364 Letters (3)
Wilma returned before Alessandra with two stacks of envelopes tied with pretty ribbons. One stack had more letters and it was given to Alessandra first. “These are all the letters you sent to us over the eight years. We would keep them in a box to read over while we awaited another response. One day the letters just stopped and it was wrong of us to not come to visit you again when you were older.”
Alessandra untied the ribbon and opened the first letter on the stack. She most definitely did not write any of these but she wanted to see what was sent.
‘Dear grandmother, today I had a wonderful day with my father. We visited the town to find a new dress for me to wear for my ninth birthday party. I saw a pretty doll in town that reminded me of myself but it had red hair. I wanted to buy it but my father said I could not have any more gifts before my birthday. I was sad but I hope I get it on my birthday. I hope I can send you one of my paintings soon. Please write back to me soon, love Alessandra.’
Alessandra remembered there was a doll with red hair which Kate loved. Kate loved it so much that she stopped playing with it and wanted a room assigned to the doll as it was family in her eyes. She was certain the doll mentioned in the letter was the same as the one Kate had begged their parents for.
“This letter mentions a doll with red hair. Did you send it to me?” Alessandra asked, already figuring out what her father did but wanted to hear Wilma’s answer.
“We don’t have what is popular in Lockwood back at home so I sent the money just in case your father had not bought the doll,” Wilma answered.
“I see,” Alessandra replied, folding the letter as her hatred for her father increased. Of course, he would make use of the situation and take Wilma’s money to spoil Kate.
Alessandra didn’t care to read the rest of the ridiculous letters which would only rub in her face that Kate got what belonged to her. “I did not write any of these letters or had anyone write them for me. My father didn’t like me speaking with anyone.”
“But they are right there. We have talked,” Wilma pointed at the letters which were evidence.
.....
“For eight years, my father fooled you. I have never read a letter you sent nor have I replied to you. Without going through all of these letters, I know that I have not received all the gifts you sent me. I am sorry,” Alessandra apologize even though she did not have to as she was not the one to wrong Wilma.
Alessandra felt bad due to the fact Wilma had kept these letters all these years because she thought they came from her granddaughter. The realization that it came from someone else had to hurt as much as Alessandra was angry she was not given any of the letters meant for her. She wondered what else wrong her father had done that she was not aware of.
“How…” Wilma started to speak but paused. She needed to wrap her mind around the fact she had been speaking to someone else. Each year she and her husband eagerly awaited these letters to read together. It was their only way of knowing what their granddaughter was doing since they were not allowed to visit her.
“My father did not want me to get married because he would have to give me my inheritance. I don’t know why he and my mother wanted you to stay away but I am assuming after my mother left he didn’t want the two of you visiting because you might have pushed harder to take me away once you saw my face. If I got married in your care he would have to look for money he did not have,” Alessandra explained.
“What happened to your face?” Wilma asked. She inspected Alessadnra’s face and found nothing wrong with it.
“I used to wear a mask because I wanted to hide scars I got as a child. I started to not wear it at home a few days ago. There is a lot to catch you up on. What are those letters?” Alessandra pointed at the smaller stack of letters.
Wilma was silent for a moment as she regretted not visiting more often to try seeing Alessandra even though Desmond turned him away. She failed as a mother and now she failed as a grandmother. She sniffled, wiping her ears so she could not act like the victim in all of this.
“These are the few letters your mother sent to me after she left your father. They are the only reason why I could not get your father arrested because she is alive,” she said, holding out the letters to Alessandra.
“If your father kept my letters from you, he must have kept anything your mother sent to you. I don’t know if she sent you a letter. I couldn’t ask her if she did because her address kept changing each time she sent a new letter. She must have been traveling around the kingdom. I don’t know what has gotten in her head for her not to return to see her only child after all these years. I’m sorry,” Wilma apologized.
Alessandra untied the red ribbon and just like Wilma said as she skimmed through the letters, there was a different address on each. Her mother had not stayed in one place and none of the letters had Lockwood as an address. “Do you know where she is now?” She asked.
Wilma shook her head. “I have not seen my daughter since the day she told us to stop visiting. We learn what she is up to when she sends a letter. I don’t know what I have done for her to not visit us.”
“Why did she marry my father?” Alessandra asked.
“Melanie was a well-sought-after girl because of her beauty. She came to Lockwood to stay with a relative for a while when it was time for her to find a suitor. Your father started to court her and in the end, she picked him. It did seem like they fell out of love as the days went on but I truly do not know every detail,” Wilma said in an apologetic tone. She wished she had more information for Alessandra about Melanie.
“Your grandfather and I would like to make up for lost time if you would allow us. If he was not so ill we might have been able to travel more. I could, no. I should have gone to the court to get more done to see you. I know money does not solve everything but we want to show you how much we care,” Wilma said whilst taking an envelope from her coat and giving it to Alessandra.
“We had always stated all that we have would be left to you. You can see the date we created our will. We loved you and your mother so much but we were pushed out of your lives. You have this new life so you don’t need to forgive us and accept having-”
“I would like to get to know you, grandmother,” Alessandra interjected, not upset with her grandmother.
With a sick husband, she didn’t expect Wilma to be away from him to fight against her son-in-law. Her father should have given her to her grandparents and found a way to get back the inheritance he spent. Her father and silent mother were the ones she was angry at.
So far, it didn’t seem like Wilma was a bad person. She was just pushed into a space of trying to find her daughter and see her granddaughter while having a sick husband to look after.
Wilma bit her lip, resisting the urge to cry. For years she thought of seeing Alessandra and now here they were. She had her fears that Alessandra would not want to have a relationship with her. It was a chance she would not waste.
Alessandra placed the letters created by the lies of her father to the side. “What do you wish to know about me, grandmother?”