The Web of Life

It was still dark outside. An uneasy sense of knowing washed over me with its seizing presence.  I threw the covers back and walked over to the dresser, took the letter out of my lingerie drawer and flipped on the lights.

“Dearest,
    Thank you for giving me the picture of our daughter.  She is beautiful.  While I can’t hold her and watch her grow up, I know you are a terrific parent.  Yes, we made the right decisions, although I have many regrets. 
    When I saw you in the hotel lobby, I couldn’t believe my eyes.  You looked just as you did ten years ago.  I will not interfere in your life.  I will honor our agreement.  Thank you for tolerating this moment of yearning for that which can never be.
                                                                                         Love Always”          

Reading the letter always brought me comfort. Carefully I folded the wheat colored stationary.  With one familiar motion, it was back in its hiding place.

Why was it written?  Who wrote it?  It was evasive and sad.  I remembered like yesterday, the day I found it on the floor of the hotel lobby.  I was so excited!  It was my first trip to a psychology conference.  My parents were presenting and I was finally allowed to come. It was my ninth birthday.  It was also the day I met my maternal grandfather.  It was the best day of my life! 

My cell phone vibrated franticly interrupting my thoughts.

“Hello,” I said, after a quick glance at the Id screen.

“Good morning Anna, did you get my emails reminding you of the luncheon with President Eastland today?”

“Yes, I did Tillea.”  I replied.  ‘I haven’t read any of them”, I thought with some satisfaction. 

“Anna, I know you are new to the faculty.  But we veterans don’t miss an invite from the president.” She paused.  “Besides, Dean Radcliffe will be seated at our table. And you know he likes you.” 

“I' m a twenty-five year old, non-tenured associate professor of biochemistry, living in my grandfather’s house while he is trumping across Africa photographing wildlife.  Fantasizing about the dean of the medical school is not on my list of things to do today.”  I could hear her smacking lips. “Besides”, I continued, “my mom reminds me constantly that dating a superior is not a wise choice for a newly employed young lady.  And Let me add.  The man appears to be twice my age.” 

“So what!”  Tillea replied. The uneasiness was still hovering over me, so with a quick promise, I pressed the end call button.

The door bell rang.  “What in the world?” I said rushing downstairs.

His tall frame was slightly bent forward.  Ice blue eyes stared at me without blinking.  For a moment, I wasn’t sure if it was him.

“What’s wrong Grandee?”  I asked closing the door behind us.  “Why didn’t you use your key?” I continued.  He took his hat off.  Place it besides him on the sofa. Ran his right hand from front to back across his head, without looking up he said.

“Anna I need you to get dress.”

“What?” I whispered. 

“Anna, please go up stairs and get dress.”  His voice quivered.

“What’s wrong Grandee?” I repeated.  I could feel my eye lids pulling back tears.  Deep inside, I knew my dashingly charming grandfather didn’t look like a withered weed without cause. 

“Anna there has been an accident.”  He paused.  “John is dead and Rosalynn is in a coma.”

I must have fainted.  When I awake, I was lying on the sofa.  Dean Radcliffe and Grandee were standing near the window talking.

“Are you okay?” Grandee asked, as they walked towards me. 

“No. I’m not.” I said as I sobbed into my hands.

“Anna, Dr. Radcliffe has arranged for your mom to be flown to University Hospital.  She will be arriving at three this afternoon.  John’s parents, his two brothers and their families are flying in later tonight.”

The next several days went by in a blur, I said goodbye to my dad and watched my mom make no progress.

I sat at the kitchen table; holding on to the one familiar thing that still brought me comfort. 

“Anna what’s that you’re reading?” Grandee asked from across the table.

I smiled. “It’s the letter I found the day I met you.”

My grandfather turned ghostly pale.  I saw him cry for the first time in my life.  A drop rolled down his cheek and landed in his orange juice.
 
“Anna I need you to listen to me. No interruptions.  I will answer any questions after I finish telling you what I have to say.”

Wide eyed and scared, I held my breath.

“Twenty-seven years ago, I was an artist in residence.  I fell in love with one of my students. She was young enough to be my daughter.  I was smitten, careless and arrogant.  It wasn’t until she became pregnant that reality sunk in.  I had just been offer a position in Cairo and she was about to graduate with her degree in psychology.”  My heart skipped a beat.

“She had a high school sweet heart back in Georgia.  Since she was an orphan, there was no way she could give the child up.  I told her to do what she liked, but I wasn’t going to ruin my career over one mistake.  She graduated and went back home.  I came after her five months later.  She was married.  She told me her husband knew everything and married her anyway.  She asked me to stay out of her life.  I said goodbye. ”

There was a long pause. “Then one day, ten years later. I see her and this little girl walking across a hotel lobby.  I couldn’t believe my eyes.”


963 Word Count