Letters

Chapter Three

 After the funeral my dad’s brother Jon took me back to the house. He and dad had been close and he and Auntie Joanne had been checking in on me every night. All I wanted to do was fall into bed, but even I knew that would be incredibly rude. I’d left the photo album on the table as well as one of the boxes of letters. I was going to open a couple tonight and read through them.

 “Is this the album you were talking about?” asked Jon.

 “Yeah,” I said walking over to him and Auntie Joanne.

 Joanne went white at the photo.

 “Who is it?” I asked reading the vibe in the room.

 Uncle Jon and Auntie Joanne gave each other a oh shit look.

 “Where did you find it?” she asked.

 “In the attic at mum and dads. This album was under some newspapers though.

 “Kate you need to sit down,” said Jon.

 “Jon don’t,” said Joanne.

 “She deserves to know. I knew she was going to find out soon.”

 “They wouldn’t want you to tell her,” whispered Joanne.

 “I’m sat right here. Any family secrets went out the window a week ago. What don’t I know?”

 Uncle Jon sat down next to me on the couch while Auntie Joanne sat in the chair opposite. He went on to tell me that the boy in the photo is Thomas. He was, is, my older brother and lives with my grand-parents. Anything they said after that did not register. My mind was completely numb. I couldn’t hear a thing after they told me. I felt sick to my stomach and for the first time in my life I felt completely and utterly alone. Which was kind of ironic. I’d grown up an only child and the moment I find out I have an older brother that’s when I feel alone. I don’t know how long I’d been sat in what can only be described as a trance. I was suddenly brought out of it when Auntie Joanne placed a large mug of tea in front of me. “How old is now?” I whispered. Unsure whether they had already given me this information.

 “He’s probably about thirty-one now,” said Jon lowering his head.

 “Ok. Can you leave now,” I said taking a deep breathe.

 “Kate I really don’t want to leave you like this.”

 “Uncle Jon. I know you mean well really I do but I need to process this alone. I promise I’ll call you tomorrow.”

As they left my house I went to my bedroom and put on my comfy pj’s and t-shirt then dragged one of the letter boxes across the floor and took the other one off the table. I felt sick. I knew that whatever was in the letters had something to do with the photos. As I started pulling out the envelopes I saw some had been opened, some weren’t. The letters that had been opened were addressed to mum and dad. It was obvious that some of these letters had been opened numerous times. When I looked at the envelopes that hadn’t been opened I was shocked to find them addressed to me.