Joe stretched his arms way above his head and slowly lowered them breathing a sigh of relief.

“Oke, let’s get this done!” He thought.

He had to get these things in the computer room, now storage room, sorted through to either give away or keep before he moved to Norway. He spotted the chest he was eyeing yesterday and decided to tackle that first. He dreamt about opening it last night but did5 have the energy, and it was a quite hefty chest. It was about 1 X 3 X 1 Feet, made out of mahogany and with carvings etched into the lid. He doesn’t remember where this chest came from but he did inherit this house from his mother. So perhaps it was just something the family missed when they initially went through it after her death.

Joe grabbed the stool and sat down in front of it. He unlatched the cover and peered inside. The moment he saw what the chest contained, he wished he’s never opened it… but it was too late now. He slowly picked up the pictures of his father and what look like letters.

Joe doesn’t remember his father very well. He left when he was 5 years old, like a normal night to pick up dinner and never came back. His mother hated talking about his father and anything that reminded her of him so after a year of his father’s disappearance she had gotten rid of all his things and erased every memory of him. The only thing that she couldn’t erase was Joe himself. Joe sometimes hated himself for how much he looked like his father. His mother never said it but sometimes she would get look at him in such a way that it seemed like she wasn’t seeing him at all.

Looking further into the chest, joe found his name on an envelope in his mother’s handwriting. The only other things seemed to be books, more papers and some weird metallic objects. He tore open the envelope and opened the letter inside.

‘Heyo Joe,

I was hoping that in my time with you I would have gathered up the courage to tell you what you needed to hear in person to your face. But for all that you called me wonderwoman, I was neither strong nor courageous. As you may have noticed I kept somethings about your father. They’ve been locked away in this chest for so long and it wasn’t fair tor you.

Your father never wanted to leave us but he had no choice. He’s been running for most of his life because he did not wish to be tied down by the obligations and responsibilities of who he was. Your father was not an orphan. His family is very much alive and I hope doing well. I don’t know for sure because the night your father disappeared was the first time in 30 years that your father heard anything from his family.

I know you have many questions and haven’t got many answers but it is not my story to tell. Your father has left behind messages to you. It was risky being in contact and only a close friend of his took that risk to deliver those messages to me. In them, your father answers all your questions.

I’m so sorry I could not tell you more about father. Thinking of him broke my heart but your father was a wonderful man who loved you very much. He did not want to leave you. He did not want to stay away. I hope that you can forgive me, for the past and for your future. I wanted to protect you. I was hoping that by keeping this from you, you would have a little more time. Just a little more.

I love you my doe-y Joe-y ♥️

Mum