Page 123 of Hale Damage
He tears open the package with all the zeal of a little boy on Christmas morning and lets out a deep sound of excitement when he gets to the prize.
“A newsboy hat? Me Da used to wear one of these.” He pops the caramel plaid hat on his head and grins, proud as a peacock. “How do I look?”
“Very dapper,” I assure him.
“Well thank you, sweet girl,” he says, wrapping me in a one-armed hug. “I absolutely love it.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Enough huggy-huggy time,” Remi grouses. “Mindy, come open your boxes.”
“Aye-aye,” I reply with a sarcastic little salute, clicking my heels together. “Would you like me to march or can I just walk?”
He responds with a no-nonsense look and a bossy finger pointing at the couch.
“He’s been very excited about this,” Antonio whispers before giving me a gentle push in the back.
I sit on the couch and notice two of the boxes are wrapped in holographic blue paper with pretty blue bows, and the other is in shiny silver wrapping with a red bow.
“Open the silver one first,” Remi directs, sitting beside me as Antonio takes the black leather chair to our left.
“Okayyy…” I draw out, pulling off the bow and setting it aside before ripping off the paper. The box beneath is plain cardboard, about two feet high and giving away nothing about the contents. “What is it?”
“Why do people always ask that when the box is right in front of them?” Remi asks Antonio, earning him a snicker.
“Here ya go, dear,” Antonio says, standing, pulling out a pocketknife, and smoothly slicing through the tape.
I open the flaps and am met with the sight of lots of bubble-wrapped bundles. Something flutters inside my chest as I take out the first one and carefully unwrap it.
“Oh my god,” I whisper because that’s all I can manage. Two little cabbages are nestled safely inside. Not actual cabbages but salt and pepper shakers shaped like cabbages. “These look exactly like…”
I turn over one of them, finding my grandmother’s initials, JE, on the bottom.
“This is… but… I… how did… where…” My mouth seems incapable of forming a full sentence as I look between the two men, who are grinning wildly. I kiss each of the cabbages like a weirdo before setting them aside, now having an idea of what’s in the rest of these bundles.
I open them one by one, squealing with delight at each treasure I uncover.
The crystal antique ones my grandmother received from her husband on their wedding day. A carved wooden set my great-grandfather made with brightly colored Mexican flowers handpainted on all sides. The ones shaped like blue baby booties someone gave Yaya the day my father was born.
They’re all here, and they’re all beautiful.
This box seems to be filled with the vintage sets, and I narrate each one for Antonio and Remi because they all have a story behind them. They listen patiently while I ramble about Yaya and what each piece meant to her.
“I can’t believe this,” I say, finally finishing up with the first box. I’d been so stunned and excited, I didn’t even think to ask the most important question. “How did you get these?”
“Ve have our vays,” Remi says in a horrible accent.
I giggle and cry at the same time, taking the handkerchief Antonio offers. “Thank you both so much, but seriously, how did you manage to get all this?”
“Antonio has a particular set of skills,” Remi says mysteriously.
“Like Liam Neeson?” I ask, dabbing at my eyes before tearing into the next box.
“Pretty much.”
Pausing, I look between the two of them and squeal. “Did you beat up Roger?” I’m not ashamed my voice holds a bit of glee.
Antonio grouses and jerks a thumb at our boss. “No, he wouldn’t fecking let me.”
