The Grim Secret

 By Hadley J., age 15

#7 Attic Surprise

Sixteen-year-old Andi Carter stared poutingly, out the family room window at the weather. It was raining “cats and dogs” as Mother had put it. This was not how her afternoon was supposed to go. Ever since she’d recovered from her accident, she had been out riding with Shasta every single day. Sighing heavily, Andi flopped herself onto the settee.

“Ugh” she groaned. There’s nothing to do.”

“Well, I do have an attic in need of cleaning.” Mother said stepping into the family room. Oh no Andi thought she’d rather muck out stalls. However, she also didn’t wish to go against her mother’s orders.

“Yes Mother,” Andi said going to gather her cleaning supplies.

Andi trudged into the attic, lugging a mop, bucket, broom, and dusting cloth behind her. “Guess this is what I get for complaining” she mumbled. Sighing she got to work, rearranging trunks, boxes, and such to begin organizing and dusting. As she worked, Andi quickly found herself distracted looking through old memory boxes. There was old journals of Melinda’s and Kate’s. She was greatly amused reading about their various beaus. As she progressed there was eventually only a single trunk left. Curious as to why it was so well hidden, Andi immediately went to investigate. After a couple of tries, Andi managed to wrench the trunk open. Inside she discover piles and piles of things Mother had kept from her and her sibling’s childhood. There was childhood toys, (Andi found one of her old teddy bears) clippings from first haircuts, school drawings, and birth certificates. She finds Justin’s, Chad’s, Melinda’s, and the rest of her siblings. Curious as to where her own was she dug and dug until she discovered the final piece of paper shoved down into the farthest corner of the trunk. She proceeded to unfold the document not noticing another page slip out onto the floor. Smiling, Andi traced Father’s name with her finger. She did a quick once over of Mother’s and her own name.

Pleased with her search, Andi folded the paper and tucked it into her pocket to show Mother later. Only when she went to close the trunk did she spot the extra paper. Expecting to find another drawing or some other memento. She opened it up to find something horribly shocking.

Heart pounding, Andi double-checked the paper again and again. However, no matter how many times she looked at it there was no denying the shocking truth. It read; “Amanda Marie Carter, born on this day May 26, 1868, to James and Elizabeth Carter.” Yanking her own document out of her pocket, Andi compared the two. It finally began to settle in.  Andi exclaimed, 

“I…. I have a twin!”

Shoving both papers into her pocket, Andi tears down the stairs into the family room.

“Mother?” she hollered “Hello? Where is everyone?” Luisa was quick to come rushing out of the kitchen, scolding in Spanish that Mother was resting and not to be disturbed. Andi quickly made a decision and did the exact same thing she had done after meeting Kate. Scurrying out the door to the barn, Shasta was quickly saddled, and the pair tore off through the pouring rain towards Fresno.

Huffing, puffing, and soaking wet, Andi arrived in front of Justin’s office in record time. She leaped from Shasta’s back, not even bothering to tie him up, she tore inside gasping for breath.

“Miss Carter!” Tim, Justin’s clerk exclaimed “What ai n the world are you doing out in the foul weather?”

“Had….to…. see…. Justin.” Andi panted. Upon catching her breath, she slammed through the second door. Tim didn’t even try to stop her knowing he wouldn’t be able to anyway. Upon a soaked Andi banging into his office unannounced, Justin sighed and rubbed his eyes knowing this could take a while.

“Young Lady, how many times have I told you…?”

“Wait Justin” Andi interrupted “It’s important.”

“Is it?” Justin asked knowing that any subject in the world could be of the utmost importance to Andi.

“Yes, Justin please,” Andi said tears beginning to spill from her eyes.  Her tears worried him.

“Very well, what is it?” For a few moments there wasn’t a sound but paper rustling as Andi removed the mysterious document from her pocket and held it up at Justin so he could see. As realization set in, Justin buried his face in his hands and went to sit down. Andi began to shout “This whole time I could have had a sister to play with, a best friend to grow up with! But you just had to keep her from me, just like you keep everything else from me! Its just like Kate all over again!” Justin looked up.

“No honey, its not like Kate, not at all.” Confused, Andi wiped away her tears and looked at him hard. She could almost make out tears on his face. Quickly wiping them away, Justin pulled out a chair, “Come sit down Andi, I guess I’d better tell you.”

“Mother became terribly sick when she gave birth to you and Amanda. It didn’t help that you two came so early. Chad had been sent to fetch the doctor and Father had closed him and Mother into their bedroom, ordering me to keep Mitch and the girls out. Eventually he did call Kate in to help him though. I remember hearing Mother cry and cry for what seemed like ages. It was really only a few hours though. The doctor arrived and helped towards the end. Then Father called us in and there was Mother with not one but two babies in her arms. She said, “Meet Andrea Rose and Amanda Marie” You two were the sweetest little things except that didn’t last very long. The very next day Chad was sent for the doctor again and….” Here Justin had to stop and gather himself. “After the most agonizing two days of my life, Amanda was gone.” Justin couldn’t manage to gather himself anymore and began to quietly sob. Tears silently slipping down her face, Andi stood and ran into his arms.

 They stood there together for a while before Justin pulled away. “Does Mother know that you found out?”

“No Luisa said she was resting.”

“Oh, then I suppose we should go tell her.”

“I suppose.” Andi whispered. Justin quickly gathered his things and whisked Andi out to the buggy, hollering a hasty goodbye at Tim who looked rather bewildered. The ride home was completely silent except for Andi’s sniffling. When they arrived the two found Mother in the family room. They joined her and Andi spilled the whole story, before she was halfway done Mother was sobbing.

“Oh, my dear, I’m so sorry you had to find out this way! I never knew how to tell you.”

“Do you suppose we go see her grave?” Justin asked. Mother nodded and Justin sent Andi to find Chad and Mitch. She did and the foursome walked out to a hidden spot that Andi had somehow never managed to find. There they found a small tombstone reading; “Here lies Amanda Marie Carter, our dearest daughter, May 26, 1868-May 29, 1868.” As they returned to the house, Justin scooped Andi up onto his back just like he had when she was small, as they walked in silence Andi thought about how she was so grateful to her brothers for looking after her and how lucky she was to have lived.