Page 49 of The Rejected King
She clapped her hands together. “How exciting.” Then she leaned forward and kissed Davin on the cheek. Her kiss should have made him feel something, but it didn’t.
“Thanks for saving the best one-on-one time for me.”
Davin stiffened, glancing at the newswriters who were overjoyed by Patrice’s kiss and the scene in front of them. So this was what public approval looked like.
Davin and Patrice put on the gloves the artifact team had left them. He fidgeted with the rusted key until the stiff lock jerked loose. Davin looked at Patrice, anticipation dancing in her eyes. He pulled the small metal door open as the decayed hinges screeched and protested against the movement.
Patrice peered over his shoulder, impatient to get answers. “What is it?”
The entire group of newswriters circled around them, anxious looks on their faces as they waited for the big reveal. Davin hoped something good was inside, or else the success of this date would solely depend on his connection with Patrice, which he had a hard time faking.
He reached inside the safe, feeling around, and slowly pulled out the contents. He examined them one by one: a stack of yellowed papers, a gold wedding band, a matching gold diamond ring, a photo album, two small bricks of gold and silver, and a picture of a young man and woman on their wedding day. Davin looked at the wedding picture first. The woman wore a lacey white dress that set off her long black hair and brown eyes. The man stood next to her in his black tuxedo. Their arms were wrapped around each other, and the woman smiled brightly at the camera. But what Davin noticed was how the man stared at the woman like she was the most essential thing in the world. Davin envied that man and the love that he so obviously shared with the woman in the picture.
He held the photo up for the crowd.
“They look happy,” Patrice said, leaning into him to get a better look.
Davin flipped through the stack of papers. They all seemed to be important pre-Desolation documents like birth certificates, bank statements, and social security cards.
Patrice scanned the pages of the photo album. “Aww, look at what a cute family they were.”
Davin leaned in, studying the photo-documented life of a pre-Desolation happy family. They lived in such a different world than the one set up today by the Council of Essentials. The guy in the pictures wasn’t a king. He didn’t look like he had power or prestige. From the simple photos of his life, he had a farm, a loving wife and three beautiful children, and more happiness than Davin could ever even hope to have.
His eyes found Emree. She was precisely the type of girl that Davin could picture himself creating that happy family with.
“There’s a note,” Patrice said, holding up a piece of paper folded into two.
Davin unfolded the paper, looking up at the newswriters. “Let’s see what it says.”
Patrice angled her body next to Davin’s, resting her chin on his shoulder. He cleared his throat and began reading the letter out loud.
March 1st, 2055
To whoever finds this letter,
If you’re reading this note, then chances are I never made it back to my farm alive. My wife, Emily, and I lasted as long as we could during Desolation. We made it through a lot of tumultuous years. We lost children and grandchildren, taken away from us by the disasters of the world. I never would have guessed that a fire ripping through my land would be the thing to finally push me out of my home.
You might pity me for my tragic ending but don’t. I lived a full life with a woman who I loved fiercely. I would go through every calamity of Desolation again if it meant that I could be with Emily for even a second longer. Her love means more to me than anything else in this world.
Davin stopped reading. He looked up at the newswriters and at Emree. She bit her bottom lip as her arms clutched her notebook against her chest. A single tear streamed down her face. She had never looked so beautiful.
“What else did he say?” Patrice asked, nudging him.
Davin looked down to read again.
I don’t know how long it will take for someone to find this box of our last treasures, and I don’t know what the world will look like, but I hope that it’s better than when I wrote this letter. I hope that the world and the people living in it remember better than our society did what things are truly important. Love and family are the only things that really matter.
Danny and Emily Jakes
P.S. If you found this safe, then it’s your lucky day. I hope you spend my last pieces of gold and silver wisely. LOL.
Davin looked up at Emree;her eyes were filled with emotion.
Patrice sniffed next to him. “That was beautiful,” she said.
Davin cleared his throat. “Very beautiful.”
“What does LOL mean?” Patrice asked.
