Another adventure of Silas. His world is changing and leading to new adventures.
Sister Ann had been sick for several months, and Silas was at her bedside every night. He thought about how she had been his biggest cheerleader. He remembered the day she told him stories about his mother, and how she had visited every day when he was a baby.
Sister Ann used to tell him how she would come in once a week just to stare at him in his crib. The sisters would let her hold him, feed him, and rock him to sleep. Sister Ann always said that she had always regretted giving him up, but she just couldn’t afford to take care of him and wanted the best for him.
Now, as he sat reading her one of the stories he wrote about an adventure across the ocean to Europe, a tear rolled down his cheek. Sister Ann opened her eyes. She looked so peaceful as she spoke to him.
“Silas, my boy, don’t be sad. I’m ready to go on my great adventure. Now that you are 15 and moving out into the big world, I need you to have something. It is in the drawer of the end table.”
Silas slowly slid the drawer open and saw an envelope lying there. He pulled it out and saw his name printed across the front. Sister Ann smiled and told him his mother had left that for him to read when he was ready to leave the orphanage.
He opened it up and began to read the letter.
Dear Silas,
If you are reading this, you must be ready to be on your own and be the man I was hoping you would be. I’m so sorry that I wasn’t able to be there for you, but I knew the sisters at the orphanage would provide you with the guidance and education to do great things. I also want to let you know about your father.
Silas stopped for a second and looked at Sister Ann. She smiled back at him and said, “Continue.”
Your father was hungry for adventure and told me he loved me very much but needed to travel and see the world. He didn’t know I was pregnant with you, and I never tried to find him to tell him about you. He was going to go out to the U.S. and see what the area had to offer. The last I heard about him, he had settled in Wisconsin. His name is Wilson Williams, and he worked as a cooper, also known as a barrel maker. I’m telling you this because you have a right to know where you came from. If you decide to search for him, know that he is a very reclusive man and may be hard to find, but I’m sure he would love to get to know his son.
I always loved you, Silas, and hope that you live out all of your dreams and have great adventures.
Your loving mother,
Stella
Silas put the letter down and looked at Sister Ann. She smiled, put her hand on his, and told him that he had to leave now. The next morning, she passed away. He cried the entire day in his bed and then packed his bags because he was leaving the next day for Fort Williams to start his own adventure.
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