by Londyn Skye
Eager to tell her mother about yet another awe-inspiring story, Lily then took her by the hand. She helped Maya from her seat and guided her toward the picnic blanket underneath her favorite tree.
Lily picked up a journal. “I just finished readin’ this, mama,” she said.
“What’s it about?”
“Levi’s life.”
Upon hearing that name, Maya instantly felt her heart start to race. “M-Masta’ Levi’s?” she questioned, sounding surprised.
“Mm-hmm,” Lily nodded. “All these were his personal journals,” she explained, glancing over at the rest of them.
“H-How did you get those?” Maya asked, her heart nervously thumping.
“It’s a long story, but I wanna teach you to read these one day.”
“I’d absolutely love to learn to read,” Maya smiled. “But why would I wanna read those?”
“Because I’m certain your heart will be warmed by the things Levi had to say. His words changed my perception of him completely … and my life for that matta’.”
Maya gently took the book from her daughter, opened to the first page, and gazed at what was complete gibberish to her illiterate eyes. “What could you have possibly learned from these that had that sort ‘a impact?”
“That you were his poetic inspiration.”
Maya quickly looked from the book to her daughter, shock rendering her speechless.
“These journals started the very first day you came to his plantation,” Lily added.
Maya was still too stunned to respond.
“Afta’ readin’ these, I learned that that old telescope we used to gaze at the stars with wasn’t somethin’ you found in the woods like you told me. It was a gift from Levi, wasn’t it?”
Maya sheepishly nodded.
“That music box … the one we used to dance to togetha’. I know now that Levi carved every inch of it by hand. Mama, the first song I eva’ composed on my own was a modified rendition of the song that music box played. All these years, I neva’ would’ve guessed it was a sentimental song that Levi’d written just for you.”
Tears suddenly began welling in Maya’s eyes.
“And the white figurine dancin’ inside the music box wasn’t a man they’d forgotten to paint brown, the way you told me when I asked you why he was so pale,” Lily said, laughing lightly at the memory.
Her mother smiled and nervously laughed at the quick lie she thought to tell Lily back then.
“He was s’pposed to be…”
“Levi,” her mother finished.
Lily nodded. “Dancin’ with you the way he wished he could at your weddin’.”
Maya nodded and tears slid down her cheeks.
“I know now that Levi loved you from the very first moment he eva’ laid eyes on you … and that he worshiped you.”
Maya closed her eyes and began sobbing.
Lily took a hold of her mother’s hand. “Mama, I also know now that he’s…”
“Your fatha’,” Maya whispered, shamefully lowering her head.
Lily nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks as well.
“I’m so sorry I neva’ told you,” Maya sniffled, her head still weighed down by guilt. “I thought it was the right thing to do. I didn’t want you wonderin’ why your fatha’ treated you so differently than your brotha’s. Lookin’ back on it, maybe that was foolish but…”
“Mama, it’s okay. There’s not a rule book for a situation like that. I know you were just doin’ what you felt was best to protect me.”
“I was. But Levi was devastated that I wouldn’t tell you. He wanted you to know so badly. Maybe he was right. I probably should’ve told you.”
“Actually, you did.”
Maya looked confused. “I did?”
“Mm-hmm. The day you two were fightin’ ova’ me, I rememba’ you screamin’ that I was his daughta’ too,” Lily explained.
“I don’t even recall sayin’ that. I’s in such a fit ‘a hysteria, I’m quite sure I’s sayin’ whateva’ it took just to get Levi to turn you loose.” Maya’s bottom lip began to quiver as she thought about that moment. “I tried. I swear, I tried so hard not to let ’em snatch you away.”
“Mama, you don’t have to convince me of that. I know it wasn’t your fault. I neva’ blamed you for what happened. But for years, I wondered why on earth my own fatha’ would eva’ do that to me. Part ‘a me was in denial that he was even my fatha’. I just didn’t wanna believe that my own flesh and blood would do such a thing. But these journals have finally helped me to unda’stand where his mind was at.”
“To this day, I still don’t know exactly why he took you,” Maya confessed.
“You don’t?”
“No. He tried many times to explain it to me ova’ the years. But I could neva’ let go of my fury enough to botha’ listenin’ to a word he had to say. No excuse was eva’ gonna be good enough for me anyway. I just couldn’t live with what he did to you.”
“Seems he literally couldn’t live with what he did eitha’.”
“You know what he did to himself then?”
Lily nodded.
“He begged me to forgive ’em that day.” Maya shook her head, trying to ward off her tears. “But I refused. Instead, I said some ‘a the most God-awful things to ’em.” Tears suddenly gushed from her eyes. “I s-sometimes feel as though I w-was the o-one who p-pulled the tr-trigga’,” she sobbed.
Lily embraced her mother and quietly let her purge her pain for a moment. She then pulled back and looked her in the eyes. “Don’t blame yourself, mama. Levi was a grown man who made his own decisions.”
Maya nodded. “I know I shouldn’t blame myself, but it’s so hard not to. He was a good man … one who was ova’whelmed by the weight ‘a the world and his life circumstances. I knew that, but I’s so cold to ’em anyway. I’ve been strugglin’ to forgive myself for addin’ to the heaviness of his heartache.”
“He hurt you, mama. You had every right to be angry. It was up to him to forgive himself … not you. His inability to forgive himself ate away at ’em. That’s why I hope you’ll forgive yourself. I don’t want such a thing to devour you too … I can’t lose you too.”
“Oh, I’m confident that I’ll find the strength to forgive myself now.” She touched Lily’s face and smiled. “I finally got my baby back. I can promise ya’, I ain’t goin’ anywhere. Hell, the Lord’s gon’ have to drag me off this Earth!”
Lily burst out laughing. “It gives me peace to hear that … and so did my fatha’s journals. I hope they’ll give you closure and peace too. Afta’ you read ’em, you’ll realize that you had nothin’ at all to do with Levi’s pain. If anything, he makes it clear that you were always his source of strength and joy.”
Maya smiled and opened to the first page again. “That makes me even more eaga’ to relive our lives through his eyes.”
“Well, I’ll warn ya’, once you start you won’t be able to stop! Every beautiful word my fatha’ wrote about you made it so easy to forgive ’em … wholeheartedly. I don’t hold any ill will against ’em anymore … not an ounce. I missed you like mad afta’ he tore us apart, but I just wanna learn from the madness of it all and move on. It certainly taught me that the time we have with the ones we love is precious. Holdin’ onto anga’, and dwellin’ on a past we can’t change, seems like an awful waste of the precious time we have left on this Earth to make new beautiful memories … togetha’.”
Maya gazed at her daughter with extreme adoration. “Your fatha’ used to boast on and on about how wise you were beyond your years. You certainly just proved that yet again. I just know he’d be smilin’ so pridefully at you right now with that crooked grin ‘a his,” she smiled. “And he’d undoubtedly have tears in his eyes, knowin’ that you forgave ’em,” she said, as she hugged her daughter tightly. “It would’ve meant the world to ’em,” she whispered. Maya then pulled back and looked Lily in the eyes. “There’s somethin’ else that would’ve meant th
e world to ’em too.”
“What’s that?”
“Come with me.” Maya took Lily by the hand and guided her to her new beautifully decorated bedroom. “I wanna show you somethin’.” She went over to her trunk and opened it.
Lily’s eyes lit up when her mother pulled out the music box. “You still have it?” she smiled.
“I sure do.” Maya sat the music box on a nearby dresser and opened the tiny drawer on the bottom of it. “And I still have this,” she said, taking out a necklace. She turned around and showed it to Lily. “Did Levi write about this in his journal?”
Lily shook her head. “He neva’ mentioned a necklace.”
“I’ve had this hidden away for a long time.”
“Mama, it’s so beautiful! Did he give this to you too?”
“Yes … but it’s not mine.”
Lily looked confused.
“The same night your fatha’ gave me the music box, he sat down next to you while you were sleepin’ and just gazed at you for the longest time. ‘My little masta’piece,’ I rememba’ he whispered. That’s what your daddy always used to call you. Said he was convinced that we made the most beautiful little girl in the world,” Maya smiled. “He said he couldn’t believe he had anything to do with creatin’ somethin’ so incredibly precious and perfect.”
Not even halfway through the story, Lily felt her tears brewing again.
“Then he opened the drawer in the bottom of the music box, took out this necklace, and handed it to me,” Maya continued. “‘Here’s somethin’ precious for my precious little one,’ he told me. Then he picked you up off the bed and held you close to ’em. ‘I want my little girl’s first piece ‘a jewelry to be from her daddy … even if she neva’ knows it’s from me,’ he said. Your daddy was in full on tears that night. He was heartbroken that I would neva’ allow ’em to do all the special things a fatha’ does for his daughta’.”
Lily was now the one in full on tears.
“So, he asked me to give you this necklace on his behalf. He told me to give it to you wheneva’ I felt you were old enough to take care of it,” Maya explained. “Well, I certainly think you’re old enough … and I also think you deserve to know who it’s from.” She turned Lily around toward the mirror, placed the necklace on her, and looked up at her reflection. “You deserve to know that your daddy loved you beyond measure.”
Lily could hardly see the details of the star-shaped pendant with tears blurring her eyes.
“Your daddy always used to say that he loved you to the stars and back. The pendant’s made outta alexandrite. He said it’s your birthstone.”
“I won’t eva’ take it off,” Lily sniffled. “It’ll always be a reminda’ of how much he loved me.”
“That’s exactly what he’s always wanted you to know.”
Lily nodded. “His journals made that so clear. This necklace is just more beautiful proof,” she said, still gazing at it in the mirror. She then turned to her mother. “Those journals made so many things clear to me … except for one thing.”
“What’s that baby?”
“I know my fatha’ loved me, and I know he loved you … but did you love him too?”
Maya held both of Lily’s hands and tears instantly returned to her eyes. “You were made outta love, Lily Collins. Pure authentic love. That I can guarantee you,” she said.
Lily smiled and embraced her mother, but their moment was suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door. Lily reluctantly let go of her mother to answer it.
“Sorry to interrupt, but dinna’ is served,” Ryla announced with a smile.
“Thanks, Ryla,” Lily smiled.
“No problem,” she replied, strolling off to wrangle everyone else.
Lily and her mother took a moment to freshen up and then stepped out into the hallway together. Wyatt had exited his guest bedroom and was headed to the dining room as well when he suddenly heard his name called. He stopped and turned around. “Hey Lily,” he said, smiling as she approached.
“Hi,” she said, smiling in return. “I know you’re probably beyond ready to eat, but I just wanted a moment alone with you to say thank you for all the treasures you sent me … and for your letta’. It all indeed brought me peace.”
“You’re very welcome. I’m truly happy to know that. My brotha’s will be happy to hear that as well. That’s what we were hopin’ for above all else,” Wyatt said with sincerity.
“You most certainly accomplished your mission,” Lily smiled.
“Good,” Wyatt nodded. “And before we eat, I may as well utilize this moment alone with the both of you too, if you don’t mind.”
“We don’t mind at all.”
“There was somethin’ else I wanted to put in that letta’, but I much preferred to stand before you and Maya and say it face to face.” Wyatt exhaled and turned to Maya. “You always took care ‘a me and my brotha’s, and loved us like we were your own. Truth be told, you were more of a motha’ to us than our real motha’ eva’ was.” He turned to look at Lily. “I rememba’ I’s always envious ‘a you when I’s a boy.” He turned to Maya again, but held her hand this time. “’Cause I’s convinced you had the greatest motha’ on Earth. And I always wished she was my motha’ too.”
Maya’s tears instantly returned. “In my eyes and in my heart, you and your brotha’s were always my boys.” She touched Wyatt’s face. “Still are.”
Wyatt exhaled and shook his head, trying to ward off tears. “Your words make it even harda’ for me to forgive myself for the role I played in tearin’ you two apart the day you were sold, Lily. Don’t know if I eva’ will forgive myself for it. But from the depths ‘a my soul, I just wanna say to both ‘a you how sorry I am for what I did that day. I hope one day you can both find it in your hearts to forgive me,” he said, sounding as sincere as any man could.
“The sincere words in our fatha’s journals made it easy for me to forgive ’em.” Lily held Wyatt’s hand. “And now your sincere words make it just as easy for me to forgive my big brotha’ too.”
“Thank you, little sista’,” Wyatt whispered, his eyes filled to capacity with tears.
“And I forgave you years ago, baby,” Maya reassured him. “You were just a youngsta’, forced to be entangled in grown folks’ business. I neva’ held any ill will against you.”
“Thank you for that. It means a lot.” Wyatt exhaled again, doing his best not to shed tears. “There’s more I still need to say, though.” He let go of their hands and turned to Lily again. “Afta’ our fatha’…” He paused and cleared his throat, unable to even finish the sentence. “Afta’ he…”
“I know,” Lily reassuringly touched his shoulder. “It’s okay.”
Wyatt nodded and cleared his throat again. “Afta’ that day, I’s angry at myself. For years, I blamed myself for what happened. I took that anga’ out on everybody … even those that didn’t deserve it. I’s hurtin’ inside in a way that my words can’t remotely express, and I wanted to hurt everybody else. It’s like I wanted the world to feel my pain, or to transfa’ it to somebody else … anything to make the pain stop. I don’t know why I thought that would make the hurt go away. It was foolish logic … and wrong. I’s wrong to treat you both so badly the night you two got to see each otha’ again years ago. I’s wrong not to have permanently reunited you then. But, like I said, I’s hurtin’, and I wanted to hurt everybody in my path. I know that’s no good excuse for my behavior. I wish I could change the past, but I can’t. All I can do is tell you how incredibly sorry I am for mistreatin’ both ‘a you that day, and hope that you’ll find it in your hearts to forgive me for that too.”
Maya wiped a tear from her cheek. “If there’s anybody on this earth who knows how that day made you feel, it’s me. I know how the pain can eat away at you and have you thinkin’ the most illogical thoughts. For years, I’s mad at myself and hurtin’ just like you.” Maya held her daughter’s hand. “But today, Lily made me promise that I’d forgive myself f
or my mistakes that day. She and I have made a pact not to dwell on the past and, instead, spend the rest ‘a the precious time we have togetha’ here on Earth makin’ lovely new memories.” Maya held out her hand toward Wyatt. “I’d love for you to join us in our pact.”
Without even thinking twice, Wyatt reached over and placed his hand in hers. “I’d l-love t-to,” he choked out, fighting hard to swallow back his tears. “Mama Maya,” he added.
Maya laughed. “I love the sound ‘a that!” she exclaimed, sliding her arm into the crook of his elbow.
“Me too,” Wyatt concurred as he guided her toward the dining room.
Everyone in the house also followed the aroma of the feast awaiting them. All at once, they gathered at the massive dining room table with wide eyes and watering mouths, as they gazed at the spread of food. Before taking their seats, they all circled around the table, took hold of each other’s hands, bowed their heads, and listened to William thank God for allowing such a miraculous moment to transpire. As they ate their perfectly prepared cuisine, Maya proved herself to be on equal footing as William when it came to the art of nostalgic storytelling. She entertained the entire group, retelling hysterical stories of Wyatt and Lily as children. Emerson, Isabel, and Wilson were not exempt from hilarious and embarrassing stories of their childhood’s retold from William’s perspective. With the laughter and ease of conversation, one would not have known that there were strangers amongst the group. They, instead, would have been admired as generations of loving family reunited at last.
As dessert was passed around, Wyatt took the opportunity to say something that had been on his mind since he arrived. “I must say, it’s truly an honor to meet you, Mr. Werthington.”
“Thank you. That’s very kind of you to say.”
Wyatt nodded. “Because of you, my fatha’ always used to say, ‘Boys! Always be kind to otha’s! Especially those less fortunate than you! Magnanimous acts can impact a person for a lifetime!’”
