A Message In Time

I sighed as my Grandmother walked beside me at the thrift store. "Okay honey pick a coat it's cold out so your going to need a warm one."At sixteen years old I could have done work to afford a brand new coat. I could have gotten a job at one of the local stores in town even walked dogs or done yard work but my Grandmother said no to me doing any work.I skimmed through the coats hideous shades of blue and yellow made my eyes ache. I was getting frustrated until I reached the end of the rack. There was a tweed peacoat definitely an older coat but it had no damage. I checked the price tag it was five dollars. I tried it on and looked in the petite mirror. I actually liked it and met up with my Grandmother " I found one." She looked over at me. "How much?" "Five dollars." "Okay sweetheart." We went to the register and paid.It was freezing out so as soon as we got out I put the coat on. My denim jacket was not keeping me warm.We went to my Grandmother's old beat up car and drove home. I was sitting in the seat listing to some jazz song that was playing on the radio. I stuffed my pale skinned hands into my coat pockets. In the right one I felt something protruding from the inner lining of the pocket.I frowned as soon as we got home. I said a quick thank you to my Grandmother for getting me the coat and rushed up the creaky stairs to my room. I took the coat off and threw it on my bed. I examined the right pocket. Feeling the pocket inner lining again. There was definitely something there. It appeared like someone had opened it. But upon feeling a row of stitching I decided to cut the threads and open the lining.I grabbed a pair of my Grandmother's miniscule sewing scissors. Cutting the row of perfectly stitched threads.Once it was cut open I pulled out a cassette with a piece of paper tied to it. I untied the paper and open it up and read what appeared to be a letter of some sort.

To my dearest Amelia,

My sweetheart I hope your are safe. I am sorry we had to go separate ways but I hope we will find each other again.It was for our own safety especially yours.I will forever miss the sight of your red hair and vivid green eyes. I have included a cassette with this letter please listen to it both sides.It will explain a lot to you.

Love,

Roger

I looked at the cassette it didn't look to be in any damage.I hurried over to grab my cassette player I owned from the corner of my tiny room. I plugged it in and set it on my nightstand. I carefully put the cassette in and was about to press play when there was a knock at my door."Kalise?" "Yeah?" "I am leaving for work now I'll be back later." "Okay love you." "Love you too." A minute later I heard the front door shut and my Grandmother's car rattle up the driveway. I took a deep breath and pressed play.

"Amelia it's Roger if your listening to this it means you've gotten my letter."

The voice Roger's voice I guess sounded very calm.

"Please listen I didn't want to go but I had to I hope your safe where you have relocated to. I am sorry I had to cut your coat but I couldn't mail this to you so that was the only other option." He took a deep breath."Listen closely Amelia I don't want you to think that making us separate was ever an intention of wanting to be away from you. I miss you dearly but it would have been bad for us to stay together."

I was listening intently and wondering did this women Amelia ever get this letter and cassette was it fairly recent?

"I know we had plans to live the rest of our lives together and sweetheart that was why I proposed to you months before sliding that ring on your finger was the best moment of my life."

Then the tape ended I realized that side one must have been complete. I flipped the cassette to side two and pressed play.

"Darling I must explain to you why it would have been bad for us to stay together and that is complicated but I can tell you."

Like on the previous side Rodger took a deep breath.

"I told you about my Father how he was involved in some risky dealings and that's how he made a living one morning my Father asked me to accompany him to work as he needed my help that was in the year 1957 so I was sixteen."

Well there goes my theory about this being fairly recent.

"I told him I had an important trigonometry test that morning in response he told me to make it up tomorrow he'd write a note to explain why I wasn't present." I sighed but didn't feel like fighting with my Father as I never did he was a man that backed his action by brute force and since he was double my size I couldn't fight back."

I sighed combing my long blonde hair back with my fingers.

"That day was one of the worst days of my life" Roger continued telling his story.

"My Father told me that he was meeting someone inside that he was doing a business exchange with he instructed me that while he was doing so I was to stand nearby and if I heard him shout the word grey I was to come to where he was located immediately and so that's what I did."

"I was listening to them and suddenly I heard a storm of arguing erupt and a loud crash and my Father shout grey." I hurriedly rushed into the room. "Just in time to see my Father get shot." The figure was wearing a hat and trench coat and the room was completely dark so from where the figure was standing I couldn't make out their features." Suddenly they lifted their head up and stepped forward and it was then that I saw his face. It was Nathaniel Castor an eighteen year old recent graduate of the local high school I was currently attending at the time.Him and his parents live down the street from me and my parents. He Heen locked eyes with me and said that he was sorry but you're Father had to go and I can't have you live knowing I have done this that was when I ran I heard his gun fire but I continued to run. I ran faster and faster in the pouring rain until I got home."

"My Mother was on the couch knitting when I came in and exclaimed Roger goodness gracious where have you been boy?"

I imagined a sixteen year old from the year 1957 rushing in to a small house a petite woman sitting there on the couch knitting a blue scarf.

"She had me quickly change and started a fire sat in front of it and wrapped a thick wool blanket around me and explained to her what had happened she was quiet for a few moments before I asked her if we should call the police she quickly told me noand that we pretend we have no idea where he is and when the police come I don't mention anything about what I saw and if the police ask why I wasn't in school today I was to tell them it was because I was sick I had nodded and when the police eventually came I did just that and the police believed it soon after my Mother and me moved across the country from New Jersey to New York my mom eventually remarried to a man a Doctor. The police department about a year ago contacted me and asked if I would okay them reopening my Father's case against my better judgement I okayed it. Recently Nathaniel had tracked me down he knew everything about how we were engaged and threatened me saying if I continued to let the police work on my Father's case he would kill me and you so I contacted them and told them I reconsidered it and don't want his case reopened but he still wasn't satisfied and more and more threats kept coming so that is why we had to separate goodbye Amelia I'll love you forever and always."

Then there was silence I took the cassette out and examined it brushing my fingertips over the edges. I decided to look through the coat pocket once more. I felt my fingertips brush against something and I pulled it out.It was a black and white photograph of a pretty smiling young woman and a handsome smiling young man. Wait I had seen this photo before .

I tore out of my room and into my Grandmother's grabbing her red photobook I looked through it till I came across the exact same photo. I took it out and flipped it over to see if anything was written on the back.

Amelia and Roger proposal day.

Amelia from the letter and the cassette was my Grandmother and Roger was the love of her life once.

Which begs the question where is Roger now?