365 Days (Part 2) | ✓

272. Scrapbook

272. Scrapbook: Write about finding a scrapbook and the memories it contains.

"Lily," her great-grandmother beckoned, "I have something for you."

The young woman blinked and separated herself from her cousins. The smell of turkey, ham, and a dozen casseroles still permeated the small house. Lily walked with purposeful steps over to the matriarch of her large family, and knelt down beside her. Mama Rose had recently been confined to a wheelchair, but she still held her head high and possessed her clarity of mind and speech.

"Yes?" Lily asked, her stockinged knees brushing the laminate floor.

Mama Rose reached underneath her blanket and pulled a bulging notebook out. Its leather cover was cracked and fading, and a thin leather cord secured it together. "I want you to read this."

Used to Mama Rose's bluntness and lack of adequate explanations, Lily asked patiently, "What is it?"

The silver-haired lady shook her head. "It's a diary. Beyond that you'll find out on your own." She placed the vintage book into her great-granddaughters' hands. "All of your older cousins have read this, and I intend for your younger cousins besides to also read this, so handle it with care."

"How old is it?" Lily asked in confusion, holding the journal carefully.

"It was written in the 1920s."

"Almost a hundred years old."

"I trust its lesson is still applicable, though. I myself learned from it." Mama Rose hesitated, but whatever words lingered on the edge of her tongue, she didn't voice. Instead she weakly placed her veined hand against Lily's face.

Lily's throat tightened. She was the modern day equivalent of the prodigal son, having come home with her tail between her legs and her spirit humbled to dust. Her parents had been overjoyed in her return to sanity, but she was always feeling like she needed to do something to atone for her mistakes.

"Read it," Mama Rose repeated softly. "You need it more than the others."