Uptown Sun

Chapter 44: Where there's a will...

"Are you sure? Twenty Acres is a lot of space." 

It had been just under two weeks since Deborah had passed away. It was no surprise that she had named her three sons in the will. It was surprising that she had made Natalie a beneficiary. The call with Isaac was pleasant but uncomfortable. 

Natalie had only heard stories of Isaac from when he was a boy. It made logical sense to expect the deep voice of a man on the phone. Somehow, Natalie was still taken aback when it wasn't a 12 year old speaking to her. She was sure that he was puzzled at who she even was. 

"Nah, it's fine." His voice gave Natalie the feeling of a really genuine guy on the other end, "It was clear she wanted you to have it. There was a notation with it though. She wanted you 'To use the land to keep the memories.'  and something about planting the gardenias to heal your heart?" 

She gasped, "She wants me to make the Adam Garden." 

"Biblical Adam? Like Eden?" 

"Sorry. I mean a memorial garden for Adam Yang. I'm not sure if you'd moved by then. We're a bit younger than you." She stopped herself from her classic habit of oversharing, "The teenager who died in that car crash after drink driving..." She sputtered, "B- But it wouldn't just be for him. I told Deborah about my dream for a memorial garden for everyone in the community who needs it. One where the community can visit to grieve, think, or even help with the gardening if they need it. Somewhere other than the shed to socialise." 

"Well that sounds great." 

She hesitated for a moment, "I was going to ask you..." She began to delicately knit her question together before ultimately deciding to just rip the bandaid off, "I wanted to ask, and it would depend on if it was legal, if we could bury her there." She cringed at the very likely probability he thought she was absolutely unhinged. 

There was a long pause. 

"Hello?" 

Isaac was still there, "Sorry, I was just doing the math to check if a body could be buried there." 

"Sorry?"

"One of those bizarre things I learned through a uni assignment. A plot of land can only be used for burial if it's over 5 hectares..." She heard the tapping of a keyboard, "And 20 acres is 8."  

"Would you be ok with it? It's just... When we were talking a few days before she passed, she said-" 

"Look, I know she wouldn't want to be buried with Dad. All us kids have our own family, careers, and we move around. It's probably the best option."

"I wanted to ask if you'd be alright with her, if I can get it to happen, if she could be buried with-" 

"Robert?" 

"She told you?" 

"No." He stumbled over his words, "I found out through the will. He left his estate to her. I don't know if she ever found out, but because we're executors of her estate, we found out. He didn't leave much... Just his cottage which we're giving back to the church. She also gets a choice of where to bury him. I'm happy to defer to you. I've been curious on that. Do you know why? I knew she went to church a lot-" 

There was no way to be delicate on this one, "She remarried, Isaac." 

She paced as far as the cord on the kitchen phone would let her roam. Paint chips were flaked off the kitchen wall and rested under her nails. The way the paint chips pressed under her nails was comforting. That tiny bit of pressure as she pulled out the chip afterwards. It reminded her that her blood was still pumping. 

It was like redirecting the pain in her mind without doing anything too hazardous... Depending on the lead content of the paint chips. "They had the government documents done and were legally married but then Robert fell off a roof so they held off the wedding. It was news to me too but she had the ring and everything. It was her idea to hold off changing her name before a church wedding because-" 

"Yeah." 

"Yeah." 

"Natalie, was it?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Thank you. For keeping mum company. If they get the ring back, I want you to have it. I'll put it in writing and post it to you so they know you didn't vulture through her stuff." 

"Thank you. I also just wanted to say... Your business is your business... But I want you to know she loved you. She always talked about all of you with love. She never blamed you for leaving when you were able to. She never blamed you for your feelings... I just wanted you to know." 

Silence hit the other end again. "I didn't stop seeing her because I blamed her. It was just hard to come back to the memories. Any time I stepped into that house it was just a reminder of what I didn't have, even though I have so much now. It was anger at myself for not being grateful for what I had now, while trying to ignore that longing for what other kids had. At my law graduation all the other guys had their dads giving them fancy watches and firm handshakes. Mine couldn't tell me he was proud of me from 6 feet under... And even if he was alive, I would break that bastard's hand if he tried to shake mine." 

Natalie swore she could hear a tissue being pulled from a box. He continued, "And I didn't invite mum to my graduation because that case was prolific. It was one of our assignments and I was worried she'd get treated like a zoo exhibit... Or that people would realise I was "Child C" labelled in the media. I just wanted it to forget. All us kids moved because that house was just a reminder of what was... And what wasn't. What could never be." 

All Natalie could manage was "Mmm." 

"I was mad at dad and it just... Wires got crossed. I don't know. When I was younger, I did blame her. I know it's not fair to be mad at her for not growing up with a dad. I know that now. I said some hurtful things when I was fifteen and full of hormones. Stuff I can never take back." 

"I promise you, she still loved you. She understood." 

"Thanks. I just wish..." Natalie heard another tissue, "In uni, I didn't let anyone in on the fact that the case was about me otherwise the uni probably wouldn't let me do the assignment. It was the first time I saw in black and white all the evidence. The hospital documents from her visits. The people who reported treating her in secret when he had... Photos of the evidence... That damn book we were reading on the night he..." 

"It's a lot to process."

"Sorry. I don't mean to tell you all my business. Not many people got to know mum. I'm just glad she wasn't all alone in that house."  

Natalie was hoping Isaac would appreciate a subject change, "Speaking of... What will you be doing with the house?" 

"Selling it. Splitting the money between us 3." 

"Would you like me to do anything? I have keys to her house... I don't want to get in your business, but if there's anything that you'd like me to get anything for you. Clear any boxes? Set anything in particular aside?" 

"Thanks, but we'll go through it at her funeral and sell sometime after that. We all ended up pretty comfortable in life. We just want to close the chapter. Sell it as is and hope someone wants to move into a yellow cottage in the middle of nowhere." 

"I hope they keep the garden. I really loved it. Thanks for the call, Isaac. Please, if there's anything I can do at all. You have my number. Please, I really mean it." 

"Thank you." 

"Wait." Natalie braced herself, "Before you let me go I just have a question to ask... I have no way to ask this delicately... And I won't get mad if you get mad with me. I just had to ask you though, and please ask your brothers as well to really make sure it's ok..." She knew it should be this way and she would kick herself if the gravestones looked any other way.