An Inheritance

Chapter 29

“I wanted to handle you just like my parents did me, but your mother would have none of that.  She said the best way to handle it was to treat you just like Danielle, to allow you to trust your ‘instincts’, but not guide and amplify them as her mother had done for her.  It was a very delicate balancing act, but your Mom did a pretty good job of it in the beginning.  I did not.” 

Lauren had not said a word, but had been sitting and listening and remembering.  “It all started with Gloria, didn’t it?  That’s when you knew for sure.” 

It was Conrad’s turn to nod his head. 

“After Mom hung up the phone with Gloria’s mother the first time after convincing her that what I had seen was only a dream, she came to talk to me.  I could tell she was unsettled, that she felt she hadn’t handled it correctly.  But what was she supposed to have said?  How do you tell someone that what I had seen would probably happen?” 

“And it did happen, didn’t it?” 

“Yes, but you know that.  After the accident, when Gloria’s mother came to the house, I sat on the top stairs and heard Gloria’s mom yelling at you both.  She called you and Mom, and me, all sorts of names and that I wasn’t to talk to Gloria any more.  That’s when I knew that seeing things like that didn’t happen to everyone.  That it could hurt other people and even the ones I loved.” 

“I was weak and didn’t know how to handle it.  Your powers were beyond my understanding; I had no coping mechanism to fall back on.  Even without anyone’s guidance, you could comprehend what you were seeing in your dreams and visions.  Pretty heavy stuff for a six year old, and way too heavy for me.” 

“Mom had me go to her whenever I had one of these ‘dreams’ or feelings, we tried to shield you as much as possible, but I guess that made it worse.  You knew, you always knew.” 

Conrad nodded.  “Yes, I was just in touch with my ‘gifts’ enough to know there was something not being said, not being spoken about.  The drinking helped at first to ease my anxiety but then I needed more to try to get to that same state, just as though I shot myself up with heroin.”  He paused.  “You were the one that night, weren’t you?” 

“Yes.” 

“I thought so.  I don’t know what got into me; even with all of the drinking it just can’t be explained.  Taking that picture of you and your mother at your birthday party really unglued me.  Your mother had pictures of your ancestors in that exact same pose.  All of them Almas; all with the young girls just about your age.”  Her father looked out the window again as though somewhere out there, he could find the explanation.  “You know, I was thankful for the Judge and his wife for taking you all in.  I knew he and your mother would end up together eventually and I didn’t harbor any ill will about that either.” 

“Daddy, I could feel you.  I knew you wanted us out of our house.  I saw the gun, I saw the rage.  But most of all, I felt you calling out to me, to get out before you got home.  I knew you really didn’t want to hurt us.” 

Tears welled up in Conrad’s eyes.  “I was so relieved to come home to that empty, dark house.  I sat on the couch for hours just looking at that gun, contemplating ending it all right then.  But I could feel you and I knew that if I had done it, you would be seeing that for the rest of your life.  Even in that stupor, at least I still had some decency to not want to leave you with that. 

”Right after … that night … I spiraled down to where I wasn’t anything.  I left my job before I could hurt anyone or be fired and drank myself to what I had hoped would be a swift death.  But that didn’t happen.”