Bratva Mother

Funeral and Will*edited

It was good she lived alone and didn’t have to hide the fact she was pregnant from people. Morning sickness was no joke. Saturday went by without a hitch. She got her black clothes out for the next day and enjoyed her weekend. After dinner that night, she did some work. Her home office was able to connect with the one in the workplace. Technically, she didn’t need to go to the office every day. But she didn’t want to be a hermit, staying home all day every day. So she went. So she worked on the projects assigned to her and got them ready to be finished before Thursday.

By Sunday morning she was fresh and ready in her simple black clothes. She chose to wear black business pants with a black blouse with her ballet slippers. Clean, professional but appropriate. Her hair was in a low bun, and she put her keys and small items in a black purse. She went downstairs to wait for her husband to arrive. Which so happened to be outside as she got out of the elevator. They made the journey to the estate in silence.

Once they arrived, James’s parents were greeting guests out front and directing people to the garden in back where the ceremony would be held. The Robington’s come from old money, and they have a small plot kinda like a cemetery in the back of their property for the family. The priest was already out back with the closed casket. It was a beautiful set-up for Grandma Jenn. Carol got out and waited for her husband to come around to her side.

They greeted his parents together. Who wasn’t happy to see Carol but pretended otherwise. The second person to greet them was the family lawyer. He shook hands with James and gave a nod to Carol. Then said, “Jennifer wanted the reading of her will done quickly so it would be done after the burial ceremony. I hope that won't be too inconvenient for either of you.”

Which made Carol confused, “Why would it matter to me? No offense, but I am just the granddaughter-in-law. I have no right to be there.”

He looked at her and replied, “You are not blood related, that is true. However, she requested the family, and you be present for the reading of the will. She did not elaborate more than that.” Again it was odd for Carol to be present for it but decided not to comment on it. James and Carol moved on to the garden.

The service was cut and dry, simple and to the point. There was no viewing because Grandma Jenn didn’t want it, and it was only a few people outside the family that were attending the funeral and her wake. So they walked the distance from the garden to the little cemetery in the back and finished up the burial. Carol looked at the casket as she threw her handful of dirt and thought, 'I am sorry you were not able to meet your great-grandchild grandma. Know I will take good care of him or her.' Then she moved to stand to the side to finish it all up. Then James’s father told the small group that her wake would be in the sitting room of the main house. The family, Carol and the lawyer all went to the study on the second floor to discuss the will.

Once everyone was seated, the lawyer, Bennett got to business. He sat down at the big table at the head, so everyone could see him. He put his briefcase down and pulled a stack of papers out along with some glasses. “So everyone is clear about the will and Mrs. Jennifer Robington’s instructions. She wished me to tell you all that she had a full medical history done in my presence so no one could claim ill health or fraud. This medical history included psychiatric and physical, so the doctors names along with mine are written as witnesses. She had done this a year and a half ago. Any concerns or questions so far?”

He looked up from the documents to look at each face present. When he got no reply, he continued, “Jennifer has bequeathed the house and a trust fund for her only child, Mr. George Robington, who will be paid to him monthly. She does not want him to have more than that due to his wife, who won't stop spending money. She says if her daughter-in-law wants more money she can get a job. But she would not spend more money than George would get.” There was a small huff of outrage from said son and daughter-in-law.

Bennett continued as if he didn’t hear anything. “Jennifer has left her granddaughter Sophia a trust fund of her own along with her own residence not too far from this one. The trust fund will be paid monthly, which will be discussed later. She left this letter for Miss Sophia.” He pulled out an envelope and handed it to Sophia. Who took it but didn’t open it. Bennett adjusted his glasses and continued down the list of people.

“To James Robington, the rest of the Robington estate, business and money is yours, as is your right by your grandfather's request. She also left you a letter to read at your discretion later.” He slid another envelope across the table to James.

Then he continued with the will. “To Carol Robington I leave my own small wealth to you. As you know, I come from a wealthy family of my own and I was their only child. You are the daughter I was not able to have. You have a natural talent for healing and traditions. You will go far in this world and I will also leave a letter for you to read later. However, I am going to have the lawyer read it aloud for the rest of the family. Now for the rest of the family, I wrote this will in mind of you wanting to take Carol’s inheritance from her. Know if any of you try to bring her to court over my choices, you will be laughed out of court. I made sure that my doctor, physiatrics and lawyer were present for every word written in my will, so you cannot say I was ill or not in my right mind. I know what I am doing and you cannot take her inheritance. If any of you try, your portion will be donated to charity of my choosing. My lawyer, Mr Bennett Jones, will dissolve it all and bring it to charity. Mark my words. The Robington fortune is enough to sustain you all and my grandson James will continue to make more. My small wealth isn’t much compared to all that. Leave Carol alone.”

When Bennett finished reading, he looked up at the rest of the table and saw that most of them were glaring at Carol. Carol looked shell shocked, like she didn’t believe she was in the will or got a fortune from Jennifer. Bennett cleared his throat and said, “is everyone ready to hear the letter Jennifer wrote for her granddaughter-in-law?” Again no one replied but turned their attention to him. He pulled the letter out of the envelope and read aloud.

“My dearest Carol, I am so sorry you have to learn about my will the way you have. I hope I have made enough safeguards to keep the vultures of my family from bothering you. To be honest, one of the reasons I took to you so well is because I knew your grandma from your dad’s side. Rosalie and I went to school together. We were best friends up until our senior year. I went to college to be a nurse, while your grandma went to community college back in Georgia for agriculture. She wanted to continue her family farm and make it better. Somehow, she ended up married as a military wife. She continued to care for the farm while her husband was off saving the world. She and I kept in touch and I know about your father, Frank, and how he followed the family footsteps in being a military man. So to learn that James met you and introduced you as his future bride thrilled me. My best friend's bloodline will mix with mine.

The other is because your soul is like mine. A healing and giving nature. That is why I pushed you to get a nursing degree on top of your business one. I hope with your knowledge and now, inheritance, you can open your own practice and continue to help people. Never lose sight of who you are child. You are blessed for great things and I hope all your endeavors come to fruit. I hope that your healing abilities grow, and you continue my little legacy of healing people. I was an odd duckling in my family for not going into law school or business. But marrying a businessman helped to calm my family down. But that was my generation where women owning anything by themselves was frowned upon. Where only a married woman was taken seriously even in high society. Today and now is not like then, and I can freely give Silverton's small fortune to you without having to mention my husband's things. Because he made a lot of money and I really didn’t need to work, a lot of my fortune sat untouched except when I donated to charity or something.

Now that I am not here to protect you, the family will try to harm you or induct you into ‘the family business’ so to speak. I have a feeling I know your plans and I wish you all the luck in the world. As your people believe, I will pop up and check on you from time to time. Live long and prosper, my child, and work hard for the things you have. Talk to my lawyer about next steps and everything in your inheritance. He will have a little list of things you now own. I had Charles go into the attic and retrieve the box of letters your grandma Rosalie and I exchanged with each other. They are now yours, and you can read through our young girl's thoughts and ideas. Please take care and know you are loved. Forever your grandma Jenn”

He folded the paper and returned it to the envelope. Instead of sliding it to her over the table, he turned to Charles, who had just popped up with a medium-sized box. Carol thought where he had come from, and how did he know to come in when he did? Bennett added this envelope, which looked new and clean, to the box of envelopes that looked yellow with age, and you could tell were opened frequently. Charles then walked over to Carol and gently put the box down next to her.

He then addressed her directly. “Miss Carol, I was instructed to lock Missus Jennifer’s room until I heard from you. I know now is not the time, but what are your wishes for Missus’s things?” Carol looked at him dumbfounded and blanched.

“Um… well.. Uh, how about I box it all and have it shipped to the apartment?”

It was now Charles’s turn to blanch and turn red with embarrassment. “Miss, it is my job to take care of all of that. Allow me to take care of boxing and shipping. Just write down an address and I'll have it all taken care of. Please do not fight me about this. I am doing my job and no member of the family packs when I am here.”

Carol wanted to protest but knew Charles wouldn’t give up and would insist he did it for her. So she wrote her penthouse address and handed it to him. He will probably use the key that Grandma Jenn had. Grandma was the only person in the family who knew the whole story and how James and Carol came together.