Short Story
The Mystery Letter: Where The Ticket Leads
Episode #3
After losing his son out of his eye, getting a box of things, and a ticket to Munich, he is so confused about what to do. He never had that, now he doesn’t know. Where does he let his son stay? He could call his mother, she needed some interaction with other people than only sitting in front of the window on her couch and do her readings.
Leo sighed a deep long breath when he realized that his son stood next to him on the last stairstep. Felix’s arm around his father’s neck, giving his father a little kiss on his head. Felix came downstairs and felt that his father needed a talk.
“I heard the door going open and closed.”
“Oh, I am sorry, boy, I didn’t want to make you awake.”
“It is ok. I have still holidays, and I can sleep longer tomorrow.”
“That is true.”
Both went inside the living room with the tickets in Leo’s hands. A little bit shaking, Leo took the milk from the refrigerator. he boiled it on the heat and did chocolate powder in it. It was a little bit early in the year to make hot chocolate, but he desperately wanted some, so why not! And as his son is awake, he also made some for Felix. He was thinking about the ticket.
Why did he get a ticket, and why now as he thought he could move on after the death of his wife eight years ago? Why on a day that started lovely with beautiful colored leaves? Now, he is confused about what he should do. Going to Munich? He can’t leave his work alone. He can’t leave his son alone. For how long should he go?
Leo checked the ticket again. It says, leaving tomorrow in the early morning at seven, and coming back after seven days. He also wanted to know who is behind all this. As a storyteller he also was intrigued by the fact there are some mysteries to be solved.
“What are you thinking about, father?”
Leo still thought about the ticket. He thought about what could happen when he goes to Munich to that Library that has been mentioned in The Letter. His thoughts were not present with Felix. The chocolate milk he made for himself became cold in the meantime, while Felix drunk his mug empty.
“I thought about the ticket.”
He answered with a soft voice, almost unheard. Felix needed all his ears to listen to his father.
“What do you think about?”
“Well, it says I can go to Munich to find out what The Letter says. But I need more information before I say yes.”
You have two tickets, I see.”
“Yes, that is right. I haven’t seen the other one yet.”
“Can I go, daddy?”
“I don’t know, son. I’ll check that out when I brought you back to bed.”
With these words, Felix went to bed again after he brushed his teeth again. That is what his father taught him when he was a little boy when he got his first tooth and he drunk after brushing his tooth. Since then he did it every time. Leo gave one more book reading to Felix and kissed him goodbye.
“Now, really sleeping, ok?”
“Are you going, daddy?”
“I am not sure, boy, but I have to decide tonight. I promise to wake you up on time when I decided, deal?”
“Ok, daddy.”
With these promised words of his father, Felix fell asleep. When Leo came downstairs, he took one more cup of tea. With all the stuff he got today, the ticket, and The Letter in hands, he thought about it. What angle could he take to write about? What is the reason why het got all this, and why he was the one that has been chosen? He didn’t know, but he also wanted to find out. What about his son? Next week, school starts again. He can’t take off Felix from school.
It was the next morning, the sun was shining through the trees, and that made the colored leaves so beautiful. The wind from yesterday laid down more and slowly the breeze came into his kitchen through the window. Leo felt tired but also excited as he made a decision.
A few doors next to Leo, another family was waking up, also a little bit tired, but someone was looking from the window, as he always did with a newspaper and a cup of tea in his hands. This old man started to look from the window as if he saw someone walking. He only saw some cars.
As he looked through the window, Tom looked at who came and went through the streets. He looked as if he saw someone familiar, which he always looked at familiar people. It was very early in the morning. At six in the morning, it was a little bit too early, but after he prayed to God, and had breakfast, he loved just to sit in front of the window. Enjoying the wonderful musical career he had. He loved just watching outside, read the newspaper, and play with his granddaughter Cathy.
He heard some other people waking up through the house. In the meantime the clock change to seven am. Most of the time, his daughter woke up to make breakfast for him and Cathy. He loved to be spoiled like that. Normally his wife did that for him, but after her death eight years ago due to an accident, they both got. She never made it.
As expected, Tom heard the voice of his daughter. Talking in herself. With her books, phone, tablet, and laptop in her hands, she came downstairs. She laid her stuff on the corner of the kitchen table, poured herself a cup of coffee, and sat down to read some education before heading to dinner. That is what she loves.
“Good morning, darling. Did you have a great sleep? Are you ready for your trip?”
Still standing in front of the window, slowly he turned around to see his daughter. Something he had to relearn after the accident. He became more distant and forgot things to do, but still had a memory for small detailed things. It was more to have an interaction with his family.
“My night was fine, but I turned and tossed a lot last night. I heard some voices again.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that sweetheart. What did these voices tell you?”
“Actually, these voices were rambling so much to me, that I couldn’t tell what they were trying to say.”
“I think they were telling me what I should do with my life! And also that I finally need to enjoy my life after my divorce.”
“Are you going to do that?”
“I try to, but it is hard sometimes. I think this trip will be a happy moment in my life. I try to enjoy this trip as much as possible, as well as studying a little bit. Exams are coming up three weeks from today.”
“Oh yes, that is true. How is your study going?”
She put her books on the large table. She watched her father shuffle slowly into the kitchen. Both felt a certain tension when they were talking to each other. Loretta really knew that it has been a matter of fact that he got that accident years ago. But he still has that red little car.
Tom was indeed affected as he also lost his wife due to that accident. Every day he thought about her and when he thought about her, he felt an incredible sadness through his body. He was deeply in love with her. He misses her so much: how she smiles, her kindness, her look, the way she walked — even when she became old.
Loretta’s father sounded a little bit dark and from a distance when he spoke to her. He sighted a long breath. He shoved his body slowly to the kitchen where his daughter was brewing coffee. He gets tired lately from a lot of interactions with other people. He did his best to interact this morning, but sometimes he forgets to do that. He thinks it might be his age.
Loretta had to work on her school reassignment and she was a little bit stressed about if she had done everything right. She just started an education a few months ago, because she didn’t like her current job. She’d rather be a teacher than a marketing manager. Children suit her best and she loved helping at the school of her daughter, Cathy. But now she needs to study too. A lot, to be honest, but it is all worth it.
She stood up to get her coffee. While she stood against the kitchen, she thought about leaving Cathy alone with her dad. Actually, she didn’t like that at all, but after her divorce eight years ago, she needed to be away for a while. She bought herself a ticket last night.
Cathy stood up from her bed. Put her clothes on. She had chosen a dark red maillot, a jeans skirt, her favorite red with white rounds sweater. After she dressed, she went downstairs and sat next to her granddad who came also into the kitchen. Cathy looked at her grandfather, he looked like he was not there with his mind in the present.
“Granddad, are you oké? You look a little bit white.”
“Yes, I am fine, thanks, darling. I went to bed a little bit too late because of reading an interesting book about inspirational people from all over the world.”
“Which people grandad.”
“I’ll tell you later darling. It is really beautiful outside. Let’s go for a walk before mommy needs to get the flight.”
Francesca never did breakfast. She never had hungry. These are the most hated moment since her divorce from Peter. He never cared about their daughter. She got so much pain from all the negative comments he made about Cathy, how ugly his daughter was, and that she was a fat baby. Nevertheless, this wasn’t true at all.
Cathy realized she put on two different socks, a red and blue one. All with some great spooky figures on it. She put her socks on in a hurry as she wanted to see her mom before she is gone to her holidays. Quickly, Cathy ran back downstairs.
Mom stood in the door to kiss Cathy on her head and hugged her deeply. While she hugged her daughter, one of her suitcases fell on the floor.
“You need to go, Francesca. You’ll miss your flight.”
Tom sighed deep, and hard that the whole house could hear him. He moved back to sit in front of the window. He loved looking out of the window and watching his granddaughter playing outside. He saw that Cathy and Felix loved to play together. Through the Geraniums, he loved seeing what happens outside. Cars coming and going, people going to the grocery stores, and children playing outside or going to school.
Cathy went outside to play in the garden after her mommy went to the airport. She was a little bit sad when her mommy went away. All the tears came over her cheeks thinking about how long she shall miss her. Her red eyes were so swollen that it hurts. When she said mom goodbye she walked upstairs to her room and sat there for a while. More tears went over her cheek. Looking in her room mirror made her sad.
Leo packed his stuff and checked if he really had everything. His mom came quickly and said goodbye to Felix. His son got a sad face when he saw his father leaving. The bus station was very close to his home. Felix saw his father going onto the bus and waved him. Nicola hugged her grandson and kissed him. This time was the first time she saw him leaving after the death of Stephany.
Stephany was a beautiful woman with dark blond and light freckles on her face. Her smile was so intensification that you melt away when she entered the room. Her love for Autumn and Christmas is enormous. That joy is what Leo tries to give to his son. But lately, Leo can’t enjoy these events because he thinks about Stephany a lot, and that hurts too much. That caused so much pain last four years.
Felix went outside to play in the garden. His grandmother sat on the wooden bench in front of the house to watch her grandson playing with leaves, and other natural things. That is so beautiful for children. They are always happy with simple things from nature, at least Felix is.
“Shall we play together, Felix?”
Felix was shocked because suddenly someone was behind him. He was so shocked that he attacked Cathy. Cathy also fell on the floor. Both burst into huge laughter together. His grandmother laughed too. It was fun to see that her grandson had a great time playing with other kids.
Felix laughed at Cathy and said while he looked at her: “Yes, we can play”.
Both played a lot with things from nature. And in the meantime, Tom came with his tea searching for Cathy to have a snack at home, but then he saw Cathy playing with Felix. His heartbeat a trillion times faster when saw the woman on the wooden bench watching these children.
“Hello.”
Stumbling the words out of his mouth. He barely could say just the word ‘Hello’ as it seemed that his heart stopped beating when he saw her sitting with a little Autumn sunlight on her face, so beautiful and peaceful. he couldn’t let that woman go. He walked towards her.
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