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Previously on Matthew's Journals...
Theo came to me with the best news that I’ve ever heard. He had just bought his own place, in the suburbs of town and that he wanted me to be his adopted son. I was ecstatic. I had no ties to cut with the orphanage, except for a girl who seemed to have grown fond of me. I asked Theo could also adopt her, seeing as she was the only one who wasn’t slightly afraid of me. Theo agreed and from then on, I thought us three would be a happy family...
The Continuation of Matthew's Journals...
I was ever so wrong. Theo had bought a house in the suburbs, back before it had become what it is now. Before, it was the neighbourhood that everyone wanted to live in. Hardly any trouble comes from there. As the years progressed, the economy started to fail. I didn’t really pay much attention to that because I was living the happiest times of my life. Living with Theo and Erin. They became my family although Theo would always tease that Erin and I would fall in love, though she was older than me by two years. Although we were technically Theo’s children, he treated us as equals. Besides the fact that I thought of Theo as my father, I never saw Erin as my sister. I still saw her as the girl who seemed a bit too interested in what I was thinking. It wasn’t until my sixteenth birthday till I realized that we may be more than just friends. Theo had gone out to pick up my present, although he used the same excuse as every year that he had to get the car tuned. Erin and I were watching some sort of horror movie and Erin despised movies that included suspense or blood and gore. But since it was birthday, she allowed it to slide. She and I were sitting quite close, when the scary parts came up, she would tighten her grip on my arm and hand and would shut her eyes. I would just laugh at her and she would punch me right in the arm. I don’t recall exactly how it happened, but somehow, we ended up kissing one another. Three years ago may not seem much, but when you’re taking life one day at a time, you forget a lot of things. When we heard the car pulling up, Erin pushed me off and ran to the washroom. Her hair was dismayed from our interaction period. After that, we became more and more expressive, behind the back of the public and Theo, of course. After all, according to the city, we were brothers and sister. We decided that this was love and how can it not be? We’ve known each other for a long time, I can’t stop thinking about her. Even now, as I continue to write on, I miss her. We knew we were in love, we felt we were in love. I could never imagine, at that time, how I would live without her. Theo knew it, he had caught us doing the deed more than enough times. But he would never tell it to us, I guess he was considerate. After all, he was the one teasing about it back then. Life went on happily, until Theo passed away.
Theo passed away a couple of months after my sixteenth birthday. Erin was explaining to me how she was accepted to a school overseas. She was undecided but she was eager to bring the news to Theo. Then we heard the phone ring, it was from the hospital. Theo was driving when the heart attack hit him. Luckily, this all happened during rush hour. Theo’s death proved to be the deciding force to her choice. She felt that after the following events, she did not want to stick around to remember Theo. The funeral service only included Erin, myself and Theo’s lawyer. Theo was the last person of his actual family and never got married, though he loved kids. I tried not to shed tears in that moment, but Erin couldn’t help it. As they buried Theo’s casket, Theo’s lawyer began to explain why he was present. Theo had apparently been saving up for his entire life, and had passed down everything he owned to me and Erin. From his house, to the car he drove to money in his banks and the password to a safety box that he owned. The only requirement was that before we could claim ownership, we had to go retrieve the safety box. We did as Theo had wished and we were surprised by content of his safety box. Theo had written a letter for us to read. Actually, here, I’ll tape the actual letter here, so I know I won’t lose it.
Dearest Matthew and Erin,
If you are reading this, then I have passed away. I am deeply sorry that this event had to happen. The doctors have warned me that I might be hit by a heart attack but I did not want to worry you. You two are so happy, compared to your lives at the orphanage. But I won’t reminisce about the past. This letter reaching you means that you know that everything I own is now yours, as how it has always been. I’m not sure what you will do with the house, sell it if you’d like, but I have saved enough money for both of you to go through university here. Assuming that Matthew gets accepted. Matthew, you’re a smart person with a passion that I barely see in teenagers your age, don’t waste your life. Erin, I have no doubt that you’ll be accepted wherever you choose to apply. I’m sorry that I will not be there to see you both graduate. I know you are in love with one another, but build your future first, before thinking about anything. You both know that I am fully aware of what happens in my house, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I know what love feels like, I held love in my hands before. I had never told you, but my wife passed away in a fire. Do not mourn for me, for I am going to be reunited with my love, with your mother. Here I go again, rambling on. Along with this letter, I’m sure you’ve found the other articles that were in it. A ring that use to belong to my wife, it was recovered in the fire. A necklace that has been passed down for generations. I pass it onto you, Matthew. And along with those objects, there lies a piece of paper, in full detail, how much money I’ve saved up for you both, my bank card and its password. I hope you will make use of this gift that I have given you both, and I know you’ll both do me proud.
Love,
Theo
There we go, now I know I’ll never lose the last thing Theo had given me. Like I mentioned before, I’m nineteen now. Erin is twenty-one. You’re now pretty much caught up to where I am, minus insignificant pieces here and there. But I’ll tell you one thing though, I proposed to Erin right before she left overseas, with the same ring that Theo gave his wife. We got married when she turned eighteen, then left to continue her studies overseas. Being in the suburbs reminded her too much of Theo. I had to give up my own education for her to be able to pay for the tuition fee and travel expenses, but it was a sacrifice that I was more than willing to take. Erin insisted on splitting Theo’s money fifty-fifty, but I convinced her that she needed most of it, she was the one who was going to live in a foreign country. I managed to barter her to keep ninety-eight percent of what Theo had left. You might be thinking how two percent had managed to keep me alive for three years. Let’s just say that that two percent is not even close to diminishing. Of course, I had to keep adding to that two percent to make sure it never disappears forever. I receive letters from her every two months. She’s become a brilliant scientist, and is working on a cure for heart attacks and all that jazz. Sometimes I would see her name in the newspaper. I guess you’re caught up now, reader. Christmas is coming to an end, I suppose I should get some sleep. I think you should put this journal down and go do something else. You can’t emerge yourself in my story, after all, I don’t think it’ll get any more interesting. Well, Merry Christmas to you and I, and you can thank Erin for giving me this book to write on. Goodnight.
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