Chapter 9 - The Grandfather's Will
Three months later, Grandpa passed away.
It was sudden. A heart attack. He died in his sleep.
I found him in the morning. His book was open on his chest. A cup of tea was cold on the nightstand.
I called 911. I called Elena. I called Patricia.
Then I sat on the floor and cried.
The funeral was small. Just me, Elena, and a few of Grandpa's friends. My parents and brother were in jail. They couldn't attend.
After the funeral, we gathered in Grandpa's study to read the will.
His lawyer, a man named Harold Kim, opened the envelope.
"To my granddaughter, Maya," he read. "I leave the house, the land, and all my assets. Everything is yours."
I stared at him. "Everything?"
"Everything."
The estate was worth over two million dollars. The house. The land. The investments. The trust fund.
I was rich.
But I would have given it all back to have Grandpa back.
Harold handed me a letter. It was in Grandpa's handwriting.
"My dearest Maya," it read. "If you're reading this, I'm gone. But I want you to know something. You are the strongest person I've ever known. You stood up to your family. You fought for what was right. And you won. I'm proud of you. I've always been proud of you. Now go live your life. Go to college. Travel the world. Fall in love. Do everything you've ever wanted to do. And never let anyone take what's yours. I love you. Grandpa."
I folded the letter and put it in my pocket.
Then I stood up and looked at Harold.
"What do I do now?"
He smiled. "Whatever you want."
I walked out of the study and into the backyard. The sun was setting. The sky was pink and orange.
I thought about everything that had happened. The birthday dinner. The trial. The verdict. The funeral.
I thought about my parents. My brother. Jessica.
I thought about Grandpa.
Then I thought about myself.
I was eighteen years old. I had a trust fund. A house. A future.
And I had a promise to keep.
I was going to live the life Grandpa wanted for me.
May you like
I was going to be strong.
I was going to be free.
