Steemit Challenge s28wk4: Hidden Truth Unveiled
The diary was even heavier than it appeared to be. As he turned the pages, Timothy could see David leafing through them with a slow, deliberate movement as though he were breathing past pages.
The box was made of wood, and lay on the dusty floor of the tunnel, with shadows, trembling over the flashlights, falling about it. The air was full of rust, wet earth and forgotten things. They both remained silent for a moment.
It was no mere treasure that they had discovered. Tony had mentioned this man, Harold Brinks, in passing years before, and the story of him was revealed in the diary. Until a corrupt government official, Mr. Callaghan, made Harold hide the heirlooms in the fort, he had served the town as their treasure keeper and was loyal and honest.
The diary clarified the manner in which Harold was not ready to give out the key to the treasure. To vindicate himself, Callaghan ruined the reputation of Harold and caused him to vanish off record. The treasure was never “lost.” It was a silent subject covered.
Timothy was stinging in his chest as he read the shaking handwriting. Harold wrote of his terror, his wife, his threats and how he eventually had some hope that someone would one day find out the truth and free his name. Timothy found himself gazing at David, and the officer with his self-possessed anger and compassion changed his expression, as it had never done before.
We can not leave this here David said. “This is more than a case. This is a life stolen.”
However, it turned out later that night as they visited Tony to tell them about the discovery. The old man listened, and shook with the wrinkled hands. Tony wept at seeing the diary when Timothy offered it to him.
“I knew Harold,” he whispered. “We were boys together.”
The room fell silent. Timothy was heartening himself. Tony inhaled deeply and went on.
“He didn’t disappear. They made him disappear.”
David leaned forward. "Tony, why have you not said this before?"
Tony smiled sadly. Who could have believed an old man? And Callaghan was running it all at the time. The town records, the police and the council. He had even attempted to hush me just once. His voice cracked. I never knew where Harold kept the treasure but I knew that he died in the doing of it.
The story was pressing down into the room. Timothy may sense the reality pulling years of silence, pain and betrayal. It was not so much a mystery now, it was a sore, which had outlived its time.
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David picked up the heirlooms and diary and went to the station the next day. Trouble as he predicted, followed at once. He was attempted to be stopped by senior officers who requested him to go about it quietly. One even proposed that the items were likely to be planted. This could only have one meaning on David, that there were still elements of Callaghan in some people.
But he didn’t stop. He prepared a complete report, enclosed copies of the diary as scanned pages and approached the new regional commissioner who is a woman of integrity. By noon, the case went bang to the media. The news media came at full speed to the town, journalists flocked around the fort, social networks were full of conversations.
Timothy was watching all of it in his garage, which made him nervous and proud. The truth had at last come at the right time to surface.
Three days afterwards an official investigation commenced. Searching of records, interviewing witnesses, and re-discovery of forgotten files appeared. The evidence was undeniable. Harold Brinks had been framed. The deceased Callaghan was brought out in the open. His family had made apologies and the town had come forth to send back the name of Harold in the history museum.
But the greatest twist was made silently.
The regional commissioner sent a letter to Tony. It had a tiny sealed envelope, which was located inside the back cover of the diary. It was simply treated: To Tony--my last friend.
The only piece of paper in it was a handwritten piece by Harold:
By reading this you know that the truth has been discovered at last. I managed to live longer than they thought. I lurked round, and kept the watch. I had a desire to go back one day but time defeated me. I was sorry to leave you without a word, you old friend. Thou wast my strength upon the dark world.
Tony broke down. Timothy put his shoulder tenderly. The elderly man had longed decades to have a closure and this time he had it.
The end of the story was the town assembled at the fort where a memorial stone was erected to Harold. Timothy and David were there with Tony when the plaque was unveiled.
However, there was still a twist: the heirlooms never were the true treasure. It was the fact that had been buried in the earth awaiting the right hands to revive it.
And at that moment the town knew that there are secrets there are not secrets to be kept secret to be forgotten but they are secrets to be known by those courageous enough to uncover them.
I invite @josepha, @stef1 and @mikitaly to drop a very constructive comments on this post and also to participate in this contest.
Hello @adese, thank you so much for taking part in Steemit Challenge Season 28 Week-2. We truly appreciate the time and creativity you put into your entry. Your assessment, including feedback and scores based on our evaluation criteria provided below.
Hello @adese, thank you so much for taking part in Steemit Challenge Season 28 Week-2. We truly appreciate the time and creativity you put into your entry. Your assessment, including feedback and scores based on our evaluation criteria provided below.