The Story of Love I

THE STORY OF LOVE




BY Florence Irene Tompkins

I




Book One

“She’s dead? Oh no, this can’t be true,” exclaimed Tanya with a shiver. “Oh how will I live any longer without her? She was the only one I could work for!”
“I’m terribly sorry for your lose. However, there is some good news. Amanda Lawrence has left you a great sum of money. Apparently, she had only one daughter and a good deal to much money to give to her. I will meet with you tomorrow at 11:00 Is that fine?”
“Well-”
“Good. See you then.” Nancy hung up the phone.
Tanya sank down into the overstuffed easy chair and looked around the large room. She picked up her duster and turned it over in her hands. It had her name engraved on it in gold lettering. “Oh what will I do?” she said and tears began again.

***

The next day, Tanya walked up the steps to an office of law. She anxiously pulled out the name card that read, “Nancy Huff” and walked inside the office. At the desk, a small lady with glasses peered up at her.
“What can I do for you?” she asked and pushed her glasses up her nose.
“Um, well, I am looking to see, um, Nancy-”
“Huff. Nancy Huff is expecting you. first door on the left.” She pointed to a glass door and motioned for Tanya to go inside.
Tanya slowly pushed the door open and saw a short hallway with 2 doors. She went inside the first one and stopped. “Mrs. Huff? I’m-”
“Tanya Bards. Yes I’ve been expecting you.”
Tanya, now used to being cut off in the middle of saying something, continued, “I’m sorry I’m late.”
“Well, as much as I despise tardiness, I have some good news. You have been left a total of $50 million and her house. Or should I say mansion? Now, before you go spend all the money, you might want to hear me out. She wants you to tithe 10% to the church, invest some, and then you may do as you like. Of course, she’s dead and you don’t have to follow her requests although I would encourage it.”
Tanya sat down. She knew Mrs. Lawrence was rich, but she did not know how rich she was. “And you say she also gave some to her daughter?”
“Yes. $40 million.”
“Wow. Where is it? In a bank?”
“Not quite. Some of it is currently in First Federal, but she also has a lot in her house-safe.”
“And I get that too?”
“Yes. Now I need you to sign here, here, here, here and Oh yes, here,” said Nancy as she pulled out a stack of papers. She held out a pen to Tanya.
Tanya slowly signed each paper using her best handwriting. She handed the pen back to Nancy and stood up.
“Here is Mrs. Lawrence’s wallet which should have all of the numbers and everything you need to know. Now I have taken the liberty to change the names on all of the account information and anything else that was in her name.” said Nancy.
“Thank you. Is there anything else I need or that I need to know?”
“Well, that’s everything, but can I give you a tip?”
“Sure.”
“Use this money wisely. Invest it and be very careful how you use it. It is easy to take advantage of the numbers on a sheet of paper, without checking up on the status of your account. Does that make sense?”
“Yes. Thank you very much. I will be seeing you again soon I guess.”
“I guess so. Goodbye Mrs. Bards and congratulations,” said Nancy as she shook hands with Tanya.

***

The next day, Tanya woke up in a 5 feet tall king size bed. She rolled over and put her feet in some slippers. She walked down the hall to the elevator. She pushed the kitchen button and watched the doors close. When they re-opened, she found herself in a very clean kitchen, which made her happy to see. She made herself breakfast, got dressed, and went shopping.
“The first thing I need is a car. I can’t ride around Charleston in a limo all the time. I can’t stand having someone drive me around!” Carl, the driver, quickly came around to the other side of the limo to open the door.
“Your door,” he said to Tanya.
“Um thank you,” said Tanya as she scooted into the huge limo.
“You look very nice today,” said Carl.
Is a driver required to be nice to his passengers? I mean, seriously, I am wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. Plus, I’m not wearing any makeup. Wow.
“Where to, Miss Tanya?”
“Um, where’s the best car dealership?”
“What kind of car? I mean are we looking for a new limo?”
“No. We are not looking for anything. I am looking for an everyday car to use for myself.” How am I going to fire him? Maybe I can still use him, just not as often.
“I see,” said Carl with a hint of sadness. “The best car-dealership is Car-Max©.”
“Then to Car-max© we shall go!” said Tanya.
They drove on for a bit in an awkward silence. Am I supposed to make conversation with him? I’m not sure. Yikes! thought Tanya to herself. When they arrived, Tanya got out as Carl parked the Limo. She walked inside the car dealership and immediately ran to a 2009 Honda Accord. “This is the car! I have to have this car! It is small, red, and perfect for me!”
“Well, I think that we should sit down here and I can pull up the price. What is your price-range?” Said the man whose name-tag on his shirt said his name was “Dale.”
“Oh it doesn’t matter what the price is! Whatever it is, I will pay it!”
“Are you sure? I mean-”
“Oh I’m sure, but I am in a little bit of a hurry. How fast can I buy this car and get out of here with it?” said Tanya as she tapped the car with her hand.
“Ok. Please take a seat here and I’ll have you outa here in no time!”

***

Not an hour later, Dale and Tanya were in the parking lot of Car-max©. Dale handed her the keys to the red Honda and Tanya nearly screamed, “Thank you! I can’t wait!”
“It’s a pleasure doing business with you.”
“You to,” said Tanya as she hoped in the car. SHe drove around the block to were Carl was still sitting in the limousine. That Carl! I can’t believe that he he still sitting in the car waiting for me! I’m starting to like him a little more. She got out of the car and knocked on the window.
“How did it go- Oh wow I see you got a red car, “ said Carl with a hint of sadness in his voice.
“Oh yes, but I will still need you to drive me around sometimes. Would it be okay if you work only part time?”
“You mean you aren’t gonna fire me? I thought I might never get to see you again!”
“Never see me again?”
“I mean, I would hate to lose my job,” said Carl as he quickly changed the subject, “I guess I will drop off the limo at your house then?”
“Yes that would be fine,” said Tanya as she got into her car and turned on the radio. I feel really weird right now. I wonder why? I guess that all of this money is going to my head. I hope this music will help.

***

That afternoon, Tanya cleaned up the kitchen and sat down in the big comfy chair. Wow. I have never sat in Mrs. Lawrence’s special chair before! She opened the newspaper and looked in the job area. “Hmm... Let’s see here. What jobs are available? I mean, I have to have a job because I don’t want to sit around in this chair all day long. I really can’t picture me, a millionaire, working as a house maid for someone I don’t even know. I mean, it’s so much better being a millionaire and a Christian, but I’ve gotta find a job! God has been so good to me! I guess I will take a break from finding a job and write a little more on my computer.”
She went to the office and started typing. Her story was about the families of Charleston and how they lived during World War II. She didn’t even think of what she was typing, yet she had typed up nearly 50 pages in one hour! She walked downstairs to the kitchen to get another cup of coffee. She had just poured milk into the cup when the doorbell rang. She hurried to the door and opened it up.
On the doorstep, sat an oddly-shaped package with her name on it. That’s odd, I have only lived in this house for about one day and I am already getting a package? I wonder what it is? She opened grabbed the package and took it to the kitchen where she grabbed a knife to open it up. Something smells funny. I think this package is ticking or something. Oh my gosh I remember this from a movie. I think it’s a bomb!
She quickly grabbed the package and threw it out of the window.
“KABOOOOMMM!!!!”
There was a moment where all she could here was her steady breathing. She blinked and sat up. Her heart was racing and smoke was coming up from a window.
“Gotta call the police, gotta call the police,” she said as she ran to the hallway to get her cellphone. She dialed 911.
“911, what is your emergency?”
“There was a package and it-it exploded and I almost died!”
“Mam, you’re gonna need to slow down. Do you need medical care?”
“No. I’m alright, but I think the police and maybe the fire department need to come,”
“Okay what is your address?”
She gave her address, hung up the phone, a began to cry. She did not know why she was crying, but she did know that the Lord had been there the whole time, protecting her. She stood up as the police and fire department came into her house.
“O-over there,” she said and pointed to the window by her kitchen.
One of the police officers came over to her, “I am gonna need to ask you a few questions. Tell me everything that happened,”
“Ok. I was making coffee and I heard the doorbell ring. I went to the door and picked up the package. It was about this big and was wrapped in brown wrapping paper. I took it to my kitchen and grabbed a knife to open it up. That’s when I smelled something funny and heard ticking. I threw the package out the window and well, that’s pretty much it,” said Tanya, who was wrapped in a scratchy grey blanket and sitting on the edge of an ambulance. She sighed as she saw Carl running up.
“Are you okay Miss Tanya?”
“Tanya, not Miss Tanya, and yes I am fine. How did you hear about this?”
“I didn’t. I saw because I was driving by on my way to the grocery store,” said Carl.
“So, what is the police doing?”
“They are trying to find any fingerprint samples and any others clues. Is there anything else you can tell me?” asked the police officer.
“Carl, can you um pray with me?”
“I would love to.”
“Dear Jesus, Thank you for sparing my life. I know that you are with me all the time. Please help me not to forget that. Show me your motive for the situation. Help the police officers to find what they are looking for. Thank you for all that you do for me everyday. I love you Lord Jesus. Amen.”
“Amen.”

***




TO BE CONTINUED...