Paper Lanterns

Chapter 21 Φ

Chapter 21 Φ

"Are you sure you're going to be all right, sir?" Charlie, their family driver, asked Eric from his seat. Charlie's eyes were fixated on the cast on the boy's leg and a walking stick that Eric had borrowed from the things his friend had left behind. He didn't want to use the crutches that the hospital had provided, because he felt uneasy with it.

"I think so." Eric tried to move a bit. He never had a broken leg before, so he had no idea how bad it could get. But then again, he could walk with a little help, so he must be all right.

Charlie had agreed to be his driver for today, as he went to Averns Creek for the funeral of Chelsea's mother. He was an old man who had served the family for over forty years. If the other drivers were apprehensive when it came to granting Eric's difficult requests that would somehow contradict with Mr. Davis' orders, Charlie was the only one who would do it for him.

Eric was supposed to stay in his room, but he had snuck out. Besides, his father, stepmother and Jared had all gone to the new hotel's opening. They'd only get to hear about what he had done after they got back to the house. If Eric would arrive before them, they'd never have to hear about it at all.

If it wasn't because of his injured leg, he was supposed to be there at the opening of the hotel as well. But after his meeting with Chuck Murray to discuss the content of Mr. Steve's will, Jared had thrown a fit in Eric's room. It was mainly because they still wouldn't let him out.

Whenever Jared got angry, he had the tendency to grab whatever was near him and throw it. If you were lucky enough, you'd get to be in another place when it happened or avoid whatever was coming your way. But since Eric hadn't been fortunate that night, he had ended up with a broken leg instead after getting hit by a chair.

But setting aside his sneaking out, what Eric was really terrified about was that his father would find out that he was meeting the victim's daughter in secret. He never did this before. It was seldom that he blatantly disobeyed his father, but it was a risk that Eric was willing to take in order to fulfill Mr. Steve's last wish.

Eric didn't get to do much in his life, aside from existing and doing what each day had asked of him. But from now on, he decided to make up for it and do what he really wanted. Today, he wanted to visit the funeral of his old friend's daughter-in-law and find a way to help his granddaughter. And today, this was what he had done, despite his father's obvious preference that they'd have nothing to do with this family.

"I'll wait for you here, sir," Charlie replied, before getting out of the car and assisting Eric as he got out. Eric didn't want to miss the funeral, so maybe Jared had finally done something right with his horrible temper and mood swings. Slumping his way out of the car, he faced the little crowd that gathered around the resting place of Chelsea's mother.

He scanned the area, realizing that there weren't that many people around. Guilt flooded his thoughts. Of course, he had an idea why this had happened. The false testimony had spread like flames catching the nearest thing to burn.

"I'll be back," Eric told Charlie, grabbing the baseball cap from the back seat and putting it on.

"Do you want me to help you, sir?" offered Charlie.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine." Eric smiled. He didn't want to attract attention, even more than the glances he was getting from the walking stick.

As letters had always been Mr. Steve's favorite way of communication, with his pen and bundle of white envelopes, Eric came up with a way to make Chelsea accept her inheritance. That was to say, if she would agree with it. Eric could only hope for the best as he was walking to the funeral.