{"id":38,"date":"2024-10-30T13:47:51","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T13:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/?p=38"},"modified":"2024-10-30T13:47:53","modified_gmt":"2024-10-30T13:47:53","slug":"at-my-grandfathers-funeral-a-stranger-handed-me-a-note-when-i-read-it-i-laughed-because-grandpa-had-tricked-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/archives\/38","title":{"rendered":"At My Grandfather\u2019s Funeral, a Stranger Handed Me a Note \u2013 When I Read It, I Laughed Because Grandpa Had Tricked Us"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At Grandpa\u2019s funeral, 18-year-old Dahlia feels isolated as her family fumes over the pitiful $1 inheritance. But when a stranger slips her a secret note, Dahlia is pulled into a mystery only she can solve.\n

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I stood by the graveside, hands clenched in the pockets of my too-small black dress, listening to the priest\u2019s droning voice blend with the rustle of the wind.\n\n

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This was the saddest day of my life, but everyone else in the family seemed more concerned with glaring at each other than mourning Grandpa.\n\n

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\"People\n\n\n\n
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I could feel their bitterness lingering in the chilly October air, thick like syrup. One dollar each. That\u2019s all Grandpa left us in his will, and they were furious. But me? I wasn\u2019t angry. Just\u2026 hollow.\n\n

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Grandpa wasn\u2019t supposed to be gone. He was the only person who ever saw me, not the mess-up or the spare kid nobody paid attention to, but\u00a0me. He let me in when no one else cared.\n\n

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I stared down at the flowers resting on his coffin. I\u2019d brought him a red rose, and it stood out among the white daisies everyone else had placed on the casket.\n\n

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\"A\n\n\n\n
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\u201cOne dollar,\u201d Aunt Nancy hissed from behind me. \u201cOne damn dollar! That man was loaded, and this is what we get?\u201d\n\n

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Uncle Vic let out a bitter laugh. \u201cRight? I swear he did it on purpose, the spiteful old man.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cTypical Dad,\u201d Mom muttered, crossing her arms tight across her chest. \u201cHe always played favorites, and Dahlia here was his little pet. Bet she got something we don\u2019t know about.\u201d\n\n

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\"A\n\n\n\n
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Aunt Nancy\u2019s eyes cut toward me, sharp as glass. \u201cWhat did he leave you, Dahlia? Anything? Don\u2019t act like you didn\u2019t get something.\u201d\n\n

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I stiffened. \u201cI got the same as all of you.\u201d\n\n

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Mom\u2019s fingers tightened over my shoulder. \u201cAre you sure?\u201d she asked in a low voice. \u201cYou were always with him. Maybe he told you something\u2026 think hard, Dahlia. You owe it to your family to share whatever he gave you.\u201d\n\n

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\"A\n\n\n\n
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Memories came rushing back of Grandpa\u2019s goofy stories about long-lost treasure and the butterscotch candies he always kept in his coat pocket.\n\n

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Sometimes, he\u2019d wink at me and say,\u00a0\u201cOne day, kiddo, I\u2019m leaving you a treasure. Real treasure!\u201d But it was just a game, a joke between us.\n\n

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I shook my head and turned my gaze back to the coffin. \u201cWhat Grandpa gave me was his love, his stories, and a place that felt more like home than my actual home. Those things were worth more than money, and there\u2019s no way I can\u2014\u201d\n\n

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\"A\n\n\n\n
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\u201cNobody cares about any of that!\u201d Mom snapped. \u201cThink, girl! What happened to all of his money?\u201d\n\n

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I shrugged. I truly didn\u2019t know the answer to her question and didn\u2019t care. Grandpa was gone. He was my confidant, my safe place, my friend. I\u2019d lost the most important person in the world, but all they cared about was slapping a price tag on his death.\n\n

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\u201cShe knows something,\u201d Vic muttered, loud enough for me to hear.\n\n

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\"A\n\n\n\n
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Their voices twisted together, accusing, scheming \u2014 like they could squeeze secrets out of me if they tried hard enough. But I had no secrets that could earn them more money.\n\n

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The second they realized there\u2019d be no fortune, they turned away from the grave and stormed off. I could still hear them bickering as they walked away, lashing out at each other like vultures. It made me sick.\n\n

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\u201cYou must be Dahlia.\u201d\n\n

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\"A\n\n\n\n
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I looked up to see a woman, maybe in her 60s, with kind eyes and a worn leather bag slung over her shoulder. Her smile was soft and secretive, like she knew something the rest of us didn\u2019t.\n\n

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\u201cI was a friend of your grandpa\u2019s,\u201d she said, leaning in as if we were co-conspirators. \u201cHe asked me to give you this.\u201d\n\n

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Before I could respond, she slipped a folded piece of paper into my hand and whispered, \u201cDon\u2019t let anyone see it, especially your family.\u201d\n\n

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\"An\n\n\n\n
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Her presence felt surreal, almost dreamlike, and before I could say anything, she was gone, swallowed by the crowd of mourners. My heart pounded in my chest as I unfolded the note.\n\n

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For a second, I stood frozen, the words blurring in front of me. Then it hit me: Grandpa\u2019s \u201ctreasure.\u201d A laugh bubbled up from my throat, inappropriate and wild, but I couldn\u2019t help it. He wasn\u2019t joking after all.\n\n

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\"A\n\n\n\n
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That night, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. The note was tucked under my pillow like a secret. Grandpa\u2019s voice echoed in my mind, playful yet certain:\u00a0\u201cLocker number 111\u2026 There\u2019s treasure in there, kiddo!\u201d\n\n

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A weight settled on my chest, something between grief and hope. What if this wasn\u2019t just some wild goose chase? What if Grandpa had really left something for me, hidden away where no one else could reach?\n\n

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The thought twisted around in my mind until I couldn\u2019t take it anymore. I needed to know what was in that locker.\n\n

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\"A\n\n\n\n
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I called a cab the next morning. It was the first thing I did after I woke up. As I tiptoed past the kitchen, I could hear Mom muttering on the phone about Grandpa\u2019s will, probably trying to squeeze sympathy or cash out of anyone who would listen.\n\n

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I clenched my jaw and slipped out the door, the chilly morning air hitting my skin like a slap.\n\n

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The ride to Southern Railway Station felt like the longest 20 minutes of my life.\n\n

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\"A\n\n\n\n
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My knee bounced with nervous energy as the cab wound through narrow streets, past graffiti-covered walls, and empty coffee shops just starting to open. The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror but didn\u2019t say a word.\n\n

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When we finally pulled up at the station, I stepped out and asked him to wait for me. I clutched the note tightly as I entered the train station.\n\n

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The station smelled like diesel and stale popcorn. People rushed past me in every direction \u2014 commuters, travelers, strangers with places to go.\n\n

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\"A\n\n

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I hesitated at the entrance, suddenly feeling small and out of place. But then Grandpa\u2019s voice floated back into my mind, steady and reassuring:\u00a0\u201cReal treasure, kiddo.\u201d\n\n

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I took a deep breath and headed toward the lockers and I could hear my heart pounding. Rows of metal boxes lined the wall, each one looking identical: gray, dented, and slightly rusty.\n\n

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My eyes scanned the numbers until I found number 111.\n\n

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\"Old,\n\n

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I reached into my pocket and pulled out the folded note. The key was taped to the back. With trembling fingers, I peeled it off and slid it into the lock.\n\n

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For a second, it jammed, and I panicked. But then \u2014 click! The lock turned, and the door swung open.\n\n

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Inside was a duffel bag. It was old, faded, and heavy. My hands shook as I pulled it out and unzipped it.\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At Grandpa\u2019s funeral, 18-year-old Dahlia feels isolated as her family fumes over the pitiful $1 inheritance. But when a stranger slips her a secret note, Dahlia is pulled into a mystery only she can solve. I stood by the graveside, hands clenched in the pockets of my too-small black dress, listening to the priest\u2019s droning […]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":39,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38\/revisions\/47"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}