The Curse of Dr. Zola
Chapter 12
She sat in tears at the lawyer's office, while he read the Last Will and Testament of her mother to her. She barely heard the words as she dabbed the tears with a tissue. Her mother had finally succumbed to death after a long illness. At least she's not in any pain now…
"Do you have any questions, Mary?"
Her attention was drawn back to the rather frail-looking attorney.
"Um, could you repeat that last part?"
"I said, would you like to have the keys now?"
"Keys?" She sniffled.
A sad, but concerned expression washed over the elderly lawyer's face. "I understand. Your mother and I were friends for many years. I know this is a lot to take in all at once. She left you the small house she kept in upstate New York. Altho' she never flaunted it, your mother was a wealthy woman. I helped her with a good deal of her business, but even tho I was her attorney, she had many dealings with other people as well. I was never quite sure how she acquired all of her money, but it was all to benefit you. She loved you, you know."
She nodded and sniffled some more.
"Do you understand the proviso?"
"Um, excuse me?"
"You are to inherit the house under the proviso that should you not have any heirs, the house is not to be sold out of the family but burned to the ground after all the 'treasures' are removed. What those treasures are, I cannot say. Your mother had her own idea of what a treasure was, whether anyone agreed with her or not as to its' value. After having escaped from Nazi Germany during the height of the war, with her own mother, she placed happiness and family above all else. She told me about her mother once, but I've long since forgotten a lot of it. I was told she was a strong woman, but a very sad one too."
"I never knew my grandmother, not really, just the story about how she managed to come to America thru Canada. I don't know how true it was. I think Mom was only 4 years old. Gram died when I was young. I never even knew my grandfathers' name at all. Mom never talked about him. I don't think he actually made it out of Germany, but I can't be sure."
They sat in silence for a few moments until the old fellow handed her a set of keys. She took them and stood up. He stood up and extended his hand. She shook it and thanked him.
"If there is anything you need, here is my card. Please call me if you think of any questions."
She gave a wan smile, nodded, and left the office.
After she settled into her vehicle, she looked at the address on the keyring, typed it up on her GPS, and started her pickup truck. "Might as well go see what the old girl left me…"
While en route she tried to imagine what she'd find; probably some old dusty house, knowing how her mother was a known penny-pincher. Oh, she could be generous when she has a special pet project, but otherwise she was frugal. To be honest, after she'd left home at 18, she'd had relatively little contact with her mother. Mom liked the big city; Broadway plays, theatre, fine dining…all of it. Why she bought a house out in the boonies…. I guess she gravitated to the big city because she and gram had very little when they came here…so why this house?
As the GPS told her where to turn, she noticed the dirt road. WHAT? This is not like mom at all! It's more like…ME!
About a half mile up the road she came upon a quaint cottage, at least that's the first thought that crossed her mind. It was a one story home, with the ever present English Ivy attached to the archway that stood guard over the cobblestone front walkway. A big picture window was just off to the right of the front door, and there was a small, covered porch, just big enough for a couple of chairs or a love seat swing. The roof was covered in solar panels. A tall, spindly windmill stood behind the house, its' blades slowly spinning.
She parked and got out. She went up to the front door; a large oval stained glass window adorned it. Mary couldn't figure out what the picture was supposed to be. How unusual! She inserted the key, and turned it, mentally preparing herself for the worst, and swung open the door.
When she walked in, it was like stepping back in time! The house that time forgot, or so she thought at first. Upon further, more detailed inspection, she realized the house was kitted out with replica period furniture of the late 1940's or perhaps early 1950's. The custom furniture held another surprise. As she opened cabinet doors, she discovered totally modern electronics; an HD television, a stereo system, and in the roll top desk, she discovered a brand new computer! Her mouth hung open in astonishment.
The kitchen was similar, old retro fridge, a gas stove and a farmhouse sink, complete with a replica hand pump faucet! She opened the cabinet doors to find Currier and Ives dinnerware, and in the gadget drawer, a mix of old and new. The very modern green ceramic cookware hung from an oval overhead rack right alongside old time white enamel pots.
"THIS is amazing!" The words fell out of her mouth without thinking. "I could live here forever."
She went up the hall to check out the bedrooms. The first bedroom was simply furnished, with muted earth tone wall colors and wood stained furniture. On the far side was a wash basin and pitcher atop a mirrored stand. It was too cute! On the full sized bed were earth toned linens, and at the foot, there was a fluffy hand stitched quilt. There was a large walk in closet.
Across the hall, there was a medium sized bathroom, with a tub and shower combination. The sink was large and an old fashioned medicine cabinet hung above. The toilet, however, was more modern. It boasted a taller seat height than standard.
She moved down to the master bedroom. She discovered a queen sized bed with a console headboard. Two little sliding doors concealed either the two separate end compartments, or drew together to conceal the center compartment. More wood stained custom furniture that concealed another HD television, and another walk in closet.
On her way back out she almost missed the envelope sitting on the linen rack. Her name was written on it. She recognized her mother's handwriting.
Her hands shook as she opened it and read the letter.
Dearest Daughter,
If you are reading this, it means I have passed away. Please don't cry too much for me, just remember all the good times we had when you were a little girl. You were so precious to me then, my very own little angel from Heaven!
I know we have had our differences over the years, and I realize now that it was mostly my fault. I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to hurt you. I bought this spot of land, as I know you enjoy your peace and quiet. I tried to furnish it with love as I picked out each piece especially for you. I do hope you like it.
There is a secret cellar below. You'll need a sharp eye to unlock the door. How many times have I told you to keep the bar high and if you did, you would always succeed? In the cellar there is a secret door. I cannot tell you where it is, you must discover that for yourself. Beyond it, there is a secret room, and in that room is the reason I have been so aloof. I have kept it a secret all these years. As time went on, it weighed heavily on my mind, and now the time has come for you to set it free. I'm so sorry to leave this burden to you; it is one of my biggest regrets. I'm sorry I let it come between us, but I had little choice. Perhaps it was always you who was destined to be the one to make things right.
I will love you forever and ever.
Mom
She re-read the letter, looking for any additional clues she missed the first time around, but found none. How cryptic! What does she mean?
With her hands shaking, and her heart in her throat, she ran around the house like crazy looking for the cellar door. "Where is it?"
A second pass revealed nothing. "What?"
On her third pass, she inspected everything, including the closets, and still found nothing…..