CHAPTER ELEVEN – HER SON?
The day Jimmy was to visit Teddy in her duplex, he woke early and decided to look extra good. Jimmy was known to be extra dramatic in everything he did. His grandparents watched him with confused expressions as he cleaned up and sang loudly as he took his bath, His grandmother stepped into the room and looked at the bed, Jimmy had laid out clothes to use and had still not chosen any at all,
"Who is this lady?" His grandmother asked her voice weak and shaky, she sat on the bed and waited for his reply.
Jimmy did not hear her over his loud singing and didn't even hear when she entered the room. As he stepped out of the bathroom, he was shocked to see his grandmother seated on his bed,
"Granny, is something wrong? You scared me," Jimmy asked with his towel draped around him,
"I asked who this mystery lady you're going to see is, you seem very excited and you've blocked out ears with your singing," Grany asked, she picked up a shirt and felt it, it was silk. Jimmy loved silk clothes, and bright colored ones, he had earned the nickname flower boy around the area, his silk clothes always had some sort of flower design on them.
"She is a nice elegant lady I met a few days ago, it was just yesterday and she asked me to come have lunch with her today, at her home," Jimmy replied, he wore a shirt and tossed it, took another shirt and tossed it too,
"Well does she have a name?" Granny asked, holding up a shirt she felt was nice,
"Theodora but she prefers Teddy," Jimmy said, he collected the shirt from his grandmother tried it on, and winked at her,
"Oh, That's Rex's widow," Granny replied,
"You know her?" Jimmy asked,
"Yes, nearly everyone around here knows her, do have a good time," Granny replied and walked out of the room.
Jimmy finished dressing and hurried out of the house, he could not explain his joy or happiness well enough to anyone who asked, this was not dinner with someone he loved or an outing with someone he fancied, this was lunch with an old lady, an old lady he wished he knew more about, an old lady he wished was his mother.
Jimmy hailed a cab and gave the driver directions to Teddy's home. Jimmy was excited and could remember every detail about Teddy from the previous day, he remembered clearly the discussions he had held with Teddy the previous day.
The driver turned into a quiet street and pulled the car to a stop in front of Teddy's duplex, Jimmy got out of the car, handed the driver the fare, and walked up to the porch. As Jimmy walked he noticed the gardens were becoming a bit overgrown, the front door had a crack and the wooden fence looked old. He pressed the doorbell and waited to hear a response from within but heard none, he waited for a few minutes and as he lifted his hands to press the doorbell again, the door swung open.
Teddy stood at the door and held it open for him, Teddy admired his dress and was glad he had not decided to cancel,
"Welcome Jimmy, please make yourself comfortable, I'm laying out the table," Teddy said and turned to head back to the kitchen, Jimmy cleared his throat, Teddy stopped at the door and turned, "Is anything the matter?"
"I'm sorry if I'm being too forward but making myself comfortable would require me helping you lay out the meal if you don't mind," Jimmy said and looked Teddy in the eyes,
"That will be very okay Jimmy, nice shirt by the way, it's got a lot of cheer in it," Teddy replied and walked into the kitchen. Jimmy looked at the shirt and smiled,
"Thank you, Teddy,"
Jimmy held the two plates and dished out the food, Teddy grabbed orange juice from the fridge, and in minutes they were seated at the kitchen table for lunch,
"Feels odd I let you into my kitchen the first day you visited," Teddy said and started eating,
"Oh, that, I uhm feel it's for the best," Jimmy said and wondered why she did not pray before eating,
"So, Jimmy tell me about yourself," Teddy asked as she ate, she sipped from her glass and waited for his response,
"Uhm there's nothing much to know, uhm I'm an orphan, I live with my grandparents, I have anxiety disorders and I never met my mom, I was born in 1981," Jimmy had no sign of grief on his face, he instead ate happily and still had that bright smile on his face,
"This must be the first time I have seen someone relay so much bad information with cheer on their faces, that is what I like about you Jimmy, you are bubbly and full of energy," Teddy said and looked at him as he ate,
"Thank you, Teddy, I suppose that is Mr. Rex, my grandma told me about your husband, how are you holding up?" Jimmy asked pointing at a big portrait on the wall,
"Yes that is my husband, I think I am in the healing phase, and sitting here at this table is helping me heal, it's good to have your company," Teddy looked at the big portrait of Rex on the wall and sighed.
"I'm happy to help," Jimmy looked up, "So tell me what do I have to know about you?" Jimmy said in a cheerful voice,
"Oh, I am a widow, I have a daughter that I have never seen aside from the day she was born and a few days after that, I think that's the basic there is to know," Teddy said and after a while, she added "My daughter is probably your age, are you done eating, I will like to show you her picture," Teddy stood up and took her plates to the sink, she looked at his and noticed he had stopped eating,
"Yes, I am satisfied," Jimmy stood up and dropped his plates on the sink.
Teddy walked in front and led the way to her room, as she walked, she pointed out pictures and told him who they were, Pictures of Rex, Blaine, and her friends from New York. There was no picture of Karl and Teddy decided not to tell him about Karl, there was no need for him to know that her husband was once a soldier.
Teddy opened the door to her room and walked in, she walked over to the drawer and pulled out the letters and pictures, she handed them to Jimmy and looked at him as he looked at each picture,
"There is a striking resemblance between you two I must admit, so why have you not been to see her yet?" Jimmy asked,
"She feels I dumped her and I don't know how to redeem myself from that, I have been distant from her for reasons best known to me, I only initiated contact with her grandmother a few years ago," Teddy sat on the bed and bowed her head,
"I assure you, showing up to her is the best thing you can do right now, there's nothing as sweet as having your mom waltz back into your life, the anger and pain are there, but it all fades with time," Jimmy said and dropped the pictures back on the drawer, "Can I read these?" Jimmy said holding up the letters,
"I think you can, I dunno, if you want to," Teddy replied,
"Of course I want to," Jimmy said and opened the first letter,
"Well then help yourself," As Jimmy read, Teddy watched his expressions, sometimes Jimmy smiled, sometimes he laughed and sometimes he just maintained a very blank expression.
"This is impressive, it's good to know you are keeping in touch with her, that is all that matters," Jimmy tied the letters back into a bundle and placed it back in the drawer,
"You don't get it, I don't write directly to her, and I have told her grandmother to not tell her about me, I feel it would disrupt the flow of things," Teddy said,
"I understand that, but trust me, coming from a boy that grew up without a mother, she would be mad at you but she would still love you," Jimmy said, Jimmy moved around freely touching things and dropping them back, he wondered if he was feeling too comfortable, but in Teddy's eyes he was just perfect,
"So, tell me about you Jimmy, do you have a girlfriend?" Teddy said and looked into his eyes, waiting for a response, Teddy noticed the sudden blank expression on his face immediately after she asked the question. Teddy hoped she had not struck the wrong nerve,
"Teddy there's something I need to tell you, something I assumed you know already, something I feel not ashamed of anymore," Jimmy said as he sat on the bed and hoped Teddy would not join the band of people that rejected him,
"If it's something you don't feel comfortable about, you don't have to talk about it," Teddy said,
"No, it's fine, I have to get it out," Jimmy took a deep breath and prepared himself to drop the bomb, "Well, Teddy I am gay," Jimmy said and dropped his head down and waited for the lash of words that would come next, Jimmy got up from the bed and walked to the door.
The silence in the room was deafening and Teddy watched him go to the door and wondered why he was walking away,
"Where are you going?" Teddy asked,
"Home?" Jimmy replied with fear in his voice,
"And why is that?" Teddy asked, she knew why he was about to leave,
"I'm guessing you might not want me around," Jimmy replied nervously,
"Relax, Jimmy everything is fine, I do not have a problem with your sexuality, I still see you as the same person," Teddy said relaxing into a wide grin.
Jimmy laughed and walked back into the room; the bedroom was big enough to have a three-sitter couch in it. Jimmy walked to the couch and sat on it, he had no idea how best to initiate a conversation again, he sat on the couch and remained mute.
Teddy walked to the couch sat at the other end, and whispered into his ears,
"So, who is the guy making you smile?" Teddy said and smiled, Jimmy looked at her and for the first time he felt the real love and care he had always wanted. Teddy gave enough of that warmth, Jimmy felt a sudden sense of relief cascade over him, he looked at her and his eyes were misty instantly, Jimmy struggled to hold back the tears that formed,
"I have always sought this kind of support and never found it, thank you, Teddy, in a short period, you have opened your arms to me and showed me the love of a mother, a love I never knew felt like, thank you, Teddy," Jimmy said and sniffed, Jimmy held back his head to push back the tears that came streaming down his eyes.
"Jimmy, you will be fine, I've got you," Teddy said and patted his back.
CHAPTER TWELVE – THE WILL
Teddy laid out all her mink coats and checked them out as she wore them, Jimmy stood at the other side of the wardrobe looking at the large collection of pieces of jewelry. The Jewelry all had a design that marked they were of royalty, but Teddy did not explain as to their source.
"I can swear this was worn by some kind of German monarch," Jimmy said holding up a necklace, Teddy looked at it and the necklace quickly brought memories to her,
"I think I got that around 1940," Teddy said and turned away,
"These are all luxurious, you have a large collection," Jimmy replaced the necklace,
"Try this on," Teddy said handing Jimmy a mink coat, the coat was a bit too long for her, and Jimmy being the tall one, looked like a perfect fit.
Jimmy threw the coat on his body, mimicking a movie star, He did a catwalk to the front of the tall mirror and back,
"Mink coats were a thing back then and you have so many of them, the same way you own these leather bags," Jimmy picked up a bag and slung it over his shoulder.
Teddy suddenly remembered where she had gotten these things from, they were all loot from wars, these things belonged to some couple, and the mink coat belonged to a soldier's wife he was afraid would not survive the cold.
Kaarl had equipped her wardrobe with a bunch of stolen clothes then, the pieces of jewelry the bags, and the shoes were all spoils from the war. These things were not genuinely hers. Jimmy tried on each clothes and checked out himself in the mirror.
"These are all priceless outfits," Jimmy said as collapsed on the cushioned chair. Jimmy noticed the sudden change in Teddy's reaction and looked at her face closely trying to figure out what the matter was,
"Teddy, is everything okay?" Jimmy asked and tapped her hand. She jolted as those being woken up from a trance or a dream,
"Yes, everything is fine, I can't help but try to figure out where this necklace must have come from, I agree it looks like royalty, but I can't quite remember where I bought it," Teddy lied, Jimmy had been truthful to her and told her everything about his life, in the past weeks since they had known each other, Jimmy had been very cheerful, telling her everything there is to know, she wondered what Jimmy would think or how he would react if he knew the true source of these outfits.
Teddy waved the thought from her head, there was no need to tell Jimmy. It's been months since her encounter with Jimmy at the saloon. Now Jimmy was like her son, she listened to him when he had issues and she offered bits of advice, Jimmy was a cheerful person and his presence helped her heal from her husband's demise.
The evening was going well and as Jimmy packed the mink coats and jewelry back into the closet, Teddy sat still in the comfort of the cushion staring into space. Teddy had tried many times to travel and see her daughter but there was always something holding her back. Teddy had hidden the letters of the correspondence with the lawyer in Paris, but she had made sure all her buildings were maintained and the money was safe.
Jimmy turned to the couch and noticed that Teddy was not blinking and neither was she moving, her face was blank and she did nothing but stare into space.
"Teddy you good?" Jimmy walked close to her and noticed she was having difficulty breathing. Teddy's breathing was short and she tried to take in more air but she couldn't. Jimmy rushed and laid her down on the bed. Jimmy had never experienced anyone with a heart attack before, He ran outside the house yelling for help.
A passing car screeched to a halt and a man in his fifties alighted from the car, ran up to Teddy, and tried to calm him down to know what the matter was,
"Hold your horses champ, what is the matter?" The old man asked,
"She is having a heart attack!" Jimmy yelled and pointed to the building.
The man ran into the house with Jimmy in front, he got to where Teddy lay and tried to get her to his car, Teddy felt very dizzy, with her weight on the elderly man, he struggled to get down the stairs. Teddy closed her eyes and felt her breath dying, her chest felt tight with paint, she felt lightheaded, and could feel her arm go numb.
The man put her in the back of his car and Jimmy got into the front seat, the driver blared his horn loudly as he drove into the traffic of cars, cars understood he was in a hurry and quickly made way for him to pass.
They got to the hospital and yelled for the nurses, a stretcher was brought in and Teddy rushed into one of the wards, immediately the nurses swung into action, the man that drove Teddy to the hospital changed into his robes and entered the ward, Jimmy was shocked to see that he was a doctor as well. A nurse pushed Jimmy out of the ward and closed the door.
A few seconds later a nurse reappeared with a form for Teddy to fill, he filled it as her son and waited for any response from the nurses in Teddy's room. Jimmy walked up and down the corridor waiting for new and blocking every nurse and doctor that passed.
The man that had driven them, was the first to open the door and walk out of the ward. Jimmy ran up to him immediately, the expression on his face could tell it all. The hard part of a doctor's job is that they learn to live with and with years of experience in the profession they still could not do it without being emotional. The hard part was to be the messenger of bad news.
"How is she?!" Jimmy asked immediately after he reached the doctor, The old man looked at him and placed his hand on Jimmy's shoulder, The suspense was becoming an issue for him and he tried to be calm, "Talk to me Doctor, what happened, is she going to be alright?!" Jimmy asked with anger rising,
"We lost her, she didn't make it, I'm sorry but she's dead, apparently she has had multiple heart attacks, this was not the first and from what I noticed she had no medication for it," the doctor managed to say.
Teddy had been living with the medical condition for a while and sometimes it was a miracle how she didn't have to go to the hospital to be better. Most of the time Teddy lay in bed and the pain would recede by itself.
"I never knew about the heart attack, I have known her for months now, there's got to be something you can do doctor, bring her back to life, raise her back to life, please," Jimmy held his coat, as the tears in his eyes welled up again, he took out a napkin from his pocket and blew his nose.
A stretcher from the mortuary section of the hospital wheeled Teddy away from the ward, there were no signs of life in her, as they wheeled her out of the ward and passed Jimmy, he stopped them and requested to see her face again. A nurse obliged and opened the large clothes covering her face, Jimmy looked at her and held back the tears.
Jimmy walked out of the hospital feeling lonely and weak. In the past months, Jimmy had met Teddy, and his life had changed, he no longer feared anything. He felt secure and would always run to Teddy when he experienced anxiety, He walked over to a bench by the road and sat there, he stuffed his hand into the pockets of the coat he wore and tried to calm himself.
***********
The Theodora Bellmont was buried it rained, and people dressed in black and holding black umbrellas stood by the side of the grave and wept, none of Teddy's friends were there, there was no way of them knowing that their friend was dead, only the people she had met in Oklahoma where present. Jimmy sat in front and listened to the preacher give the "everything has a season" message.
"Maybe this was not the time to die," Jimmy said to himself as the preacher continued with his preaching, he looked at the big picture of Teddy that was propped up in a corner, the portrait looked beautiful, Teddy in her glory, the black and white picture displayed everything everyone knew about Teddy, her smile showed her strength and confidence, the ring and chain on her neck showed just how much wealth she had amassed, her hairstyle was the same hair Jimmy had made for her the first time they met.
As Jimmy mulled over all these things, he closed his eyes and sniffed in, He remembered Teddy's daughter. She was probably in her fifties now. The preacher finished his preaching and Jimmy was called to take the stand and say a few things about Teddy. Jimmy walked up and faced the crowd and as he looked at the portrait and the crowd, he was mute and he felt the tears coming again, he finally took a deep breath and spoke to the crowd.
"For some of us or all of us here who knew Teddy, we know her as a good person, Teddy was the only one I know that could look at you and decide to see only the goof in you, she had a way of making you feel safe and making you feel good, I met Teddy a few months ago just the day after she buried her husband, and in those few years, I feel happy to have been touched by her," Jimmy stopped talking and the tears rolled freely from his eyes, he cleaned them and looked up, "God rest her soul," He said and walked back to his seat, the crowd dispersed as the grave was been sealed.
Everyone walked up to each other saying their normal burial banter, a few people he knew walked up to him and pressed his shoulder in a reassuring squeeze.
As they covered the grave, Jimmy got up from the chair put his hands in his pocket, and proceeded to walk home, his mind was filled with thoughts and memories of the times he visited Teddy, the long hours they spent discussing irrelevant things.
A man in a black suit, greying with age walked up to Jimmy, he had a small walking stick to support himself,
"Excuse me you must be James Hoffman," the man asked and leaned on a car to regain himself, his breathing was short and weak,
"Yes, I am, are you having a heart attack?" Jimmy asked and walked over to the man,
"No not at all, I am fine, I am here to deliver, the last will of Teddy, I know this is not the right time to do this, but I can't tell how long I have in me," The old man said,
"And you are?" Jimmy asked and looked at the man with suspicion,
"Edgar Brightwood, her lawyer, and the will is simple," Edgar took out the single piece of paper and read out Teddy's will,
"In the event of my death, I will everything I won to James Hoffman, he knows me more than anyone around me, along with this will there's a list of all the properties I own in Oklahoma and Paris, there's a letter to be read only by Jimmy, and please Jimmy, I know you are listening to this, find my daughter and let her know how much I cared about her," Edgar finished reading and handed a paper over to Jimmy and asked him to sign.
Shocked by this revelation, Jimmy signed the document and handed it to Edgar. Edgar gave him the documents to the properties and the letter and walked away.
Jimmy held the documents to his chest and walked home, then he changed his direction from going to his grandparents' house and walked to the duplex where Teddy had spent her last cheerful days.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN – THE REAL TEDDY?
Jimmy entered the house and decided to go ahead and read the letter, as he sat on the couch, he opened the letter Teddy had addressed to him, from the date she wrote it, Jimmy could tell that she had written the letter a long time ago.
As Jimmy read through each line, he got to know a new side of Teddy he had never known and would never have known,
"You must believe me when I say, I am sorry for holding this information back from you all this time, Kaarl is no more and all these things are in the past, I just feel you ought to know about me before you head on to Paris or London, to find my daughter."
That line part of the letter made him angry. Teddy had a husband that served in The Fuhrers' command, he had heard stories of these people. The more he read, he felt his skin crawl for having enjoyed these spoils from the war. Jimmy decided there and then to hand over every inheritance to her daughter.
"In my last years on earth, I tried to compensate for not having trained and supported my daughter and I decided to support you, I know the pains you go through Jimmy, but from everything you have read about me, you know who I am. Sold into marriage at a young age, forced to give up my child, raped, abused, and used as an object of fun, I ran away when I had to, and I don't regret it."
Jimmy never knew that Teddy had to go through things like this. All the time he knew her, he had pegged her for being strong. Did she cry at night? Did she feel weak sometimes? Did she go through any trauma from having to experience these things? These questions ran through his mind as he asked and realized he would never know the answers to them.
The letter Teddy had written was a long list of things Jimmy never knew about her, it felt like an autobiography. Jimmy folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. He looked through the rest of the files and they were filled with papers and pictures.
"How do I fund her daughter? She could be married or even currently not in London?" Jimmy thought to himself, it felt like a big burden. Teddy had placed on him.
He stood up from the chair and decided to take a tour around the house, as he walked to each section, he remembered memories he had shared with Teddy. Teddy had been the mother he never had and each time he touched an item of memory, he felt goosebumps rush through him.
The kitchen reminded him of every meal he had eaten there, the sink, the plates, everything was clean just as he had left them the last time he ate. The burial had been rushed over and he had not had any time to be back in the house since the day she had the heart attack, he had contemplated sending a letter to Teddy's mother but decided against it.
As he walked into the bedrooms, although he had only been in one of the bedrooms, he wondered why Teddy never let him into the other bedroom, as he entered this particular room. He switched on the light and immediately knew the reason. The room had pictures and full portraits of Rex, maybe she had decided not to remind herself of her dead husband and pushed all his pictures into this room.
The dust from the room chased him out. He touched the pictures on the walls and it reminded him of her telling him about each picture when it was taken, and sometimes a back story of who took the picture. As much as he tried to, the room he didn't want to enter was Teddy's bedroom. Teddy's bedroom was where they had the most fun, they looked over magazines, tried out dressing, and took out time to admire her jewelry.
As he placed his hand on the cold steel door handle, he closed his eyes and pushed the door open. A sharp sting of nostalgia rushed surged through him in a wave. Jimmy stood at the door and contemplated whether to turn away or enter the room, he stepped into the room and he could easily hear the loud ring of her laughter in his head.
He walked to the wardrobe and stared at the clothes inside the wardrobe. The mink coats gave him a different feeling, knowing all these things were from the spoils of war, all the gold in each box, the rings and bracelets. He felt bad and angry at Teddy for having these things, and then he felt bad for having to blame her when all she did was receive gifts. He had not seen a picture of Kaarl and as he searched through the drawers, he found nothing concerning Kaarl, no letters, no pictures, nothing, it was as if he only existed in her memory.
Jimmy sat on the bed and decided to look for Wilhelmina and relay her mother's message. He remembered the times he had urged her to reach out but she never did.
Jimmy stood up and walked over to the drawer where the letters were kept, and took out one of the letters from Wilhelmina's grandmother. As he held it up, he realized for the first time, that the VB in "Mrs. Elizabeth VB" meant Von Behrens, and that was Kaarl's mother. He waved the thought aside, took out a sheet of paper, and began to write.
He decided to write to Teddy's mother as well and as he held the ink in his hand, he looked for words and decided to write anything that came to mind.
Dear Mrs. Knight,
I am sorry this letter is coming rather late and you might be mad for not being invited to this. Your daughter Theodora Bellmont passed on in Oklahoma days ago. She had a mild heart attack and could not make it. I am sorry I did not invite you to the funeral but the funeral was rushed over. I am James Hoffman, a friend of Theodora. One of her last wishes to me was for me to ensure I find her daughter Wilhelmina, she tried as much as she could to visit her, but certain things stood in her way and made it impossible. Please any information you can help with would be useful, thank you. I am sorry for this loss.
James Hoffman
A friend.
Jimmy looked at the letter and read through it, over and over, he hoped Teddy's mother was alive or at least someone was living at The Knight House as Teddy fondly called it. He took out another paper and decided to write to Wilhelmina directly, but immediately decided against it, there was no chance, Wilhelmina was still residing with her grandmother. Teddy had ceased to write letters for a long time and Jimmy was sure within that time Wilhelmina must have moved out.
The task of locating her daughter was going to be a difficult one, he knew this and then finally after much thought he decided to write to Kaarl's mother.
Dear Mrs. Von Behrens
I am sorry this letter is coming at this time but there is no better time. Mrs. Theodora Bellmont, Wilhelmina's mother, passed on a few days ago. I am sorry I should have informed you of this at least to have her daughter present at her burial. Things happened too fast. I am James Hoffman, a friend of Teddy, I was close to her before her death and she told me about Wilhelmina, the time I knew her she felt really bad for not coming to get her child. But at the time of her death, she asked me to make sure her daughter knew the truth, that she did not abandon her.
I know this is too much to take in, but I will be glad if you can help with any information at all on how I can find Wilhelmina. Thank you
James Hoffman
A Friend
Jimmy sat on the chair and looked at both letters. The letters were both addressed to old people he hoped would still be alive. Jimmy stood up from the chair and locked the bedroom doors in the house. As he locked each door, he relieved each moment he had spent behind those doors, as he got to the front door. He locked it and looked at the doorknob again and again. He walked to the mailbox placed the letter in it and walked away, hoping and praying for a response.
**********
Days passed and Jimmy checked the mailbox for a reply but no later came through, the mailbox lay bare and empty each day he checked, there was no reply. Letters from the lawyer in Paris came in and it now bore James Hoffman as the owner of the properties.
Jimmy still felt guilty knowing that those buildings were ceased from persons forcefully during the war. Money kept pilling and he had not touched any, feeling guilt and nervousness from waiting to hear from Teddy's mother and her mother-in-law, James decided to travel to London and do the manhunt himself.
As he packed his bags and prepared his mind for his first trip on an airplane to London, he worried how he would find Wilhelmina.
Jimmy hailed a cab heading for the airport, he stopped at Teddy's duplex, as he opened the door and walked into the house, a cold chilling sensation swept through his body, it was as if he could feel Teddy's ghost walking through the walls.
He hurried up the stairs, grabbed all the pieces of jewelry into a box, and put them in the basement. He hurried back to Teddy's room and took as many pictures of Wilhelmina as he could find and also pictures of Teddy.
The cab driver blared his horn and Jimmy ran down the stairs and got into the cab. He worried about how he would relay the news to Wilhelmina from his calculations she was bound to be fifty or sixty at this point.
The drive to the airport was solemn, the driver was quiet and didn't chat, Jimmy enjoyed quiet car rides, but on this day, he wished it to be different, he wished the driver would talk about any random event, anything that was going to take his mind off the things that run through it.
The cab stopped at the airport and Jimmy alighted, the driver took out his bags from the trunk for him, paid the fare, and walked into the airport. The booking process was smooth and though he had not booked earlier, he felt lucky to find a seat on the next plane.
The airport lounge was filled with different people, Jimmy watched them go about their business, he wondered what was going through their heads, whether were they also on a manhunt like him, or whether was there anybody in the crowd of travelers who was also a messenger bearing bad news. His flight was announced, he picked up his bag and walked to the line.
"You will be fine Jimmy" Jimmy randomly remembered Teddy's words, he turned to look at the man behind him, the words sounded so clear it felt like Teddy had whispered the words to him herself.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN – WILHELMINA FRASER
The air outside the airport in London was not as chill as Jimmy had expected, it was summertime and the sun shone down, bringing enough light but not as much heat. But to Jimmy, it was hot enough, the heat of the tar burned against the thin soles of his slides. Jimmy knew immediately he should have worn the sneakers and not the slides, "I wonder who wears slides on a hunt," He waved and immediately a cab pulled up to him.
"Where're we going suh?" The cab driver asked, his accent gave him away quickly,
"I need a hotel, do you know any I can use?" Being in London for the first time, Jimmy wondered if asking for suggestions from strangers was the right thing to do,
"You're American, I guess, hop in, I know a nice hotel you can use," The driver said, he poked his head out of the car and noticed the boxes.
The driver got out of the car opened his trunk lifted Jimmy's boxes into the opened trunk and slammed it shut. Jimmy got into the car and instant confusion set in as to where the driver seat was meant to be, he felt an instant culture shock and nearly laughed.
"You good back there?" the driver asked noticing the expression on Jimmy's face as he struggled to hold back his laughter.
"Yes, I'm fine thank you, we can leave now," Jimmy replied and looked out the window.
The drive down to the hotel was smooth, Jimmy looked at the buildings with excitement, he wondered about the possibility of Wilhelmina being inside one of those buildings. The instant realization of why he was in London brought memories of Teddy back to his mind, he wondered what would be happening now if she was still alive.
The driver stopped the car in front of a large building, the hotel was attached to other buildings, Jimmy looked at it and wondered if the hotel occupied the whole block from end to end.
"This is it, sir," the driver said looking at Jimmy through the rear mirror,
"Could you help me out, I'm here looking for someone and the only thing I've got is an address, can you help me find this house," Jimmy handed a piece of paper with the address of the Knight House to the driver.
The driver received the paper, looked at it over and over, and looked at Jimmy, the expression on his face quickly went sour, he looked at Jimmy with suspicion and shook his head,
"No sir, I can't take you there," The driver said with his face blank,
"You can't or you won't?" Jimmy asked still sitting comfortably at the back of the car,
"Same thing, I can't and I won't, you asked for a hotel, this one is good enough," the driver said, he opened his door and opened his trunk, taking out Jimmy's bag he placed them on the curb, and waited for Jimmy to step out.
Jimmy stepped out of the car and took a glance at the driver, he paid his fare, and the driver zoomed off.
Jimmy walked into the lobby pulling his bag along, he walked up to the receptionist and paid for a room. As he was about to walk away, he stopped and turned to the receptionist,
"Do you operate a car hire service?" Jimmy asked,
"No, we don't, but we can recommend one, or have one brought to you," The receptionist replied with a smile on her face, she looked cheerful and happy,
"I think I will like one, please can I get one immediately with a driver," Jimmy said walking back to the receptionist's desk,
"I will try my best sir, I will call your room when it's ready," The receptionist said and picked up the phone and started dialing a number,
"Thank you," Jimmy mouthed the words and walked away.
As he stood waiting for the elevator doors to swing open a man stood next to him and winked at him, he turned to the man and turned his face back to the elevator door. Under normal circumstances, Jimmy would have gone with that flow and possibly told it to Teddy later the next day or whenever he saw her, but the time Jimmy was in London, he had no drive to engage in fun.
The elevator bell binged and the doors swung open, Jimmy walked into the elevator and waited for the man to enter before hitting the button for the floor where his room was located. The elevator ride to his room was silent, Jimmy again hated the silence he always cherished.
The bell went off and the doors slid open, Jimmy walked out. Took out the room key and saw the number on it, He walked room to room on each side of the hallway checking the numbers until he got to the door of his room. He opened the door and stepped him.
Jimmy took off his jacket and immediately his back hit the bed, the room phone rang, he guessed it was the receptionist.
"Hello, good evening sir, we found a free car, and the driver is waiting out the front door," The receptionist said, Jimmy could not see her face, but with the way she sounded, Jimmy could feel she was either happy about something, or this was her normal way of speaking,
"Alright thank you, I will be down immediately," Jimmy said as he sprung into action, and put on his sneakers, this time he hurried down the stairs as he decided not to take the elevator.
The car was waiting outside the hotel just as the receptionist had said and the plate number matched the one on the paper she gave. The driver stood up from the bonnet immediately when he saw Jimmy approach the car.
"Good evening sir, I am your driver for the period you will be available here, just give me your directions and I will drive," The driver said and offered his hands up for a handshake,
"Perfect, we need to go to The Knight House, the address is on this paper," Jimmy handed the paper to the driver and looked at him, his expression was still the same.
"You sure you want to go hear sir?" The driver asked,
"Yes, I have to," Jimmy replied hoping he would not be turned down by the driver like the one had done,
"Alright then," the driver entered the car. Jimmy entered the back of the car and sat down,
"What is your name?" Jimmy asked, He wanted to make a small tank and eventually find out why people never wanted to go in that direction,
"I am Reynolds," the driver replied and focused his attention back on the road, he made turns smoothly and tried to drive,
"Nice Reynolds' I have a question to ask, I guess you know my name already?" Jimmy replied,
"Yes, I know your name, you are Jimmy, go on ask your question," Reynolds replied with his eyes still on the road, Jimmy looked at the road and turned back to the driver.
"I noticed the drivers have a hard time agreeing to take me to the Knight House what could be the matter?" Jimmy asked. The driver was mute for some time and did not reply, seconds later he took a deep breath and replied,
"Nothing much, the knight's house is on the outskirts of town, and years ago something occurred there, we don't know if it's a myth or true story, but the house is rumored to be haunted by the daughters of the Lord of the House because they were married off too early," the driver said and continued his driving, "And I guess we are worried why an American would choose there to be his first tourist site, you are a tourist right?" the driver asked, Jimmy,, thought of the answer to give and settled for yes,
"Yes, I am a tourist," Jimmy said and turned his face from the driver to the road and buildings they passed.
The drive to the Knight House took longer than Jimmy expected, they had left the hotel around noon, and the night was slowly drowing near when the driver stopped in front of the house.
The house was exactly what Teddy had described, the walls were high and the gates as well, it felt like a prison, the walls were not painted and no remodeling had been done. The house seemed quiet from the outside; Jimmy wondered if there was anyone in it.
He walked up to the gate and knocked on it, and no one replied, he hit the gate furiously and there was no reply, as he turned to walk away the gate swung open by itself, and the driver poked his head out of the window and yelled,
"I don't think it's wise to enter, besides there's no one here," the driver said and put his head back in the car,
Jimmy stood at the gate and decided to go in, as he walked in he imagined a younger Teddy on the window at the top of the house, knitting.
"Good evening, Sir, how may I help you?" a female voice said behind him,
Jimmy turned and saw an elderly lady, probably in her sixties,
"My name is James Hoffman, and I-"
"We got your letter, my mother died years ago, Teddy is my sister, and Wilhelmina is not here, you should check with the Behrens if there's anyone alive there," the lady said and walked back into the darkness she had come out off,
"Thank you," Jimmy said surprised, he had copied out the address of the Behrens.
The driver kept the engine running, Jimmy had barely closed the door, when he zoomed off,
"Be careful Reynolds, nothing is chasing us," Jimmy said,
"I just want to be out of here," the driver said and then looking in the mirror he looked at Jimmy, "Did you get the information you need?"
"I need to get to this place," Jimmy handed the note with the address to the Behrens home to the driver,
"I see you have a thing for old buildings," the driver said and smiled,
He turned the car and drove towards the home of the Behrens, in Teddy's later she had given a clear account of how she was married off to Kaarl, and as the driver made turns, Jimmy tried to relive the moments.
"We are here," the driver announced, "And uhm I think you should make it quick, we need to get back into the city before dawn,"
"Alright," Jimy said and slammed the car,
Jimmy had barely hit the gate when he spotted an old man seated on an old cane chair at the center of the courtyard. Jimmy hit the gate and it opened the first time he knocked.
The old man raised his head, looked at Jimmy, and put his head down on the floor, Jimmy walked up to him and after they exchanged pleasantries asked for Wilhelmina,
"And you are?" the old man asked again,
"James Hoffman, a friend of Theodora," Jimmy said again,
"My brother was married to Theodora, lovely gal then, Wilhelmina is married, and the marriage didn't go well," the old man said,
"Why and where can I find her?" James asked,
"I guess she hated everyone around her, she never knew her father and also never knew her mother, I guess it's hard growing up without knowing both parents," the old man coughed and cleared his throat, "Last I heard, she moved to her own home in the Scottish Highlands, I don't think you have any good news for her, but I suggest you approach with caution, Wilhelmina has grown quite harsh and rude." The old man rested his head down, Jimmy bowed and walked out of the yard.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN – MOVING ON?
Wilhelmina was not your regular old lady who sat on a rocking chair to knit or take care of her cat, Wilhelmina grew up without Kaarl her father, and never had a chance to see her mother, Theodora. From the little she knew he mother had abandoned her during the war and sent her home to stay with her grandparents. After the war, she hoped to hear from them but there was no news about them, her mother's mother had told her news of how Theodora her mother loved her and always sent letters to check on her, but she never received any of such letters.
These things had made her become who she was, she had grown up to be resentful, always hating anyone who got too close to her, she had been married to her husband and after a while, the love she had for him had grown to hate and disgust, she resented him for everything he did. When she had the chance, she moved out and lived in the Scottish Highlands, she never signed divorce papers and she never gave up her name.
Wilhelmina Fraser sat on her chair and did nothing, she stared into space and sometimes felt so lonely she called up her husband's home.
The knock on her door jolted her out of her thoughts, she stood up and walked to the door and looked through the peephole, the man she saw outside looked like an American and had a bag with him, he wore a free loose shirt and trousers with sneakers.
Wilhelmina opened the door and looked at the man,
"Good morning, my name is James Hoffman," Jimmy said and paused, "Please are you Wilhelmina Fraser, or is this her home?" Jimmy asked,
"I am Wilhelmina Fraser, how may I help you,"
Jimmy felt a feeling of relief surge through him, he had searched for two days and finally, he had Wilhelmina in front of him, he stood for a while and looked closely at her face and could see the striking resemblance between Teddy and the lady in front of him,
"Hello," Wilhelmina snapped her fingers at his face,
"I am sorry, I am just excited to have finally found you, and now I have difficulty telling you what it is that brought me here," Jimmy said, struggling with words in his head,
"Would you like to come in and sit?" Wilhelmina said she was shocked by her hospitality, she never asked anyone to come in and she was never this nice,
"Thank you very much," Jimmy said.
He followed her to her living room and sat on one of the couches, she offered him water and he drank the whole cup before setting the cup down.
"Okay, speak up," Wilhelmina said immediately after he dropped the cup,
"I'm a friend of your mother, Theodora," Jimmy said and paused, He could see the twist in her expression, she was slowly getting angry and he could see it in her expression
"And why do I have to know that?" Wilhelmina asked,
"She passed on months ago, and she sent me to lo-"
"Hold it there, I have lived 63 years with no knowledge of my mother and now she is dead she sent you to look for me for what? What does she want? She abandoned me and said nothing to me, for years she never sent a letter, she never showed up, they both abandoned me and I got to know about them now they're dead? I'm sorry Mr. Hoffman but I am not interested in knowing about a mother who abandoned me," Wilhelmina said and stood up,
"I grew up without a mother, I understand what it is like making it in the world without a mother's love, but I met Teddy and I assure you, she never abandoned you," Jimmy said, he laid out his bag and took out the bunch of envelopes containing letters Teddy had received concerning her daughter's well-being, he dropped the letters and pictures on the table.
"This is proof that she never forgot you, I will give you some time to look at these letters, and by tomorrow morning I will be back to relay her message to you,"
Jimmy got up and walked out with his bag, he opened the door and let himself out. Wilhelmina looked at the pile of letters, they were all letters from her grandmother addressed to her mother, they all contained details of things that happened in her life, from the day she had her first tooth, to the day she walked, her pictures were attached as well, it looked like her whole life in one place.
It turned out that the whole time she had spent hating her mother and wondering why her other never liked her, Theodora had kept tabs on her, she looked at one of the letters her grandmother had sent and guessed it must have been the reason she never saw her mother,
Dear Teddy,
Wilhelmina is doing just fine, and the money you sent was used to throw a big birthday party for her. I understand you want to see her so badly, I will advise you to stay away from her for now, Wilhelmina has grown up to resent you and she thinks of you as a bad person, I have tried to correct that impression, but she just doesn't care anymore, give her some time to come around, I am sure it will be the best for now.
Mrs Von Behrens.
There was never a time her grandmother told her that her mother loved her, she never said things to show her mother loved her, she only said things to discourage her.
Wilhelmina looked over the letters and her eyes went misty, for the first time she felt her mother's love for her, she closed her eyes and tried to sniff in the drops of tears that flowed out.
Jimmy didn't have to do much convincing when he returned the next day. Wilhelmina had thought about it and knew already that her mother was never the problem. maybe it was her fault that she had abandoned her years ago. But what mattered was that at least she tried to reach out.
"I guess you are ready to hear what brought me here then," Jimmy said when Wilhelmina opened the door for him with a smile on her face,
"Yes, I think I'm ready to listen to you now," Wilhelmina said and sat on the couch directly opposite him,
"Your mother left me her fortune and wealth when she passed on and instructed me to take care of them and on a later date let you know about them, I'm afraid I could not wait for a later date, so I brought the documents to her estates and houses, her accounts and her money, I choose to keep just one thing for myself and that's the store in Oklahoma" Jimmy paused and watched Wilhelmina's face to see her expression,
"I think you misunderstand me, Jimmy, I hope for more than just her properties, is there anything I could see to relieve these moments, for starters I want to see the place she was buried," Wilhelmina said and looked into his eyes,
Jimmy could see in her eyes that she wanted more than just properties and estates and wealth, she needed more, for a lady she had never seen or known her whole life, Wilhelmina wanted to see something that once belonged to her mother a true possession, what shocked Wilhelmina more was how fast she had forgotten all about the guilt and hate she had for her mother, but now it was all replaced with love.
Jimmy was glad he had found her, he was happy to know the daughter of the woman who had been his mother, he hoped to tell Wilhelmina about that but it was best for him to not overwhelm her. Jimmy booked a flight to Oklahoma to take them home. He figured he could show her the house the store and the box of jewelry. But that would be for later first he had in mind to show her the grave.
The next day Wilhelmina showed up at the airport holding a duffel bag, Jimmy was already waiting and was chatting with Reynolds, his driver for the time he had spent in London, and also his friend, because he knew no one else.
"Good morning, Wilhelmina, I'm glad you could make it, our flight will be announced anytime soon, it's safe to say you got here just in time," Jimmy said and collected her bag,
"Thank you very much, Good morning to you too Jimmy" Wilhelmina shook his hand in a firm handshake that surprised Jimmy.
"I believe this is where we part ways, thank you for your company, and thank you for being a good driver" Jimmy stuffed some pound notes in the driver's front pocket, threw a playful jab at him, and walked away,
"Thank you, Jimmy, safe travels" The driver yelled as the two walked to one of the chairs to sit and wait for their tickets to be announced.
******
The journey from Scotland to Oklahoma was not just a fun trip for Wilhelmina, she was going to see where her mother was buried, which meant a lot to her, though she had never seen her mother, she felt nervous seeing where she was buried and seeing the house she lived in and knowing the people she spent her whole life with.
The cab Jimmy had called stopped in front of a cemetery and Jimmy got down quickly and held the door open for her, Jimmy walked in front solemnly to the grave, when he got to the spot he stopped and turned to her,
"This is the place and that is her grave," Jimmy said pointing to the tombstone that bore Teddy's name, Wilhelmina read the words on it,
"Theodora Bellmont, Mother, Wife, Sister, and Friend" Wilhelmina stopped and looked closely at the name on the tombstone,
"Is there a problem?" Jimmy asked seeing the expression on her face,
"Belmont? My father's name was Kaarl Von, this is not my father's name," Wilhelmina said and looked at Jimmy,
"You know the marriage to Kaarl was an arranged and forced one, your mother was forced to marry and at the age of 17, when she moved to America from Paris, she met with Rex Bellmont and they got married, I believe it was with him that she found true happiness," Jimmy looked at the tombstone next to Teddy's grave,
"I see," Wilhelmina said. she had promised herself to not be emotional about it, but hearing all. the things her mother had been through and yet she had blamed and hated her, "where is Rex Bellmont now," Wilhelmina asked turning to Jimmy,
"He is here," Jimmy pointed to the tomb next to Teddy's own.
Wilhelmina Fraser in her sixties stood by the grave of her mother a lady she never knew and felt her eyes go misty, she sniffed pushing back the tears that gathered, she tried her best to hold them back but the more she did, the more the tears flowed, she sobbed and knelt by the grave and touched it. Jimmy walked away slowly to give her the privacy she needed, Jimmy was shocked to see her reaction, he had seen her face and never expected would see her break like that. As he stood behind the cab he had called to take them to Teddy's duplex. Memories of the time he spent with Teddy were still fresh in his mind.
"I think I'm ready to see her home now," Wilhelmina said startling Jimmy.
"Alright," Jimmy said and led the way to the cab, he held the car door open for her and helped her get in.
The two sat in the cab, while Jimmy thought of his time with Teddy, Wilhelmina thought of the she would have spent with her mother, she closed her eyes and wished there was more, Jimmy had handed her some pictures, but she needed more than just pictures. Life without her mother had been sad and now she had to live with knowing Theodora Bellmont had always wanted her daughter.