Chapter 3 - The Open Envelope
Master Aurelius stepped forward,
his silk robe fluttering as he tried to regain control of the room.
"Your presence is polluting the sacred space,"
he declared,
pointing a finger at Holden’s boots.
"The rubber is a conductor for low-frequency spirits,
remove yourselves at once."
Holden didn't move.
The shock was fading,
and in its place,
a cold,
hard realization was taking root.
"The $40,000,"
Holden said,
ignoring the Master completely.
"Mom,
where is the envelope?"
Evelyn’s eyes widened,
and she glanced toward a small mahogany table near the window.
On the table sat a silver platter,
and on that platter lay the brown envelope.
It was open.
The corner of a stack of hundred-dollar bills was visible,
peeking out like a taunt.
Next to it was a printed certificate that looked like it had been made on a home computer.
It read:
"Vibrational Deed of Universal Ownership – Awarded to Evelyn Vance."
Holden dropped the buckets.
The plastic hit the floor with a hollow,
crashing sound that seemed to shatter the last of his illusions.
He walked toward the table,
his boots squeaking with every heavy step.
"Don't touch that!"
Evelyn screamed,
rushing to block his path.
"That is a sacred offering!
It’s been blessed!"
"Blessed by who?"
Holden asked,
towering over her.
"By the guy who sold you a fake flood?"
"It wasn't fake!"
she insisted,
grabbing his arm.
"I felt the blockage,
Holden!
I felt my portals closing!"
"If I didn't give the Master the seed money,
my life would have withered into poverty!"
"You gave him our car money,"
Holden said,
his voice low and dangerous.
"Nora worked double shifts for this."
"I ate cold sandwiches for eight months for this."
"And you gave it to a man who smells like a craft store and lies for a living."
Master Aurelius cleared his throat,
his bravado beginning to wobble.
"The money is no longer yours,"
he said,
trying to sound authoritative.
"It has been transitioned into the etheric realm."
I walked over to the table and picked up the envelope.
"The etheric realm looks a lot like a brown envelope to me,"
I said,
peeking inside.
The cash was all there,
bound in the same rubber bands I had used to secure them.
"Nora,
put that back!"
Evelyn yelled,
her face contorting with greed.
"That money was a gift!
You can't take back a gift!"
"It wasn't a gift,"
I replied,
handing the envelope to Holden.
"It was a payment for a plumbing emergency that didn't exist."
"In legal terms,
Evelyn,
that’s called fraud by false pretenses."
Holden gripped the money,
his knuckles white,
his eyes fixed on his mother.
"You lied to me,"
he whispered.
"You looked me in the eye and told me you were knee-deep in water."
"I was protecting you!"
she cried,
dropping to her knees in a theatrical display of grief.
"I was opening the financial portals for the whole family!"
"Once I’m a Master of Abundance,
I’ll give you back a million dollars!"
Holden looked at her,
and for the first time in our marriage,
I saw the light of adoration go out.
He didn't see a fragile,
sick mother who needed his help.
He saw a parasite in a white dress.
"The only thing you're opening,
Mom,"
he said,
tucking the envelope into his jacket,
May you like
"is a new bank account at a different bank."
"Because I'm closing ours tomorrow."
