Her smile with her dimples always brightened my day. One day, Grandma murmured, “Emily, dear,” in a gentle, loving voice. “Would you like to help me with the garden later?” I excitedly nodded, disregarding my uncle’s rolling of his eyes from across the room. He was never able to figure out why I was bothering the “old lady”. “Your summer is being wasted, Em,” said my Uncle Bill. “Why don’t you come to the beach with us instead?”I gave him a fierce look. “Uncle Bill, I genuinely care about my grandmother. You ought to give it a go sometime.” Grandma’s hands trembled a little, and I noticed it while we pruned the roses together. The fact that she was growing older alarmed me. “Grandma,” I spoke softly. “You know I love you, right?”She stopped and gave me that sweet look. “Obviously, my dear. I also adore you. More than you can possibly comprehend.” I gave her a strong hug and breathed in the comforting aroma of freshly baked cookies and lavender as we made our way inside. I had no idea that this peaceful time was actually the quiet before the storm. Grandma said, “Emily,” her voice suddenly serious. “Make me a promise. Remember to always be true to who you are, no matter what.” Bewildered, I withdrew. Naturally, Grandma. However, why do you say this?” With that well-known gleam in her eye, she simply grinned. You will comprehend eventually, my love. How about we prepare some cookies now?” All that changed a week before Grandma turned eighty-nine. Dad returned home with a pale face. Shouting, “Emily,” his voice faltered. “Mom is in the medical facility. According to the physicians, she has lost her hearing. My entire world fell apart. How is this possible to occur? We were giggling over her childhood tales only yesterday. “But… but she was fine!” Tears filled my eyes as I objected. “We were gardening and baking and…”Dad drew me into an embrace. “I am aware, my dear. It came on abruptly. According to the experts, it’s normal for her age.” We still planned to celebrate Grandma’s birthday in spite of the diagnosis. Be it deaf or not, she earned it. Mom responded, “We’ll make it special,” her voice full of love and resolve. “Emily, how about creating a picture album? Grandma would definitely adore that. < As I assisted Mom in setting the table for supper, I grinned and wiped away my tears. Yes, I’ll carry that out. She was always enamored by vintage photos.” When Grandma’s 89th birthday was approaching, everything was going well, but something didn’t feel quite right. As I was sitting next to Grandma and displaying her photos on my phone, I heard my Uncle Bill’s loud voice. “I’ll battle for the house in court if it doesn’t get to us. “Are you unaware that she is already elderly and foolish?” He growled and cast a snide glance at Grandma.My blood ran cold and I froze. He was talking about Grandma, how could he? Aunt Sarah spoke up, her tone brimming with contempt. “Yes, sir! Her statements are unreliable. I am very excited to visit the gorgeous farmhouse she owns near Boston.” I was hearing things that I couldn’t believe. Just seconds before, these were the same individuals who had hugged and smiled at Grandma. “Hey!” My face blazing with rage, I yelled. “How can you talk about Grandma like that?”Uncle Bill gave me a sneer. “You dumb little girl, zip it up. This is adult conversation.” I expected to see hurt in Grandma’s eyes as I glanced at her. However, I noticed… a hint of something different. Was it a kind of levity? I shook my head, brushing the idea aside. To be honest, I was relieved that the poor thing was unable to hear them. She would have been devastated by their hurtful remarks. “You okay, Grandma?” For an instant, I asked, not realizing that she couldn’t hear me. She grinned and rubbed my hand. After everyone had left for home later that evening, I discovered Grandma gazing out the window from her favorite armchair. “Grandma?” I remarked as I walked up to her. I was surprised when she turned to face me. “Oh, Emily. Join me in a seat. I became motionless. “Mum? Can you hear me, you? With that well-known sparkle in her eye, she laughed. “I know everything, sweetie. Who declared me to be totally deaf? I can hear very faintly.” My mouth fell open. “But… but at the party… Uncle Bill and Aunt Sarah…”She sighed, “I know what they said.” “And I know they’re all waiting for me to die.” With tears flowing down my cheeks, I gave her a tight hug. “Gramma, I’m really sorry. They’re appalling!” She dabbed at my tears. Don’t cry, sweetheart. We’re going to impart to them knowledge they won’t soon forget.” I spent the following four days with Grandma formulating our strategy. After I purchased a few tiny recorders, we started documenting our relatives’ actual selves. Grandma said, “Remember, Emily,” while we worked. It’s not about getting even. It has to do with exposing the truth.” I agreed, although a small part of me smirked at the idea of showing them for what they really were. My heart broke into a million fragments as we recorded more and more of my aunts’ and uncles’ hurtful remarks. Their mocking and avaricious shouts filled the small recorders: “I can’t wait for the old bat to kick the bucket already.”“You know, maybe we should be encouraging her? It’s in her best interest.” “Why won’t she simply pass away already, God? For that beach mansion, I have plans.” Every phrase felt like a slicing pain in my stomach. Grandma gazed at me, her hands aged and slightly quivering as she listened. Her previously vivid and brilliant eyes were now glistening with unshelved tears. “How can they be so heartless?” I muttered. “These are your children, grandma. How could someone say anything so terrible?” With her kind touch, Grandma stretched out and squeezed my hand. She whispered, “Oh, my sweet Emily,” her voice faltering. “Sometimes, the people who should love us the most are the ones who hurt us the deepest.” ~ Tears welled up in my eyes. The mother who had nurtured them, loved them, and given them everything could not have been treated this way. They were now circling about her like vultures, waiting for her to die. “Doesn’t it hurt you, Grandma?” I enquired. She gave a sorrowful smile. “Yes, it does, my dear. It also makes clear to me who genuinely cares. And that is more valuable than material prosperity. Keep in mind that the greatest inheritance is love.”Grandma died quietly in her sleep one week later. I was inconsolable. Family members looked at Grandma’s belongings and cried like crocodiles during the sorrowful funeral. Aunt Sarah sniffled, her gaze flitting about the room, “Such a tragedy.” “I’ll miss her so much.” Knowing what was going to happen, I bit my tongue. We all gathered for the will reading at the lawyer’s office three days after the funeral. Our family lawyer, Mr. Thompson, cleared his throat. “Before we begin, I have a special request from Mrs. Rosalind.” He set down seven little boxes and envelopes with names on them on the table. I was the only one without one. “Your grandmother left something different for you, Emily,” Mr. Thompson stated. As I saw my relatives rip into their boxes, my heart was racing. There was a little recorder in each one.Play was initially pressed by Uncle Bill. “I can’t wait for the old bat to kick the bucket already,” he said in a voice that filled the room. Next was Aunt Sarah’s recorder: “Oh my God, why can’t she pass away already? For that beach mansion, I have plans.” Each recorder replayed the disparaging remarks they’d made about Grandma one after the other. When they accepted the reality, the color left their faces. You little things, oh! Grandma had not at all been deaf. “YOU!” Uncle Bill, crimson in the face from rage, pointed at me. “You did this!” I refused to back down. “Uncle Bill, no. You subjected yourself to this. You all did. I couldn’t help but smile when the last recording ended. Grandma was cleverer than all of them.“Emily,” Mr. Thompson stated as he gave me an envelope. “This is for you.” My hands trembling, I opened it. There was a letter inside, written in Grandma’s lovely script: “My sweetheart Emily, The only person who noticed me for who I was rather than what I had was you. You showed me true, unwavering affection. I’m leaving everything up to you because of this. When using it, keep in mind that love is the most valuable inheritance of all. adore, Mama”I held the letter close to my chest while tears flowed down my cheeks. I understood that what Grandma had given me was far more precious than cash or material possessions. She had imparted to me the real significance of family and love. What about my family members? They were each given an envelope with one dollar inside and a message that said, “Hopefully this will be sufficient! Wishing you luck!” The fallout was disorganized. Uncle Bill made a threat to challenge the will, but Mr. Thompson immediately silenced him. “Mrs. Rosalind made this will while she was of sound mind,” he asserted. “And given the evidence we’ve just heard, I’d say her decisions were well-founded.”My Dad drew me aside as we were leaving the office. “I’m so happy for you, Emily. I also apologize for not realizing what was going on sooner.” I gave him a strong hug. “Don’t worry, Dad. Mom was aware of your devotion for her. That is the important thing.Even though it has been ten years since that day, I still deeply mourn my grandmother. Her parting advice, nonetheless, has stuck with me: love your family without conditions since nothing in this life is permanent. Not cash, not belongings. Simply love. And never forget that sometimes the voices that are the quietest have the most to say. Pay attentive attention—you never know what you might pick up.
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