THE BATTLE FOR INHERITANCE

MONALISA ANDERSON POV I stared at the mansion my parents left behind. A bit amazed at how abandoned it looked. Few months ago foster parents passed away leaving me nothing but this bed and breakfast family home. I really wanted to sell it off or better still abandon it but I had so much to face and can't possibly let go of it in any way. I was a striving author and loved my work but in the society we live in now, even the best authors can't be recognized with a little fame. Which I was very unfortunate with. I had nothing to show off with but this hotel. I stepped into the tutor Mansion and it looked even more abandoned than ever. "Where do I begin?". We're the only words I could make out from my mouth as I stared at the mansion. I had no companion to help me begin my work. I had to do this alone and hopefully be able to stand up on my feet again and maybe return to bring an author I once was. I walked up to a huge mirror beside the doorway to the staircase. I can't believe I was poor and still not pretty enough and had to lose so much weight. Everything, I would get everything back including my beauty. I just need to be strong, mostly for my parents. Moving on in life without them was causing a lot of damage to my head, I never knew I would be on my feet so quickly, I had no one else. Just the two of them and just when I thought everything was working out fine for me , they left me to tend to my troubles and deal with the ache of losing them. I should have been with them on that trip, I really wanted to do it with them. It was all just too unbearable. I stopped thinking about the past and cleaned the tears on my face, smiling at my reflection in the mirror. "You can do this Lisa". Those were my lines for the past few weeks. I know I was capable of doing anything even though I had just lost everything. Firstly, I took out all the trash and abandoned stuff in the house. I decided to not throw away any of the ornaments my parents had placed in the mansion just so it won't lose its beauty. Taking the trash out was not the most difficult part about everything, absolutely nothing could prepare me for the bedrooms I had to tend to. They were all so dusty… if I was financially stable I most definitely won't use these mattresses but throw them all out. But since I had no choice I decided to clean it and sun dry it. While doing it a few residents around whispered as they passed. I guessed they must be surprised that the owner of the mansion was finally back. "I also don't have a choice but to return here to my neighbors". I said to myself, "I'm still cleaning." "I can't believe you actually took the courage and went there. Are you sure you would even be able to make the money you need from that abandoned resident?" My only friend. Sandra said on the phone. It was evening already and I still wasn't half way through with my clean up and decided to take a break when Sandra called. She had continuously tried to advise me concerning my decision to run this place again. I had to do it, my mom had such big dreams for this place and was never able to fulfill any of it . I was mainly doing this because of her and No one can change my mind even with the hard work I had to do to get this place back in the right shape. "I really need your blessings now more than ever mother". I whispered. "Lisa, are you still there?". Sandra called out on the phone. " Yes". "I will come around soon..then we can talk better and maybe I can help you with something you need extra hands on ''. She said to me, " You don't have to come, Sandra. I have got all this under control". I assured her. " Okay love. I have to end the call now". She said before ending it. I placed my phone on the counter and looked at my surroundings one more time, admiring my job well done. By the end of the day. I was almost done with everything and just had to place the banner back the way it was supposed to be. And when I was finally through with that. I smiled at my job well done. " This is perfect" were the only words I could make out. " Are you starting a new bed and breakfast hotel here?" An old man asked from behind, scaring the hell out of me. I slowly turned to face him with a friendly smile on my face. That is the easiest way to face customers. "Yes". I replied. "Wow. That is amazing, this place needed something like that. You know there is a park not too far from here and lots of foreigners always go around looking for places to crash. And your hotel would be a perfect place for them". The old man said to me. He was right, when I was coming to the estate the other time. I noticed a park around there but I never took it to heart. "That is good advice. Thank you so much, I should treat you to a little tea" I offered the old man. Who nods with a wide smile. " You look so familiar". The old man said just as I began to serve him tea. That is the elderly people's phrase when they run out of words to utter. "Thank you". The few words I got from this old man was enough for me to succeed. This was a blessing, my first customer blessed my new place. The next day I decided to serve the neighborhood some cookies which was my specialty while I told them more about the hotel business I started. In case they knew any foreigners that needed shelter for a few days or overnight, which I know would yield good results.