The Trunk

The Trunk

(part 6 of 13)

After delivering the onions Anna and Linda went back to Anna's place with four of the large onions Amelia had given them and started dinner. When Anna was down in the dumps she always made her Grannie Moon's recipe for potato pancakes.

She took grated the onions added grated potatoes, one egg and a bit of flour and salt and pepper

then started frying the potato mixture until they were a lovely golden color. she then placed them on a rack to drain. With small bowls filled with sour cream and applesauce on the side the two ladies devoured the pancakes without a word.

Soon Anna started humming “Somewhere in time”

Linda said "Ok 'fess up Anna, what did he whisper in your ear? I know he said something because every

time you get into that romantic mood you think and you hum somewhere in time. "

Anna blushed and quickly changing the subject said "Let's go in and look at the secret compartment."

Linda knew something was up but she followed Anna and they emptied the trunk contents on Anna's bed.

"Well Missy 'somewhere in time' where's the secret compartment?"

Anna laughed and fumbled her fingers inside the trunk at two corners then pushed with all her might but the trunk didn't open. Then she asked Linda to help her turn it over

and on the bottom Anna saw that it looked rusted.

"Now this is funny there shouldn't be any rust on the bottom because Grannie Moon kept it polished well and up on little

wooden blocks all the time."

They turned it over and they both took the two corners and pushed together and the bottom finally parted. They were now in the secret compartment.

There was a letter on the top addressed to Anna from Albert Jack Brown Attorney at Law in regards to the estate of Carolina Bell Moon.

"Albert, so that's his name, Albert such a noble name.

I wonder if I will ever meet this man who was so kind to my Grannie Moon?" said Anna.

"Anna, who gave you the key to the trunk and read the will?

think, you were there with everyone else." said Linda.

"That lawyer was Jack Brown and probably the son of Albert Brown.

He was all business like and I was in the back of the room crying.

I have to meet Albert to thank him in person."

They got up to go answer the buzzer and there was a delivery man

with a box for Anna. Inside was a big pot of true lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ).

A note attached said: To my Dilly ~ Dilly from your True Blue.

"Aha Miss 'Somewhere in Time' you have an admirer." responded Linda.

"Oh, Linda, aren't these lovely Lavender...I wonder who he is, I really truly do not know who True Blue is and no one has ever called me Dilly ~ Dilly!"

"Let's see what other goodies are lurking in that trunk " said Linda.

They found a letter from Grannie Moon stating how she made the trunk have the look of being rusted.

Anna, Dearest,

Now you know I am gone to join Grandpa Moon

and you are looking in the trunk. I did not want those

vultures to have or destroy the contents of the trunk.

I knew that you were the only one that would love and cherish

these things so I "aged" the trunk on the edges so you

would have a chance to keep the treasures.

All I did was save some urine in an old coffee can

( I'm in Heaven but I hear you laughing )

and painted it on the bottom until it tarnished

and was the "aged" color I wanted.

This was the best I could do because in the old days

for the aged look they used to use horse manure!

Enjoy and love the contents especially Grandpas rocks...

I love you so much Grannie Moon.

They looked in the trunk and found Grannie Moons wedding dress carefully wrapped and next to it a beautiful Tiara in the shape of Lavender sprigs with with a few pearls

embedded in the white gold metal.

A small red box contained Grandpa Moon's well worn

Swiss Army knife and whetstone for sharpening.

A box of gold colored rocks and another with polished rocks or stones of various shades of yellow, black and milky white.

At the very bottom were two books about the rocks.

When opening one of the books there was a photo of the blue 1937 Citroen citron framed with gray background

and a map of Arkansas fell to the floor.

The mystery continues.

©Julia A Knaake