A Mother's Wish

“That can’t be right”.

She cancelled the transaction and snatched the plastic card out of the machine. Taking a deep breath, she looked around and wiped the sweat accumulating on her palms with her jeans. “Just try again, you clearly did it wrong”, she went through the motions once more. After inputting her PIN, she waited for the screen to reflect the options. She selected Balance Inquiry. After some time, the screen stared back at her with her account information.

Vanessa Spencer

Account Number: 38974467

Balance: $20,035.68

It was the same as it was when she checked the first two times. It was still there. It did not change. It was really…real. “Hey, seriously you’ve been here forever. Move”, an exceptionally large man with an annoyed expression shouted at her. Vanessa jumped and hastily cancelled the transaction. She hastily gathered her things, tightening her jacket around her body. The night air whirled around her and the young woman shoved her hands in her windbreaker as she rushed down the damp sidewalk. There was no need to panic. It is a normal day. Everything is fine. She played this mantra over and over in her mind just get through the rest of her walk home. As soon as her tattered apartment building came into view, Vanessa felt like she was starting to breathe again. Almost there, she chanted silently, just a little further, Nessa, keep walking. Breathe. Almost there. Next thing she knew, she was in the elevator. “I’m fine. I just have a little more than I thought; not a big deal”. Vanessa’s pep talk was not effective and unlocking her front door did more for her anxiety than the repetitive lies.

“Vanessa”!

Every nerve in her body became more alert. How could she forget Mrs. Tyson? How did Vanessa not see her in the hallway? Of course, she was in the hallway; she always was. Taking a deep breath, Vanessa put on her best smile as she whipped around to greet the older woman. “Hey, Mrs. Tyson, how are you”?

“Oh, sweetie, I’m doing better now that I am off that extra medicine that idiot tried to get me to take. Can you believe he even prescribed that to me”? the silver-haired woman continued to rant about her recent visits to her doctor; roping Vanessa in an unsolicited conversation. Mrs. Tyson must have noticed Vanessa’s fidgeting. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry. How could I be so insensitive with what you are going through”. Vanessa froze in place and stared at the wrinkly face of the woman in front of her, rooted in concern. There is no way she knows…right?

“Wh-what are you talking about”?

Mrs. Tyson now looked as confused as the scared girl in front of her. “The final notice Dennis put on your door earlier. He was pretty upset, saying he could not wait any longer. Didn’t you see it”? What; she must’ve opened her door too quickly; Vanessa wasn’t aware of the paper now lying in her doorway with the large red font. “I’ve got to go. See you later”, she managed to push the words out as she slammed the door. Just as the old woman said, there was the notice taunting her on the very floor she would lose because of it. With shaky hands, she picked the notice up and read the warning printed on it thoroughly. She had three days to pay her rent as well as her past due amount or her stuff would be removed from the building.

“What am I g-going to do”, Vanessa whimpered as she slid to the cold wood. The poor girl shivered, and her round eyes filled with tears. She hugged her knees as the tension blanketed her in a tight hold. She was planning on giving Dennis enough to convince him to let her slide for a few more weeks. When she checked her account, she only had thirty-five dollars to her name. That is until the ATM glitched out and the amount changed drastically. Twenty thousand dollars just appeared in her checking account. She could use it to buy herself some time with her impatient landlord till she found another job. If that was the case, maybe all was not lost. Vanessa sprang from her perch and dried her eyes. She ran to her bedroom and searched her small desk for her checkbook. Just as she was going to fill out the amount she owed, she realized something. Was she actually allowed to use this money? Sure, it was in her account, but she had no idea where it came from or who it was meant for.

Vanessa sat back in her desk chair. What if it was a mistake? What is someone did it by accident? Could she really use these funds for her own reasons without knowing? Did she have any right to? The temporary relief the short girl felt evaporated as quickly as it came. The tears returned with a companion in the form of a migraine. It would be another sleepless night for the twenty-three-year-old who was quickly becoming an insomniac. Tossing her checkbook aside while rising off the chair, Vanessa made her way to her bathroom with a sigh escaping her full lips. The shower doubled as a safe haven to release the inevitable breakdown that drowned her sanity as water swept the day down the drain. Instant noodles from the microwave, badly made tea in a handle less mug, and more crying till she fell asleep in her bed. She did not sleep as nightmares of what would happen to her when the three days passed haunted her.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

There were boxes making it difficult for him to get close to the apartment. The broad-shouldered man huffed angrily as he forced himself to continue his journey to the almost emptied unit. In it he found a curly haired woman hunched over with a cup without a handle clutched in her delicate hands. “Miss Spencer, my name is Wesley Arnold. We talked on the phone earlier”. Her head snapped up in surprise causing her hair to look even more untamed. She quickly wiped her face; she was not as discreet as she thought but he said nothing. “Oh, right, sorry. You had information for me about my mother”, Vanessa put on her best hostess voice and tried her best to smile regardless of how hopeless her surroundings looked. Once again, Wesley said nothing and reached into his bag to pull out a small leather book. It did not have a title printed on it and appeared to be a notebook. “As I said on the phone, I am a P.I. Your mother employed me to find you and make sure her last wishes were fulfilled”. “Wait…last? That means she isn’t—”. They both stopped talking. How could he forget? That was the reason he was involved. The relationship between Vanessa and her mother was estranged. Does he have to be blunt with everything? Wesley mentally scolded himself as he watched the tears fill Vanessa’s eyes and run down her dewy cheeks. Then, just like that, she hurriedly wiped them away; she at least didn’t want to break down in front of a stranger. Wesley cut through the brief silence with a deep cough. “As I was saying, this notebook contains letters that your mother wrote to you with the hopes of sending them. It also contains her will and final wishes. In this black book, she explains the savings account she continuously added to, an account she wanted to be given to her daughter when she passed. Sending the money was easy since you’ve had the same account since high school but finding you after was surprisingly difficult considering you move a lot”.

The remainder of Wesley’s explanation went unheard by Vanessa. Her mother was gone…she wrote to her…she left her that money. The guilt of possibly using someone else’s money was too overwhelming that Vanessa decided to just move out. However, now she didn’t have to regret anything. The money was hers. Her mother left an entire black book just for her. This time, Vanessa let the tears fall freely. She even allowed herself to smile a bit, actively halting Wesley’s exposition and causing him to let concern reflect in his hazel eyes.

“Miss Spencer”?

“Vanessa”, she corrected giggling to herself as she composed herself.

“Oh…Vanessa”?

“Would you like some tea, Wesley? We can continue to talk, but I have to go talk to my landlord first. Would you be willing to wait”?

The lean young man arched one of his thick eyebrows at her cup and nodded firmly. Vanessa gave him a genuine smile before running out of the apartment with checkbook in hand. It was an odd feeling that Wesley was not used to when delivering news at the end of his investigations. He felt a sense of pride being able to give something that turned the raven-haired girl from a curled-up body of sorrow to a bright eyed giggly young lady. He found himself sliding a few boxes from the hallway back into the apartment as he waited. Judging from her excitement, Wesley figured the young woman would appreciate the help and did not need to crowd the walkway with her belongings anymore.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The twenty-two-year-old walked into the shop, blowing heat into his calloused hands, and breathed in the aroma of delicious treats. His normally tousled hair pulled out of his face into a neat ponytail. He walked quietly to an empty seat in the corner next to the big windows; one of the useful features of the quaint shop. He took off his coat to hang it on the back of his chair and rolled up the sleeves of his slim sweater, revealing his arm of tattoos. The young man pretended to read a newspaper left on the table; his senses fully aware of his surroundings and hard eyes focused, just in case anything unusual were to happen.

“Must you have a stagnant glare everywhere you go”?

The sweet voice of the waitress he had grown fond of interrupted his concentration. A hint of a smirk crept to his face as he felt the smile on her face before even looking at her. “Must you disturb my work every time I come here”, he threw back at her to receive her signature eyeroll he’d gotten used to. Their banter was something that developed on its own these past months. She still had her moments where her anxiety seemed to cripple her, but she had her friends from the shop, she had hobbies, and most importantly he was a phone call away now. He noticed the pretty waitress had his usual bagel and cup of tea he ordered every time he came here to work on a case. There was an extra sparkle in her chocolate brown eyes that was almost childlike. “What, did you poison it”, he joked as she pouted. “No, you jerk, I made it. Mya let me make the drinks all day and no complaints”, she responded excitedly. He mumbled a “not yet” under his breath that he thought he got away with till she smacked his shoulder.

“Well, it tastes better than the first time and this cup has a handle at least”. The freckled faced woman gave him another eyeroll and started to walk away. “Hey, can I have another to go please, Nessa”? Beaming at his request, she quickly turned to grant him her winner smile. “Coming right up, Wes”, Vanessa shouted as she ran back behind the counter. Wesley shook his head and went back to his newspaper, enjoying the taste of her tea and thinking of how to ask her to dinner later. Vanessa’s new job, her apartment saved, and even Wesley; all of it cause of her mother’s black notebook.