Chapter 55

I woke up with the phone ringing in my ear. It was our wake up call I had left the night before. I roused Sandra and we got ready to go to breakfast. She was half asleep as we sat down at the table. I ordered for us and she ate everything they set in front of her. I had my usual coffee but with what I knew was coming; I just didn't have any appetite. When I saw Sandra smiling and waving at a little girl at the next table, I knew she was awake and in her usual good spirits.

"Honey, before we go to the bank, I want to talk to you for a minute. I was thinking that this is not going to be pleasant for either one of us, and I was wondering if it was ok if we brought the stuff from the box back to the hotel. We can go through it there in privacy away from the bank and all the nosy people."

"I really like that idea, Grandpa. Mom said there was a letter for each of us and if it's ok, I would rather read mine in private away from some old woman watching."

"Ok kiddo, then we will buy a large briefcase before we go in. I wanted to make sure it was ok with you before I made the decision."

"I know mom sent a letter to the bank every year with instructions in it because I had to mail it for her. She said it was her yearly instructions to the bank to follow the instructions she had set up before we left. Grandpa, I am really nervous about this because mom was always so mysterious about it. She wouldn't tell me much, even after she was in the last stages of her cancer. I just want to get the things from the box and come back here before we look through them."

We left the hotel and went to a store that sold large briefcases. I bought two of them, one smaller for Sandra if we needed it. We then walked to the bank, which was about a block away from the hotel. When we got to the bank and I asked for the safe deposit room we were turned over to a nice lady that checked our ID and then scanned Sandra's eyes through a hand held reader. All in all I would say it took a whole half hour for us to get the box her mother had left for us. I was glad we had both briefcases when I saw the size of it. The lady set it on the table and left us in privacy to open it.

I was getting ready to open it when there was a knock at the door and we both said to come in. A man who identified himself as the bank manager asked if I was Harry Hanson?

"I am he. What is it you want, sir?"

"May I see some identification, sir?"

I showed him my ID from the State Police and he smiled at us before replying.

"I received a Federal overnight from an Agent Sean Hadley of the FBI. He said I was to check your ID and then give it to you immediately. I have followed his instructions and I will now leave you two to open your box."

He left immediately and I looked at the package. It was addressed to Sandra so I handed it to her. She just looked puzzled and put it in her case. I opened the box and there were two letters lying on the top addressed to me and Sandra. I gave her hers, and she put it in the case with the package. The photo albums were next and I put then in my case along with my parents burial guest books I had given my daughter years ago. There was an old pink baby doll that was hers when she was little, and it still looked as ragged as it did when she drug it everywhere we went. I gave it to Sandra and the next thing I found was a large yellow legal envelope stuffed full. I put it in my case and that was all except for a large picture of all of us at her tenth Christmas. I remembered it because I was dressed as Santa, and she and her mom were sitting in my lap with the both of them pulling my beard and laughing. It had taken me all year to grow that beard and three hours to dye it snow white. They had spent ten minutes shaving it off after the picture was taken. That was the last time we were all together as a family. I looked over at Sandra and she had tears in her eyes so I said let's get out of here. She just nodded her head yes and we left the bank after closing the box account. When we got back to the room, I called for soda and a pot of coffee. When it got there, I didn't know what to say or do as I dreaded going through this stuff. I could tell Sandra felt the same as I did.

"Why don't we take a break then read the letter your mom left for each of us? I need to build my courage up before I read it."

"Please, Grandpa, I don't want to open mine either but I think we have to. Let's have something to drink then we can open them. Can I have mom's old doll? She told me the whole story about it and it would mean a lot to me if I could keep it to remind me of her."

"Honey, anything in there is yours for the asking. I made sure your mom got them before I moved away after the divorce. Her mother wanted to throw them away but I kept them because I knew she would want them. I wonder what happened to the baby blankets I gave her."

"They got stolen with everything else while mom was in the hospital. She cried for days over the one her grandmother hand made and painted for her."

We sat and talked for a while, putting off the chore we both didn't want to do. Finally came down to that time, so we just took them out and looked at them for a minute or so. I opened mine and it broke my heart as I read it.

Dear Dad,

If you are reading this then Sandra is safe with you, and if I know you she is doing great. I never stopped loving you, Dad, even though we never talked for all those years. The cancer that is killing me and mom is from a factory we worked at. Mom signed her settlement over to you, and I signed mine over to Sandra for her future. I know you will take care of her, and she is a very special little girl as I am sure you have already found out. Buddy is not her father, she is a bank baby. I chose who I wanted her father to be so she would be smart and have a good life. You were right, he was a bum. He has no claim on her and there are papers in the box that makes you her permanent guardian. I know about the orphanage she had to go to, and they wouldn't let me make a call for you to come get her. I am so relieved she is safe with you after what she went through to get to you. I know you don't believe in ghosts, but Sandra can tell you I stuck with her to help all I could. I think it was the love you always showed me that made me believe I could help her in her journey. Dad, my love for you and her was so strong I knew I could do it. The letter you are reading was mailed three months before I died. Sandra mailed it for me so I know you won't think she is lying. I love you and I wish we could have been together so I could have talked to you again. I taught Sandra our three special songs so you both would always have a part of me whenever you got together as she grows up. I love you dad.

Your Loving Daughter, Cindy

I sat and cried as I finished what she had written. There was a lot of things I didn't believe in, but from what Sandra had already told me and what I had read, I knew I had been wrong about a lot of my beliefs. Love does conquer all, even after death. Sandra's own statements and this letter had proven it to me beyond any doubt. I looked over at Sandra and she was crying almost as hard as I was. I held out my arms and she ran into them sobbing against my chest. We didn't say a word to each other, just cried out our sorrow. We cried ourselves to sleep with her in my arms, and again it reminded me of how many times my daughter and I had slept the same way when she was little. I had lost everything that was important to me, but had gained so much when Sandra had come into my life. I felt proud and sad at the same time that it took the loss of one to bring two together.