A Rich Man’s Heart

A Rich Man’s Heart

(Part 1)

It was 6:57 p.m. and the sun was starting to hide below the mountaintops. The sky, though it had rained a while ago, was a light blue and pink with little cotton balls drifting slowly towards the horizon.
“James!” Cried Kristine from the window holding little Edward in her arms as the child looked up at her with a face of curiosity.” James! Get in here, Edward needs more milk formula and I would go for it before he gets cranky out of hunger.” The child gave a small smile to his mother.
Edward was very smart for his seven months of life. He was like a deer in the meadow after he sensed trouble and would begin to fuss, and yet somehow he knew when his father James was being scolded and would giggle hysterically, causing his parent to laugh with him. Even though we was born with cardio problems, Edward was a charming and joyous baby boy that captured everyone’s heart with just one look at his angelic-like face. He had his father’s handsome features: dark hair, a small perfectly straight nose, and a nicely formed mouth. From his mother he carried the big almond-shaped hazel eyes with the long, full, and curly lashes as well as the smile with the cute dimples on his pink chubby cheeks.
“Yes?” James called out as he entered the small apartment’s front door.        

“Edward needs more milk powder and it’s almost time for his nap. He won’t sleep without his bottle, you know that.” Kristen said as she gave her husband a small peck on the lips. Though they were in there early 20′s, James and Kristine loved each other dearly that even though they had financial problems almost always, they would find a way to make it through together without a single argument.
“How come your barely telling’ me? I was kinda counting on those 20 bucks for the lighting bill?” He said in a worried tone as he fiddled with his hands in front of him.
“Well don’t worry you don’t have to spend them; we just got the stamp card refilled. We don’t need to slow down our payments again…” Kristine replied.
“Oh well that’s awesome, ’cause then all we got left is the rent of the apartment and then we can just chill for a while”. His face stretched into a smile. Then he looked at his son that was babbling to himself with a frown on his face. “He sure is talkative,” He chuckled to himself as he took Edward from his mother’s arms and examined his face carefully, as seeing him for the very first time.” He is the most precious thing in my life. Aside of you hun… when’s his next check-up?”

“The seventeenth of October: next month”, Kristine remarked. Edward started to fuss. “And there he goes,” she said as she took Edward from James, “Better bring it fast so that Edward can fall sleep and we can eat. And bring sodas or something cold to drink too please, love?”

“I’m on it my love”. He kissed Edward tenderly on his small forehead and walked slowly to the door, then looked back at his wife. He had a melancholy look in his eyes and for and instant, only an instant, he looked weak and fragile though he had a built body from his job at the construction site.

“Kristine?” She looked up from the baby. “Yes?”

“I love you.”

Kristine smiled. “I love you to James”. She walked over to him and kissed his mouth, and then whispered “Always and forever more baby”, in his ear, then looked at him and smiled. He smiled weakly and walked out the door.

(Part 2)

It had been a good while since James had left the house to go to the store that was merely a mile or so away. The sky had darkened and a few sparkles appeared little by little here and there.   Edward, tired of crying, fell asleep in his mother’s arms while she gave him tea so that his head wouldn’t hurt later on. This was the first time James had taken more than 30 minutes shopping for anything and Kristine was so nervous she kept walking around the house like soldier on duty. Her heart told her that something was terribly wrong, making her eyes water up slowly.

She put the child in her bed gently and went to the front door to see if James was back. Nobody but the moon was outside with her. It was dark and everything looked like a black and white picture. Something was not right indeed. James, she thought to herself, Where are you my love, were…The ache in her heart got stronger and stronger that tears silently slipped down her rosy cheeks.  She had stepped inside the house and into the kitchen were the food that she had cooked earlier chilled more and more.” So much for chicken soup…” she murmured.

Then there was an intense knock on the door. Kristine jumped as they kept knocking harder. She opened the door to see to officers stranding outside her home. Panic seized Kristine as her feet weakened. She stood still in shock as salience’s sheet covered the night.   “Mrs. Summers?” The first officer with a huge mustache an orangey red started, “I’m officer Campos and this is officer Silva”, he continued as the other officer nodded in Kristine’s direction. “I’m sorry we have some bad news for you ma’am…”

Well there’s a first, Kristine cynically thought. She stared hypnotically in his eyes, tight in every muscle, waiting to hear the bad news numbly.

“There was an accident two blocks from here, between 4th ST. and Apple Ave. The driver from 4Th St. was in a stupor and literally ran over a man that apparently was picking up this card up from the ground,” Said officer Campos, handing the Welfare card to Kristine and she held it tight in her grip as if she was waiting for it to pop. “The drunk man unfortunately had a ‘monster truck’”, continued Officer Silva,” and went right over your…husband’s body. He destroyed his body to pieces and its unrecognizable… he’s head was detached from the body as it got caught in between the tires. And because of this we highly suggest that you burn his… him”, he finished and looked away from Kristine’s cold eyes. Tears were streaming freely from her beautiful pale face.

“Ma’am?” said officer Campos, “Ma’am? Are you feeling okay? Silva, go get her something cold to drink. Fast!”  Kristine smiled faintly,” We don’t have anything cold to drink…” and closed the door on both of the officers’ faces.

Once nobody knocked, she let it out…”No… She whispered… “No…No… No…!!! James! You can’t be dead no, my love, you can’t you just can’t be!!! No! I love you baby I love you!! James… no… I love you!” by now she had let her back slide down from the front door and sat on the floor as she wept.” What about our baby… what about Edward…?” Edward! She had barely remembered him when, as if he had been called on, he started to cry. Kristine got up from the floor and went over to the child, hers and James’…
She picked him up from the silky red blankets that covered the whole bed. “My baby, our baby James…” she whispered into the Edward’s ears as he complained in an angry baby-talk tone. He, without knowing it, had become an orphan. Kristine cried silently as she peered down on Edward; He truly was his father’s image… He was her all now.
Edward let out another cry, telling his mother he needed a dipper change, and she sat him down on the bed once more. She went into the kitchen and went over to the counter and opened the left side of the cabinet when she saw it. There, next to the dippers, was a can of milk formula.
Kristine just stared at it for a moment as she remembered that she had thrown the empty can away that very same morning. But this one was new, still with the price tag on it. She grabbed it and felt its heaviness, indicating Kristine that it was full, but how did it get there? Nobody ever visited them and if so, why would they leave a can of milk formula? Under the can there was an envelope and she picked it up slowly with her trembling fingers. It read Kristine on the cover…with James handwriting.
Edward let out another yelp that made Kristine jump and her heart beat fast. She would change Edward’s dipper, give him his bottle and then read whatever was inside that envelope.
(Part 3)
It was really late when Kristine had finally gotten Edward to fall asleep, which was almost a miracle. The child solemnly fell asleep when his father sang his lullaby he made up for him since he was brought home.”…so don’t cries my child, the night is here, time to close your eyes, remember daddy will always be here…”
Kristine went to the kitchen and picked up the envelope slowly. She was nervous, anxious to open it and read whatever was inside of it, yet scared she would regret it. She lingered with it in her hands for about 20 minutes until she decided to open it. How was she suppose to know what was inside of it if she didn’t open it?
“The hell with it” she said and pulled it out all the way, then unfolded it. She took a deep breath, her heart racing. It was long for one thing, and so it began:

My Love
By the time you read this letter I’m probably cold as stone…

What! Kristine’s heartbeat fastened. James knew he was going to die? Why didn’t he prevent it from happening? Anger arose from her sadness but kept reading.

I’m sorry for the pain I caused you and I ask on my knees to forgive me. I must explain though. First, Yes I did planned to die today, but I must admit I do not know how, just that it’s inevitable. And of course you’re asking yourself why. The answer is simple: money. As you know, my father was a very rich man. In his will he left everything to my name, yet my mother made me choose between you and all the riches; and so money comes and goes, as for love, that’s a lifetime opportunity and so I chose you. I had this planned out well. Before today I had gone to a notary and did my own will and put everything under both yours and our beloved Edward’s name. You see I had to do it. Edward is sick and all bills are too high even with the help of the state. We hardly ever had money and it made life difficult. Yet don’t take me wrong, my love, I was happy with you and our little boy. But I did it for you guys. Now my deepest love, don’t be sad. Remember I will always be with you through spirit. Whenever you look at Edward, remember me. When he hugs or kisses you, I will be in every one of them, and when he learns to talk and says “I love you”, remember I love you, bbylove, always and forever…

Truly, Deeply, and Forever
Yours,
James

P.S. I remember what my mother said to me the day I walked out…”You can’t live without money… money makes the world go round…” she was right… Money wins all the time.

Kristine stared at the paper for a moment as if trying to fully understand what she had just read. Her heart ached. James was her love, the only good thing in her life before Edward. Now she cried and cried because he was forever far out of her reach… Never again will she stare in his bright eyes and cuddle in his arms and lay her head on his chest and hear his heart beat… ”How am I going to live without you?” she screamed. She took another look at it and its last words. This letter was the last she would ever receive from him. She read his signature over and over again. Then she smiled faintly. “No my love, your wrong. Love won this time. Love won…<3″