The Keeper

***

A woman is unpacking her belongings and sorting them in a decent sized apartment. She takes the newspaper off a beautiful figurine and admires it before placing it carefully on the mantel over the fireplace. 

Through the window snow is coming down and the world is blanketed in white. Her young son plays with his toy trucks on the floor. The doorbell rings and he jumps up, running over to the door, pulling it open.

A mailman stands there in his parka, huge bag of mail at his right side. He looks at the boy, "Hello there youngster. Are your parents at home?"

The boys calls out, "Mamma!" but she is already right behind him.

"Good afternoon sir."

"I have some important looking mail for you." He hands her the lambskin envelope.

"We just moved in. I'm sure this is not for me."

The man shrugs, "No return address. Keep it. Maybe someone will show up looking for it." He closes his bag and turns to go. "Nice envelope though. Might have something good in there." He heads down the stairs.

She closes the door.

"Mamma? What is it?"

"I don't know, Andrea. But it doesn't belong to us, so we'll just keep it safe until someone comes to claim it."

The boy goes back to his toys and she puts the envelope in the top drawer of her bedroom dresser, before piling her underwear on top of it.

***

The woman and her son are going down the stairs. A large, heavy set older woman is coming up with a box in her arms.

The younger woman stops and moves out of her way, pulling her son with her. "Mrs. Klemp?"

The older woman pauses and leans on the railing, breathing hard. "Yes, Miss Larose?"

"Did the last tenant leave a forwarding address?"

"No. He just moved out one night without giving notice, the bastard. Why do you ask?"

"Something came in the mail yesterday and it can't be for me. There's no name and no return address."

"He was a scoundrel. Treated people like worms. Throw it out or burn it." She continues up the steps and Miss Larose and her son Andrea continue down. "Now you be good at school. This is your first day and I don't want any trouble. You hear me?"

"Yes, mamma."

***