Short Story
The Mystery Letter: The Box
Episode #2
Running through the house made him tired. Calling for his son a million times without any results made him exhausted. Tears on his cheek, red eyes, and out of breath, he didn’t know why his son had left the house without telling him. Again, he pulled his big muscled hand through his hair. He moved one foot sideways and fell over his son’s toys.
“Damn, what now?!” he thought.
Leo hurt his foot and it was bleeding profusely. Through the open hallway door, Leo saw the big box he had put in there. He desperately wanted to open it, but he needed to search for his son too. Afterward, he got a blister on his foot, so he went outside through the garden. Leo opened the garden door that leads to the large street on the other side of the house. He never wanted his son to go on that street on his own because of the possibility that a car could hit him.
Flashbacks crossed through his mind when thinking about the moment his wife walked through the street when a red small car put her body on the street while the old man driver turned into the street. This man didn’t see his wife crossing the street on the crossroad. Three weeks in the hospital, a whirlwind of emotions, a newborn son, and six months of rehabilitation. All his anger and emotions came back. Leo went white.
The wind came through his open window in the kitchen and leaves fell into his garden. The green grass was an enormous shade of red, green, brown, and orange from the trees. Leo put his shoes on and went outside.
In a hurry, he put two different shoes on, a white one and a green one, but from the same brand. He took his phone, but no jacket and forgot to lock his house. A white-painted house from the outside and colorful red and green from the inside, it was all of the shades green and red. Flower curtains, that his deceased wife had chosen, and different kinds of big mugs, plates, and all sorts of that kind of stuff that they have collected, all still in the big brown cabinet in the living room.
Walking through the streets, he saw his son playing in the garden of his school friend Cathy. Together, they were playing with a bunch of ropes and cords. They made a play-garden in his friend's garden. Both were so lovely and innocent playing and laughing.
Three houses away, the tree in Cathy’s garden moved a lot because the two of them were putting these ropes and cords into this big, heavy, fat tree, while the leaves were falling out over these children and they had the best time of their lives.
Leo had a smile on his face, he was happy that his son was safe. His heart was beating slower, more relaxed. Walking to his son and his friend, he was so relieved that he paused for a while watching those two kids playing outside in the garden. Then, it didn’t matter if the tree moved. He walked closer to the house. The trees beside the road looked so beautiful with the colors of Autumn.
"It is a shame that there are too many cars driving through the street," he muttered.
Continuing to the porch of Cathy, he not only saw the red car, but also the old man sitting behind the window of this old red house. In the window, there were lovely yellow and pink roses, and other sorts of flowers.
Then, as he wanted to go to Cathy’s house, where he saw the red car of the accident on Cathy’s porch. Leo’s heart stopped for a while and realized that this man, who caused the accident, lived in the same street.
Felix’s eyes caught his fathers’ eyes. His face became tomato red. He stood up and ran towards his father. Leo widened his arms open to get Felix in his arms and pull him up.
“Sorry dad, I should’ve said something before leaving, but I desperately wanted to go outside playing in the sun with those leaves. Then Cathy saw me and asked to play with me in her garden.”
“I thought I lost you. Will you always ask me first and let me know?”
“I thought you were so busy with The Letter and wouldn’t disturb you.”
“That is so sweet of you, but I’d rather know where you are.”
“Ok, dad, I will.”
Leo and Felix hugged each other and walked hand in hand to home. Felix looked back at his friend and waved to her. While Leo's thoughts were with The Letter, he watched his son running through the door. Leo left the door a little bit open, as he ran out of the house in a hurry. At home, he looked at his watch, which was lying on his office writing desk. It was at four o’clock.
Leo asked himself what he wanted to have for dinner. He desired something simple. He loved to cook for himself and his son. Always fun with the two of them. Felix always told stories from his school days, made funny jokes about things he had done at school. And Leo told Felix about his day at his home office and all the writing he had done.
Felix started playing with his favorite train toys. He brought those into the living room. While his father made the pasta with meat and green vegetables. Felix stared at the box in the hallway. It was odd that Leo didn’t open it yet. Felix turned his eyes onto his toys and played for a while again. Felix turned towards his father with a green and red train in his hands.
“Dad, what is the big box unopened in the hallway doing there?”
“That is the box that came in earlier today before I lost you.”
Leo walked to the hallway. He stared at it for a while and was so afraid to open the box. Then his son stood next to him and gave him a pair of scissors. When he looked at his son, he bent over the box to open it. The box was heavy, it smelt sweet, just like vanilla and oranges, but there were so many soft things in it.
He unpacked everything one by one which was a nice surprise and a great feeling. His son watched him. He saw his father break out in tears upon seeing the three sweaters he wanted so badly. He had seen them online a few weeks before the birth of Felix, a sweater with Christmas print, a sweater with the color brown, and a thick hoodie with the words ‘I love you’. Leo unpacked the candles, exactly the ones he'd wanted years ago.
For his writings, he got two cases full of his favorite pencils with the finest points, the thickest you can get, 6B. These were ideal for writing his notes in a notebook. Leo looked surprised he'd got such a package. Under all this stuff there were the Bordeaux red shoes he wanted for Christmas eight years ago, but he didn’t get them at the time.
‘Who gave me this package?’, he thought.
Felix smelled something and he went into the kitchen. He noticed that his father had left the heat on under the pan which made the vegetables burn. He ran to his father while still bent over the box with his stuff. Leo was crying.
“The pasta dad”, screamed Felix.
He got up from the box while Leo ran to the kitchen to put out the fire. Yet another disappointment to add to the day. What else could happen to ruin his day? It was full of surprises. Leo can’t handle surprises as that is not predictable.
He loved the structure, he very much liked to know what was going to happen in advance. When something was not predictable, he had panic attacks. Something he produced when his wife had an accident.
Leo watched in the pan to see what was left of the vegetables. Nothing left properly to eat. So, only cold tomatoes were an option this Saturday. Pasta with cold tomatoes. He gasped intensely and cut the tomatoes into small pieces his mind was not fully there and as a result, he cut in his thumb. His son looked at him while he tried to comfort his dad. More tears ran down his cheeks. Felix hugged his dad. Felix gave Leo a glass of water.
“You need this dad. Take a deep breath dad. That is what my teacher tells all the time when I think something is difficult.”
“You are so right, boy.”
Leo’s mood was not bright and shiny as it used to be. He was silent. He felt his eyes were so swollen, that he needed some space. He went to the bathroom to cool down, but when he looked in the reflector, he was broken, he felt angry, he felt confused, he felt everything but happy.
He finally got up again after eight years of being broken from losing his wife from the accident. And now this. He couldn’t put it all together. He was confused and when he looked in the mirror again, he looked terrible. What did his son think about his father now? Leo felt weak, something he didn’t want to teach his son. He wanted his son to be strong and lovable.
While Leo walked downstairs, Felix played with his toys again, this time with his Lego. Felix made his favorite castle. He always told his father he wanted to live in a real castle with a beautiful princess living a dream life. When Leo looked at his son, he smiled again. This was what he lived for. To make his son a good decent human being. Now, all that had happened today, he doubted himself. If he was strong enough, all he wanted was to give his son all he wanted.
During dinner, the two didn’t say anything. Felix was tired of playing with friends and his toys, while Leo was tired of all the surprises that day. But dinner tasted fine even when things got burned. Felix helped his father cleaning up and put everything into the dishwasher.
After dinner, Felix read a book in the corner of the reading nook in his bedroom. He put on the light next to his reading chair, a standing lamp with a red foot. He switched off his normal bedroom light to make it cozier. Strips were his favorite, especially about history-related topics. Before going to bed, he read some time to get help him to fall asleep, and then brushed his teeth. Then he got into his soft Mickey Mouse pajamas.
He loved it when Leo told stories about his mother. One story he remembered and still loved to hear is how his mother made dinner for his father when his father came back from his corporate job to spoil him with his favorite dish. Fish with homemade fries with peanut sauce, pasta with green vegetables, and for breakfast he always got pancakes with fruit when he had days off.
The tone of his father while he told him stories about his mother was warm and with love. Something he loved about his father, telling good stories about his loved ones. But his favorite one was when his father told him the story of his mother encouraging him to start writing, something he had loved from his childhood.
Leo closed the door of Felix’s room, walked downstairs quietly being cautious with the fourth step as it makes a creaking sound throughout which could be heard everywhere in the whole house. He didn’t succeed to be that silent. That stair was creaking a lot. He should do something about it soon.
Now he was downstairs he heard his son asking: "I want another kiss."
Leo’s eyes closed for a while and he sighed a little.
From under the stairs he said: “What is it, boy?”
Leo didn’t realize that his son went out of bed and stood on the first stair. Felix cried a little bit. He couldn’t sleep as he heard the creaking stair. He shook his head a little bit while he wiped his tears from his cheek.
With his stuffed bear in his hands, he said again: “I want another kiss, dad. Otherwise, I can’t sleep and I heard the noise.”
His father walked upstairs again. Normally he gladly does it, but this time he felt like he had a lot of lead in his body. His body felt so heavy and not at all normal. All his emotions from today were all up and running through his veins and blood. He was off guard and Felix noticed that too.
Downstairs again, Leo sat on the couch and started to read The Letter again. He couldn’t get it out of his mind and read The Letter again:
Dear Editor,
I write to you because I have a favor I want you to do. I can only tell you this because I trust you fully. It is a secret you have to find out for yourself without any help.
The first clue is ‘BIG and FIRE’.
I hope you can research to find out what I mean.
I am so sorry that I am not able to help you during your research.
Don’t forget to write everything through your publication. And don’t forget to go to the library in Munich.
Sincerely, The Thinker
Leo went to the box again to find some clues in there. He got those sweaters, candles, pencils, and the shoes, but are these clues too? He checked the box again if there is another letter. He didn’t find any of it. He took one pencil he got, a new notebook from his collection and wrote everything in this notebook what happened and how he felt. He wrote the date and time, the things he got, The Letter, and clues in The Letter.
He still didn’t know who was the sender of this lovely heavy package. After he took notes he burnt one of the gotten candles. It smelt so good, this vanilla candle.
He tried to return to his book. He put it on the little living room table with a hot cup of English tea. Some hot substantial fluid had to be taken right now. He got cold, very cold, he shivered a little bit.
Leo opened his new book, the book he had he bought last month. He cozied himself onto his couch with his book and cup of tea. And he put on a nice soft blanket while Leo heard the doorbell again. With a big sigh, he pulled himself up from his blanket and watched through the window again. But he didn’t see anybody.
‘What kind of joke is this?’, he thought.
He walked to the door again. First, he looked to see if someone is really there. Still nobody. Leo was scared. What if somebody wanted to take advantage of him? What if someone wanted to rob him? What if there was a spook?
Slowly he took the door handle and pulled it down, then he opened the door. He didn’t see anybody, but there was a paperback on the door handle with his name on it. As fast as he could, he closed the door with the paperback in his hand. He peeked into it. It was a long piece of paper, flat and unfolded. A strong piece of paper, with dates and times on it. It looked like a ticket. Where does this ticket lead to?
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