When she did, her stomach did an almighty flip-flop.
Inside was a lilac box adorned with white satin ribbon. While it was a little smaller, it was exactly the same type of box as the one before that had contained her charm bracelet.
Laura finally took note of Holly’s mood. ‘Hey, is everything OK? What is that? You’re staring at it like it holds a bomb. Who’s it from?’
Holly’s voice trembled. ‘That’s it, I just don’t know.’
‘What do you mean, you don’t know?’
Taking a deep breath, Holly launched into the story of the charm bracelet that had mysteriously arrived on the day of her father’s funeral, and her conclusion that it had come from him.
‘But you never knew for sure that your dad was the one who sent it?’ Laura asked when Holly finished her story.
She shook her head, feeling very uncertain now. ‘I just assumed it was something he’d arranged before his death.’
‘Like a message from beyond the grave? Shit, sorry, I didn’t mean to sound insensitive.’
But Laura was right. That was exactly what Holly had assumed at the time. ‘But this one couldn’t possibly be from Dad.’
‘Well then, what about your mum?’
Holly shook her head determinedly. ‘Not a chance. Me and my mother … well, you know we’re not exactly best buddies.’
‘Are you absolutely sure it was from your Dad, though? You said that your parents were pretty well known in Queens. Maybe it was someone who read the obituary, and wanted to connect?’
Wanted to connect …Holly looked at her, wondering if she might be right. Her thoughts galloped. ‘But then … why would they be sending me another box, and why now?’
Laura moved closer to peer over her shoulder. ‘Maybe what’s inside might give you the answer to that?’ she suggested.
Opening the box, Holly revealed a small silver charm displayed on a piece of purple satin. She gently lifted it out, taking in every small detail.
‘It is another charm,’ Laura stated. ‘But what … ?’
‘It’s a book, an open book,’ Holly confirmed. ‘And look, there’s an engraving on it.’
The wise man reads both books and life itself. – Lin Yutang
‘What do you think it means?’ she asked quietly, more to herself than to Laura.
‘I have no idea.’ She glanced surreptitiously at her watch, as if suddenly recalling they had things to do. Then she grinned. ‘Maybe it means that you should get dressed so that we can go to this party to experience some collegelife?’Holly rolled her eyes, amused by her friend’s short attention span.
It was true, her academic life as of late could use some balance, but there was something too, an expression playing on the edges of her mind, as she tried to recall something that her father had told her when she was young and just learning to read.
That books should provide for learning, but that they should also provide for enjoyment.
When was the last time that she had actually picked up a book to read just for the sake of reading? When was the last time that she had cracked openGone with the Wind, orPride and Prejudice, or any one of her other favourite books? There had been a time when all of those novels had been her best friends, when they had been a part of her soul and much more than just a hobby.
She smiled at the memory, suddenly feeling comforted by it. She wasn’t sure how he’d done it, but clearly her dad had somehow arranged to have this one sent too. But yet, how could he have known she’d end up going to college here, or where her dorm was or—
‘How would the person who sent you that know that you have been spending all your time in the library?’ Laura, who had already gone on to change into a mini-skirt and a halterneck top, returned to where Holly was sitting.
Holly’s mind was reeling as she thought the very same thing.
‘I’m not sure. Clearly someone has been keeping an eye on me.’
Laura’s eyes widened. ‘You mean like a stalker? Eww, that’s creepy.’
But for some reason, Holly knew it wasn’t quite like that
