The only person he could think could be calling him this early was his father, but even that was a far stretch. Henry and his father hadn't spoken since he was 18 years old when they got into a heated argument about what Henry was going to do with his life. The last time he saw his father was in the rear view mirror of his little Sloppy Jalopy as he sped out of his fathers driveway with everything he owned crammed into the back of the car.
A few moments later, his landline rung. He looked in astonishment at the phone on the end table in the living room as if it was an unknown object to him. He walked over to it and picked up the reciever, looking at it, then finally, lifted it up to his ear.
"hello?"
"Hello," the voice on the other end said. It was a gruff voice of an older gentleman who had called. "May I speak to Mr. Henry Banks?"
"Speaking."
"Mr. Banks, I'm Mr. Tumwater. I am your father's lawyer,"
"You have the wrong number, Mr. Tumwater, my father is not at this number and I cannot help you with getting in contact with him." Henry said ready to hang up.
"No, no...I am aware this is not Sr. Banks' number, I am contacting you, Mr. Banks,"
"Call me Henry. I don't like to be called Mr. Banks."
"Alright, Henry. I'm calling because I have some," there was a pause from Mr. Tumwater, and Henry suddenly felt wide awake. He realized why Mr. Tumwater was contacting him, his father had passed away. "distressing news about your father."
"You don't need to go on."
"I'm sorry?"
"I know why you're calling. My father has died, correct?" Henry said into the receiver, but there was no answer. "Are you still there?"
"Yes, I'm sorry,"
"No need to be sorry. So is that it, then?"
"Well, not exactly. As I stated earlier, I am your fathers lawyer and I have his will here that I need to go over with you."
"With me?" Henry was surprised.
"Well, yes. You are the only known living relative to Mr. Banks. Could you possibly come to my office this morning?"
"Um...I've got to go to work at 8 a.m., and work until 5 p.m."
"Oh. I'm afraid that's when my office closes as well. Can we arrange for another time, perhaps?"
"No. No, I'll call in and let them know I need time off today. I have some sick time I can use."
"Very well." Mr. Tumwater gave Henry the address to his office and bid him goodbye.
Henry called work and explained what had happened and that he needed to take the day off to get things taken care of. After the call to work, he jumped in the shower, threw on whatever clothes he could find that seemed the cleanest, and grabbing his keys, headed out to find Mr. Tumwaters office.
* * * * *
(photo courtesy of: http://simminginmagnificentstyle.blogspot.com)
Mr. Tumwaters office was directly across Bridgeport's city hall, but that didn't mean it was easy to find it. Henry hated going into the heart of downtown Bridgeport and felt lucky when he found out he could do his job from home when he first started the newspaper. Finding a parking spot that wouldn't break his wallet was even tougher. Thirty minutes later he settled on a parking spot at a meter one block away from Mr. Tumwaters office. It was a nice sunny day, and normally would be a great day to skip work for a lesiure day, but today wasn't that day. He walked around a corner and came face to face with an impressively large hanging sign "Tumwater and Sons-Family Law". He went up the stairs and pulled open the large oak doors. Inside an older woman, short with tight curls asked if she could help him. When he told her who he was, there was a shout from the room behind her, "I got it Gretchen! I got it!". A short stout man in a very expensive suit came hurrying out. He was bald but not completely, and a scruffy grey beard that matched his remaining hair on his head. "Henry! I'm Mr. Tumwater. Glad you were able to make it today." he shook Henry's hand with a great deal of force and tension. Henry nodded, and followed Mr. Tumwater into his office.
The office was larger than it gave away from the reception area. Henry couldn't help think about the size and was pretty sure it was bigger than his whole apartment. Mr. Tumwater motioned to a expensive captains chair for Henry to sit in while he went around to the other side of his large oak desk.
""Let me just get out your fathers file here," he said as he pulled open one of the large oak drawers to the matching desk. "Here we go, 'Banks'. So, you are your fathers only living relative, so it shouldn't be a shock that he left you, well, pretty much everything he owned."
"The fact that I was ready to hang up on you thinking you were looking for my father, and that I was not willing to help you find him, should have been an indication that, yes, I am shocked he would leave me anything".
Mr.Tumwater was speechless at Henry's surliness towards his father.
"I do apologize " Mr. Tumwater said in a more gentler voice. Henry waved it off as if he were lightly swatting at an annoying fly. "Shall we proceed then?"
Henry simply nodded.
One hour later, Henry discovered he was left, as Mr.Tumwater stated, everything his father had in possession while he was living: his house that Henry and his parents lived in, his savings, car, and all the little knick-knacks he had around the house.
Henry was already at the door to leave when Mr. Tumwater stopped him.
"There is one more thing,"
Henry turned and saw him reaching into the inside breast pocket of his blazer and pull out a sealed envelope,
"there's this," he said.
"What is that?"
Mr. Tumwater handed over the envelope, and Henry saw that it was sealed with only his name on the front of it. Henry looked at Mr. Tumwater, but all he did was nod, smile and go back to his desk; an indication they were thoroughly done with their meeting. Henry started toward the door once again, when he turned, "What about the funeral?"
"No funeral. Your fathers wish was to be cremated, and that...has already been taken care of".
"Well, where are the ashes, then?" He was sure Mr. Tumwater could tell he really wasn't concerned, but more curious than anything.
"They were spread out...at sea, by me," he looked sternly at Henry, "his request. Good day, Mr. Banks".
Henry hurried to his car. He couldn't get the look, and the stern-ness in Mr. Tumwater's voice as he told him about his fathers ashes. He felt as if he was a child, again, being scolded for something he knew he shouldn't have done. But then he thought of the letter and that all went away. He was anxious to open the letter to see what it could possibly be in it. The whole walk back to the car, Henry thought of what his father could have possibly said to him in a letter, a sealed letter at that. Why didn't Mr. Tumwater just tell him what was in the envelope? Did he really not know, or did he know and just didn't want to spoil it for Henry? Or was it that he knew it was a nasty letter and didn't want the uncomfortable position of telling Henry what to expect?
He sat in his car staring at the envelope for a while. It had some weight to it, heavier than what you would expect an envelope with just one or two page letter. After what seemed like forever, he ripped the envelope open. Inside was a small piece paper with an address, '29 S. Falls Ave., Moonlight Falls'.
"what is this?" he asked himself.
He picked up the envelope that was on his lap and pulled out a shiny brass key.
I was expecting a letter, but a mysterious key is always good! :)
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