April 8, 2024 – Writer's Treasure Chest

The day was cold and gray, and the rain was drizzling—the kind of weather you would expect when having a funeral.

My family was shocked to the core when Grandma passed. The boys cried openly, my father tried to hide his tears, but occasionally showed up with red eyes. My mother was petrified. She seemed unreasonably scared. Yes, it wouldn’t be easy to bring up three young boys and a husband all by herself, but she was a strong Italian woman, stubborn and righteous; she would do what had to be done.

As for me, I felt guilty as hell. Since I said, Grandma looked healthy and well and her visible fear, I felt like I had murdered her. Maybe not with a knife, but with words, and that thought didn’t let me go. I was devastated. Later that evening, when the boys were in bed, mother cooked spaghetti, as she always does, when something is bothering her, my father called me into the ‘library’ he used as a study and office. The room didn’t deserve either one expression and usually served as a protected cave where he was safe from the boys and his wife a little bit, too.

I walked in, and Dad got up and hugged me. “It’s a hard time, girl.” He said with a sigh. I knew he referred to the death of his mother and not the times we were going through. It wasn’t like the family was on the edge of starvation. But Dad had a tendency to drama, and I just let it go. When he sat back down, I let myself sink on the stool next to the fireplace and looked at him expectantly. He had called me in for a particular reason, and I wouldn’t ask him to tell me. He’d get to that at his own pace.

“Mia…” My father began slowly. I looked at him. “My mother told me that she won’t stay on Earth much longer. And she made me promise that I would give you this envelope once she’s gone.” He took a deep breath, which ended up sounding like a sigh, and continued. “She made me swear I wouldn’t interfere in your life, as it would be from now on. And she clearly told me that it would be your decision to accept or decline her offer.”

I stared at him in naked horror. “What kind of offer?” My father shrugged. “Grandma was always quite mysterious when it came to life-changing decisions, Karma, death, and things like that. I didn’t ever ask questions.”

He handed me the envelope and gripped his chin. “Whatever it says, girl, whatever it is… I’m not included, and neither is your mother. I’m supposed to tell you that. Everything else is in here.”

With these words, he got up and left the small room.

I caught myself staring after him, feeling helpless. After the door closed behind my father, I looked down at the envelope in my hand and didn’t move for a long time. I couldn’t decide on whether I should take the challenge or not. My Grandma might have been theatrical and overly dramatic at times, but she was also my Grandmother, who had been fighting all her life. She was strong, independent, and with great power but always human and with understanding and love. That love that I had felt surrounding me all my life, coming from her, finally made me open the envelope.

With one swing of my hand (and a quite deep papercut) I picked up the chaotic future of my life, not knowing what would be next.

The envelope contained a folded piece of paper and a key.

I picked up the latter and unfolded the sheet to read my Grandmother’s handwriting. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I could barely read what she wrote. Finally, I carefully wiped them off and looked at the paper again.

“This is the only key to the ‘Magia del Segreto.’ I want you to go to the store, behind the desk, and open the top drawer on the right. From there, I will guide you. Don’t be afraid, child. You always were closest to my heart; my love will be with you all your life. – Grandma (Alessandra K DeLuca – La Donna dei segreti)“

I knew I had my second name from my grandmother, which was no surprise there, but her theatric ‘La Donna dei segreti’ made me giggle.

I got up and walked outside. The store wasn’t too far, and I needed some air, that’s why I decided to walk. I put on my coat, grabbed an umbrella, and left the house.

The evening had turned into a night, and further away from the house, I passed a few dark alleys and a couple of shady characters. But I held my head high, and nobody bothered me. They looked at me almost shyly and then lowered their eyes. I was surprised. There were moments in my life when I had to defend myself with everything I had from dirty passes. But this evening, it seemed, I was lucky.

When I arrived at the ‘Magia del Segreto,’ I used the key in my fist in my coat pocket. The old door opened without any further problem.

After closing the door, I went to the desk, as instructed, and opened the top drawer on the right. There, I found a seemingly old wooden box with my name on it and another folded paper. I curiously sat down but then realized that the light in the store permitted everyone to look into the store’s windows and see me. Therefore, I decided to lock the door, pull the old dark green curtains, and turn on the desk lamp instead of the ceiling lights.

Finally, I took place, opened the next folded sheet, and read: ‘Mia, as of now, this is your store. It’s your responsibility. You can do whatever you want with it. If you like, sell it. But if you want to go on a wonderous adventure, joining the ranks of us ‘Women of Secrets’, please open the box. Just be aware: Once it’s opened, you won’t be able to go back. Decide wisely. – Alessandra K DeLuca

TO BE CONTINUED…