Chapter 6 Lost Before Legacy

Nana's Pov

It was a peaceful Sunday morning, and I had just returned from church service. As I began cleaning the kitchen, I was suddenly startled by a big rat scurrying across the floor. I have always been terrified of rats, and the thought of one living in my house was unbearable. Grabbing a large stick, I chased after the rat, determined to get rid of it.

The rat led me on a wild chase, darting under the bed in my bedroom. I followed, using the stick to try and coax it out. But in my enthusiasm, I accidentally struck the golden box that I had kept hidden under the bed for safekeeping.

I quickly pulled out the golden box, anxiously checking to see if it had been damaged. Thankfully, it was still intact. This golden box held great significance, as it belonged to Nathaniel, a young lady who had been missing for a long time.

Nathaniel's mother had entrusted me with the golden box while she was on her sickbed in the hospital. She had asked me to keep it safe and give it to Nathaniel on her twentieth birthday. But fate had other plans, and Nathaniel went missing before she could reach that milestone. It had been a year since she was supposed to receive the gift, and I still felt a deep sense of responsibility to find her and fulfill my promise.

Nathaniel's father had passed away before she was born, leaving her an orphan. I had promised myself that I would look out for her, but despite my best efforts, I had been unable to track her down. The golden box remained a constant reminder of my unfulfilled obligation, a debt that weighed heavily on my mind. Not even my own daughter, Jessica, knew about the golden box or the promise I had made to Nathaniel mother.

I never knew what caused the dispute between Nathaniel and my daughter, Jessica, that led to Nathaniel being sent away in the middle of the night. As I sat alone in my room, I couldn't help but think about Nathaniel and the golden box that I had kept safe for her.

"I hope one day I'll set my eyes on Nathaniel and give her the golden box," I said to myself. But then I remembered the words of Nathaniel's mother: "If you give the golden box to Nathaniel on her twentieth birthday, the box will reveal to her where the key is." I wondered how this could be possible. "I wonder how a golden box would speak," I muttered to myself.

As I was lost in thought, my daughter, Jessica, entered the room. "Mother, hope all is well?" she asked, concern showed on her face. I quickly composed myself, not wanting to arouse her suspicion. "Yes, everything's fine," I replied.

Jessica's eyes wandered around the room, and then she spotted something that caught her attention. "Who owns the golden box?" she asked, her curiosity showed. I tried to think quickly, not wanting to reveal the truth. "It belongs to a friend, and she'll come for it soon, probably this evening," I said, trying to sound casual.

Jessica seemed not to accept my explanation, but then I said "I can hear the mew of the cat. Can you help me check the backyard?" I saw this as an opportunity to hide the golden box. "Immediately, Jessica, go and check the backyard,"

As soon as Jessica left the room, I quickly hid the golden box under the bed. When Jessica returned, she said, "Mother, the cat isn't there." I tried to think of a convincing explanation. "Oh, Jessica, my darling, maybe the cat saw the rat I've been chasing and killed it," I said, trying to sound plausible.

But Jessica wasn't interested in my explanation. She looked at me intently, and I could sense that she was trying to read my mind. "Mother, where is the golden box?" she asked, her voice firm. I tried to deflect her question, but she wasn't having it. She moved closer to me, her eyes searching for answers, but I just repeated my previous explanation, trying to sound convincing.

Jessica didn't seem to believe me, but she didn't press the issue further. Instead, she closed the conversation and walked away, probably to find something to eat in the kitchen. I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that the conversation had ended without any further questions about the golden box.

"Assuming you used to come to this place often, you should know that my friend who owns the golden box..." I started to say.

But before I could finish, Jessica interrupted me. "I'll be visiting you often since I've decided to make John the new CEO of my husband's company," she said, a hint of excitement in her voice.

I was taken aback by her announcement. "Jessica, don't do that," I warned, trying to sound calm.

But Jessica was adamant. "This company is my daughter inheritance, and what belongs to my daughter also belongs to her husband. I've known John for a very long time," she said, her tone confident.

I knew I had to think quickly to stop her. "Okay," I said slowly, trying to stall for time.

But Jessica just smiled. "Mother, no problem. I've already made up my mind," she said, her voice firm.

I knew I had to say something to make her see sense. "A thief's mask falls when his hands are full," I said,

Immediately after uttering those words, I got up and headed to my room without saying another word.

After thirty minutes, Jessica bid me goodbye and left for her home. I had been trying to find Nathaniel for a while now, and I had contacted a friend of mine who worked with the security officers to help me with the case. However, she had not yet given me any positive results. I had started working with her a month ago, but our initial conversation had not gone smoothly.

At first, she was annoyed that I had only just told her about Nathaniel's disappearance after all these years. "You should have told me this before, not now," she said, her tone frustrated. I apologized profusely, explaining that I had thought Nathaniel would come back home on her own. "I am so sorry, I thought she would return, but since all these years, she hasn't called or come back," I said.

My friend was unsympathetic, chastising me for not taking action sooner. "Nana, you are wicked," she said. "If Nathaniel were your own daughter, would you have folded your hands and watched for all these years?" I explained that I had not had the financial means to hire security officers to search for Nathaniel. My friend pointed out that Nathaniel's disappearance had occurred many years ago, and that even my own granddaughter, Jessica, was already married.

I pleaded with my friend to help me find Nathaniel, explaining that I had been holding onto her inheritance all these years. But my friend's response was laced with skepticism. "Now I know why you're looking for the innocent girl," she said. "You know you're close to your grave, and you don't want to carry another person's debt to heaven."