Charlotte sat alone, her heart breaking from the loss of a friend. Tears trickled down her face as she listened to the sound of silence. Charlotte leaned over to kiss his hand and said goodbye one last time.
~
Charlotte Ross had lived in the same house her whole life.She even bought the house from her parents (at a huge discount, of course) when they moved to Florida. She had rented out rooms at different times to help pay for college, but one thing had stayed consistent—her neighbor, Mr. Baker.
Elliot Baker lived in a small suburb with his wife. His two daughters had moved out once they married, and took their families with them.Mr. Baker and his wife had lived alone for many years, but one day, Mrs. Baker broke her hip. Because of her age, she was never able to fully heal and eventually passed away.
Charlotte had been visiting the Bakers ever since she was as mall child. Charlotte would play with the Baker’s grandson Taylor, and since they lived up the street from her, she had no trouble getting to their house even before she could drive. Even after Taylor moved away for college, Charlotte kept visiting. She loved talking to the Bakers and hearing their stories. When Mrs. Baker broke her hip, Charlotte was there to help the couple. When Mrs.Baker finally passed at eighty-five years old, Charlotte was there to help arrange the most beautiful funeral for her.
One day, Mr. Baker called Charlotte. His voice sounded strained, like it hurt him to speak. “Charlie,” he said. “Please come quick. I have some urgent news to tell you.” Terror struck her heart like lightning.Charlotte didn’t bother to jump in her car. She hung up the phone and sprinted to Mr. Baker’s house without even putting on shoes. He had been really sick lately, and Charlotte feared it was “his time”. Thoughts swam in her mind as the cold fall air stung her face.
Charlotte burst through the door of Mr. Baker’s house and ran down the hall to his bedroom. She rushed to his side and knelt by him, next to the bedside. “I’m here, Mr. Baker,” whispered Charlotte.
Mr. Baker smiled a weary smile. “Charlie, I need to tell you something.”
“Anything! You know I’m here for you,” said Charlie with tears beginning to fall.
“Charlotte, thank you for being here for me. I love you as if you were my own granddaughter. Remember this when the time comes: nothing is permanent.” Mr. Baker reached up his hand and brushed away a tear from Charlotte’s face. He took one last look into Charlotte’s deep green eyes, then the light fled his eyes.
~
“Mr. Hayden,” said the lawyer in the awkward looking suit,“your grandfather has passed away. I am his lawyer and since you are his closest relative, you must listen as I read his will.” Taylor Hayden nodded.The lawyer cleared his throat.
“Do you need a cough drop, sir?” said Taylor with a twinkle in his eye. The lawyer glared at him.
“The reading of the will of Mr. Elliot Baker.
‘I, Lt. Elliot Baker, at my time of death, hereby bequeath all of my possessions to a Miss Charlotte Ross for her dedication to my family to the very end.’
Taylor looked up at the lawyer. “Get me an attorney now!”
~
Charlotte hears a knock at her office door. In comes a clean cut man wearing a grey suit and wired glasses. Behind him comes someone who Charlotte thought she would never see again.
“Miss Charlotte Ross, you are being sued for all of the property of Lt. Baker,” said the man in the grey suit. “Mr. Hayden here claims that since he is the only living relative capable of receiving an inheritance from Lt. Baker, he should get all that was bequeathed to you.”
“What?” said Charlotte, clearly shocked. “Mr. Baker left everything to me? Why did he not give it to you, Taylor?”
“Grandpa said in his will that everything was to go to you.If we can settle this quietly and without any problems, I will give you 20% of the money received from his life insurance.”
Charlotte thought about this. She loved Mr. Baker like a grandfather. If she was family to him, then why should she have to give up his belongings to someone who wasn’t ever there for him?
“No, I think I’m going to keep it. You can’t just sue me because you are mad over something I couldn’t control. Maybe if you had been there for your grandfather after your grandmother died, or maybe when he got sick, then things would have been ‘fair’. But no. I was the one who took care of him. I was the one who sat with him as he cried over the loss of the love of his life. I was the one who listened to him as he told stories over and over about WWII. So no, you cannot have his property because you left him.”
Taylor began to turn purple with anger. He stormed out the room with his lawyer at his heels. If Charlie wants a fight, I’ll give her a fight, Taylor thought to himself.
~
The court hearing rolled around too soon. Charlotte did not want to have to do this, but she was so mad at Taylor that she couldn’t back down. Plus, what would Mr. Baker think of her if she just gave away what he had given to her?
Charlotte sat in the hard wooden chair set up for her facing the judge. It was very uncomfortable, but this was neither the time nor the place to be complaining.
Taylor walked in the door behind Charlotte and sat down in the chair next to her. All he wanted was for this to be fair. He didn’t mind giving Charlotte some of the inheritance as a thank you, but this was going to be bigger than that; he just had a feeling.
Both Charlotte and Taylor’s attorneys approached the bench to speak in private with the judge. Charlotte couldn’t tell what they were saying, but her attorney was getting steadily angrier and angrier.
BOOM!
Mr. Baker’s lawyer burst into the court room and approached the bench. He spoke with the judge, but neither Charlotte nor Taylor could tell what he was saying. One thing for sure was that both of their lawyers looked shocked at what Mr. Baker’s lawyer had in his hand.
The judge looked at the two childhood friends. “Miss Ross,Mr. Hayden, I’m afraid that there was more to Mr. Baker’s will than originally disclosed.” She motioned for the finished reading of Mr. Baker’s will.
It read,
‘Should a lawsuit ensue over my choice of heir, both Miss Ross and the offended party will be given the sum of $30,000 to pay for their lawyers and any other fees included in the lawsuit. All my possessions shall be sold or donated to the WWII museum. All of the money shall be donated to the funeral home that arranged my wife’s funeral.’
Neither Charlotte nor Taylor said anything. They just sat there flabbergasted. The judge looked at them, “The sum of $30,000 are to be given to Miss Ross and Mr.Hayden. Lt. Elliot Baker’s property will be sold and the money from that shall be done with as he requested. Meeting adjourned.”
Rea’s Ruminating 