A man stumbles upon his mother’s will and what he finds in it causes him to make her pack her bags and get ready to leave his house immediately.
Jerry Osborne’s mind was in a state of disarray. He had just received an email on his laptop, and the contents were mind-blowing. He stared at his screen for a few more moments before he reached for the landline on his ancient mahogany table.
“Ellie,” he said in a crisp voice when his assistant picked up. “Put my lawyer on the phone, then connect me with Eddie Hill, and after, get me my mother — in precisely that order!”
Ellie worked for Jerry for almost a decade, so she knew that he was not a man you kept waiting. As soon as she received his instructions, she got his attorney on the phone and connected the call.
Meanwhile, in his office, Jerry was shaking his head in disbelief, his eyes still on the screen of his laptop. “Oh, I’m going to pay her back for this,” he said, then he heard Esther Johnson, his attorney’s no-nonsense voice on the landline.
“Hello?” she said.
“Esther, I don’t have much to say, I just wanted to point out your faux pas!”
“What do you mean Jerry?” a confused Esther asked.
“Glad you asked. Did it occur to you that my email address is where you sent my mother’s will for approval instead of hers?”
“Oh no!” she exclaimed, and Jerry heard scuffling and a few taps.
Esther was checking her laptop. She had indeed sent him the will. Embarrassed, the lawyer choked out her apologies, but Jerry had already accomplished his mission, so he quickly dismissed her and disconnected the call.
After that, he stood up to face the large floor-to-ceiling window in his office. It opened to a majestic view of the sprawling city of Washington D.C., but he could not appreciate that view just then.
As he stared unseeing, his phone rang. It was Eddie Hill. Jerry barked out a couple of detailed instructions then scheduled everything to be carried out that same day.
“I want it today, Eddie, soon as you can get it ready,” he said, then heard him going on and on about how that may be impossible on the other end of the line.
“Eddie,” he said with finality, cutting off the man.
“Today,” he added, then disconnected the call.
No sooner had he done that when the next call came in. Ellie was not about to slack off with Jerry in such a foul mood, so she patched him through to his mother, Mrs. Joan Osborne, as soon as he got off the line with Eddie.
“Good day, mom!” Jerry said, then rushed on. “I have two things to say to you right now. The first is that Esther sent me your modified will by mistake … and the second is, I want you to pack your things.”
Joan, who had been seated comfortably in the lounge of Jerry’s house where she lived with him, was stunned into silence. “My sweet boy, are you upset about the will? Do let me explain…” she was saying, but he cut her off.
“I don’t want you to, Mom; all I need from you right now is to pack your bags. Be ready to leave by 16:00,” he said, then hung up.
After the line went quiet, Joan sat there listening to her own heart pounding. She had believed her son would get it! She had moved in with him because she had almost gotten crippled with arthritis in the past year, even though she was just 62.
“I won’t lose you like that,” her son had said. Of her three kids, Jerry was the youngest, and he always stood by her as she endured the difficulties of life.
After some time, Joan left the lounge and went upstairs to her room as her son instructed. She knew why he had asked her to leave. It was because she’d asked to leave her money to his two older siblings.
She had truly thought he would understand everything, and it hurt that he did not. It upset her so much that she felt her eyes blur with tears as she looked at her suitcase.
Joan felt sad that she had caused her kindest child pain, so she decided to explain. “Rob!” she called out to Jerry’s housekeeper and got him to help her with her suitcase; then she went downstairs to wait anxiously for her son.
At exactly 16:00, his car pulled into the driveway; he had always been punctual. He gave her a chaste peck on the cheek when he walked in, but Joan was past all the pleasantries.
“Please Jerry,” she said. “Let me explain.”
“I don’t have time for that right now, mom. Come,” he said. “It’s all been arranged.”
He took her bags out to his car, then placed them in his trunk, and his mother got into the car without a word.
During the drive, Jerry said nothing, and eventually, Joan was forced to ask where they were going. Instead of responding, Jerry turned on the radio and increased the volume.
“You’ve really done it now Joan,” she thought as she looked outside her window. They were in an unfamiliar part of town.
“Listen, Jerry, about the will…” Joan pushed.
“Yes, the will!” Jerry said, suddenly glancing over at Joan and pursing his lips. “The one where you willed your house and $120,000 worth of savings to Jessica and Steven while I get the old cabin by the lake, grandfather’s war photos, and dad’s watch, that one?”
“Yes…” whispered Joan. “Let me explain…”
But just as she uttered the words, Jerry stopped the car. They were parked at what looked like a small private airport where a classy private jet was waiting.
Jerry turned to his mom then, and she was stunned to see tears in his eyes. “Oh, mom, it’s not about the house and the money. Those two don’t have too much and I have more than I could ever need.”
“Mom, what you willed to me shows me how well you know me. You understand exactly what I consider important. I have all the money I need but those memories you plan to give me are priceless!”
“Jerry…” gasped Joan. “I was afraid you were kicking me out!”
He grinned at that. “Not happening!” he said.
“I’m taking you to Hawaii for two weeks. I think the warm climate will do your arthritis a world of good, and I get to spend some quality time making more memories with you!”
Joan embraced her youngest — the boy was truly her favorite son, not that she would ever admit it. He’d understood! Joan was happy that her father and her husband’s memorabilia would be cherished and passed on lovingly by Jerry.
They enjoyed their vacation in Hawaii, and Jerry even met a lovely woman, and it looked to Joan like she wouldn’t have to wait too long to have grandchildren after all!
