Fine Print by Chautona Havig

Author:Chautona Havig [Havig, Chautona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-03-14T22:00:00+00:00

The wind howled outside, pleading, demanding to be allowed into the cozy parlor but to no avail. Madeline, her pencil scrawling quote after quote and note after note, paid little attention to the occasional tree branch that clattered against the side of the house or the roof. In the corner by the fire, a chair had been moved, and Edward taught Jimmy the finer points of chess.

For the third time in a row, Madeline reread one passage that felt significant—even as it seemed to speak of nothing at all.

I’ve been a foolish man—too trusting of those I love. Edward would agree, of course, but I think of him as I ponder the legacies I leave behind. Will he learn from my mistakes and my successes? Will he make the effort to discover what I spent a lifetime perfecting? Will all my work be for nothing as he ignores the games and lessons of childhood in his insatiable quest to be important?

Why can he not see that importance and consequence are twins birthed from character and virtue? From hard work and ingenuity? If we’ve learned nothing else from life in America, we should have at least discovered that lineage is not proof of worth.

Instead, he derives his value from the dollars attributed to his account. Perhaps these legacies I leave for him will strike a spark in that brilliant, creative mind of his. He could do anything he likes—be the next Tesla, the next Edison, or Planck.

But until he sees the value in work—in the exercise of the mind and the imagination—he will remain as our family always has. He will be “kept”, like a man’s mistress, by the wise decisions of his forefathers. I am left to pray that he will be as wise, or his descendants may find themselves without a penny to leave to their children.

I’ve prepared for this. If Edward is not foolish, if he chooses not to be lazy, he will find that I’ve scattered my wits about the place, hoping he’ll latch onto enough of them to prove profitable.

At the core of who I am and what I stand for—that’s where he’ll find a perfect picture giving direction to how to have a stronger, richer life. That’s where he’ll find the deed to my inferior genius.

What he could do with what I have done…

The words blurred as she began mulling different parts. What did he mean by “ignores the games and lessons of childhood?” The parts about making an effort to discover obviously hinted at the search she’d undertaken. But in this reading, she saw more—not just more hints and clues, but more.

Madeline turned her gaze to where Edward explained why he wouldn’t move his rook somewhere. The moment he finished his lesson, she pounced. “Edward?”

He set the rook back down on its square and glanced her way before returning his gaze to the game. “Did you find something?”

“Perhaps. There’s this section that I’ve read before. It’s a recurring theme in the journal—all about how you need to use your mind more, et cetera.

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