The Secret Billionaire At The Commune

Chapter 4

Alexis sat numbly in the hospital waiting room, feeling like she was having an out of body experience. She was going through the motions of signing paperwork and identifying Nana’s body but the gravity of the situation had yet to hit her. The sterility of the hospital made the experience feel like one out of millions, which it was for the staff working there but Alexis wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, “My grandmother just died!” Jason’s phone was still off and Amber was the last person on Earth she wanted to call at this moment. She was surrounded by people yet she felt completely alone.

After receiving the death certificates and confirming which funeral home Nana was to be sent to, Alexis made her way to the parking lot and back to Nana’s truck. She glanced in the bed, noticing still full baskets of Nana’s produce in the back. Nana wouldn’t have wanted all that food to go to waste, Alexis thought as she made her way to the town’s food bank. She also wanted to get home to see what was up with Jason and why he wasn’t answering his phone.

The old truck made its way up Nana’s gravel driveway to the trailer. Jason’s truck wasn’t there. Where was he, Alexis thought, she needed him now more than ever. She made her way up past Nana’s seedlings on the porch and into their home. On the small entry table was Jason’s phone, along with his house key and a note that read, “I never meant to be a burden.” Alexis ran to Jason’s bedroom, finding it completely void of any of his possessions. She stood in the door for what felt like an eternity, surveying the empty room before flinging herself on Jason’s bed, which still smelled like him and crying herself to sleep.

***

She was awoken by the sound of the front door opening. Hoping it was Jason, she was immediately on her feet and was disappointed just as quickly by the sight of her sister with her husband and kids in tow.

“Why didn’t you call me,” Amber whined as she tried to hug Alexis. Alexis stepped backwards.

“You are the last person I want to see right now,” Alexis replied through tears, “Nana is gone and so is Jason. Because of you.”

“I didn’t kill Nana,” Amber said, “But I’m glad Jason finally scat. Kids, bring your s**t to Uncle Jason’s old room.”

“What the f**k do you think you’re doing,” Alexis hissed at her sister. The woman before her was not family; she felt like an unwelcome intruder during a very vulnerable time.

“This couldn’t be better timing,” Amber mused, “We were about to get evicted again so we packed up as soon as we got the news about Nana.”

“No! Nana’s been gone for like,” Alexis checked her phone. She was late for her appointment at the funeral home. “Only a few hours and you opportunistic parasites swoop in to squat here?” Alexis was seething. Any goodwill that remained towards her sister had dissipated last night and now she was just a stranger trying to take over her and Nana’s home.

“I’m sorry, is this your house? No? I didn’t think so, I have every right to be here, too,” Amber was standing her ground. Her spineless husband, Brandon looked at his feet, swaying back and forth, already drunk and trying to keep his balance.

“I don’t have f*****g time for this,” Alexis said, “I have to go to the funeral home to make Nana’s arrangements. Don’t touch her s**t until I get back, do you understand that?” Amber smirked at her. “Please don’t go through her things without me,” Alexis pleaded.

“Fine,” Amber said, “I won’t get rid of anything until you get back.”

“I said don’t touch anything, Amber, I want to go through Nana’s things myself,” Alexis begged her sister. Amber rolled her eyes.

“Whatever,” Amber said.

***

Alexis climbed back into Nana’s old truck and made her way across town to the funeral home. She felt deflated, still going through the motions and still feeling like she was having an out of body experience. She parked the truck and made her way inside, where she was greeted by a kind, older man.

“Hello,” he said softly, “I am so sorry about Elenor’s passing. She was truly something special.” Had he known Nana, Alexis thought. Nana touched so many people with her kindness throughout her life, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities. “I’m Ned Turner, I understand Elenor wanted to be cremated,” he continued. Alexis nodded. “Alright, we can do that soon here on site. Do you know what else she requested?” It was strange that just last night Nana was discussing this very thing in the kitchen with Alexis while cooking dinner together. Alexis had hoped the decisions Nana had discussed wouldn’t have to be made for years, not the next day.

“She wants to be a tree, on a mountaintop with a good view,” Alexis remembered. “She also wanted specific flowers.”

“We have contacts with many florists, what would she like?” Ned asked gently.

“Not from a florist,” Alexis explained, “She told me about a farmstand that her commune used to run,” Ned raised his eyebrows. He knew Elenor as an old hippie, like himself and found himself regretting not getting to know her better. “She would like her flowers to be from there,” Alexis said. “Apparently, it’s an hour and a half away and I don’t know…” Alexis trailed off, she felt so lost. She had no idea where this farmstand was and getting Nana’s flowers felt like the one final request that she could fulfill for her. Her eyes began to well with tears and Ned took her arm and sat her on the sofa in the parlor. He retrieved his phone from his pocket and began to search maps.

“I had a feeling,” he started to say. Alexis looked up at him. “My wife and I like to go for drives to clear our heads and we’ve stopped at a farmstand about an hour and a half away that sounds like what you’re describing.” Alexis felt a shimmer of hope as she looked at Ned’s phone.

“I think I know the general direction,” she said.

“Hold on a second,” Ned called to his wife, who was on another side of the funeral home. They spoke in hushed tones, both their phones out and Ned returned to the couch. “What’s your phone number? My wife saved a pin for the farmstand so we could go back. I’ll send it to you.” Alexis immediately felt relieved, then silly for feeling so relieved over flowers. “It’s getting late, best you find your flowers in the morning. Then Elenor will be ready the following day to be laid to rest.”

“Thank you, Mr. Turner,” Alexis said, allowing herself to be hugged by the kind, old man for the first time that day.