My Bondi Romance

The Lawyer and the Will

BANG! BANG! BANG! The oak door shuddered in its frame as Mike went to let the man in. I mean, you can't blame the guy for being peeved, he was stood out in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales, in the pouring rain. Me and Angelina were debating building an ark if it kept up and we'd sail to Bondi, it'd be cheaper too. Who knew flights were so expensive? The man came in and smiled pleasantly at me before shaking my hand.

"Thomas J White. I was your parents lawyer and I now, theoretically am yours. I know how they treated you and everything but i will basically get down the the important stuff. Their last will and testament decreed that in the event of their deaths, you were their main beneficiary with your uncle recieving £10,000 ($17,744.25 (AUD) and $12,749.38 (USD)) of the £500,000 ($887,274.56 (AUD)and $637,498.14 (USD)) they had at the time of their death and the RSPCA receiving £20,000 ($35,486.08 (AUD)and $25,497.48 (USD)). It will be in your account within 7-10 working days and they left you this letter for you to read when you are ready to face it. Thank you Mr and Mrs Jenson for your hospitality, here is the letter they left for you. I wish you all the best but I best get back to me hotel, I have to catch a flight home tomorrow. Back to the sun and warmth of Sydney and away from damp and dreary Yorkshire; if you have any questions or queries please don't hesitate to contact me." He handed me a small embossed card that had all his details on it and shook my hand again firmly before leaving.

_______________________________________________________________________________

I didn't know what to think or do about the letter so Mike suggested I thought more about the move we were undertaking in just under 2 months. It was summer here and would be summer there when we arrived but I would still have to adjust to a very different climate. Because of me moving away, my best friends Leigh and Sierra Flynn, twin sisters that were slightly crazy and rather delusional, had decided to take me out every single day we had left together in England. 

They are pretty much insane but beggars can't be choosers when it came to friends in one of the most rural places in Yorkshire. You see, I lived on a small farm in the middle of nowhere, with the next nearest farm 15 miles away. That farm belongs to the Flynn sisters. I met Sierra when we were studying together at university and we became fast friends and I learnt that her parents had passed away a few months into first year and so she and her sister were in charge of a 50 acre estate that had a large working farm on it; that was where they lived while the large 17th century manor house was a museum open to the public, run by Leigh.

Anyway, seeing as I would be moving to a country that had winter temperatures higher than our summer temperatures, the girls decided to replace my entire wardrobe with dresses,jeans, crop tops and skirts as well as buying flip-flops, sandals and a cute pair of converse. I told them about everything that Mr White had said and they suggested to maybe find out who my uncle was as well as seeing if he wanted to meet up. I agreed and we scheduled a time and place to meet tomorrow as we drove home.

Once I got home I realised that neither of my birth parents had every mentioned having family. The more I thought about it the weirder it got. I mean, who doesn't talk about family? Even if you hate them, you would then complain about the person, but I suppose we never had a full conversation about anything other than my many failures and how I should be more like them. Shaking my head, I took the letter out of my jewellery box and placed it on my bed. Should I open it? Do I dare open it? It could just be their way of taunting me yet again. A way of ensure my insecurities are still in place and that I wouldn't dare escape their grasp again. Or it could be an apology for how they treated my during my younger years? Or it could tell me about my family?