Family

Eva was a young girl in her 20s who was nor outstandingly beautiful nor ugly. She was just an average girl with an average life in an average city. One day, as she was leaving her boring office job, as she came to call it, she decided to walk home instead of taking the train. She was longing for a better life; perhaps, she was longing for a more adventures existence and for someone whom she could discover the world with. In her mind, her life was boring. Maybe her spontaneous decision to walk home will be the key for a new life; a life that she has been imagining and dreaming of for a while now. Eva always fantasised about discovering something like people do in telenovelas.

As she was walking home, her phone rang. Eva took it out of her purse and looked for a moment. “It’s mom” she whispered. Her first though was that her mother would never call her, something must have happened. “Hello?” said Eva. “Eva, it’s your mother. I have to tell you that your father has passed away. He has an old, black notebook he wanted to give it to you. Come and get it. Bye.” Her voice was not friendly at all, rather cold and harsh. It’s like Eva was not even her child. Eva started crying as soon as she heard her mother’s words; but she had no time to even answer or to make a sound. Her mother just hung up on the phone as soon as she was finished.

Eva was close to her father as a child. They used to make pancakes together on Saturday mornings, play board games in the evenings, and sing songs while getting ready to go to work and school. But their favourite thing to do was always telling stories. Eva remembered that her father had a little notebook he used to write in, but he never let anyone see what it was. He always kept it to himself like if it was a big secret that could never be spilled or else it would ruin life. Was it the same book her mother just mentioned? And why was she so cold about the whole thing? She always thought that her parents had a good and loving relationship. She saw them happy, smiling, dancing, and rarely arguing if ever. Although her mother was nice to everyone, she wasn’t the best mother to her. She never understood why. Eva loved her mom; she actually adored her. Elizabeth, Eva’s mom, was beautiful. Her hair was golden like the sun and her eyes were green like emerald. Her eyes sparkled like expensive jewels every time she saw her husband, Edmund. If Elizabeth loved Edmund so much than why was she so cold and heartless now? Is there something Eva doesn’t know about her own family?

That same night, Eva went over to her parents’ house. She did not feel like she was at home anymore. She liked her little one-bedroom apartment, her yellow accent chair in the living room and the green curtains. Maybe she chose these colours to appeal to her mother since they reminded Eva of her mother’s hair and eyes. In her old home, the living room was large, and the furniture was expensive. There were artworks all over the walls. Her mother was a published photographer who made a really good living by selling art. Her father’s belongings were already collected. They stood in a paper box in the middle of the room with the words “for Eva” on it. Why were they collected already when Edmund just passed away the day of?

“Eva, come this way” came the words from the stairs. Elizabeth was already waiting for her. Eva started to take steps towards the stairs that led up to the second floor. There were so many memories on the walls: artworks of her mother and paintings of her father. She hasn’t collected of his things after all. “Mother, what happened to Papa?” asked Eva. “He was sick and old, Eva. We all knew this was coming for a while” said Elizabeth. Her voice was cold like she never loved him. But Eva knew her mother more than she knew herself. She knew Elizabeth loved Edmund above and beyond anything else. Yet she seems so cold and unbothered by the whole situation. “Mother, why did you collect all of Papa’s belongings already?” questioned Eva. Elizabeth gave a big sigh and shook her head. “It was his wish to do so, Eva. Let’s go to room and get on with this”.

Eva walked behind her mother silent and sad. She did want a more exciting life, but not a sad life where she loses her loved ones. “Here” Elizabeth pointed to the bed, suggesting Eva to sit. “Your father wanted me to give you his notebook and this envelop. That’s all. There is nothing else I need to do or say.” Said Elizabeth. “But mother, I don’t understand!” shouted Eva feeling confused. “I don’t understand why you are so cold about his death and me. Do you not care? You haven’t even hugged me or asked how I was doing?” cried Eva. Her tears running faster and faster down her cheeks turning a soft corner making their ways down to her chin like skiers racing down snowy slops of mountains. Elizabeth handed her the black notebook and the envelop. She said nothing. The silence was thickening almost suffocating. “I will leave you here to read it. I will be downstairs” said Elizabeth and turned on her heels and left. The door was not closed all the way. Maybe Elizabeth wanted to hear her daughter while she read the letter. Or she just wanted to escape as fast as she could so she would not have to answer her daughter’s pressing questions and seeing her poking eyes invading her soul.

Eva slowly opened the letter. It is not something she wanted to do, ever. She never realized that one day she will have to say goodbye to her father and at some point, to her own mother. “Dear Eva” read the letter “I am assuming I have already passed by this point. It saddens me to know that I was not a strong man. At least, I was not strong enough to tell you this while I was alive. The matter is you, my dear daughter, are not my daughter. I have always loved you like my own, but you are not my child by blood. Your mother has a story to tell. Please don’t blame her for what happened and how she raised you. She did her best. Read her story in my little black notebook. Love your Papa always.” Eva started crying even more. How did she never see this coming? After all, she does not look like her father. She does not look like her mother either. She does have her curves and her hair is similar to her mothers, but she is not as beautiful as her. Both Elizabeth and Edmund have olive-skin yet Eva is as white as snow. She never thought mush of that. Her father was always so loving and nice. Her mother was much harsher, yet never really rude. She never felt unloved by either of them, yet she was sitting on this bed wondering if her mother loves her. Their relationship is not as it used to be since she became a teenager. Did she do something? She felt like she had to find out for once and all.

“I need to know the truth now” whispered Eva. She opened the notebook and a cheque fell out. It was for $20,000. She was mind-blown. She knew her family was rich, but she would not think that her father would keep a cheque in this book for $20,000 just sitting around. The book was filled with Edmund’s handwriting. Every single passage had a date and location noted where it was written. Eva noticed that her father wrote in this book once or twice every single week. She started reading.

“1991, Romania Elizabeth Csik became a patient at Garland Mental Hospital…” that’s my mother, Eva thought. She kept reading on and on till she finished the whole book. It took her 2 hours to read every single part of her mother’s story. She never knew about any of this.

Eva walked down the stairs. She moved as slow as she could, because she did not know what to say to her mother. “Mother” she said finally “I never knew you were a mental patient in Romania” she said in a low voice. She never knew her family lived there since they live in Italy now. They always have been here. “Eva, I know you read the whole story about my early years” said Elizabeth “I know you are aware of Edmund not being your father. Listen, I have schizophrenia and was admitted into the hospital there, because my parents did not want their good names to be ruined by a sick daughter. I met a man there who also had some mental problems. We fell in love with each other, well I did” she said lowering her voice like she is ashamed. “I did not know how babies are made or what love is. I got pregnant with you and this man, Erno, wanted nothing to do with us. I had to leave. I knew Edmund since we were kids. He always loved me, and I knew that. He helped me escape from the hospital and told my parents that we are in love. They agreed to let us get married since you were on the way. He was a great man, and I did fall in love with him after you were born. Everything was so nice and happy for a while. Then Erno came back and threatened to take you away from me.” Elizabeth chocked on her words a bit. “I had to protect you, so I did what I had to do. I told him to meet me at the High Park near the cliffs. I – she looked down as she recalled a horror scene out of a movie – pushed him off the cliff. He was a bad man Eva. He did not just have mental problems, but he also loved using drugs. He would have not been a good father to you. But Edmund was wonderful, and I loved him. This haunted me every time I looked at you” Elizabeth started crying. Eva was shocked and scared for a second. Her mother killed someone. Is that why she was so distant, because Eva remined her of what she did? “That money is from Erno’s will. He did not have much but left it for you. Your father kept it. I’m sorry I never told you this; I never knew how. I always loved you” said Elizabeth.

“Mom, I understand it now. You wanted to protect me from him. I was scared you never loved me. But I was wrong” said Eva. “Why did you pack Papa’s belongings so fast?” asked Eva. “Your father – said Elizabeth – could never forgive me for what I have done. He loved me but could not stand to look at me. I want to close that chapter and be done with. I have to pay my price when it’s my time to depart” answered Elizabeth.

After all, Eva did end up having a more adventures life. She found out a secret that you can only imagine in movies. This might not have been the kind of adventure she wanted to go on, but it was still a life-changing secret that she discovered. That money her real father left for her was used to go to Romania and find Erno’s family. Eva wanted to find out where she came from, although she still loved her Dear Papa and even her mother. She knew her mother’s deep and dark secret, but she also knew her love now. She might not have been showing it as most mothers do when she was a child, but it was there and that was enough for Eva.