Missing Pages

Chapter 5: The Will

I woke up the next morning feeling nauseated. Rain was beating against the roof of our house. For a second I forgot all about the previous events from the day before, and thought that the weather was the cause of my mood. But that didn't last long. After I stretched and got out of my comfy bed I remembered my grandmother's funeral.

And to top it all off, I had a meeting to attend this morning.

I quickly made up my bed, and began my morning routine in the bathroom. After I was done, I walked to my closet to chose my outfit for the day. Since it was going to be wet and dreary, why not dress comfortably?

I slipped on my grandma's The Wanted T-shirt that she had gotten from their concert, along with a plain pair of black jeans and my black hi-top Vans. I could still remember the sweet scent of my grandma's signature fragrance.

When I walked downstairs, I saw my father and brother sat at the table eating breakfast, and my mother putting up some plates in our wooden cabinets.

"Good morning, honey. Would you like something to eat?" greeted my mother.

'I'm fine, thanks," was my reply. I wasn't forcing myself not to eat, I just wasn't really hungry. I took out a glass cup from the cupboard, and the pitcher of orange juice to pour myself a cup. Once I was finished, I seated myself on our beige colored recliner.

"We're just finishing up. We'll be done in a few minutes," my father announced.

I unlocked my cell phone, and started playing a game to pass the time. When everyone was ready to go, I followed them out of the front door, and into the car.

On our journey to the office building we were meeting at, I listened to some music from my iPod. When we had reached our destination, I exited the car, and followed the rest of my family through the revolving door. The decorations and atmosphere in the building hinted that it was owned by very rich and fancy people.

I felt underdressed.

We rode the elevator, and after turning down a couple of corridors, we had finally reached our destination. In the room sat my aunt, Jane, and my cousin, Natalie. Natalie and I were really close, but we hadn't talked very recently-- well, not before the funeral, that is.

We all took our seats as we greeted Jane, Natalie, and Charles, a nice old man who helped us with any family financial matters such as our mortgage and bank accounts. He was a family friend, and has worked for our family for a long time. He had been in the business for who knows how long.

He gave us a warm smile and began his speech. "We are meeting here to discuss the will of Mrs. Maya Stone, correct?" Everyone nodded in agreement. "A kindhearted spirit she was. I am terribly sorry for your loss."

During the symposium, my mind drifted back to the great times that we had spent together as a family. I still remembered the joyful laughter of my grandmother, when she thought that something was funny. We had several inside jokes that we'd giggle about amongst ourselves having to deal with our secret...

Tears weld up in my eyes, but I quickly wiped them away before they could escape. I sniffled.

"You okay, Jasmine?' Natalie whispered after gently nudging my shoulder.

"I'm fine. It's just my allergies," I reassured her.

I tuned back into the conversation at the mention of my name.

"Jasmine, here is the letter that your grandmother wanted me to give you," Charles told me before handing a small envelope and hardcover journal. "I have kept up with this for many years. It's your grandmother's journal. Be very careful with it, and make sure that you store it somewhere safe. It has a lot of very important information in it." He seemed very serious about his words.

I took the items from his wrinkly hands and thanked him.

"You may look over the document if you wish, and don't forget to give me a call if you have any questions or need assistance with anything," he announced. He bade us all farewell before leaving us to talk amongst ourselves.

I had a quick catch-up with my favorite cousin, and we had exchanged phone numbers since she had a new phone and number. We promised to text or call one another before the day had ended.

Soon after, we left and rode back home. I stared at the two things that Charles had given me earlier. Maya must have really trusted him if it contained such crucial information in it.