Beamish (adjective): bright, cheerful, optimistic

“Selfish devils,” her old, frail voice growled from the hospital bed. “It’s all under the bed, anyway. Just take my riches. All of it.”

And with that, the elderly woman took her last breath.

The heavy air in the room was suffocating with heartbreak, grief, and sorrow. The parents were silently embracing each other, the brother was wailing, and even the baby’s eyes were lined with droplets of tears.

~~~~~

Arriving at the empty house of their dead grandmother, they somberly began searching for her lost “riches.”

So much had changed. She was such a humorous lady, cracking jokes and pulling pranks on her family, before her old age finally took its toll on her soul.

Before death, she had became impatient and snappy, always irritated that someone was to steal her “riches.”

Underneath the bed, the family found a box covered by the dust of time.

As soon as they slipped the lid off, they burst again into sobs and tears.

Inside, was hundreds of photos of the family sharing smiles together. A little note, radiating with mischief, was tucked in the corner: “Hehe, gotcha again!”

A memory so bitter, yet so sweet.