The Box (Chpt. 5)

Sherry and you eat in silence. Once you both finished your food you pick her bowl and your cup

up and take it to the sink. Sherry stands up and cleans her hands in the sink as you clean the

table. You give her a hand cloth to dry her hands off. Then you hear your mother's voice say,

"Sherry, where are you?" "At the table, aunt Fount!" Sherry wasn't able to say your mother's

name correctly, she always messed up at the end. So she ended up calling her Fount. You see

your mother peek her head from the doorway. "Sherry, I finished sewing up your teddy bear."

Your mother holds the bear in both of her heads to Sherry. "Thank you aunt Fount." "Your

welcome dear."

Sherry picks up the bear, the giraffe and her doll. Then walks out of the room. Your mother

looks over at you. "Serran, are you feeling okay? You look pale." "Um, yeah just a little dizzy

every once in a while." "Okay then, if it grows tell me please." "...okay, oh but um I wanted to tell you something." Your mother tilts her head so that her ear is facing you. "I'm all ears, you can

tell me anything. I'm your mother after all I should listen to you." "...Well I was packing as you

told me, and I found a cupboard like thing beside my bed." "Okay, go on honey." Your mother

looks worried as she holds your hands in hers. "And I found things that seem to be from a girl or

woman named Elbridge Atherton Weinstein. There was a music box, papers, pictures and

more." You look up at your mother , who wears an expression that seems to be of worry and

surprise. "A-and in some of the pictures there seems to be my step siblings and you, and-"

"Serran, was your stepfather in some of them?" "...y-yes, but only in a few, he was only with the

woman and my step siblings." Your mother tightens her lips and furrows her brows in anger.

"Wait...so is the woman my aunt? Is she your sister?" "What color was her hair, her eyes? Did

she have dimples?" "Um her hair was a kind of reddish brown, her eyes are blue. Umm she has

dimples, but one is bigger than the other." "...then yes, she is your aunt...can I see these

things?" "...I have them in a box in my room." "Okay, please bring the box downstairs, I have to

get your siblings." She hurries away to find your siblings. You leave the plates in the sink and go

to retrieve the box. When your at the top of the stairs you see all of your siblings that were up

there going down. Everett pulls you aside and says "We have to go downstairs." "Mom told me

to bring something." "...okay then." He releases your sleeve and goes downstairs. You go to

your room and pick up the box. You take it downstairs and go into the living room. Where

everyone is at, you place it on the coffee table. Your mother looks up and motions you to sit on

her right. You sit down and she opens the box. She takes everything out of it. Then she sits

back and says, "These are my sister's belongings, and I want some of you to help me sort some

of these out. They probably contain information on you all, and her marriage."

Then Eadgyth stands up and says, "If these are our mothers then shouldn't they be given to us

and not your son" she looks at you "or you?" Your mother lays her hands on the table. "I am

your mother's sister and he is my son." Eadgyth steps back then sits down in defeat. Your

mother crosses her legs and places her hands on her knees. "Now, we have to look through

these. But you cannot touch her diary, since you are probably too young to process

some...things." Silence. Everyone has a silent agreement to your mother's words. "Okay now,

Maya please bring a cleaning cloth. Lucien, bring some paper clips. Serran, please take the box

back." "Okay mother." Your siblings and you say in union. You pick up the box and take it to

your room. By then they did what they were told. Your mother nods her head, "Thank you. So,

those who want to pack more your welcome to go pack more. Can someone take Sherry to play

in the backyard?" Lorely lifts her hand in the air and says "I will!" Your mother nods in

agreement "Also only Lucien, Min and Everett can go through the papers." No one dares to

argue, now that these rules have been laid. " Maya, can you go open up and open up the rest of

your siblings room? They're coming back." "Okay, where are their keys?" "In the third cabinet in

the left hall." Maya gets up and goes to the left hall. She comes out of the hall not long after.

She jingles the keys in her hand, meaning 'These?' Your mother responds with a smile. Maya

walks up the stairs to open four doors, the doors of some of your older siblings. Although two of

them aren't by blood, and one is a step sibling. You turn back around and see Lucien, Min and

Everett going through the papers. Your mother is reading the book. Everyone is silent. The only

noise is the ruffling of the paper.