protocol. He was now there to tell her about what her father had left behind, facts and figures that she really didn’t care about. But when Amanda Garrett heard him say, “Five hundred thousand dollars,” her heart skipped a beat.
“ Surely that’s not all for me?” she said.
“ Ma’am, Colonel Garrett left you that much money. It was every bit of his life insurance. He had savings accounts out of which we are paying for things such as his mortgage in North Carolina and other expenses. This money is yours.” The major looked away briefly.
Amanda was dressed in a black pantsuit that her mother had purchased. “You’re in mourning and we need you to appear to be,” she had said. Amanda and the major sat in the dining room, papers spread out between them. Nina Hastings watched from the living room, while Amanda’s mother sat pensively at the other end of the table.
Amanda looked at her mother, whom she caught eyeing Nina at the sound of the words “Five hundred thousand dollars.”
“ Why would he do that? I hated him. I couldn’t even stand for him to be around, and he leaves me all of this? It doesn’t make sense.”
“ Well, clearly, ma’am, he didn’t hate you,” the major said.
“ I think what Amanda is trying to say,” her mother chirped, “is that relations between her and her father had been strained in recent years.”
“ Strained? You wouldn’t let me—”
Nina Hastings raised a hand and said, “Child, we’ll have none of that. Your father’s dead, and it isn’t right to talk about him like this.”
Major Blair and the chaplain exchanged glances. Perhaps they had seen it before; Amanda didn’t know.
“ When does Amanda get the money?” Melanie Garrett asked.
“ Well, there’s one catch,” Major Blair said.
“ I knew it,” Nina muttered under her breath. Amanda turned and looked at her and then back at the major.
“ Amanda, you’re not eighteen yet.” The major clearly preferred talking to her as opposed to her mother or grandmother. She watched her mother out of the corner of her eye as the major began to speak. Her face was twitching, as if she was trying to not smile. Interesting. The major reached across the table and touched Amanda’s hand lightly.
“ Your father put a stipulation in his will that if you were under eighteen when he passed, you’d have to talk to someone before receiving the money. And then, on your eighteenth birthday, the insurance would be paid out to you. Because he passed before you turned eighteen, this stipulation endures. You must comply with it to receive the death gratuity. In other words, even after you turn eighteen, you have to follow the instructions as detailed by your father if you wish to receive the money.”
“ What is this?” Melanie Garrett spat. “Some cruel joke from beyond the grave? He has to manipulate Amanda even when he’s gone, is that it? I’m getting a lawyer here now!” Amanda’s mother jumped up from the table, knocking some of the papers onto the floor.
“ Just goes to figure,” Nina Hastings said, shaking her head.
Amanda sat in her chair and looked at the major. “I turn eighteen the day after graduation. That’s two weeks. Who do I need to talk to?”
Major Blair handed her an envelope. “The name and address are in here with some other instructions. This has all been thoroughly checked out by our judge advocate general. That’s a military term for a lawyer. Colonel Garrett obviously put a lot of thought into this, ma’am. The least you can do is to follow it through.”
“ And if I don’t?” Amanda removed her hand from the major’s light grasp.
“ He has named a secondary beneficiary, whose name I cannot disclose.”
“ I heard that!” Melanie Garrett was back now, pointing her finger at the major. “I heard that bullshit. He’s breaking his court order. He was supposed to always keep at least one hundred thousand dollars life insurance on her until she was
“ Surely that’s not all for me?” she said.
“ Ma’am, Colonel Garrett left you that much money. It was every bit of his life insurance. He had savings accounts out of which we are paying for things such as his mortgage in North Carolina and other expenses. This money is yours.” The major looked away briefly.
Amanda was dressed in a black pantsuit that her mother had purchased. “You’re in mourning and we need you to appear to be,” she had said. Amanda and the major sat in the dining room, papers spread out between them. Nina Hastings watched from the living room, while Amanda’s mother sat pensively at the other end of the table.
Amanda looked at her mother, whom she caught eyeing Nina at the sound of the words “Five hundred thousand dollars.”
“ Why would he do that? I hated him. I couldn’t even stand for him to be around, and he leaves me all of this? It doesn’t make sense.”
“ Well, clearly, ma’am, he didn’t hate you,” the major said.
“ I think what Amanda is trying to say,” her mother chirped, “is that relations between her and her father had been strained in recent years.”
“ Strained? You wouldn’t let me—”
Nina Hastings raised a hand and said, “Child, we’ll have none of that. Your father’s dead, and it isn’t right to talk about him like this.”
Major Blair and the chaplain exchanged glances. Perhaps they had seen it before; Amanda didn’t know.
“ When does Amanda get the money?” Melanie Garrett asked.
“ Well, there’s one catch,” Major Blair said.
“ I knew it,” Nina muttered under her breath. Amanda turned and looked at her and then back at the major.
“ Amanda, you’re not eighteen yet.” The major clearly preferred talking to her as opposed to her mother or grandmother. She watched her mother out of the corner of her eye as the major began to speak. Her face was twitching, as if she was trying to not smile. Interesting. The major reached across the table and touched Amanda’s hand lightly.
“ Your father put a stipulation in his will that if you were under eighteen when he passed, you’d have to talk to someone before receiving the money. And then, on your eighteenth birthday, the insurance would be paid out to you. Because he passed before you turned eighteen, this stipulation endures. You must comply with it to receive the death gratuity. In other words, even after you turn eighteen, you have to follow the instructions as detailed by your father if you wish to receive the money.”
“ What is this?” Melanie Garrett spat. “Some cruel joke from beyond the grave? He has to manipulate Amanda even when he’s gone, is that it? I’m getting a lawyer here now!” Amanda’s mother jumped up from the table, knocking some of the papers onto the floor.
“ Just goes to figure,” Nina Hastings said, shaking her head.
Amanda sat in her chair and looked at the major. “I turn eighteen the day after graduation. That’s two weeks. Who do I need to talk to?”
Major Blair handed her an envelope. “The name and address are in here with some other instructions. This has all been thoroughly checked out by our judge advocate general. That’s a military term for a lawyer. Colonel Garrett obviously put a lot of thought into this, ma’am. The least you can do is to follow it through.”
“ And if I don’t?” Amanda removed her hand from the major’s light grasp.
“ He has named a secondary beneficiary, whose name I cannot disclose.”
“ I heard that!” Melanie Garrett was back now, pointing her finger at the major. “I heard that bullshit. He’s breaking his court order. He was supposed to always keep at least one hundred thousand dollars life insurance on her until she was
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