The Time Capsule

“Casssssssieeeeeeee.........” My mom called out. 

        

It was a normal Sunday morning. I normally sleep until noon every Sunday, but today was different. Both my brothers and my dad are on a fishing trip today and I didn’t want to waste my ‘annoyance free time’. I stood up in full energy and ran to the toilet. I brushed my teeth, took a bath and was ready for my ‘annoyance free time’.    

 

Yum, the aroma of fresh omelet and toast bread. I followed the aroma to the kitchen.

 

“Up, already?” asked Mom, pretending to be surprised.  

 

“I thought that it may be better not to waste time sleeping, but do something without your sons disturbing me,” I said, the matter of factly.     

As the day progressed, I realized it was too boring to sit inside watching TV. So I decided to go outdoors. The sun seemed to be happy today. It was shining brightly but not bright enough to burn me. The chilly spring winds rustled the leaves. I thought it was the best day to plant the small mango saplings that I got for Earth day from my school.

 

I took the shovel and started digging the earth. After a small amount of digging, I planted the sapling in different corners of my house. When I was shoveling a hole in the last plant, I hit something hard. Thinking it was a rock, I slowly crouched and with my hands, dug it out. A small wooden suitcase closed tight with a piece of rag. It was a time capsule. It was a really tight knot, so I fetched a scissor from the garage and cut the rag. I opened the suitcase. It contained a knife, a picture, and a diary. The picture left me spellbound. The picture was of a black, smiling gorilla and a laughing girl wearing a pink torn frock. The blue ink blotched the picture’s background. On the knife’s handle, it was carved.

“To my little warrior, Minnie” 

 I wanted to know more about Minnie. I assumed that the girl in the picture is Minnie. I decided to read the diary.  

 

9 May 1957

  

Dear Diary,

My name is Minerva Grace Brown and this is my first diary entry. However, everyone called me Minnie, today’s my 13th birthday and Daddy gave me a dagger, personalized with my name. That’s all for today.

Bye Diary.   

  

The next few entries were boring, like where she went to the school when she went to school and like that. So I skipped a couple of pages to 10 June.   

          

-----

10 June 1957

Dear Diary,  

You know that Daddy is a Zookeeper. So today there was a new Gorilla coming in, so he took me with him to see the new Gorilla. She was black in color and always had a smile on her face. Her name was Gaia. I think she liked me. So I asked Daddy to take pictures of me and her. I like Gaia. Next time, when I go I will take a banana or two for her. She offered me some of her food today. That’s all for today. Bye

-----

24 June 1957

Dear Diary,  

Daddy was shot today. They tried to kill me too. If it wasn’t for Gaia. I was in the zoo with Daddy, feeding Gaia and suddenly someone shot him. There was blood all over. Then the man pointed the gun to my chest. I thought I was going to die but Gaia swooped down and took me off the ground. Gaia kept me to her chest and jumped and swung from branch to branch. She put me on her shoulder and headed towards the Clearwood Woods. We went deeper and deeper into the woods. She somehow knew that they wouldn’t follow us anymore. Then, she made me sit on a branch and she went to look if there was anyone following us. When she made sure we were safe, she brought me down. I can’t believe I am an orphan now. I don’t have anyone but Gaia with me. 

Bye

----

Dear Diary,    

 

I don’t know what day or what time it is. I am lost in the woods with Gaia. I clicked a few pictures with her with the camera I had when I escaped. We are surviving with wild berries today. Gaia knows if it is poisonous or not. She protects me from everything. I always try to help her but she won’t let me. The weather is scorching and freezing. My clothes are torn from searching for food with her.     

 Bye                                                                    

 ----

Dear Diary, 

 

I think it's been a month since the incident. We are still in the woods. Nobody found us yet. I found a little suitcase in the woods today. Gaia is still helping me. I don't know why, but she is protecting me as if she is my mother. I love her. She heals my bruises with some wild medicines.

 

Bye

----

That was the last entry. Nothing else. I felt that I needed to find out what happened after that. I live in Clearwood City, meaning that our city used to be a forest. The last name is ‘Brown’, so there should be some family by that name around here. 

 

“ Cassie, come inside for lunch. “ Mom called out. 

 

The sun had moved. I went inside, washed my hands and sat down to eat.

-----

 ” Mom do you know anyone by the name ‘Brown’ “I asked her.

 Mom rolled her eyes. “ I don't know anyone, personally, but Grandma used to talk about the murder of Mr. William Brown. He was a zookeeper. Your grandma says it is one of the most tragic killings of their times. You know.....”

 “His child went missing just after the murder” I interrupted my mom.

 “How do you know that?” my mom asked surprised.

 “That’s a long story, I‘ll tell you later and can you please drop me off at grandma’s on your way to the grocery, please,” I asked my mom.

 “ Ok, I guess. “ mom said, confused

 “ Thanks, Mommy,” I said and kissed my mom’s cheeks and ran upstairs.

 

My mom dropped me off at Grandma’s. My grandma’s house was old, ancient. My mother’s granny used to live here. Now it's my grandma’s. This house is made of concrete. Floor, roof, ceiling. Only one of four glass windows remain, wavy and yellowed by time. There's no plumbing and no electricity, but a well and some candles to light up the house. I hated coming to Grandma’s, not that I hate my grandma, but she always calls Cassidy instead of Cassie and her house is old. 

 

“ Cassidy...” Grandma said and hugged me.

“ Grandma....” I said and hugged her back, smiling

She invited me in.

 

“Minerva was always talking about animals and she was always teased by her classmates, she was different from everyone. She went missing after her father's death. Some thought she was kidnapped. Some thought she was dead. However, a year after, she came back, from the woods. Clothes torn and bloody, she had dirt all over her face. She was carrying a dagger in her belt. First, we thought she had killed someone, but she said someone killed someone and they admitted her to the Crown City Mental Hospital. Her father was killed because he had witnessed some murder by his killer. When nobody was there, her father was shot.“ Grandma narrated the story, with the utmost agony.

 

Next day was a holiday so I asked my dad to drop me off at the hospital saying that it was for volunteering, and he believed me. He dropped me off and I headed to the reception.

 Advertisements of donations, aligned across the white walls. There were couches here and there. A woman with a long ponytail, wearing a white shirt and a black skirt sat behind a white marble desk and a computer. I reached on to the desk.

 

I asked “ In which room is Minerva Brown in? “ 

 “ In Room No. 1670 and who might you be? “ said the receptionist. 

 “ I am her......uh........ grandniece,” I said.

 I was really unprepared for this moment. I never thought I would be spending my weekend like this. I had that suitcase with me. 

 I got into the lift. The dim lights got me a little scared as I was alone. The lift doors 

 

“ Which room are you going to, sweetie?” a nurse asked, politely.

 “1670,” I said

 The nurse escorted me to the room and opened it for me. I slowly got inside and Minerva looked at me. Minerva’s face was wrinkled and her face had aged. However, her eyes were just like in the picture, Blue and twinkling. She sat on the chair, agonized. I didn't say anything but slowly placed the suitcase on the bed. She slowly walked towards the suitcase. She greedily opened the suitcase. She took the picture and started screaming “Gaia....................”.

 

I slowly took her hand and asked “ What happened to Gaia”

She started crying again. 

She slowly sat on the chair and smiled.

“Gaia was trying to protect me from baddies. Gaia died.”

She cried again.

Minerva loved Gaia a lot. Her death would have agonized her. She witnessed two deaths of her loved ones in front of her. She had nothing more. She had buried the suitcase there.