Limited [Editing]

Chapter 5

As I was working on a big project for my company, I heard something crash from above.  I stopped what I was doing and rushed upstairs just to find boxes from the attic, ranging from smallest to largest, scattered all around the floor.

“Oh wow. What happened here?” my lower jaw almost fell to the floor.  How could a single teenager create a mess in just a few moments?  She was just eavesdropping a few minutes ago.  I saw her from the hidden cameras that I have installed months ago, and of course she doesn’t know about it.

“I’m so sorry dad! I was just uh… packing for you know! No worries, I didn’t break anything,” Hallie flashed a smile with her dimples package while her sweat drips from her forehead.

“Oh, okay. That’s fine, as long as no damage will be done. Here, let me help you,” I bent down to restack the boxes.  I grunted as my old age shows its symptoms.

“No, dad. You don’t have to fix those. It's okay. I can handle it. Don't push your old bones too much,” she teased me.

“Ouch! You just hurt my feelings! Oh come on! Hallie, I'm not that old! Take it back!” I laughed like a ten year old kid.

“I’m just kidding,” she giggled.  “Anyways, is my suitcase in those boxes?”

“Your suitcase? Well, it’s not in these boxes so it should be somewhere up there. I guess,” I pointed at the hole that leads to the attic on the ceiling. I smiled as I glance at her.  She really is excited for her trip.  I just love watching her smile.

“Okay. I’ll go check,” she climbed up the ladder, and dust rained all over the place and on top of my head.

“Oh boy, we better clean this place up before your mother sees this,” I raised my brows, and Hallie just laughed.

“What should I not see?” a voice asked from behind.  I turned around to see Bea leaning on the wall with her arms crossed and her brows up.

“Uh... See what you don’t want to see,” I smiled.

“Hm… This is terrible. Just clean that up after ransacking the attic.  I'll go get the broom and the dust pan, then I’ll get our lunch ready.”

“Mom! Where's the suitcase?” Hallie shouted as she popped her head from above.

“It’s somewhere beside the picture frame or probably beside the chest!”

I heard furniture and boxes move above.  A large dusty suitcase appeared from above.  Hallie reached down the suitcase to me, and I took it from her.  I examined the suitcase and realized that this was the one given to Bea and me by my parents when we got married.

“You're planning to use that?” I eyed at her.

“Yes dad, can't I?” she asked curiously.

“I'm not sure. That one's kind of old and dusty already. I don’t know if it would last long. It might break on your way to Ireland. I’m sure that there's a newer and nicer one up there. Do you want those trolleys?”

“Sure.”

I went up the attic to see dozens of cobwebs greet me from all over the place.  “Woah! When was the last time we cleaned this place?” I shouted.

“I think it was last year?” Hallie’s muffled voice answered my question.

“Well, we need to clean it again, soon,” I said as I looked for the luggage, I remember putting it under a window, but I forgot which window.  I remember wrapping it with plastics and ropes.  I looked for that exact thing and found it buried under piles of boxes.  This is a pretty risky task for an old man to perform.  Slowly and carefully, I put the boxes away and pulled the luggage out.  I though the boxes would topple over when I was putting them away.

“Here, this one's pink. Do you like it?” I reached down the plastic bag.

“Oh that one! I've always wished for that!” Hallie took the luggage from me.

“That’s good. Actually, I gave that to your mother years ago,” I said as I climbed down the ladder.  The luggage was a present I gave Bea a few years ago.  She really loved that one, and used it every time we travel.  However, we rarely traveled now.  That’s why it’s practically stuck in the attic for a couple of years already.

“Really? And she still keeps it here? How sweet,” Hallie said, while untangling the ropes that are tied around the luggage.

“Yes, she’s that sweet, and she better treasure. It took me months in order to save up for that luggage,” I kidded.  I brushed off the dust from my green cargo shorts, “Okay, time to clean up. Did mom leave the clean supplies here?”

“Yup, it’s there,” Hallie pointed at the small corner of the hallway.

-Dennis Price, 52 years old