Box of knowledge

It was a cold, wet, winters day when Sonja got the phone call about her mother’s passing. She had not been back to her home state of Florida for several years now but was now planning a trip she was not looking forward to making. ‘At least winter in Florida as cold as it is here in Ohio’ she thought to herself as she waited on hold with a funeral home. Her children, now ages 8 and 2, had never met their grandmother. Just another regret that Sonja would have to live with now. She and her mother had fallen out of touch over a decade ago, and now Sonja could hardly remember why. Something stupid most likely, they were so much alike, her mother and Sonja. Both so stubborn, pig-headed, not willing to give in and see things from the others point of view. She had not shed a tear since learning of her mother’s death but the regrets of not having had a relationship with her were starting to weight on Sonja.

“Yes, I’m here,” Sonja responded when the lady came back to the phone “very well, that will be good. Thank you for your assistance. I will arrive tomorrow morning and see you around 11am. Have a good day.”

With that all arrangements were done, flight, rental car, and funeral arrangements were complete, now to pack for the short trip. ‘Wonder how many people will come? Was she well liked?’ the thoughts passed through her mind as she realized she really knew nothing about her mother or her life. Sonja knew that her two sisters would be there of course, though none of them really had any relationship with their mother but she was after all their mother. She finished packing and arranged and Uber ride to the airport.

The Uber ride and flight were spent in relative silence for Sonja as she contemplated on her younger life with her mother. It not been a very loving life, her mother had, for the most part let Sonja do as she pleased. You would think that a child would love the idea of having so much freedom, but the truth of the matter is that Sonja had never felt as if she mattered to her mother at all, no, more like she felt as if she was a burden to her mothers’ life, like she was in the way most of the time.

At 11am the three sisters met at the funeral home, after exchanging greetings and hugs, they made their way into the office to handle the business together. Afterward, the three of them went to lunch together to catch up on life. They each spent time recounting the years they grew up together, they were each four years apart in age, so there were many things that the younger two didn’t recall due to their youth at the time. They laughed at the good times and did their best to avoid the harsh fact that they had raised each other for the most part. Most of their stories never included their mother and their father had died when the youngest of them was only two. The funeral was in two days and so the three of them made plans to go out that night for dinner and drinks and to spend the next day together going shopping and enjoying the weather. None of them lived in Florida any longer, they had each left the state to get away from their mother.

The following day was the release each of the sisters needed, relaxing, spending time together, laughing, and just having fun. They were extremely close, though none of them lived near the others, they had always maintained their sisterly bond. They spent the day going to art museums, shopping, eating, and remembering their life together growing up. They had each had the same math teacher in their freshman year of high school. Sonja immitted her voice and mannerisms and made her middle sister almost spit her drink out all over the table. They were not sure which made them laugh harder, Sonja’s imitation or her sister’s reaction. But laugh they did, genuinely laugh.

As the sisters stood at the entrance to the funeral home greeting people as they arrived, Sonja soon realized just how many people came to pay their last respects. She could not believe the number of people were arriving.

“There must be at least a hundred people here.” Sonja noted to her sisters.

“I know,” the oldest of them said. “for our mother? Really?”

The service was somber and quiet, peaceful even. Afterwards the sisters said their goodbyes to each other and promised to contact each other when they arrived home. Each promising to pass along love to their respective families as they departed.

Once again Sonja had a safe, quiet, and peaceful trip back home. She arrived to the waiting arms of her husband and children.

The following morning a knock at the door came. The gentleman standing there when Sonja answered didn’t say a word just handed her an envelope containing a letter and a sealed box wrapped in plain brown paper about the size of a shoe box.

“Hey, wait,” Sonja called to the man as he walked away “what is this?” but he just ignored her and kept going. Stepping back inside, closing the door, she opened the envelope and began reading the letter.

“My dearest daughter,

“If you are reading this then I am no longer alive, I have arranged for this letter and package to arrive upon my death. There are many things you and your sisters do not know about me or your father and now that we are both gone, I believe you should know. Open the box, it will explain everything.

My love was and is always yours,

Your loving mom”

As Sonja sat slowly on the couch, placing the wrapped box on the coffee table her phone rang, her oldest sister was calling to connect the conference call.

“Yes,” Sonja answered with a bewildered sound

“Have you opened it yet?” her sister asked

“Open it, you have got to see what’s inside” the middle sister said “It’s unbelievable.”

Sonja reached for the box, her hand shaking slightly with anticipation. She carefully pulled the tape apart to find a shoe box, she lifted the lid, and there it was truth that their mother had been hiding all of their lives. With a tear running down her cheek Sonja starting going through the materials in the box, as the three sisters sifted through their respective boxes and discussing what each had found they each felt closer than they had ever been.