The Letter

“He knew exactly what was going to happen.” I whispered. A salt tear falling onto a letter I held in my shaking hands. “And yet he still did it.”

I slumped backwards onto my bed taking steadying breaths, salty tears dribbled down my cheeks and onto my bed covers as I watched my chest move up and down. I didn't know what to feel, there were so many emotions coursing through my veins, grief, betrayal, sadness, disappointment but also compassion. I wanted to hug him and kick him at the same time, but there's limited things you can do when someones buried in the earth. I just needed to fully understand what he did, so my mind backtracked to 24 hours earlier.

Cold autumn winds felt like needles piercing my skin as they blew orange leaves in front of my path. I put on a hat and covered it with the hood of my jacket as the rain began to fall, and that's when I really wished it was summer, when the temperature was nice, and it didn't always feel like you were in a cold shower, but I remembered my grandpa’s words. “Each season exists for a reason so you have to make the most of them all.”

I tried  to follow his words and enjoy the weather but seriously couldn't it have been at least a little bit nicer?

I quickened my pace, no one could make me enjoy the seasons. I saw my destination and my lips twisted into a smile. I looked both ways making sure there were no cars that could possibly run me over before jogging across the street and stopping in front of an old Cafe. I pulled on the study metal handle and stepped inside, the sweet smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate wafted in the air, a barista at the counter waved to me so I waved back.

“Aralyn!” A man exclaimed and I smiled not caring what other people thought as I ran into his warm embrace.

“How are you my darling?” My grandpa asked, ducking a strand of my chocolate hair behind my ear.

“I'm good , how are you?” I asked taking a moment to look him over, he had groped gray hair and a handlebar mustache, he had a scar on his right cheek that told stories of where he had been, his eyes gleamed with stories of thousands of generations, they sparkled with curiosity and wisdom only someone who had lived on the earth for a long time could have.

“Where’s your mother?” He asked

“She's on the bus, she got an urgent phone call and had to go back into her office, she said to tell you that she's sorry she missed you.”

“Pity, do tell her I would like to see her.” 

I nodded. “Have you ordered anything?” I asked him, he nodded as your food was on its way.

I pulled out my wallet looking for some dollar bills but My grandpa held up his hand, shook his head and lowered my wallet back under the table. “My treat.” He winked.

THe food came a few minutes later, I was surprised to see my Grandpa had not ordered anything and when I offered some of my food to him he just shook his head and told me I deserved it. I was so hungry I ate every single thing, the scones, the eggs, the biscuit and my italian soda, and I'm sure my mom would be disappointed I didn't leave her anything but If she wanted some food she should have come.

After my grandpa had paid for the food and left a very generous tip he came back to the table and offered me his arm.

“Care to take a walk?” He asked. I looked at the horrible weather wondering why anyone would willingly take a walk just for fun, but I only got to see my grandpa a couple times a year, so I nodded and took his arm. We walked out of the shop and into the city park, which was mostly deserted except for a few walkers frantically rushing home, inhaling the sharp scent of autumn, fallen leaves, wet cement and a hint of cinnamon.

We walked for a while, sometimes talking about school or about his new job but sometimes we just walked in comfortable silence, each of us just enjoying each other's presence. It was 4:00 when everything went wrong, I heard a stick break and I spun around but whoever they were, they were faster. I couldn't see their faces because they were covered in different colored masks. One of them grabbed my grandpa and pinned his arms behind his back.

“What are you doing? Let him go!” I screamed

“Who are you? What do you want with my grandpa?” I asked.

“SO this is his granddaughter.” A nasal voice asked.

“I was expecting more.” A high pitched voice announced, and my cheeks burned she barely knew who I was and all ready she was being judgemental.

“Let him go!” I demanded.

“I don't think I will.” the nasal voice replied. “Now let’s make this simple we don't want anyone to get hurt, your grandpa is going to come with us willingly and if he does we won't hurt a single hair on your pretty body, but if he doesn't..” He clicked his tongue and fury spread through my body. Who was he to start making requests?

“NO! No ones agreeing to your stupid requests! Give me my grandpa back!” I yelled.

“Aralyn.” My grandpa cut in.

“Don't you Aaralyn me! You can't just let them take you!” I pleaded.

“I'm getting impatient.” the one holding my grandpa announced

“Don't hurt her and I will go where you wish.” My grandpa said not to drop my gaze, his eyes were filled with tears but also desperation, but I didn't care what he wanted because I wanted him.

“NO!” I shooted lunging for my grandpa, but the one in the yellow masked held my back as they dragged him away 

“Grandpa!” I sobbed. Yellow raised something above my head and then everything went black.

I blinked open my eyes slowly and all I saw was black so I assumed I was still dreaming  but the winds were real, I jumped up looking around and realized I was exactly where I had been about four or five hours earlier. But my grandpa was nowhere in sight.

I stood up dusting up my pants, “Grandpa? Hello? Are you here?” I called knowing he was probably long gone. A tear slid from my eye and I wondered if I was ever going to see him again.

“ARALYN?” Someone screamed. And I froze, I had just opened the door to my house and stepped inside. 

“Is that you?” Someone asked.

“Yes..” 

“Oh baby.” My mom  ran towards me  and wrapped her arms around me crying into my shoulder.

“I thought I had lost you.” She whispered. I wanted to stay there forever, a little girl in my mom's arms, but the recent events came flooding back to me.

“Therewerepeoplewithmaskandtheytookgrandpaknockedmeoutwhereishe?” I mumbled all in a blur.

“Slow down honey.” I sat on the couch and told her everything, about the people with the masks who took grandpa and knocked me out and by the end my mom had gone pale.

“Are you okay?” She asked, I nodded but I convinced no one.

“Where's grandpa?” I asked

“Oh honey you've had a long day maybe you should go to bed.”

“Where's grandpa?” I asked more firmly.

Tears fell from my moms eyes and I had just realized how red and puffy they were.

“Where's grandpa?” I asked this time not really sure if I wanted to know the answer.

“He’s dead.” She sobbed,

“No! No! That can't be! There has to be some sort of mistake!” I exclaimed

“I wish there was but they found his body in an alleyway earlier this evening. “No! I should have done more. I should have tried harder to stop them from taking him.” I cried

“No baby you did the right thing if you had done anymore they would have taken you too.” She said stroking my hair.

No.” I sobbed grabbing onto her with all my might and sobbing into her lap.

“Aralyn..” A voice called through the darkness, but I turned over ignoring it. I wasn't ready to face reality, but strong hands shook me awake.

“What do you want?” I mumbled but instantly felt bad when I saw my mom's pained expression. “I'm sorry.” I murmured

She cleared her throat. “ I just remembered something.” She told me handing a white envelope to me that had my name on the back in my grandpa's scrawling handwriting.

“He told me to give this to you if something ever happened to him.”

“How long ago was that?” I asked.

“Bout a year ago.” She mumbled

“And you didn't tell me?” I hissed.

“He didn't want you to have it until now.” She told me.

I sighed and ripped open the envelope, and after reading it, everything inside me erupted.

“Aralyn, are you okay?” My mom asked for what seemed like a thousandth time. I shook my head, even though a couple weeks had passed since my grandpa’s death I still looked at my grandpa's letter over and over to see if there was something I was missing.

“Can I see it?” My mom asked sitting down beside her. I nodded, unfolding the letter and showing her what it said.

To my sweet Aralyn,

If you are reading this then I must be dead. I'm not going to apologize for the choices I made, because before I go I want to know that I did everything possible to keep you safe. Please don't spend your days wondering if there was anything else you could have done because let me assure you that what has happened was inevitable. I knew what was going to happen but by telling you would put you in risk and I couldn't have that. I just wanted you to know that I love you and you mean the world to me.

-Grandpa Jordan

We had found out that there was a lot to my grandpa we didn't know, like the fact that when he was running out he borrowed a large sum of money from an illegal organization, that the police had been after for years but still had yet to catch them.

My grandpa didn't pay them off by the time they requested, and they became displeased resulting in his death. That explained the whole thing about this being inevitable or that he knew what was going to happen.

I really wished my grandpa had told us what was going on so that we could have helped. And my mind always kept going back to the scene at the park, he didn't protest or argue when they took him just sat there quietly and told me to let them take him even though he knew where they were going to take him he wouldn't be coming back from. I tried to understand his logic but I kept wondering why? Why not just ask someone for help? Or tell someone what sort of situation he was in? Why did he not fight back at the park? So many whys. But I knew at the park my grandpa was trying to protect me and he wouldn't have wanted me to be angry with him.

“I'm going to go for a walk.” I told my mom. She looked taken aback.

“Wait really?” She asked

I nodded.

“Okay. Just please be careful.” She begged.

I grabbed my coat and put on my hat and stepped into the frigid air. I tried to enjoy the autumn like my grandpa had always told me too as I walked hurriedly down the sidewalk, then I stopped at a different park then the one where everything had gone down and picked a blue, pink, orange, and white flower. And I was quite surprised how many were left despite the weather, but something never gives up and always stands strong.

I opened the gate to the cemetery, walking closely looking at every grave I passed to make sure I didn't miss it even though I knew exactly where it was. His gravestone was at the top of a hill overlooking the city.

I sat down beside it, setting the lower in front of his grave, one for each season, winter spring summer fall. So he could enjoy them all.

“I love you grandpa.”