The Door to Tomorrow

Things To Come

Slowly but surely, my life at home returned to normal. My family knew only part of the truth behind what happened to me, and others knew even less. When people found out my plans to attend the nearby university, they became suspicious, of course. Nobody knew where we got enough money to send me to university, and I never told anyone outside my family. I planned to tell Alois, but that was it, really. I even made up my mind to keep it a secret from Joseph's dad until the right time came.

Anyway, Hina's dad was one of the first people to ask where I had been. I gave him a rather unclear summary, and while I was doing so, I couldn't look him in the eye. Not just because I was partially responsible for his daughter's suffering, but also because halfway through the conversation I realized he was Joseph's grandfather.

That moment was when reality hit me twice as hard as before. I already knew my life would never be the same, but I hadn't realized how much my life had been warped by my experience. I could never see certain people the same way again, like Hina's dad or even myself.

Of course, Joseph was always in the back of my mind, and I thought about nothing but him that whole summer. My family pointed out that I was acting more distant than usual, and they actually had to remind me to help around the house every day. That was unlike me. I had always been the one to keep the house running. I assured them I wasn't depressed or anything, and they insisted that I try to finally contact Alois in hopes that he would cheer me up.

I was reluctant to do it at first, though. I spent about another week contemplating it, and before I knew it, the weekend had arrived. And that wasn't the only thing that arrived.

Saturday afternoon, I went to retrieve the mail. When I got back inside I noticed another yellow envelope addressed to me as Charles. It was almost identical to the one I received before I left for Soma. This time the envelope was decorated with little stickers of flowers and other cutesy things I loved to look at. At first I was going to toss the letter, but after admiring the pretty stickers, I decided to open it. I left for my bedroom and closed my door so I could read in peace.

To my surprise, the letter was much less vague than the last. It read,

"Dear Charlie,

You've grown into an exceptional young man, just as I had hoped. Your friend Joseph told me everything. First of all, congratulations on winning the game and ensuring your family's future. Also, I would like to thank you for completing part of this grand scheme. Joseph said he told you, but here's a summary to refresh your memory and give you a complete understanding.

You were chosen by Allen, whom Joseph entrusted with you. Allen foresaw your arrival on Soma and alerted Joseph, who had been searching for you his whole life. They both chose to make you play the game and have Joseph help you by giving you the advantage. Everything went according to plan, and now you will surely become the man Joseph knew as a child—the man who rescued God from a dim, lonely fate.

After being friends with a certain man for many years, you will have witnessed his rise and fall. Eventually, that man will be deified by Yama, creator of eternal life, and called the God of Comfort. A few years after that, you will meet Joseph, a boy previously mistreated by his mother's family.

Even after we've both explained this to you, you must still have your doubts, and that is fine. I would also doubt if I were in your position. However, I wrote this letter to prove this is all true. Allow me to finally introduce myself.

Decades ago, I had vivid dreams of a young man named Charles — that was you. I was blessed with many visions of you throughout different parts of your life. I saw you and your friend struggling in the new millennium, and I saw you play Joseph's game as you recently did.

As the years passed, I realized that you were no stranger to me. In 1975, my daughter gave birth to a boy with the same name. From the first time I looked him in the eyes, I could tell he was the one I had dreamed about for so long. It really was you!

After living alongside my family as I always had, I realized that I would not be able to let time flow naturally. What I mean is, if I stuck around for any longer, I would likely tell you too much or interfere with your destiny in other ways. I left on a cold, rainy night in 1976, and I haven't seen the family since. The day before, I had said goodbye to you and Joseph. I did it out of love, you know. I decided to sacrifice my way of living so those important events could take place.

In other words, I am Cornelius Kingsley, your grandfather. I can't tell you where I am writing from or what my life became, but I can tell you that I still love you all very much. I always will. Since this plan is not yet complete, I'm afraid I still cannot meet you, Charlie. Perhaps we can see each other again one day when this is all over; when you are living happily alongside grown-up Joseph and his young father.

I would like you to know that I am very proud of you. Thank you, and may the gods look favorably upon you in the future.

Love, Cornelius Kingsley. a.k.a. Grandpa "

It turned out that the writer was actually my grandpa, Cornelius Kingsley. In response, I began to tear up and salty tears glided over my lips. Once I finished reading the letter, I fell to my knees and held the paper close to my chest, nearly sobbing.

My mom heard me whimpering and came into my room, concerned. I showed her the letter right away, and after reading it, she began to cry, too. We later shared the letter with Cheryl and Morgan, who were equally surprised. Cheryl actually recognized her dad's handwriting after all that time, and she confirmed that it was legitimate.

We finally had proof that Grandpa was still alive somewhere, and we celebrated amongst ourselves that whole weekend. My overall mood improved soon after the letter incident, and I was able to function normally again. When Morgan noticed me returning to normal, he gave me some presents he had gotten for me while I was gone.

Among those gifts was a simple black picture frame, which we decided to use for the picture I found in the wooden chest.

When he gave the frame to me, I was actually in the middle of framing a different picture. It was the blue frame I bought before I left, and I used it for the picture of young Joseph and his dad. A while later, Morgan and I stumbled upon a small portrait of Grandpa. In the picture, his young face was clearly visible and his wavy blond hair looked really soft and pretty. For that picture, I used another frame I had bought before I left – a rose gold frame with a vine design etched onto it.

The third frame I had lying around was a purple one. I purposely left it empty because I wanted to save it for when I finally found my friend, also known as Joseph's dad.

That summer, I felt both anxious and optimistic about the things to come. Every day and night I thought about Joseph's return home and prayed that he would be safe in Comfort's arms. The year of 1997 served as a turning point in my life. Within just a few weeks, I had learned my true purpose. Within the next few months, I would begin living my life by Grandpa's prophecy, and I welcomed it all with open arms – even if it meant eventually enduring the New Century Endeavor.