The Man In The Picture

“People grieve in different ways.” People kept telling me that, even as they tried to figure out why I was insistent on cleaning out my parents’ house days after my mom’s funeral. Even my long term boyfriend was confounded by my actions but I paid them no attention and got things done.

Most everything was thrown away or donated. But there was a roll of Kodak film that was hidden in the attic, like someone hoped that it would never be found. Curiosity got the best of me, so I ran to the local Walgreen’s and had the roll developed. In my mind, I was convinced that they were just old family pictures that Mom had forgotten to develop. The photo tech handed me the envelope and took my credit card. Mindlessly I thumbed through the pictures, until one took me by surprise.

One caught my eye. A man, who wasn’t my father had his arm around my mom. The weird thing was they were at a wedding. I went over to the nursing home to see my dad to ask about it. After we exchanged pleasantries, I got right down to business. “Dad, who’s the man in the picture?”

“Leave it alone.”

“Dad…”

“I said, LEAVE IT ALONE!” he roared at me.

Instead of upsetting him further, I left. Luckily in the age of Google, nothing stays secret for too long. So I took a picture of the picture and ran a google search on it. The man in the picture was identified as William Johnson of New York.

“Why are we chasing down an old man?” Andy asked me as we raced down the highway. “You realize how crazy this is right, babe?”

“I have to know about this picture.” The rest of the ride was quiet.
When we reached Pine Oaks, I wound around the roads. Finally we reached the William’s last known address. It appeared to have been vacant for quite a while.

Andy and I walked up the driveway. A neighbor lady saw us from the window and came outside. “Such a shame. They were a nice couple, William and Carol Ann. After her disappearance, William was never the same again.”
Carol Ann? That wasn’t my mom’s name. I showed the lady the picture, “Is that Carol Ann?”

“Yes. I’ll never forget how in love they were. Then after the wedding, she just disappeared into thin air.”

“Do you know where we can find William?”

“His son stops by every once in a while, to get mail. He lives on the other side of town.”
It felt like someone was following me but I was on a mission. We got to the apartment building, the neighborhood left a lot to be desired but I would only be there long enough to figure out why this man was married to my mother and never mentioned again.

“Lydia warned me that you were on your way over.” A mean looking man said. I assumed that it must be William Jr. “I don’t know what you want but I have nothing to say to you.”

Andy stopped the door from closing. I took a deep breath and plunged into the saga, “Look, I just want to know why your father is in a wedding picture with my mother.”

“What?” The anger grew deeper when I flashed him the picture. “Carol Ann wrecked my family. My dad left us the minute she said that she wanted him, at least that’s what my mom has said. Then she disappeared and my dad killed himself.”

“Oh my God.”

“I’m sorry for your loss but I have been dealing with my own for longer than you’ve been alive.” This time he shut the door. I collapsed into Andy’s arms and sobbed.

“I thought I was doing something good. I thought that I was getting to know about my mom but all I’m doing is ruining lives.”

“No, you’re no…” When the bullets whizzed by my head, I dropped to the ground.

When it seemed safe, I got up and looked for Andy. He was lying face down on the ground, a pool of blood surrounded him. My breathing became heavy, tears flooded my eyes. Another one of my loved ones was dead because of me. My mom had died when I didn’t take her to the Doctor and now Andy had been killed because I couldn’t let go of that picture.

Guilt. That had to be why I couldn’t let the picture go. Why I had to chase this mystery and cost Andy his life. “Get in the car.” I spun around and found a limo parked behind me.

For a reason unknown to me, I got in the car. Sitting in the back of the car was William Johnson Sr. Confused must have been written across my face because he smiled and nodded. “Yes it’s me. No despite popular belief I am not dead.”

“Why did you son tell me that you were. He said you committed suicide after my mother left you for my dad.”

“Your Mother never left me. Do you have time for a story, it is quite long.”

I nodded.

“Carol Ann and I were high school sweethearts. Madly in love. As graduation approached, so did the war. We both knew that I would be called to serve and there was no way I could refuse. So you’re mother decided we should be spies. Everything was going well until we discovered some Top Level secrets and then the Government wasn’t happy with us. With me. To protect your mother, I told her to turn State’s evidence. They made it look like I killed her but she gave me enough evidence to stay out of jail. Shortly after I faked my own death and never looked back.”

“What? Wow. What?”

“It’s a lot to take in. But it’s all true.”

I closed my eyes and wondered how I never knew that my mother had a secret life before me.