Maliyah

Chapter one



The breeze felt cool on her neck as she walked through the falling leaves toward her favorite restaurant. She loved autumn, the smell of pine cones in the air, the brisk wind in her face, and the flavor of pumpkin in everything, from foods to candles. Yes, this was definitely her favorite time of the year. She smiled to herself as she glanced at her self-image through the glass pane of a passing paint gallery.

Her new haircut was the exact thing she needed to get out of the frump she's been in since her last serious break up, which really wasn't all that serious. At least not to him anyway since he was caught cheating with her ex best friend. But oh well, we are not getting into that today, she thought to herself. Her new short auburn hair style framed her face perfectly and the cute new boots she just bought, on sale at Barneys, made her day even brighter.

She turned the corner just in time to catch her coworker Brea walking into the café right ahead of her.

The smell of pumpkin spice hit her nostrils as soon as the door swung open, the heat of the people lined up at the counter made it even better as she felt the brisk wind hit her neck. She smiled, yes it was a glorious day to be alive.

“Hey chick," Maliyah smiled and looped her arm through Brea as she gave a quick smiled at the handsome guy two customers up. Brea was slightly smaller than her, she reminded her of a little pixie fairy if her hair was just a little shorter.

“Oh hey, I didn't see you. I was hoping you weren't already here since I was running late. My little brother had me drop him off at the mall." Rolling her grey eyes, she smiled. "You know my brother, he gets on my nerves but I love em."

Maliyah just smiled and nodded, being an only child she could only imagine what it must be like to have a sibling. She had always wanted a brother or sister but her mom was way too busy with her career as a singer.

She could practically taste the pumpkin spice latte as she felt the line shift forward.

"I guess everyone had the same Idea," Maliyah laughed.

“Yep, Seattle settled into fall quite nicely this year. Unlike last year when summer practically went straight to winter. Uh, it was horrible. Do you remember the ice...?”

“Stop, I'm stopping you right there. I want to enjoy fall as much as possible. I do not want to think about cold or snow or ice. Let there be some sort of pretty colored leaves and pumpkins to set out this year!" Maliyah laughed.

Last year was a mess, an ice storm hit as soon as fall was supposed to be starting, oh she carved her pumpkin but if she remembers correctly it wound up frozen on her front porch? Yeah it was not a good fall last year.

The line moved a little faster and she noticed the cute guy glance back at her a few extra times, smiling to herself she felt the quiver in her stomach. She knew she looked good and he was some nice looking eye candy with his tight jeans and sexy leather jacket. Her blue eyes glittered with a special admiration for the sexy cowboy biker look.

The noise of the cafe got louder as they got closer to the front of the line, people coming and going. Placing orders and moving to the next line to wait for their orders to finish. Finally she heard the mystery man place his order, a pumpkin spiced caramel latte Grande. Maliyah smiled and thought to herself it must be fate.

As he finished with his order he turned and gave her a quick wink, as he moved to the side to let the couple in front of her place their order. She felt the blush rise in her cheeks, the heat crept her throat as her smile grew wider.

“Did you just see that, I think that guy just winked at you?" Brea whispered loudly in her ear. She nudged her side hoping she would get the hint to be quiet and not do anything to embarrass her.

Rolling her eyes at her friend, she quietly shushed her and they moved to the front of the line to the tired looking teen behind the register. Maliyah could tell from the tired look that she had a long day and glancing behind her at the milling of customers coming through the door that her day wouldn't be over anytime soon.

She placed her order and waited for Brea to finish hers. As she went to fork over her debit card, the girl just shook her head. She glanced at the cute gentleman and looked back at her, "It's on him, he gave me a 20 and told me to pay for yours and that I could keep the rest for a tip."

Surprised and shocked, she whipped her head around to give him a nod of gratitude just to realize he had already gotten his drink and was gone. Frowning, Maliyah rushed to the front door to look for him. All she wanted was to thank him properly. But he was gone, it was like he had just vanished.

"Maliyah, Maliyah. They are calling out our order number. Are you even listening? Uh, hello in there. “Brea pulled at her arm to push through the line of people back to the front to get their order.

“I just wanted to thank him properly," She muttered half to herself. Knowing full well it was only half truth. She also wanted his name, number, and maybe even his last name one day.

"Uh huh, no fooling me. Come on Juliet, time to head to work. You will have enough men to take care of at the nursing facility." Brea laughed at her longtime friend. She knew that look and she felt the tug on her heart. Maliyah has a serious problem with attracting heart breakers and from the looks from that guy he was definitely a heart breaker.

~

The day was a long one for Maliyah, even though she had a great morning at work, her mind couldn't get past the guy at the cafe. He was just so hot and hey he bought her drink. Some could even say that was a date. Okay, maybe that was a little silly and a little far-fetched but hey she could dream couldn't she.

The buzzer rang from patient room 130. She sighed, it was Miss. Abbey again. The woman never really needed anything, she was one of the ones that was actually capable of doing things on her own, but she acted like she couldn't half the time just to get someone to give her attention.

The halls smelled of chloroseptic and the elderly. It went unnoticed to Maliyah as she left her post at the desk and wandered down the hall to Miss. Abbey. Most of her patients were taking a nap so she had a little free time to give some special attention to this patient. The room was brightly lit with the sun as she walked into the room, glancing around she noticed the empty bed and the empty bathroom.

How strange she thought as she walked back out, looking around the hall she tried to figure out where Miss. Abbey was. She couldn't have walked past her, she may have been day dreaming a little but not that much to miss the little old lady with her bright pink bathrobe and fuzzy slippers. Frowning she walked to the desk to ask Brea if she had seen her.

"Hey Brea, I just walked to visit Miss. Abbey when the caller was pressed. The door was wide open and so was the bathroom door. The television is off and the room is empty. I'm positive I didn't see her go by me. Have you seen her?" Frowning slightly Brea checked the in and out records for the patients that had doctors’ appointments.

"No appointments are showing up for her and it doesn't look like she had any visitors today. Have you checked the day room or she could be walking out in the garden since it is so pretty?"

"I haven't checked yet, I just think its weird the call button was pressed when no one was even in the room. I'm going to go on a hunt just to ease my mind that she's okay. You have my work beeper if you need me."

~

The halls were quiet as Maliyah walked down the hallways of the sleeping patients. This was her favorite time of the day. Soon they will wake up and she will be doing her medication rounds and taking some of her patients to the day room. Tonight was bingo night, a favorite for her patients.

As she walked down the quiet corridor she let her mind wonder to the guy from the coffee shop that morning. If she only would have gotten a name. She could have went on her own personal hunt for the cute stranger. But that's the story of her life, she grumbled to herself.

Walking into the day room, she let her eyes wander over the few patients that were seated quietly staring out into their own abyss. Some were playing board games while others watched their favorite talk show on television. No sign of Miss. Abbey though, so she decided to venture into the gardens.

The crisp air of autumn surrounded her as she walked through the glass doors into the garden sanctuary. Trees were in bloom, she could see all the different shades of bright colors of the leaves. It was early October and the trees were alive with movement from the low winds. She loved the little sanctuary and at this time of the year.

Maliyah felt like she stepped into a real life painting as she walked through the garden, passing the trees and the flowers that were still in bloom. Bob Ross flashed through her mind, smiling to herself, she remembers trying so hard to paint like him. It never turned out the way she had hoped. And here she was in a real life painting, walking through a private garden with statues of angels surrounding her. There was no chatter of patients, no birds singing in the nearby bird bath.

Maliyah was about to turn back to go in when she spotted a familiar pink house coat near the edge of the garden. Walking quietly, she pondered over the frail looking woman. She looked so sad and distant as she looked through the fence at the colorful trees in the far distance.

“Miss. Abbey are you okay?" Maliyah asked as she quietly approached her. She didn't want to startle the 96 year old woman. It was already impressive that she can still do most things on her own at her age.

“Oh, hello dear." Her soft melody voice filled the air. "How are you today?"

“I’m doing well. I was just out looking for you. I wanted to make sure you were doing okay." Maliyah didn't want to have to explain the mysterious call button going off. "It sure is pretty out today. I love fall, don't you?" Maliyah smiled at the older woman.

"Me too, it reminds me of the day I met my husband." She smiled as her eyes teared up a little, her small fingers clutched at the pendant at her throat and Maliyah could tell her mind was at that certain memory.

“Did I ever tell you the story of how we met?" Maliyah shook her head as Miss. Abbey kept talking. “It was the fall of 1939. I was seventeen and he was. Oh goodness, nineteen I believe. He was the most handsome guy around. Johnny Stillwater wanted to take me as his girlfriend, but I had my mind and heart set on Clay Jackson. He was the one that took my breath away." She smiled at the memories and then she grew teary eyed as she tried to hold onto the memory of her beloved husband of seventy two years. He passed away of natural causes just this past Christmas.

They shared the room together up until then and when he passed they kept his side empty. The nursing staff didn't want to disturb anything that would cause the elderly woman any more emotional pain. They were all surprised she made it this long, almost a whole year without her beloved husband. Their three children and grandchildren come and visit but not as often as she would have liked.

Miss. Abbey silently took Maliyah by the arm, “I think it's time to go inside, I'm quite tired now." The two women walked side by side through the garden, surrounded by the peaceful landscape of fallen leaves and bright colored trees, each deep in thought. One of the past and one of the future.



Chapter 2

The following Monday, two days after the garden walk with Miss. Abbey, Maliyah was called into work early. With a heavy heart she knew it was bad news, it was the only time the nurses were called in for a special meeting with the head nurse. As she walked toward the break room she could see the saddened faces of some of the residences and the nursing staff.

Someone had passed on and it was someone that was respected and well liked in the tight knit community of Welkins Health Home. With a heavy heart she walked into the break room to find out the sad news. They kept a small round table for these moments, where a picture and a few memorable tokens are laid with a prayer candle for the ones that have passed on. The table was surrounded by the nursing staff from all three shifts. Brea rushed to her side and grasped her hand, with red rimmed eyes she let out a soft wail.

“Who?" Was all Maliyah could muster out as the tightness began to squeeze in her throat. The tears slowly fell down her face as she approached the small table. The smiling faces of Miss. Abbey and her husband Mr. Clay were side by side in the garden, the spring flowers were in bloom in the background. The love they shared showed through even through the photograph.

Maliyah could only close her eye, the kinship she shared with the deceased woman made the pain almost unbearable. It was times like these that she wished she had chosen a different path. She could feel Brea's sobs and they stood side by side at the small table. There was her small bible, one of her crochet dollies and of course her broach. Every day she wore it, and every day she would tell someone, anyone the story of how her beloved had bought it for her when their first child was born.

One of the head nurses handed her a note as she went to grab a drink of water. "Maliyah, your needed in the human resources office immediately." Without thinking she dropped the paper cup. It wasn't until Brea gasped that Maliyah realized that she just spilled water all over her shoes and floor.

She hurried to clean up the spilled water and handing the note to Brea, she quickly walked to the human resources office. The silence of the room was deafening.

Maliyah quickly scanned the room as she walked in, she saw the head of resources Marie, but the other two women and the one gentleman sitting at the main desk she didn't know. Her mind scanned through the recent month to try to recall any incidence where she had been in the wrong or had any reason for complaints.

The nerves welled up in her stomach and a feeling of nausea came through. She hated confrontations, especially when she didn't know what any of this was about.

“Please have a seat Maliyah, “Marie gave her a reassuring smile. “You’re not in trouble."

With a quick expel of breath, she felt her heart calm. But still the confusion remained, Maliyah still didn't know what any of this was about.

Finally the older distinguished man spoke, Maliyah knew without a doubt he was the one in charge here. His demeanor and voice was of a person in total control and one that would be heard above all else. He wore a simple black blazer over a form fitting blue shirt. It went perfect with his gray hair and blue eyes.

“Maliyah Elliot, I am Mr. Brown the head of directors for Blake and Brown, the company that dealt with Mr. and Mrs. Jackson estate. These are the lawyers that work with me and for the Jacksons. They are here as witnesses to this meeting. Did you know the deceased Abigail Jackson?"

Smiling nervously, she shifted in her seat and folded her trembling hands tightly in her lap.

“I did, I have worked here for the past three years and for all three of those years the couple in room 130 were my patients while I was on shift. Up until the passing of Mr. Jackson and now of course with the death of Miss. Abbey. I'm confused, did I do something wrong?"

“No, no of course not. This is standard procedure when a patient leaves something behind in their will for their care giver at a nursing facility. According to my paperwork and the last will of testament from a Mrs. Abigail Jackson made on April 23rd, 2013 you are to receive the lump sum of 2.5 Million dollars and one of her estates here in Seattle, Washington. The house sits on fifteen acres of land, it's a ranch home. Two stories with full garage, it is fully furnished of course. All the clothing will be donated out to a local charity but as stated in the Will you shall receive all the jewelry, paintings, etc., etc. Are there any questions?"

Maliyah sat back stunned at what she just heard. Trying to take it all in, she could only shake her head.

“Good now we shall proceed. Here are the keys to the house for you, the personnel that she hired prior to her death will be there to collect her clothes and extras that you want to put in as well in the next two days. As I'm sure you will want more room for your own furniture and house goods. As for the money this is the check made out to you. I do ask that you take extra pre-caution and deposit it in your bank account as soon as possible. I need to you sign and date this. It just states that you were given the keys and the check and that you understand that you are under no obligation to do anything else."

Finally finding her voice, she pushed the lump down that was stuck in her throat. “But what about her children and grandchildren and their children. This is surely a mistake. I am just a nurse who took care of them, they deserve this money and the house more than I do."

The director just smiled, "Don't worry everyone was well taken care of. This was her gift to you. The Jacksons were very rich my dear and they have always been very generous in life and even now after death it seems. If that's all the questions you have, then I must take my leave."

She signed on the dotted lines and stood shocked as she looked down at the check. Her hand trembled even more just holding a check for that amount of money. Handing her his business card, he stood and shook her hand. "Call me anytime if you have any other questions. Congratulations again and have a good day."

Taking that as her cue to leave, she walked stunned back to the front desk with the folder of information about the new house, the check, and everything else that Miss. Abbey had left to her when she passed on.

Brea hurriedly walked to her and guided her to an empty meeting room, “What was that all about. You were in there for almost a whole hour. All the staff has been talking nonstop about you and the corporate looking people. You know gossip flies in this place. We know it couldn't be about malpractice, you are one of the most careful nurses here."

Maliyah tried to clear the cobwebs from her head, the shock she felt was still in place.

“Listen Brea, I can't talk right now. Just call me later, when you get off work. I got to go."

Giving her a brief hug, Maliyah left her friend standing in the empty room without a word.

~

Maliyah headed straight to her lawyer, her mom did teach her one thing and it was to look after her money. No matter how much or how little she had. Thankfully, she found a parking spot right in front of the small building without much of a hassle. Mrs. Leslie, the elderly secretary for the past twenty five years was on the phone as she quietly walked across the plush carpeting.

Looking around she noticed only two other clients in the waiting room. Not bad, she thought, now hopefully she will be able to get in to see Mr. Morgan even without an appointment.

Looking up from her phone call she motioned Maliyah to sign in. “Yes dear, I know. I will have him call you back as soon as possible. Thank you and have a good day to you as well." Sighing she clicked off the phone. “Sorry dear, poor Ms. Clementine, wants to change her will again. She had a fight with that terrible son of hers. She changes it once a week now." Laughing quietly to herself she made a fast note. “Now what can I do for you Ms. Maliyah, I'm pretty sure you don't have an appointment today. And it's not tax season yet."

“No, I don't have an appointment today but it is imperative that I see Mr. Morgan. I have some legal and money issues that I need to discuss with him. They can't wait. Please tell me there's an opening today." Maliyah shifted nervously and held her purse and binder closer to her.

“Of course, let me just see if he can fit you in soon. Just have a seat and I will call you up here after I speak to Mr. Morgan."

Smiling her thanks she wandered over to the plush seats in the waiting room, the spacious room was decorated in the fall theme. Dark yellows and orange plants scattered around fake pumpkins on the coffee table. While the side tables held a few of the local magazines and Seattle’s newspapers.

" Maliyah, hun. He can see you now. He only has fifteen minutes for lunch. But he's willing to share his time with you." Smiling at the young woman in front of her she waved at her to go on down the hall to his office.

~

Mr. Morgan is in his late forties with a trim build and graying hair. He keeps a small beard but he always manages to look fortified and proper. Maliyah has been one of his clients since she turned eighteen, her mother has been under his financial supervision for almost twenty years.

After their greetings were out of the way, Maliyah told him the situation and showed him the records, the check and the key to the house. She wanted to make sure everything was legit. Leaving nothing to chance. Also she needed to know more about property tax, and the other legalities considering this was the first time owning property other than her car.

He took his time looking over the documents, slightly giving a hum or two after every other paragraph read or making a note here or there.

“Okay, everything looks to be in proper order. Now of course I do believe I need to at least make some calls on your behalf to make sure everything is in good standing order and to see what the house is worth in case you would rather sell the house and property. I will need to find out how much of the personal property will be transferred into your name and such. The check is ready to be put into your account as of today. This is not an uncommon thing, there have been many cases where an elderly patient leaves money or property to their caregiver. This is a large sum of money so my recommendation is to put a good amount in a stock or a savings bond. But you can do whatever you want with it. I know you and I know you have a good head on your shoulder." Smiling, Mr. Morgan took the file and proceeded to make copies for his records.

“I will get right to the phone calls, and I will put my records in your file. You should keep these in a safe place for future reference and you should go as soon as possible to see the house and land. Get the feel of it, if you do decide to sell any or all of it. Just let me know and I will gladly help any way that I can. In the meantime I do have another client to meet in the next five minutes."

Taking the keys and her copy of the paperwork, Maliyah left feeling better about the whole situation.

~

After depositing the check into her bank account, Maliyah walked across the street to the Cafe Bistro. She needed time to herself, to grieve for the elderly couple in room 130. She pondered over her life choices as she sat quietly in a corner booth, sipping on her pumpkin latte, and listening to the chatter of those around her.

Tears glistened and fell to her cheeks as she felt the warmth of the love the woman must have had for her. The house, the money, it was too much, Maliyah thought to herself. The vibration of her phone rang through her purse, but she wasn't ready to answer it. She needed more time to figure things out.

With her mind made up she quietly left the cafe. She sifted through her paperwork for the address of the house and after looking up the directions, she found that it wasn't that far from it. She decided to take the short drive to view the house and property without her lawyer present.

Putting the top down on her convertible she decided to take the drive in relaxation mode. She wanted to survey the scene in full fall effect. Maliyah felt the cool breeze ruffle through her hair, against her cheeks. The falling leaves in all the vibrant colors fell all around her as her car glided along the paved road. The smell of burning wood filled her nostrils as she continued forward.

'I hope they have marshmallows', she thought to herself.

She turned on the street as she followed the direction, for an instant she felt dejavue. She had been there before, but in her eyes it was all brand new. Her instincts kicked in and she knew exactly where she was act and what house it was. The small road was quiet as she turned the corner and slowed to a stop in front of the brick two story house. The landscape took her breath as she scanned the acres of trees surrounding the house.

Sitting in her car, Maliyah took it all in. The red brick home, the white door, the wicker chairs on the front porch. She could see the porch swing swaying with the breeze. She also noticed how nice the upkeep with the grass and shrubs were.

Maliyah assumed someone was being paid to do everything while Miss. Abbey was in the private care facility or possibly one of her children or grandchildren. Frowning a bit, she then pondered at the fact that she was now responsible for this.

The walk way to the front porch was made of stones and Maliyah could make out little hand prints and ineligible names in the concrete. Smiling, she could tell this was a house full of memories. And yet she still felt she was part of the memories. The Deja vue slammed into her as she turned the key to the front door.

Leaning up against the door frame, Maliyah willed herself to get past the dizziness and move forward into the house.



Chapter 3

The first thing Maliyah noticed was the wide bannister steps leading up to the second floor, and the crystal chandelier that hung from the high ceilings in the main room. She walked over to flip a switch, unsure if there was even power in the house. Sighing with a breath of relief when the room was flooded with light. Maliyah took it all in. This was home.

She knew instantly, this was where she was meant to be. And somewhere in the deep recesses of her heart she felt a belonging to the house.

Old white dust sheets covered all the furniture in the main room giving her an uninviting feel, it felt empty and cold. The hearth looked ready to be lit and she knew it would be warm and inviting once lit. Maliyah wandered over to the mantle to examine the pictures more closely.

So many pictures, a few trophies, and more little odds and ends covered the mantle. The lawyer did not lie when he said it was still completely furnished. Smiling she felt the love and happiness this family shared through the years in this house.

Maliyah wandered over to the windows and opened them, "that's much better." She told herself as she felt the breeze flow through the house. Lifting off the sheets and laying them to the side, she felt more at home. Now all she needed to do was clean off all the layers of dust and dust bunnies left underneath the furniture.

That can be done later, Maliyah thought to herself.

She wandered toward the back of the house, where according to the layouts was the kitchen and dining area.