Portals of Time

by Vicky McCracken

  Justin nodded. “Yeah, mom and dad should be here by then. They should be here today sometime.”

  Justin and Helen spent the rest of the day with guests who brought food, drinks, and came to see if they could do anything. It wasn't until after Justin and Helen had eaten dinner that they had time to talk.

  Justin sat at the kitchen table finishing his soda. “So Aunt Helen, how was Grandpa at the end?”

  “It was like he was a different person, Justin,” Helen told him.

  “How so?”

  “He spent all his time in the basement for the last few years. Sometimes not even coming up to go to bed. I think he left the house sometimes at night, but he said he didn't.”

  “What do you mean Aunt Helen?”

  “One night, I heard a noise coming from the basement and I thought dad had fallen or had hurt himself somehow. He always told me never to go down there and I didn’t until that night. The light was on but dad was nowhere to be found. I looked everywhere. I left the basement and stayed on the couch all night not hearing anything. Then about seven in the morning, dad came up from the basement.”

  “Did he say where he had been?” Justin asked.

  “That’s just it, Justin, he said he had been in the basement all the time. I didn’t tell him I was down there looking for him but I know he wasn’t in the basement.”

  “Strange. Is there a door leading outside in the basement?”

  “No. The only way is up those stairs,” Helen pointed to the basement door.

  “I will check it out Aunt Helen. Even if I have to stay a few days longer. Don’t worry. I will do my best to figure it out.” Justin reached across the table and patted her hand.

  “Thank you,” Helen smiled. “You look tired. Why don’t you go up and have a hot bath and get some rest.”

  “Thanks. I am tired and a hot bath sounds wonderful,” Justin stood up. “If you need me for anything, let me know.”

  “I will be fine. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Justin was asleep in only a couple of hours. He hadn’t realized how tired he really was. He knew the next day they would have to make funeral arrangements for his grandpa.

  Justin awoke to the sound of voices again. Only this time, they sounded familiar to him. He lay there listening for a minute still half asleep. Then he opened his eyes. Mom and Dad were here. He looked at his watch. He had slept until eleven a.m.. He couldn’t remember sleeping that late anytime. He must have been tired.

  He threw on a robe and walked down stairs. His mother and father were in the living room with Helen. Helen looked better this morning than she had last night, more refreshed.

  “Mom, Dad, what time did you get here,” Justin asked as he walked over to kiss them on the cheek.

  “Only about thirty minutes ago, Justin. We were lucky there was a flight leaving as soon as we called the airport. We were in the air in less than an hour after talking to you.”

  “Wonderful. You know this evening we have an appointment for the funeral arrangements.”

  “Helen was telling us dear,” his mother said. “How are you? Are you holding up okay?”

  “Yes mom. I think I was really tired by the plane ride and everyone who visited yesterday,” Justin answered. “I am starved. Have you all eaten?”

  “Only on the plane,” his father said.

  “People brought us enough food to last for a week I think,” Helen said. “Let’s go see what we can find.

  The four of them went into the kitchen. Soon they were eating and Helen and Justin’s mother were remembering things from their childhood. They laughed a little and cried a little. Soon after, they were all getting ready to go make the funeral arrangements and everyone decided Perry, Justin’s father, would stay at the house in case more visitors came while they were gone.

  In only an hour or so the arrangements had been made and the funeral was set for eleven the next day. Arriving back at the house, they found Justin’s Grandpa’s lawyer, Mr. Kelling, there.

  They all shook hands and Mr. Kelling told them that Mason had changed his will just in the last months of his life.

  “He did what,” Helen said stunned.

  “He changed his will about a month ago. Didn’t he tell you,” Mr. Kelling asked.

  “No. Daddy hardly talked to me the last year of his life. Sometimes I wonder if he even loved me anymore. I was always here under his feet. I should have moved out,” tears were running down Helen’s face.

  “He loved you Aunt Helen,” Justin put his arm around his aunt. “It’s alright.”

  “Of course he loved you Helen,” Bev told her sister. “You were the one he depended on.”

  “When do we hear the reading of the will,” Helen asked.

  “He requested it to be read after the funeral so everyone could get on their lives,” Mr. Kelling said.

  “Is it okay if we all meet here,” Bev asked.

  “Yes, of course it is,” said Mr. Kelling. “I must get going. I will see all of you tomorrow, let’s say about three in the evening?”

  “That’s fine,” Justin said as everyone else nodded.

  Friends of Bev came by a little later and they sat telling childhood stories again of when Bev and Helen were young. Justin was amazed at the many things his mother and aunt had gotten into. He watched Helen as they were telling these stories and it seemed as if some of the years melted away from her face. He was surprised at the gray he saw in her hair. He looked closely at his mother. She was younger than Helen, but still had no gray in her hair, but maybe she colored it. His father had no gray either, at least Justin couldn’t see any.

  After his mother’s friends left, he sat and talked with his parents for a few hours before going up to bed. He hardly ever saw his parents any more. He enjoyed being with them and talking about his work and what he was doing. Of course, his mother had to ask about a girlfriend. Justin told her he had dated several girls but hadn’t really found anyone special in any of them.

  Once in his bedroom, he smiled to himself as he remembered his mother saying she would never have any grandchildren. Justin never thought about marriage or children. He was so busy with his job that he barely had time for anything else. Which was why he didn’t date much. If he went on a date, his mind was on his job most of the time. Most of the girls would leave early and Justin didn’t bother to call them again. He hadn’t been on a date in almost six months. He climbed into bed and closed his eyes. Once again, he was asleep almost as soon as he laid his head on the pillow.

  Tonight Justin dreamed that he was back home in Tennessee and Grandpa was there for a visit. Grandpa had come for the weekend to visit him. He had wanted to show Justin something. That is what he said when he called to say he was coming.

  Justin was happy and excited about the visit. It had been a long time since he had seen Grandpa and what did he want to show him? When he arrived home after work on Friday, Grandpa was already there sitting on the porch.

  “Grandpa, why didn’t you call me. I would have come home early and let you in. What if it had rained,” Justin asked.

  “I have only been her a few minutes. Besides, it isn’t going to rain today,” Grandpa answered.

  Justin laughed. “How do you know that?”

  “I just know. Want to bet?”

  “No thank you. Come on inside Grandpa. How was your trip?”

  “My trip was wonderful. It only took a few minutes,” the older man said.

  “You mean from the airport.”

  “No, the whole trip just took a few minutes.”

  Grandpa must have slept on the plane all the way here, Justin thought. “Okay Grandpa,” he said aloud.

  They had some dinner and talked about when Justin was a child. Justin loved the stories his Grandpa told. He could remember some of the things but some he could not. It was almost ten p.m. before grandpa said,

  “It’s time to show you what I came here for.”

  “Okay, what,” Justin said puzzled.


  “This,” Grandpa pulled out a pocket watch with clowns on it and showed it to Justin.

  “Grandpa, I don’t understand.” He looked up at his Grandpa and suddenly his Grandpa’s face was painted like that of a clown.

  Justin jerked awake and sat up on the edge of the bed. What a strange dream. He smiled a little at the thought of his Grandpa dressed as a clown. He lay back down and fell asleep again.

  The next time he woke up, it was morning. He showered and got ready for the funeral before he went downstairs. His mother, father, and Aunt Helen were ready as well. They were drinking coffee in the kitchen when he entered the room.

  “Good morning Justin. Did you sleep well,” his mother asked.

  “Yes, how about you three?” Justin poured himself a cup of coffee.

  “Well enough, I guess,” Aunt Helen said.

  She looked as if she hadn’t slept well at all. Justin thought she looked bad and was worried about her. Her face was white and there were dark circles under her eyes and deep wrinkles around her mouth. He had not noticed them before. All this had been harder on Helen than anyone else because she had been here with Grandpa and had been so close to him.

  Justin figured there would be a lot of people at the funeral because the family hadn’t had a viewing. He was wishing it were all over in a way but in another way he didn’t because he knew as soon as it was that his parents would be gone somewhere else. He would like to spend a little time with them anyway.

  As they waited in the church, Justin began to wonder about the will. Why would grandpa change it, and so soon before he died. Then again, he had always heard grandpa say he was leaving the house to both his girls and they could do with it as they wanted.

  Aunt Helen had said grandpa changed at the end and Justin hoped he hadn’t cut her out of the will because of something he was doing or thinking. He knew his mother would only sell the house to Helen, who Justin didn’t think could buy it. She had sold everything she had to move in with grandpa and he had always seemed happy she was there.

  People coming into the church brought Justin out of his thoughts. It didn’t take long for the church to fill up. He had been right. There were people there not even the family knew but they had known grandpa and had all liked him. “What a wonderful man,” they all said.

  It was a hard funeral but when it was over, Justin breathed a sigh of relief. By the time they got home and changed clothes, he decided he was going to relax. He went upstairs to his bedroom and turned on the television. He found something to watch and before he knew it, Helen was knocking on his door.

  “Justin, Mr. Kelling is here. Come on down,” her voice carried through the door.

  “Coming Aunt Helen. Be there in a minute.”

  Somehow, he had fallen asleep watching television. He must still be tired from his arrival. He washed his face off in cold water and wandered downstairs. They were all in the living room.

  “Come, let’s go into the library,” Mr. Kelling said as Justin entered the room.

  They followed the lawyer into the library where he had chairs set out for everyone. “Mason made a video for his will. He wanted me to play it for you. He knew it would be hard to look at but he told me he had a strong family, one that could withstand a lot.” Mr. Kelling held up a DVD as he spoke.

  The lawyer then pressed the DVD into the slot on the DVD player and turned on the television set. At first there was nothing, then Justin saw his grandpa’s face on the screen. Aunt Helen broke down and Mr. Kelling paused the DVD. Once Helen had composed herself, he started the DVD once more.

  Mason was sitting at the desk in the room they were seated in now. He was smiling and began to speak. “I’m sure if you are watching this, I am dead. No Helen, don’t start crying again. Okay, I have thought about this for a long time before I figured out what everyone should get. Or at least what I want to leave to all of you. I want to start with you Helen. I know you have worried about me for a while now and think I have lost my mind. I haven’t. You were the easy one. I want to thank you for putting up with me all these years since your mother died and your husband also. You were there for me when I needed you, as I hope I was always there for you. You put your life on hold for me and I haven’t forgot about that. So to my oldest daughter I leave the house and land around it.”

  Mr. Kelling paused the DVD. “Any questions Helen,” he asked.

  “No,” Helen was wiping her eyes. “Not now.”

  “Everything is paid in full. You owe nothing on any of it. He made sure of that. He spent almost everything on paying everything off. There was enough to pay for the funeral and that is it.”

  “I don’t need the money anyway, my business has been going really well. I am thinking of adding onto it,” Helen said.

  “Ready to move on,” Mr. Kelling asked.

  Everyone nodded and he pressed play once more.

  “Okay,” Mason was saying. “This was the hardest of all for me. That is you Bev. You have everything but finally I found something I knew you would like. But first I need to tell you a little story. I want you to know Bev, you were your mother’s favorite. Don’t ask me why, I don’t know. She tried to treat the two of you the same and for the most part she did. But somehow, Bev, you were number one. Maybe because we had more trouble from you and had to always worry about where you were and what you were doing. Anyway, I need to tell you the story now.

  You have heard the story I know but I’m telling it again. Before I met your mother, I worked in a clock shop which was named The Clock Shop. One day your mother came into the shop with her watch. It took me several days to fix it. I had to order a part. She had gotten the watch when she finished high school and was so proud of it. It was a beautiful watch with white and yellow gold and a diamond where the twelve should be. It was a real diamond. I had it checked out. That was when I found out it was real white and yellow gold as well, not just plating. Your mother wore it with pride until one day she lost it and couldn’t find it. We looked everywhere but couldn’t find it anywhere at all. Finally, she bought herself another watch. Anyway, to make a long story short, last week I found the watch. It was in the toe of a pair of my old work shoes that I haven’t touched in years. Bev, you were always the one to hide things and I guess you must have hidden the watch there and forgot about it. I put a new battery in it and it started running again. I cleaned the gold and silver and it is as beautiful as ever. So to you, Bev, I leave your mother’s watch.

  Mr. Kelling stopped the DVD once more and took a small box from his brief case and handed it to Bev. There were tears in her eyes and they fell as she opened the box and everyone gathered around to look at the watch. It was beautiful.

  “I remember this watch,” Bev said. “I used to ask mom if I could wear it but she never would let me. Then one day, while she was in the shower, I took it and hid it in dad’s old work boot. I figured they would find it in a day or so, and I forgot all about it.”

  Justin had never seen his mother so emotional before. Nothing ever seemed to faze her at all, for she wasn’t an emotional person. He had never known about the watch except for the story of how his grandparents had met. His mother always liked beautiful things, only now she bought her own.

  Mr. Kelling cleared his throat. “Are you ready to get back to the will? Justin you are last. You know your grandfather loved you as much as any son he would have had. You are the only boy in the family. You may not think what he left you is much at all but he thought it was something important and he also thought you would think so too. I myself think it is a strange thing to leave someone but he had his reasons I’m sure. If you are ready?” Mr. Kelling looked at Justin.

  Justin nodded. What could his Grandpa have left him that he thought was so important. His thoughts were interrupted by the DVD playing again.

  “Justin, you are the last person on my list. I have thought and thought for years of what I could leave you until one day it just sort of fell in my lap, so to speak. At first, you might think your old
Grandpa is crazy but all I’m asking is you give it a chance. I promise you, it will be worth it. I have always loved you as if you were my own son. I guess because I never had a son. So to you Justin, I leave all my journals and everything my basement has to offer you. I think you should stay down there for at least two days and nights. If you choose not to agree to the contents of this will, it shall be void. Good-bye all. l I love you.”

  The DVD went black and Mr. Kelling cut it off. Justin was puzzled. “Do you understand, Justin, what you must do?”

  “Not really Mr. Kelling.” Justin answered.

  “Okay, if you decide not to stay here and live in the basement for two days and nights, then neither your Aunt Helen or your mother will get anything either. The house would be sold and the money would go to the church up the street.”

  “Justin,” his mother said. “You can’t throw Helen out on the street. Besides, he’s not asking you to never come out of the basement, was he Mr. Kelling,” Bev asked the lawyer.

  “No, of course not Justin. You don’t have to stay down there all the time. All he wants is for you to sleep there and read all his journals. You are free to come and go as you wish.”

  “In other words, I stay here at the house and sleep in the basement as long as I read Grandpa’s journals.”

  “Yes,” said Mr. Kelling.

  “How will you know when or if I read the journals or not?” Justin asked.

  “He thought of that also. I have questions to ask if I feel you aren’t reading them and you will have to read them to know the answers.”

  “I see. Okay. That’s not too much to ask. I’ll do it.” Justin said.

  “Wonderful. I’ll be back in two days and see what is going on.” He took the DVD and placed it back in his brief case. “By the way Justin, tonight is your first night.”

  “Okay, I will go to the basement now.” Justin stood and walked out of the room and opened the door to the basement not knowing what he was going to encounter once he walked down the steps.

  chapter 2

  It was a little dark as Justin stood on the step at the top of the stairs. He could hardly see anything. He ran his hand over the wall and found a light switch and he flipped it on and flooded the stairs in light. At the bottom, he flipped another switch and the whole basement was now lit. Justin looked around the room. He could not ever remember being down here when he came to visit. In fact, he hadn’t known there was indeed a basement. In the corner, on the left side, was a roll away bed. It was made up but Justin knew his grandpa had slept down here sometimes.