Chapter 24
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Matt asked his brother as they stood in front of the local North Carolinian museum.
“Yeah,” Jeff nodded, looking at the swarms of people entering through the revolving doors.
Jeff looked up at the banner that hung on the stone museum. “Photography Exhibition” it read as Jeff took a deep breath bracing himself to go in. It had been over 3 months since he had last seen Jamie, she hadn’t returned any of his calls, and it felt like she disappeared off the face of the earth.
“Do you think she’ll be here?” Matt asked as they started climbing the stone steps to get to the museum.
“I don’t know,” Jeff shrugged, “I just really want to see this. It’s something that reminds me of her, and I just really want to have this.”
“Ok,” Matt said, following his younger brother through the revolving doors and into the museum.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeff smiled as he looked at the photographs along the wall. He walked past each one, giving them all a quick once over and an approving smile and nod.
“I never knew you could do so much with a camera,” Matt whispered behind him with a small laugh, “these are incredible.”
Jeff nodded in agreement, but didn’t say anything as he continued to keep his gaze on the photographs. He turned and watched as Matt walked to the other side of the crowded gallery to look at the pictures on that side. Jeff turned his full attention back to a photograph of a beach when he heard his name being hissed from across the room. He turned around quickly to see Matt signaling him over.
“You gotta see this one,” Matt whispered loudly as Jeff was half way to him, “this is incredible.”
Jeff tried to make out the photograph Matt was pointing at from across the gallery, but he was too far away. As Jeff neared the picture, and it came into focus, Jeff picked up his pace and felt his heart beat faster.
“Jeff, you ok?” Matt asked as Jeff approached the picture and stared at it, his hand covering his mouth.
“Oh my God…” Jeff whispered, not even blinking as he stared at the photo.
The little blonde girl sat in a woman’s lap, her blue eyes gazing up lovingly at the mother. The little girl embracing her mother’s hands with her own small ones as the mother’s face was hidden by her curly brown hair. The lighting of the picture almost made it look like a painting. Jeff recognized the painting immediately.
Jeff quickly looked to the lower right hand corner of the frame where a small white card was printed to confirm what he thought.
“Inspiration”
2002 Jamie Irene Smith
Dedicated to my inspiration: Jeff Hardy
Jeff felt a tear form in his eye and a lump form in his throat as he stared at the small white card. Matt followed Jeff’s gaze to the small white card and Jeff heard him gasp lightly.
“This is your Jamie’s?” Matt questioned in a whisper.
“Yeah,” Jeff nodded, not able to say anything else, fearing tears would spill down his cheek.
The two men were so lost in the painting and the dedication, they didn’t notice the woman dressed in a black dress suit. Her blonde hair pinned neatly into a classic bun. She approached Jeff’s back, her finger outstretched to touch his shoulder and mouth open to say his name, but at the last minute turned quickly on her heels and turned around, walking towards the main desk at the other side of the gallery, neither Matt nor Jeff noticing her behind them.
“Do you have a piece of paper and envelope by any chance?” the woman asked the lady in the navy blue blazer behind the desk.
“Yes ma’am, hold on a second,” the lady replied with a friendly smile, fishing around in some drawers, then handing the blonde what she asked for, “here you go.”
“Thanks very much,” the blonde woman said softly, digging a pen out of her black purse and leaning on the main desk.
The woman finished what she was writing with a quick squibble and folded the sheet neatly, placing it in the envelope. She quickly realized something, pulling the paper back out and unfolding it she added one more thing quickly at the bottom. Then added the letter and one other thing to the envelope before sealing it and writing on the envelope.
“Excuse me,” the blonde said to the same cheerful lady in the blue blazer, “could you do me a favor and give this envelope to that man over there. It’s very important.”
The blonde pointed to where Jeff and Matt were still standing. Jeff was talking rapidly and using his hands animatedly as he talked.
“No problem,” the cheerful museum worker replied, standing up.
“Thank you,” the blonde replied, walking towards the exit as she watched the plump museum worker walk over to Jeff and Matt.
The blonde stopped right by the revolving door, and turned around, looking across the swarming room at where the museum worker was now handing Jeff the envelope.
“Jeff Hardy?” a voice asked as Matt and Jeff turned around to see a plump, pleasant looking museum employee in a navy blue blazer standing there with an envelope in hand.
“Yes?” Jeff asked.
“This is for you,” the woman said, handing Jeff the envelope, and walking away.
“What is it?” Matt asked, looking at the small white envelope Jeff now held in his hands.
“I don’t know,” Jeff replied, opening the envelope with his name written on it slowly and pulling out a small quickly written letter. Jeff felt his heart break as he recognized the handwriting.
Jeff,
I saw you looking at the photograph, and I knew I had to talk to you. I was so close behind you, but you didn’t notice and I was too scared to get your attention so this was just easier.
I’m sorry for any pain I have put you through. These past 3 months have been hell for me, and I miss you so much. I don’t fall asleep at night without thinking of you first. I really do love you Jeff, and I do miss you.
My dad is in rehab. He finally admitted to having an alcohol abuse problem, and he checked into rehab the other day. It’s going to be a long road ahead, but I know he can do it.
Thank you so much for everything you’ve done. You’re the one who got me to have confidence in my art and myself; without you I would have never been able to submit my photo into the exhibition. You’re the one person who’s always believed in me following my dreams and believed in me.
I’m going back to the city for awhile. I quit my job and am staying with Scott and Danny to pursue a career in photography in the big apple. You’ll always be with me, and I’ll always love you. You’re my inspiration, my soul, my heart, I love you.
Jamie
I thought you may like these back
Jeff felt the tears swell in his eyes as the letters on the paper he was holding blurred. He reached into the envelope as his fingers touched a smooth, small round surface. He squeezed his eyes tight as he pulled out his mother’s pearl earrings.
“Jeff?” Matt whispered, watching his brother’s expression and the tears roll down his cheeks.
“Excuse me,” Jeff said, turning around and walking towards the lady in the navy blue blazer.
“Is everything alright?” she asked, the smile on her face replaced with concern at seeing Jeff’s face.
“Yes,” Jeff replied unconvincingly , “who gave this to you?”
“A blonde woman,” the museum employee replied worriedly, “is there anything I can do?”
“Do you know where she is?” Jeff demanded, his eyes pleading.
“I saw her over there,” the employee said pointing to the revolving door as Jeff saw a small blonde pushing through the doors quickly.
“Jamie!” Jeff called, watching Jamie go through the revolving doors as he ran through the crowd of people, “Jamie, wait!”
Jeff pushed through the revolving door and jogged onto the street. He looked up and down the street frantically as he noticed a blonde climbing into a cab.
“Jamie, wait!” Jeff called as he watched her turn around. Jeff froze in his spot as the two made eye contact. She shook her head slowly, a sad smile on her face.
“Jamie, please,” Jeff tried to yell, but instead came out in a whisper, his voice lost in his throat.
Jeff watched as she climbed into the cab and it drove away, leaving Jeff standing on the crowded street feeling even more alone then he thought possible. He watched as the cab turned the corner as he lowered his head and tightened his grip on the earrings in his hand. He felt Matt’s hand on his shoulder and looked around at his older brother’s face sadly.
“It was her?” Matt asked.
“Yeah,” Jeff mumbled with a nod, “it was her.”
“You ok?” Matt asked concerned, touching his brother’s shoulder softly.
Jeff nodded his head softly as he put his hand into a fist, crumpling the letter in his hand. As he tightened his fist, he felt the 2 rounded surfaces against his palm and realized he was still holding the earrings.
“Do you want me to do anything?” Matt asked softly.
“Just give me a minute?” Jeff replied, looking at his brother with sad eyes.
“Sure,” Matt agreed, “I’ll go pull the car around front.”
Jeff nodded in agreement as he watched Matt walk away and disappear in the crowd. Jeff shut his eyes as he felt more tears swell up in his eyes. He opened his eyes and looked down at his right hand, locked in a tight fist and slowly opened it.
He stared at the crumbled sheet in his hands with Jamie’s handwriting on it, then at his mother’s earrings. He had given Jamie those earrings as a symbol of his love, when he used to look at them he saw his mother and felt unconditional love, now all he felt was disgust and despair.
With an angry groan he threw the earrings onto the ground and watched as they lay still on the sidewalk, shimmering in the sunlight. He stood starring at the earrings for another few minutes as people passed by quickly. Jeff finally looked up when he heard a horn honk and saw Matt in the driver seat of his car waiting for him. Jeff looked at the earrings lying on the street as if they had no importance to him before quickly walking to Matt’s car and climbing into the passenger seat.
Matt looked at Jeff with a face full of concern as he watched his brother buckle his seatbelt quickly, then looked straight ahead, not even blinking.
“Where to?” Matt asked, checking his mirrors and pulling away from the curb.
Jeff looked at him and sighed, “as far away from here as we can get.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 25
Chapter 23