In Writing

So what am I supposed to do with these? ...Read them?

In Writing

 

 

“My grandfather gave me- say again?” the woman stumbled.

 

“That’s right,” the older man in a dress shirt and jacket replied, scribbling something down on the large file. “Your grandfather left behind a large number of books after he died. He was a collector or sorts, and his will stated he wanted to leave all of his books with you. He didn’t have much, and his wife and your father and mother are handling the finances. But the books, he stated as said here, was to go to his living grandchild.”

 

She blinked, dumbfounded. He glanced up at her when she didn’t speak.

 

“That leaves you alone,” he finished, curtly.

 

Recomposing herself and sitting upright once again, she nodded. The young woman was in her early twenties and living on her own in a small one bedroom apartment. Where was she going to keep these books… and how many were there?

 

She wasn’t especially close to her grandfather, though she did love him, as one. He told stories often about when he was in the military and often talked about her childhood when they visited… but really, what did she truly know about him? She didn’t know who his parents were. What he was like when he was younger. She didn’t even know his exact age when he passed. Was it seventy, or seventy-one?

 

It was too shameful to bring up the fact that she didn’t know.

 

So why leave her, books?  Was it something he was interested in? Was he secretly a writer in his younger days?

 

Sighing, she couldn’t find it in her heart to simply throw them away, or donate them to anyone else, despite the fact that she’d never read any of it. Instead, she just asked for where she had to sign on the dotted line.

 

***

 

The three boxes that were brought to her house were filled with older books. She didn’t see anything she recognized and only as she sorted through them did she find some familiar in name. All the books were a little moldy and browner in the pages, but they were all in relatively good shape, she noted.

 

Finding a spot for them all in her place wouldn’t be easy either, but eventually she located a shelf that wasn’t being used for much anyway, and started taking things off and rearranging them. Until she could find a good home for these books, she’d leave them here.

 

Having the space on her shelves that she’d picked up months ago from Walmart or maybe Target, she slowly placed one book after the other on the shelves. They stacked up together like a wall, each one fitting like a glove.

 

But it wasn’t until the last book, that she realized that it wouldn’t fit properly. All the shelves had been taken up with books, except for the top one. And this last book…

 

Reaching up high, she placed the book on the top shelf, where it stood against the side, all by itself.

 

Taking a few steps back, she looked at her work, finding all the books properly arranged to be quite satisfying. Maybe even tonight, she’d read some of her papa’s books. Find out what he thought was so wonderful about them, that he’d leave them for his only granddaughter.

 

With a smile on her face, her eyes slowly reached the top of that book shelf, where that lone book stood.

 

Her smile dimmed, and her eyes blurred a little.

 

He was … gone.

 

 A new feeling of lamentation overcame her. So she slowly reached up to retrieve that last book once more. The only proper place she could think to place it was next to her bed on the nightstand, safe and sound, with her.

Author's Note

A real short one. Taken from feelings of my own grandfather who passed away years ago. Hope you liked it.

Reviews

[Gabrielle Linch]

This is probably the cutest, but yet awfully saddening pieces I've read. I honestly love this piece so much because books are a special escape. Who knows, maybe those books were her grandfather's favorite books to read. And him willing them to her is like sharing a little piece of him to someone he cares about. Like letting them see in your world for a few couple hundred pages. It's quite heartwarming if you ask me.

[Kyline Freed]

This is amazing! Although short I can't wait to read more from you.

[Marcel Grant]

Thanks! I actually would like to edit this one a bit and don't feel like it's the best I could have done... Either way thanks for reading! Always appreciate the encouragement! =D