Across the Globe [COMPLETE]

This Should Be Interesting

13TH Of JULY

Samantha

“Hi, mum, how are you doing?” I ask as the video call starts.

I can see her sitting in the lounge, her hair is up in a messy bun, and she has a cup of tea on the side table. 

“Hi, sweetheart! I’m good! How are you?” She says a little bit too loud, like we’re miles away.

Which I guess we are. This is the first time I’ve ever been so far away from mum, and seeing her there at home while I’m sitting alone in a bedroom I don’t know... it feels a little weird. 

“I’m good, really good,” I say.

“Are you sure? How are you coping with this change of schedule?”

“It’s okay mum, you don’t have to worry,” I say. Even though I told her a thousand times, I feel like she still doesn’t believe me.

“Sam…” She trails off and bites her lip.

“What is it, mum?” I ask, already feeling worried by her tone alone.

“The lawyer called again, and I wonder if you want to know what he said.”

She’s still chewing on her lip as she looks at me, and a part of me wishes this wasn’t a video, because I don’t like the look on my own face. I’m not sure if I want to or not, and I don’t have Emma here with me to help me decide, or help me deal with whatever mum might say.

“Is it good or bad news?” I ask after a moment.

“Depends on how you want to look at it, I guess,” she says. She grabs her cup of tea, and takes a long sip. I play with the cord from my hoodie; I tie a knot in it, and then undo it. I repeat the process over and over as I work through my options.

Which are basically just yes, or no. Do I want to know?

“I think I should tell you,” mum says after I’ve been silent for too long. “I think it might be good for you to know while you’re still there.”

I know I’m probably being unfair with mum, leaving her with the responsibility of dealing with this in my name while I just ignore the matter. But a part of me thinks it’s fair enough, considering how she kept information from me for so long. But that’s just me being resentful, and that’s not the kind of person I want to be.

“Okay," I say, "Just rip the bandage off quickly, please.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I hold my breath. 

“Your grandfather was an investor, and he was into real estate,” mum says. “Which means that most of your inheritance is in the shape of properties... Houses, terrains, a beach house, and he’s got actions in a few hotels… Sam, are you okay?”

I don’t think I breathed since she started talking, so I release all the air really slowly as I process what I just heard. I feel a little dizzy, lack of oxygen probably messing with my brain.

“Yes, yes,” I think I am. “I’m fine,” I say.

“I can send you an email with all the information the lawyer sent me, there’s an address book there, and a whole bunch of information, I believe it won’t be under your name for another couple of months as they need to wait 6 months to release assets, but I thought you might want to look at some of them while you’re there.”

“Thanks, mum,” I say

After a few more words and a little goodbye, I hung up. I check the time, and see that it’s just after 11 in the morning. I check my phone, but there’s no messages there. I ponder what could possibly be taking Emma so long.