by J. A. Wright
“You look great, and we’re so happy our prayers have been answered,” he said, smiling. “The Lord works in very mysterious ways.”
I didn’t know how to reply, so I nodded in agreement and led them over to the workbench where I’d set aside some of Dad’s photos and books, a military hat he once wore, one of his purple hearts, and some of his other medals. I told Tammy she could have it all if she wanted, but she didn’t want anything except Dad’s trench coat and leather gloves. Before she left, she hugged me and said she’d call me soon.
The Tuesday after the garage sale, I arrived at Aunt Flo’s early enough to bring in the newspaper and to catch her in her nightgown (something I’d rarely seen). I’d planned to find a way to sneak into Uncle Hank’s shed and take care of the box, but Aunt Flo was by my side all day. I helped her dig up weeds and cut bushes back for few hours, and when we finished Aunt Flo made me dinner and we talked about Uncle Hank until it was time for me to go to my AA meeting.
The next day I thought for sure I’d get the opportunity to go to the shed and put the nineteen hundred dollars in the box and take out my IOU, but Gavin arrived to help Aunt Flo before I had a chance and he stayed until after dinner fixing things Aunt Flo had on a list. He even put all-new elements on the stove, repaired the leaky toilet in the guest bathroom, replaced every washer on every faucet, and promised to come over the following Monday to clean gutters and repair the roof. Aunt Flo was so grateful, and she kept saying thanks as she walked him to the car.
Before I left Aunt Flo’s that night I checked the shed door, but it was locked, so I told Aunt Flo I needed the key so I could look for replacement pieces for Mayadelsa. As she handed me the key she said, “I locked the shed because of the wine that’s still in there. Bill drank most of it, but I noticed there were still a few bottles high up on the shelf and I remember what they said at your treatment place about being thoughtful.”
“That’s nice of you, but I don’t like wine, so you don’t have to worry.” I put the key in my pocket and promised I’d be back the next day to work on Mayadelsa.
I got up extra early the next morning and drove to Aunt Flo’s. I parked a block away so she wouldn’t hear my car and snuck around the cottage to the backyard. I used the keys and pushed the shed door open, just enough for me to get in. The inside of Uncle Hank’s shed was exactly the same as it was the last time I was in it. I walked to the back, where the steamer trunk was, and moved it to the side, away from the loose floorboard, which I lifted up with the same screwdriver Uncle Hank had used when he first showed the box to me. I picked up the box from its hiding place, opened it, and stared for a minute or two, taking a quick inventory of its contents. It was obvious that no one but me had laid a hand on it since Uncle Hank died twelve years earlier. I grabbed the IOU and stuffed it in my back pocket. I put the nineteen hundred dollars under a stack of American money. I closed the lid and said a “thank you” and a “sorry” to Uncle Hank. It only took me a few minutes to put everything back, and then I was at the front door knocking before Aunt Flo was even up.
Later that day, when I was scrubbing and polishing Mayadelsa’s face and tail, Aunt Flo brought me a glass of lemonade. “Will it bother you if I have a vodka and lime?” she asked.
“Okay by me,” I replied.
She took a big gulp before she sat down in a lounge chair. I climbed out of the pool so I could have a few sips of my virgin lemonade, and so I could listen to what she was telling me about the vodka bottle. “From now on I won’t be keeping my vodka in the freezer, and I took those old bottles of wine out of Hank’s shed this morning when you were mowing the front lawn.”
“Hey,” I said, seeing my opening, “speaking of Uncle Hank’s shed. What did you do with that box of money and stuff he used to keep under the floor?”
Aunt Flo jumped straight up and practically shouted, “What are you talking about? What do you know about it? I looked for that box for years after he died because he told me he had some foreign money hidden away in a toolbox, but I could never find it. Where is it?”
I put my lemonade down and walked with Aunt Flo over to the shed. She pushed the door open and I led her over to the trunk, moved it to the side, and pretended to look for something to raise the floorboard with; immediately she reached for the familiar screwdriver and handed it to me. I reached down, lifted the floorboards, picked up Uncle Hank’s box, and sat it down next to her. When she opened it you could’ve heard the scream clear to the North Pole.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
THANK YOU for sharing your wisdom, kindness and encouragement Brooke Warner, Anna Rogers, Lois Ashley (Mom), Pat McGrath, Lindsay, Chelsay, Lori Ann, Wendi Ann, Juli Ann, Peter Wright and all my loving friends.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
J. A. WRIGHT was raised in the Pacific Northwest and moved to New Zealand in 1990.
With more than thirty years in recovery from drug addiction, she’s been crafting this novel for years.
SELECTED TITLES FROM SHE WRITES PRESS
She Writes Press is an independent publishing company founded to serve women writers everywhere. Visit us at www.shewritespress.com.
Cleans Up Nicely by Linda Dahl. $16.95, 978-1-938314-38-4. The story of one gifted young woman’s path from self-destruction to self-knowledge, set in mid-1970s Manhattan.
Beautiful Garbage by Jill DiDonato. $16.95, 978-1-938314-01-8. Talented but troubled young artist Jodi Plum leaves suburbia for the excitement of the city—and is soon swept up in the sexual politics and downtown art scene of 1980s New York.
Pieces by Maria Kostaki. $16.95, 978-1-63152-966-5. After five years of living with her grandparents in Cold War-era Moscow, Sasha finds herself suddenly living in Athens, Greece— caught between her psychologically abusive mother and violent stepfather.
Things Unsaid by Diana Y. Paul. $16.95, 978-1-63152-812-5. A family saga of three generations fighting over money and obligation—and a tale of survival, resilience, and recovery.
Fire & Water by Betsy Graziani Fasbinder. $16.95, 978-1-938314-14-8. Kate Murphy has always played by the rules—but when she meets charismatic artist Jake Bloom, she’s forced to navigate the treacherous territory of passionate love, friendship, and family devotion.
Our Love Could Light the World by Anne Leigh Parrish. $15.95, 978-1-938314-44-5. Twelve stories depicting a dysfunctional and chaotic—yet lovable—family that has to band together in order to survive.