1.71 Pandora's Box

“Sir you only sent me to solitary a few hours ago, why have I been brought here?” 

Colonel Reid looked at his son and thought for a moment before answering, “Sergeant Major Lance, admitted trying to fix things so you were sent overseas…” He took a deep breathe when he spoke the next part, “It seems you want to leave the army, is that true?” 

He offered Andrew a seat and asked the others to leave. Andrew got comfortable and said, “It is true Sir, I love my girl and we are due to marry in a few months and…”

“I understand Andrew but can I convince you to stay? Colonel Reid held out hope that Andrew would change his mind and added, “You could work on the base and help train new recruits. You know what it can be like Andrew…”

“My girl, Kirsten wouldn’t be happy if I stayed…”

“Andrew, please talk to her and I will ask that you think about the offer, more money, a promotion and doing what you love, the army. I won’t accept the resignation for 48 hours. If you still want to leave then I will make sure the process goes through smoothly for you.”

“Thank you Sir, may I ask you something?” Colonel Reid looked shocked but agreed and Andrew asked, “Many of my mates that have been in your office say it is full of pictures but every time I’ve been in here there are one or two but my mates say there are couple pictures of you and a girl.” Colonel Reid got up and looked away but without the proof how could he explain so he lied, “I took them home.”

Andrew stood in front of him and said, “Why can’t you look at me when you say that? Every time you talk to me its eye contact until I ask about the pictures. What are you hiding?”

“I hide nothing…” 

Andrew tried to call his bluff as he tried to open the drawers but each one was locked.

“Corporal Morgan, enough!” 

They were now having a staring competition, “With due respect SIR, you are hiding something. I only asked because everyone commented how beautiful your girlfriend was etc and yet, there is nothing in here like I’ve heard. You don’t want to show me then fine, may I leave base to see my girl now?”

“Yes. See you in 48 hours with an answer Corporal Morgan.” 

Andrew walked out the room closing the door behind him, just as he shut the door he heard a click and when he glanced around the door.

He saw a picture being put on the desk and heard, “How are you today beautiful? I’m having a crap week; my heart is being ripped apart all over again.” Andrew kept thinking why is he lying but he wanted to see Kirsten and this, whatever it was, was going to have to wait.

When Andrew got home the house was empty, he saw in the corner of the room a trunk and when he looked at the trunk it was marked Louise Morgan. Kirsten had been clearing things out from the other rooms as she needed to keep her mind occupied while Andrew was away. 

Andrew sat down in front of it opened it. He pushed some old newspapers aside and found old pictures of him when he was younger then he saw a picture of his parents together but when he looked closer he saw his Mum looked miserable in the picture. He thought his Mum was having an off day and was about to put the picture down when he heard a slight sound coming from inside the picture and he found a scrap piece of paper that read, “My little girl lived a lie for me and my selfish ways. Forgive me Andrew.”

Andrew kept looking at the picture and thought, ‘What does Granddad mean?’ He looked back at the trunk and saw a folder marked, ‘Andrew’s real certificate.’ 

Andrew was about the open the folder when he heard Kirsten scream with delight as she walked in the door, “Andy,” as she flew into his arms. She kissed him with passion all over his face and neck. “Babe, it’s only been a week.”

“A week too long.” 

Kirsten got down but still held on tight and asked, “Why are you back early?”

“Your ex, something Lance…” Kirsten now yelled, “What did he want?”

“He hoped by committing fraud and sending me overseas, he’d get you back but the Colonel sorted things out for me but…” Kirsten interrupted him and said, “Please say thanks from me.”

“I will but he’s hiding something.” Kirsten smiled at him, “What could the Colonel be hiding?” 

Andrew sat down and said, “Everyone at the base always comments about these pictures in his office but every time I’m there, there is nothing but an odd landscape.” 

Kirsten sat next to cuddling up to him, “You read way too much into things.”

“Kirsten, it was more than that…I don’t know but he got angry when I questioned him about the pictures.”

Kirsten wanted to change the subject because she thought it was a strange conversation they were getting into, “What was in the trunk?”

“It has all of my mother’s things in there, letters, pictures but when I opened one photograph, my granddad was saying sorry to me, something about Mum living a lie. I was about to open a document marked Andrews real certificate.”

Kirsten was puzzled and said, “Real certificate, what does that mean?”

“You jumped me before I could look.”

“Well open it and see what it is.” 

The door opened and Mr Davis walked in, “Andrew sorry for just walking in but I saw that trunk and what you have in your hands is Pandora’s Box. I was paid to keep my mouth shut but if you decide to look please believe your grandfather always loved you.”

“Mr Davis, I was very close to my grandfather we had no secrets.” He opened up the folder and saw a birth certificate and it read

 He kept looking at it over and over re-reading the same lines over and over and finally asked Mr Davis, “Corporal Andrew Reid, where is he now?” Andrew was shaking as he stared at Mr Davis waiting for his answer, “Corporal Andrew Reid as he was known then worked his way up the ranks and is now known as Colonel Andrew Reid but you already know that.”

“Why, would my grandfather be in the wrong after all the man I thought was my Dad was apparently my step-father and this person abandoned me and my Mum.” Kirsten looked scared and upset so stepped away and sat down and listened.

“Your granddad loved your Mum but after leaving the army, no bank would loan him the money for the business so he went to a loan shark but this guy was more than a lender, he was a thug and wanted your Mum and he got what he wanted.”

“Are you saying what I think you are saying?”

“Yes Andrew I am.” Andrew yelled at him, “Liar.” He ripped his birth certificate up and said, “I’m getting my birth certificate from city hall and it will prove all this is a lie.”

Andrew fell on the steps of city hall after they reassured him that no birth of a boy named Andrew Morgan was registered but a boy named Andrew Reid. He thought, ‘Mum must have gone against granddad and registered the birth with my real Dad's name and when granddad found out he had the certificate faked. That message behind the photo wasn’t for me it for him, my real Dad.’