A Change of Wind

Prologue

People come and go, just like the wind.

As I sat in the crowded airport gate, waiting for the plane to start boarding, my eyes darted around from one person to another, wondering.
I wonder who these people are and where are they heading, are they ever coming back? Or is it a one-way ticket? Maybe unlike me, they have an idea of where their lives are heading to.

The amount of waiting time gave me a little opening to rethink of what had happened recently in my life, mostly great things, but one thing is enough to change everything. From a friend getting married and currently spending the summer enjoying her honeymoon, to another nailing the job interview and getting hired right away at his dream job, and to my father passing away.

I look down and hum in acknowledgment, yes that did happen; I tell myself. It's been almost a year now since my father passed away from a heart stroke. My father Liam Beckett was an old man, an old kind-hearted, loving, and caring father, He never failed to show me and my mother how much he loved us. My mother Sarah Beckett on the other hand, the most beautiful and fun person in my eyes, died years prior from cancer, I was 19 years old at the time. whether it was a year ago, a couple of years, or a decade ago, I miss the both of them dearly, may they both Rest In Peace.

The death of my mother has taught me what pain truly is, surly it hurt when I used to fall all the time on the hard concrete when I was a kid, and it did hurt when the straightening iron almost burn my neck when I used to do my hair for school, but nothing hurt more than the pain I felt when my mother was gone. What truly hurt is the idea and the feeling that she is no longer there, that the person you love and care about is no longer around.

The death of my father hurt just as much because I did not just lose yet another person I love and care about but I've lost the only close family I have left. Sadly, I'm an only child, my parents had me when they were a little older and they've always said I was enough when I used to ask them if they ever wanted to have more children. It has always been the three of us, and now it was only me.

I do have an uncle though, and I remember my mother told me about him when she used to talk about her side of the family, she wasn't close to them or anything it's the opposite.

I raise my head and sigh, I shouldn't be thinking about such things right now, I have the rest of the summer to do so, along with vacationing in hopefully the nice ranch-like estate my parents informed me about years ago, which was a complete surprise to me at the time.

Before my mother's passing, my father and I used to stay with her in the hospital room, trying to make the best of what little time we had left, and one day my father opened up about the side of him I've never heard of before, about his childhood and where he had grown up.

A ranch-like estate somewhere in a small town, in Tennessee. What I learned about my father that day was new to me, I was born, raised, and grew up in an upper east side apartment, in NYC. It never occurred to me that my father came from a different background, sometimes an accent would slip here and there but I never thought he grew up on a ranch, and since it was a piece of new information to me I got all excited and wanted to know more about his life before New York.

However, what my father told me about his childhood wasn't something to be excited about, it was a nightmare. I remember all the excitement and curiosity leaving my body and instead, I became irritated and furious at the new information, most importantly I was sad to learn about my father's childhood and it made me appreciate him and love him even more as a father.

That was the only time he talked about the estate, but a couple of months before he passed away he brought it up again, this time talking about the future of it.
"I never hated that place, just resented it for the ghost of people that filled it with hate." he said to me, then followed by informing me that he intends to leave it for me to take care of it or decide on its future, whether I'd sell it or keep it.

And he did, now I'm the owner of an estate I never stepped foot in before. I remember going on and on with my father about selling it, I argued that he should be the one to let it go and sell it but he only laughed, and said that he did let go a long time ago.

So I was left with this estate to deal with, and for now, it is where I'm traveling to.
Just fresh out of university, at 24 years old with a bachelor's in business and no idea what to do next in my life. Thankfully I'm finically comfortable with the money my father, who grew up with money and worked as a partner in a firm has left me, and I'll be even more comfortable after selling the ranch estate, once I'm done with it.

Everything is good, my parents are no longer here and I miss them but that is the way of life, nothing lasts forever and if it did, it will eventually pass, just like my parents. I cried, grieved, and regretted any time I never spent with any of them, but there is nothing for me to do but to move forward, just like what my father have done.

"Edith, here you go dear."

My head snapped toward the woman approaching me with our coffee, Ruth.
A 36-year-old woman, with an average height, soft features, hazel eyes, and dark brown hair pulled back and styled in a tight low bun. I guess I'm not alone at all, thankfully Ruth is still around and I'm grateful that she is. I smiled at her and put my handbag aside as I take my coffee from her hand. She sits next to me and glances at the boarding gate.
"Oh when are they gonna let us board already!" she sighs shaking her head.
"Any minute now." I smile at her, knowing she is probably nervous since she doesn't like planes.

Ruth Molina has been working for my family for years now, almost 9 years now. My mother hired her after she finished college, which she never got to do in her early years, to help around the house and babysit me, ever since she did everything around the house, from cleaning to cooking, and took care of us and especially my father and I after my mother passed away.
A couple of months ago, When I finally discussed her job with the family which consists of only me now, I got scolded by her, which took me by my surprise but made at the same time I remember crying in her lap that day when she said she's not ready to leave me yet, that she wishes to continue working for my family even if it was just me, and I couldn't be any happier.

This reminds me, if I'm going to keep paying her I should get a job and start working after this little vacation, the money my father has left me is not going to last and I'm not selling our apartment, because I'm definitely going back there, it is my home after all.
The ranch though, maybe I can save the money that comes from selling it to finally travel to Italy, yes maybe I should finally just pack up and go to Italy.

My thoughts were disturbed by the people around us getting up to board the plane, I smiled at Ruth and nudged her gently before standing up. "Come on, it's time."
We walked over and stood in line ready to board, I stare at my reflection in the glass next to me and smile. In my reflection, a tall-standing woman with long black hair and brown hazel eyes looked back at me. I can hear Ruth mumbling about something next to me, probably praying we make it alive but the only thing on my mind right now is the estate and if it's as pretty as my father has described it.

I guess only time will time, well in almost 2 hours at least.