2010-04-19, 03:00 AM
'It's said that, at least what my grandfather always told me, that a man is not a man unless he has something to live for. If he has something, then he has a reason to move, a reason to stand, a reason to fight. If he has nothing, then he is just another face in the crowd, not worthy of note. He would always tell me that, some day, I'd find something that I cared so deeply about that I'd want to put all of my energy into it. He told me to be careful not to let whatever I find consume my entire being, but instead to make it something very important to me. He was a very smart man, and I listened to him tell me all sorts of things when I was younger. No matter what though, he would always tell me "Leo, when the comes, you'll become a man; and when that happens, you won't need me anymore."
'He was a very smart man, and I loved him more than anything. He had raised me since I was born. My parents died when I was younger, and he was the only person alive in my family that could care for me. He took me into his home and raised me up to be what I am now. We would sit in his study on weekends and he'd read a book to me, each night always picking a new one to read. He put me in a very prestigious school, and would help me with my homework every night. During the summer, he and I would take a trip down to the shore and have fun on the beach for the weekend. He would always be there to support me in whatever way he could.
'Though, he was also very sick. Some nights I would wake up and hear him coughing in the bathroom very loudly. I'd get up to see if he was all right, but he would always tell me to go back to bed, and that he was fine. When I was younger I did as he told me, but the older I got, the more frequent and more forceful his coughs would get would always worry me. He was strong though, and always came out with a smile. He'd then tell me to go back to bed, that he was fine, when I knew better.
'He had been born with only one working lung, and suffered all his life with it. He took up smoking in his teens, and that only made his situation worse. He told me never to take up smoking, that one day it'd be the death of him. Then he'd laugh and ask me how my day at school was. Later on in life, before I was born, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. The doctors all told him he had a few months left to live, but he wouldn't listen to them. He knew he was stronger than the cancer, and he was.
'Though, one night, the cancer was just too strong for him...
"Leo," said Monica, "Uncle Harry is here, he wants to speak with you." Leo met Monica while he was in college. They were in the same music class, and first met one day outside of class. She was sitting on a bench, practicing her violin, when he approached her for the first time and asked her out.
"Tell him I'm busy, will you?"
"Leo..." she placed her hands on his shoulder and leaned her head against his. "I know this is important to you, but Harry says he's here to discuss your grandfather's will. He says that you're in it."
Leo looked down at his desk, loose bits of eraser dust scattered about his work space, and stared at the page he had just written. He reached up and turned off the miniature desk lamp he used while he wrote. He put his pencil down and put the piece of paper inside of a manila folder, then got out of his chair. He walked over to the doorway and saw Harry sitting on the couch, a briefcase on his lap. Monica put her hands on his shoulder and leaned in to give him a kiss on his cheek. She then reached up and turned the light off in the study.
"Leo," Harry started, "it's good to finally meet you. I was beginning to worry you'd be lost in your own little world in there." Harry got up off of the couch and walked over to Leo, and shook his hand.
"Harry, why are you here?" said Leo with a solemn look on his face. The stubble on his chin was starting to become rough and patchy, and his hair was still very unkempt. He was still wearing the button-up shirt and khaki pants he wore last night at his job, not having been to bed in well over a day.
"Leo, I'm here because the lawyers found something in your grandfather's will." He opened up the briefcase and pulled out a thin letter with the word 'Volatile' written on the front of the envelope in very fancy calligraphic script. Leo looked down with the same tired blank stare he gave Harry. "This was found in his safe deposit box at the bank, and it turns out that this letter, as well as this," he gave Leo a faded green manila envelope, this one with a string fastening it shut, "also belong to you."
Leo looked at the two documents he had in his hand, then looked up and gave Harry a chagrin stare. He laid both documents on the table and went over to the front door. He grabbed onto the knob, then turned back to Harry.
"Well, if that's all you've come here for," he opened the door and gestured with his arm, "then I'd like you to leave."
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dunno what im going to do with this. opinions welcomed and encouraged.
'He was a very smart man, and I loved him more than anything. He had raised me since I was born. My parents died when I was younger, and he was the only person alive in my family that could care for me. He took me into his home and raised me up to be what I am now. We would sit in his study on weekends and he'd read a book to me, each night always picking a new one to read. He put me in a very prestigious school, and would help me with my homework every night. During the summer, he and I would take a trip down to the shore and have fun on the beach for the weekend. He would always be there to support me in whatever way he could.
'Though, he was also very sick. Some nights I would wake up and hear him coughing in the bathroom very loudly. I'd get up to see if he was all right, but he would always tell me to go back to bed, and that he was fine. When I was younger I did as he told me, but the older I got, the more frequent and more forceful his coughs would get would always worry me. He was strong though, and always came out with a smile. He'd then tell me to go back to bed, that he was fine, when I knew better.
'He had been born with only one working lung, and suffered all his life with it. He took up smoking in his teens, and that only made his situation worse. He told me never to take up smoking, that one day it'd be the death of him. Then he'd laugh and ask me how my day at school was. Later on in life, before I was born, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. The doctors all told him he had a few months left to live, but he wouldn't listen to them. He knew he was stronger than the cancer, and he was.
'Though, one night, the cancer was just too strong for him...
"Leo," said Monica, "Uncle Harry is here, he wants to speak with you." Leo met Monica while he was in college. They were in the same music class, and first met one day outside of class. She was sitting on a bench, practicing her violin, when he approached her for the first time and asked her out.
"Tell him I'm busy, will you?"
"Leo..." she placed her hands on his shoulder and leaned her head against his. "I know this is important to you, but Harry says he's here to discuss your grandfather's will. He says that you're in it."
Leo looked down at his desk, loose bits of eraser dust scattered about his work space, and stared at the page he had just written. He reached up and turned off the miniature desk lamp he used while he wrote. He put his pencil down and put the piece of paper inside of a manila folder, then got out of his chair. He walked over to the doorway and saw Harry sitting on the couch, a briefcase on his lap. Monica put her hands on his shoulder and leaned in to give him a kiss on his cheek. She then reached up and turned the light off in the study.
"Leo," Harry started, "it's good to finally meet you. I was beginning to worry you'd be lost in your own little world in there." Harry got up off of the couch and walked over to Leo, and shook his hand.
"Harry, why are you here?" said Leo with a solemn look on his face. The stubble on his chin was starting to become rough and patchy, and his hair was still very unkempt. He was still wearing the button-up shirt and khaki pants he wore last night at his job, not having been to bed in well over a day.
"Leo, I'm here because the lawyers found something in your grandfather's will." He opened up the briefcase and pulled out a thin letter with the word 'Volatile' written on the front of the envelope in very fancy calligraphic script. Leo looked down with the same tired blank stare he gave Harry. "This was found in his safe deposit box at the bank, and it turns out that this letter, as well as this," he gave Leo a faded green manila envelope, this one with a string fastening it shut, "also belong to you."
Leo looked at the two documents he had in his hand, then looked up and gave Harry a chagrin stare. He laid both documents on the table and went over to the front door. He grabbed onto the knob, then turned back to Harry.
"Well, if that's all you've come here for," he opened the door and gestured with his arm, "then I'd like you to leave."
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dunno what im going to do with this. opinions welcomed and encouraged.