“Forgiven,” said Georgia slightly shocked by all that she’d just heard. “After all you are my aunt, so I had better forgive you.”
Georgia looked up; the moon had come out from behind the clouds. Suddenly she realised someone was standing in the driveway about ten metres away from the gazebo, watching the two girls. She didn’t know why, but she wasn’t scared. It was a man. He was in uniform, and he was standing as if he were waiting for someone. Both the girls stood up. Ellie waved to the man and he waved back.
“I’ve got to go now,” she said to Georgia.
“Go? Go where?” Georgia asked.
“To be with my father of course,” she said with a smile. “I have been trying to be with him for years. I was on this earth in human form for twelve years and as a ghost for over thirty years. It gets pretty lonely being a ghost on your own, but I couldn’t leave until I had fulfilled my promise. Give your nan the box, Georgia. It will save her home.
Tell her I love her and she will never have to leave Casa d’ Amore. Well, not until dad and I come back to get her.”
Georgia started to cry.
“Will I ever see you again?” she asked as tears began to roll down her face.
“No, not like this,” answered Ellie.
“But that’s not fair! I’ve lost my friends, my dad and now I’m going to lose you,” said Georgia. She tried to wipe away her tears with the back of her hand but they kept coming.
“You never really lose those you love Georgia. They may not live with you, but that’s just geography, because they will always be here,” said Ellie as she reached out her hand and touched Georgia in the middle of her chest. Although she could not feel Ellie’s hand, Georgia felt a warm tingly sensation surging through her body. Her tears stopped.
“I won’t be able to see you or talk to you, but you can talk to me whenever you want, I’ll always hear you,” she added. “Whenever you feel a warm breeze on a still day, or an unusual bird song, or if something should fall from a shelf for no apparent reason – that’ll be me letting you know I am near.”
Georgia tried to hug her aunt but her arms went right through her. Both girls laughed.
“It’s been nice getting to know you, even if it was only for a little while,” sniffed Georgia.
“You are going to have a wonderful life, Georgia. Believe me I know about these things,” said Ellie. She then skipped down to the man in the uniform. They hugged and kissed then turned, smiled and waved to Georgia. She waved back. She couldn’t help but feel a little envious of Ellie’s relationship with her dad.
They had remained very close and loyal to each other in life and death. Georgia promised herself right then, that she would try harder with her dad. She watched them as they walked hand in hand down the driveway. They both started to fade and within minutes they were gone. The night was silent except for the occasional sound of crickets. Georgia tried to open the box but it was locked shut. She looked down the drive then up to the sky.
“Where’s the key?” she laughingly called out; picking up the box she headed towards the house.
“Do I wake mum and nan or do I let them sleep?” she asked Turbo who was close at her heels.
CASA D’ AMORE SAVED
As Georgia hurried around the back of the house she noticed light coming from the kitchen. Slowly and quietly she crept until she was directly under the window. Placing the box on the ground she stood on tiptoes to peep in. Her mum was sitting at the table, and her nan was pouring two cups of tea from a pot. Both the women were in their dressing gowns.
“It’s almost midnight. If she’s not in by the time I’ve finished my cuppa I’ll go and get her,” said Beth.
“Well she picked a good night to sneak out, because neither of us were sleeping anyway,” added Nan. Beth nodded. Georgia slumped down onto her bottom.
“They know that I’m gone. It’s no use me making up any stories. May as well come clean and tell the whole truth, even if they don’t believe,” Georgia whispered to Turbo.
She stood up, dusted herself off, and opening the kitchen door walked in to face the music.
“So you finally decided to come in,” said her mum.
“How did you know I was gone?” asked Georgia.
“I tossed and turned for ages but couldn’t get to sleep. I got up to make myself a cuppa but thought I’d check on you first as I could see a light coming from under your door.
“You appeared to be all snuggled down in your bed, but you had left your night lamp on. I walked around to shut your drapes properly and turn your lamp off when I noticed a torch light in the gazebo. It looked like you.
I was confused at first until I pulled back your blankets. Turbo was missing too and I knew he’d be with you.” Her mum looked down accusingly at the cat.
“I decided to come and have a cuppa and wait for you to finish your little game and come inside. Nan heard me in the kitchen and decided to join me. Now it’s your turn tell us what you have been up to,” demanded her mum.
“Well –” Georgia started to speak but her nan interrupted her.
“What’s that in your arms?” she asked pushing her chair away from the table to stand up. Georgia held the box out to show the two women.
“Its grandfather’s or it was. It’s locked but I think if we got a screwdriver we could …” Again her nan interrupted.
“Please,” she said holding her hands out to take the box. Her nan took it to the sink and wiped it over with a cloth.
“Look here,” she said facing Georgia and her mum. She was pointing to something engraved on the end of the metal box. It read – Federico G. Simeone, Veneto Italy.
“Fred brought this box from Italy with him. He had always kept papers and keepsakes in it. I haven’t seen it in years. I forgot it even existed. There must be a key for it somewhere around –” Nan stopped talking and looked at Georgia. She held out her hand.
“Your key; your lucky key!” Georgia removed the key from her neck, still attached to the chain, and handed it to her nan.
They all held their breath as Nan put the key in the lock and turned it. It opened!
“I told you that key was lucky,” said Georgia to her mum. Her mum nodded in disbelief. Inside the box were papers. On the top was an envelope with the handwritten words ‘to my darling Elizabeth love Fred x’. She turned it over and began to open it.
“Mum, that’s personal. We’ll leave you to read it in private if you like,” said Beth as she started to move her chair.
“No, don’t be silly,” said Nan. “I want you to hear it. I’ll leave out anything I think is too private.” Nan began to read.
My Bella Elizabeth,
If you are reading this letter then you know that I have gone. Don’t waste your life shedding tears for what might have been. It will ease my heart to know that our memories bring a smile to your face. The love we shared may have been cut short, but very few people ever experience a love like ours. For that we must always be thankful. You will find many things in this little metal box. Things you did not know about. I did not keep them from you for any devious purpose but for my own personal reasons. You always wished that we had enough money so that I would give up my job in the army. When I found out I had inherited wealth I went to my superior to put in for a discharge. I was informed that I would have to serve out my contracted time, which was to end in six months. When I was asked if I would volunteer for overseas duty, I saw it as my way to give back something to a country that had given me so much.
I was only to be away for a few months then back with my family forever. I am truly sorry that things did not go according to plan. However, now that I’m gone I want you and the girls to be financially secure. In this box you will find a Swiss bank account in my name. It has approximately three hundred thousand dollars in it. There are also titles for land in Italy and shares in a Greek oil company, and American and Australian steel and mining companies. I’m sure you will seek out the right financial advice to assist you
with these. I know you will use and invest the money wisely. I will miss your touch and seeing your face but I will be waiting till the day we will be together forever. My wish for you all is to have a happy life. Take care my beautiful girls.
My love always
Fred xxx
Nan put the letter down; tears were streaming down her face. She removed her glasses; buried her face in her folded arms on the table, and sobbed. Georgia went to her mum who cradled her in her arms as they both cried with Nan.
Turbo, who had jumped up on the table, pawed and meowed at Nan as if to tell her it would be alright.
After a few minutes Nan was silent. Beth slipped Georgia off her knee and onto the chair beside her; she then went to the sideboard and picked up the tissue box, blew her nose and wiped her face before handing the box to Georgia. Beth gently touched her mum on the shoulder.
“Are you okay Mum?” she asked. Nan looked up, her eyes and nose were running. She looked as though she were in shock. Her hands shaking she pointed to the tissue box. Georgia slid it along the table. Nan whispered “thank you.” Taking a couple of tissues she blew her nose long and loud.
“I think I need a brandy,” she said.
“I think I’ll join you,” said Beth.
Nobody spoke. Beth got up and went to the pantry. She came back with two small glasses and a bottle of brandy. Nan drank the first one down quickly. Then she held out her glass for another. Beth poured. Nan took a sip of the second one then placed the glass down in front of her.
She had a quick look in the box. She pulled out a parcel of papers that were tied with string. On top was an envelope with a Swiss bank letterhead. Nan placed them and her letter from Fred back inside the box. She lifted Turbo off the table, sat him in her lap and began to stroke him.
“Now then,” said Nan looking directly at Georgia, “I want to hear how you found this box.” Georgia’s mum and Nan sat silently while she told them the whole story. How she met Ellie, how Ellie had told her that her mother needed the box and its contents.
She explained that Ellie was really Eloise Jane, and how she had been trying to communicate with her mother for years. Nan could not hear her because Eloise Jane was a ghost and Nan had closed her heart because of the sadness. Georgia confessed to going through the boxes in the storeroom, and going over to Mr Bratten’s for a second time even though she was grounded. She told them how wonderful Turbo had been.
“Nan, Eloise said you won’t have to sell the house. She said you will live in it till Fred and she come to get you.” Georgia saw a tear fall down her nan’s cheek. She looked to see her mum wipe a tear too.
“Please, don’t cry again Nan,” said Georgia.
“Oh, sweetheart these are tears of joy, tears of joy,” repeated Nan. “You have given me the happiest news I have received since your birth. I can keep the house and all of its beautiful memories and I can look forward to the day when once again I will get to see my other beautiful daughter, and my beloved Fred.” Nan, Beth and Georgia hugged each other, laughing and crying at the same time.
“I never knew I had a sister.” Beth stopped as if she were remembering. “She is the one I dream about, the person whom I always felt was missing.” Her mother nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me?” asked Beth still overawed by what had just happened.
“Eloise is right you know, I closed my heart a long time ago. I was so scared that if I showed love and happiness, then I would loose the people I loved. Can you please forgive me Beth? I should’ve been a better mother, you had a right to know as much as possible about your father and sister, something’s shouldn’t be secret” said Nan.
“And Georgia, dear Georgia, I’ve been a grumpy old Nan. I am so glad you have your grandfather’s spirit otherwise we may never have found this box.”
“How are we going to be able sleep now?” asked Beth.
“We don’t,” said Nan. “I think we should sit up all night and watch the sunrise on a new day and life. I will tell you both stories about Fred and me, and about Eloise Jane. But first I must do something.” Nan went to the phone and dialled a number.
“Mum, Its one in the morning! Who are you ringing?” said Beth surprised at her mother’s behaviour. Nan held up a finger for her to be silent.
“Good morning Mr Bratten.” Nan’s voice was stern and strong. “It’s your neighbour Elizabeth Simons. Yes, I’m well aware of the time. It’s time I put you straight that’s what time it is, and it’s time you got the message that my place is not for sale and probably never will be. Not in your lifetime anyway. Don’t you ever step foot on my property again do you hear me.” She stopped suddenly and started to laugh. “He hung up.” Georgia couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed. It was so out of character for Nan.
Georgia went to her room and quickly changed into her pyjamas. She picked up her diary;
Dear Diary,
Well where do I begin? Ellie my friend is really my Aunt Eloise who until tonight I didn’t even know existed, (well she sort of still doesn’t cause she’s dead). Nan has been sad all these years not mad or bad, just sad. I really do come from a very loving family. My grandad loved my nan and his girls’ sooo much. And they loved him. I’ve decided I’m going to try much harder with my own dad from now on too. He’s a good dad really. I’ve just been very angry with him and it’s not his fault.
If Eloise and her dad can still have lots of love for each other after all these years and being so far apart then I can love my Dad no matter where he lives. I know that he loves me.
Nan told Bratten off on the phone, at one in the morning. She was so cool!! I’m now going to have a sort of pyjama party with Mum and Nan. I can’t wait to hear all the stories about Ellie and my grandfather. I think I might like to live here after all. I’d feel closer to Ellie and who knows what else may happen in this house.
P.S. I always knew my Nan loved me. Love is strange, isn’t it?
Georgia.
The House of Secrets Page 7
