The Christmas Note [part #01]

It was December 23rd at 7:15am on a cold Michigan winter's day. Samantha Collins was snuggled warmly in her bed, sound asleep. Her first day off from work, as a waitress in three weeks. Samantha awoke to the sounds of a plow truck going down her street. She tossed and turned, but couldn't fall back asleep. So she pushed the covers off from her, and decided to start the day early.

"Darn plows..." Samantha muttered to herself, as she clumsly walked down her apartment hall into the bathroom. She opened her medicin cabnit and grabbed her tooth brush and paste. As she brushed her teeth, she started thinking about Christmas. It was just around the corner. She was dreading seeing spending the holiday alone again.

Samantha finished brushing her teeth, and stepped into the shower. As she was washing her hair, she remembered the Christmas, she started hating the holiday.

*******************************

She was only four years old, and was very excited about Santa coming. Her mother had baked cookies with her, and Samantha picked out the biggest ones to leave for Santa. She went to sleep that Christmas Eve, with hopes that Santa got her everything on her wish list.

She was sound asleep, when she heard a loud noise. It sounded like glass shattering. She snuck down stairs quiet as a mouse, and peered into the kitchen. There she saw her mother and father arguing.

"You were at that bar again, weren't you?" Her mother yelled, "You are always at that stupid bar! You need to be here with your family!"

"It doesn't matter where I was!" Her father barked back. "I'm here now aren't I?"

"I'm tired of coming up with excuses as to why you are not here." Her mother said, with tears in her eyes. "Our daughter needs a good father, not a drunk."

Samantha could see the tears now flowing from her mother's eyes. She also noticed the coldness across her father's face. He was silent, he didn't even look at her.

Her mother walked slowly towards her father. Quietly, almost in a whisper, "I love you, Samantha loves you. We just want you here with us. Every year we go through this."

Her father gazed into his wife's eyes. His expression more warm, and relaxed, and he whispered to her, "I'm sorry."

*************************************

It was at that moment, Samantha snapped to reality. She turned off the running water, and stepped out of the shower. She didn't want to think about it anymore. It was the same every year with her family. Dad got drunk, mom yelled and cried. The next day, they were always quiet, and just gazed to eachother with lost looks in their eyes.

Samantha, walked into the kitchen and started the coffee pot. Tears filled her eyes, as she remembered her parents. It wasn't always bad, just around this time of year. A mystery she couldn't figure out.

It had been four years today, when she recieved the news that her parents were in a horrible car accident. She remembers arriving to the hospital, just in time to say goodbye to her mother before she passed away. Her father died on the scene of the accident.

While she was waiting for her coffee to finish, she headed back to her bedroom, and stepped into the closet. She reached up and grabbed a big box marked "Family", from a high self. Setting it on the floor, she opened it up, and grabbed out the big photo album.

She set the album aside, and put the box away. Samantha turned, picked up the album and sighed as she ran her fingers over the cover of the black leather bound book. She took it with her to her little dinning room, and set it on the table.

By now her coffee was done, and she poured herself a cup. Sitting at her table, she took a sip of the hot coffee, and set the cup down. She gazed over the book, an album she hadn't looked at in years.

She slowly opened it up, and fixed her gaze upon all the family photos. Photos of her parents marriage, of her as an infant, growing up. All loving and very warm memories are captured in this photo album.

Samantha was flipping through the album when she came across a little note tucked between the pages. Instantly, she recognized her mother's handwriting. She gently ran her fingures accrossed the paper. She gazed up, and saw the date... December 23, 2003. The day before their accident.

She gazed upon the little note and started to read...

"My Dearest Daughter,

Someday I hope you find this note. Your father and I have gone to the bank to create a new account for you. Inside you will find years worth of savings. All those years your father was going to the bar, it was to get donations for our family. Your father was ashamed of himself at the way he would hussle people into donating. He always did it on Christmas Eve, the day people seemed most gullable to him. He's been setting aside this money all these years. Saving it all for a rainy day.

Now this money is going to be in your account. After talking it over, we wanted you to have it all. Spend it on whatever you need or want, there's a lot there.

We both hope you can forgive us for not telling you sooner.

I love you!

Merry Christmas!"

Samantha was shocked. She never knew that's why her father went to the bar. She went to take another sip of her coffee while wondering how this note went un-noticed before. Though, she was very relieve to hear her father wasn't a drunk... at the same time however, she felt guilty for being angry at him so long.

She then though, "Wait... the money?" It couldn't still be there. It took her a minute to remember the bank's name, and she immediately called.

"Diamond Bank, this is Henry how may I help you today." The deep voice on the other end answered.

"Yeah... I hope so..." Samantha started in a stumble of words. "My parents..." She stammered out, she still could not think straight from reading the letter.

"I'm sorry, how may I help you?" The gentleman on the other end politely asked.

"Yes..." She said clearly, coming to her senses. "...an account was created in my name four years ago, and I was wondering if it was still there."

Samantha gave the Henry her name, last four digits of her social secuirity number and her mother's maiden name. He was successful in finding her account.

"How much is there?" She asked quietly.

"Let's see, there's $956,636.63." He replied.

"Thank... you..." She stammered out, and hung up the phone. Samantha was truly in shock. She didn't expect to hear such a large amount of money was in there. Then again, she didn't expect to hear of any money at all.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Click here to read Part #02!