Edward was devastated when his sister, Sarah, called him and told him their grandmother died. He never imagined she would also plan on taking almost everything, leaving him only an old blanket…
“Grandma Sandy is dead. Are you coming to the funeral?” Sarah said coldly through the phone.
“Sarah, how can you speak so callously? Of course, I’m coming to the funeral,” Edward told his big sister. She probably asked because it was hard for Edward to move around with his disability. He was in a car accident several years ago and lost both legs.
Edward grabbed an old blanket from his grandmother’s house. | Source: Shutterstock
Since then, his family lived on his wife’s paycheck, which was not much. Gianna worked hard, but she also had to help him and mostly raise their two kids. Edward had not been able to find a proper job, but he was currently waiting for a work-from-home offer.
Sarah’s news was devastating. He loved his grandmother dearly, and unlike everyone else in the family, she tried her best to help his family after the accident. She didn’t have a lot of money but babysat the kids often.
“Well, whatever. She was old already. Anyway, I’m calling to tell you to get here fast, or I’m taking almost everything,” Sarah added.
“What do you mean? Get where?” Edward asked, confused.
Sarah was sorting and taking everything valuable. | Source: Pexels
“Her house. I’m here sorting through stuff, and I’m taking most of it now. Maybe I can get something out of it,” Sarah explained.
“You can’t do that!” Edward yelled through the phone.
“Yes, I can. She left no will, and we were her only direct relatives. Also, I’m keeping the house because you already have one. I’m being nice and telling you to come here if you want anything before I sell them,” Sarah finished and hung up.
Gianna drove Edward to his grandmother’s house, but when he got there, Sarah didn’t let him take anything. “No, I called dibs on that already,” she said when he grabbed a random vase. It didn’t matter. Owning these things would not soothe the pain of losing their grandmother.
Edward took interest in his grandmother’s old blanket instead. | Source: Pexels
“How about this?” Edward asked, grabbing an old blanket with a beautiful pattern. He remembered when he and his neighborhood friends would use it to build a fort with his grandmother’s dining room chairs.
“Oh, that old thing? Sure,” Sarah said dismissively. Edward took it and told his wife it was time to leave. He didn’t want to spend one more minute in that house, watching his sister callously sort through their grandmother’s things for her personal gain.
“I can’t believe Sarah’s attitude,” Gianna said on the car ride home.
“I know. She was never the warmest person, but this is just…disgusting. If our parents were here, they would be so disappointed,” Edward added. But they let the subject go and continued with their lives. He finally landed a job that allowed him to work from home.
Their Native American friend, Chenoa, thought the blanket could be special. | Source: Unsplash
Everything was looking up for their family after all these years of worry. Gianna also decided to hang the blanket in their room because the intricate woven pattern was beautiful. “I’m going to save up some money, and we can frame it,” she said.
He loved his wife because she could appreciate the little things like that. One day, her friend, Chenoa, visited them, and Gianna showed her the blanket. “OMG, that actually looks Navajo!” her friend said.
“You think so? I think Edward’s grandmother had it for ages. She might not have known,” Gianna added. But Chenoa was Native American. She would definitely know.
“That’s definitely a Navajo blanket, and it looks old but well-preserved. Can I take a picture? There’s a man on the reservation who can identify Navajo anywhere. I’ll text him,” Chenoa explained.
They auctioned it off for a huge amount. | Source: Unsplash
A few minutes later, the man replied and confirmed that the blanket was, in fact, authentic and appeared to be antique. Edward and Gianna invited the man over, and he explained that it could be a blanket from the 1800s.
“This is serious. You two might have stumbled upon a precious antique,” the Navajo expert told them.
So they took the blanket to an antiquarian who confirmed this too. “This could be worth between $200,000 and $500,000…maybe more,” he explained.
Upon learning this, Edward and Gianna decided to place the blanket for auction despite its big sentimental value. The fact is, life is unpredictable, and they needed the money so their kids would be safe. But they didn’t expect how the auction would turn out.
“Sold! For 1.5 million dollars!” the auctioneer yelled. Edward and Gianna looked at each other, dumbfounded. They were now millionaires.
Sarah demanded money and was arrested for trespassing. | Source: Unsplash
Their big win reached the local newspaper which wrote a story about it, and Edward’s entire family, including Sarah, found out. “I demand half that money, Edward! Or I will sue you!” Sarah screamed at him.
“You kept everything for yourself, Sarah. You don’t have a case. This is our money. Goodbye,” Edward said.
Edward was right. Sarah didn’t have a case, so she started harassing them for the money. This urged Edward to have her arrested for trying to break into their home. He also filed a restraining order against Sarah and got her to stop harassing them.
In the end, Edward’s family thrived, thanks to that money. The kids had college funds, and he started his own business.
My Friend Excluded Me from His Wedding, and His Reason Left Me Speechless
The open bar was a hit. Everyone was mingling, drinks in hand, and laughter filled the room. The waiters placed two bottles of wine on each table, along with bread and butter.
“This wine is fantastic,” Bob said, pouring himself another glass. “Have you tried it, Mike?”
“Not yet, but I will,” I replied, reaching for my glass.
Soon, the buffet was announced. The emcee explained that tables would be called up a few at a time, starting with family.
“That makes sense,” Sarah said. “Family first.”
We watched as the first few tables were called. The buffet looked incredible, with a variety of dishes. However, I noticed something concerning.
“Those plates are piled high,” I whispered to Sarah. “I hope there’s enough for everyone.”
“Yeah, me too,” she replied, frowning.
Time passed, and more tables were called. Family members returned for seconds, their plates even fuller than before. My stomach grumbled as we waited.
“Finally!” I said when our table was called.
But when we reached the buffet, it was almost empty. We managed to scrape together a few scraps and returned to our seats, feeling disappointed.
“This is all that’s left?” Jane asked, looking at her nearly empty plate.
“Afraid so,” I said. “I can’t believe they ran out of food.”
Everyone at our table was visibly upset. The mood had shifted from joy to frustration.
“This is ridiculous!” Bob said. “I’m still hungry.”
“Me too,” Sarah added. “What are we supposed to do now?”
We sat there, picking at our meager portions. The conversations around us became hushed and tense.
“Someone should have planned better,” Jane muttered. “This is a wedding, for goodness’ sake.”
Tom, the groom, walked over with a concerned look on his face.
“Hey, Mike, is everything okay?” he asked.
“Not really, Tom,” I replied. “There’s no food left. We’re all still hungry.”
Tom’s face fell. “I’m so sorry. I thought there would be enough for everyone.”
“It’s not your fault,” Sarah said kindly. “We’ll figure something out.”
After Tom left, we continued to chat, trying to make the best of the situation.
“Wouldn’t it be funny if we just ordered pizza?” Bob joked, trying to lighten the mood.
“That’s not a bad idea,” I said, half-serious. “I’m starving.”
“Let’s do it,” Jane said, her eyes lighting up. “We can all pitch in.”
Everyone agreed, and we quickly pooled our money. I called a nearby pizza place and ordered four large pizzas and some wings.
“Thirty minutes,” the delivery guy said. “We’ll be right there.”
“Perfect,” I replied, feeling a bit of relief.
We waited, our anticipation growing. The mood at our table started to improve as we imagined the pizza arriving.
“I can’t believe we’re doing this!” Sarah laughed. “This is going to be a story to tell!”
Finally, the pizzas arrived. I met the delivery guy outside and carried the boxes in, feeling the eyes of other guests on me.
“Did you really order pizza?” one of them asked, surprised.
“Yep,” I said, grinning. “Help yourselves if you didn’t get enough food.”
As we started eating, the atmosphere at our table transformed. We shared the pizzas with nearby tables that had also missed out on the buffet, and everyone was grateful.
“This is the best idea ever!” Bob said, biting into a slice. “Thanks, Mike!”
“No problem,” I replied, feeling a sense of camaraderie. However, I didn’t notice the other tables looking at us with clear disapproval.
I tried to enjoy my pizza, but I couldn’t shake the feeling something bad was coming. Just then, a tall man in a suit, who I recognized as Linda’s father, approached our table.
“Excuse me,” he said, his voice stern. “Where did you get that pizza?”
I looked up at him and sighed. “We ordered it. There wasn’t enough food left at the buffet, and we were all still hungry.”
He glanced at the nearly empty pizza boxes, his eyes narrowing. “You didn’t get enough food?”
“No,” I replied, trying to stay calm. “By the time we got to the buffet, there was hardly anything left.”
Linda’s father frowned. “There are two slices left. May I have one?”
I looked at him, feeling a mix of frustration and disbelief. “Honestly, sir, no. Your family ate most of the buffet food. We had to order this just to get something in our stomachs.”
His face turned red. “You’re refusing to share?”
“Yes,” I said firmly. “We barely got to eat anything, and we’re still hungry.”
He stood there for a moment, clearly angry. Then he turned and walked back to his table, muttering under his breath. The tension in the room was palpable. I could see the bride, Linda, glaring at us from across the room. The family at their table was whispering and shooting daggers our way.
“This isn’t good,” Jane said quietly. “I think we’re in trouble.”
Tom came back over, looking distressed. “Mike, I’m sorry, but you and Sarah need to leave.”
“What? Why?” I asked, feeling a surge of anger.
“Linda is really upset,” Tom explained. “Her father is furious. They think you disrespected them by ordering pizza and not sharing.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Tom, we were starving. We didn’t mean any disrespect.”
“I know,” he said, looking genuinely sorry. “But it’s causing too much tension. Please, just go. We’ll talk later.”
Feeling frustrated and hurt, I nodded. “Alright, we’ll leave.”
Sarah and I gathered our things and left the reception. We called a cab and went home, the evening ending on a sour note.
A few days later, Tom called me. “Mike, can we talk?”
“Sure,” I said, still feeling a bit annoyed. “What’s up?”
“I want to apologize,” Tom began. “I had a long talk with Linda and her family. They realize now that there wasn’t enough food for everyone. Linda is furious with her family for taking so much and leaving the other guests with nothing.”
“I appreciate that, Tom,” I said, feeling a bit relieved. “It was a tough situation for everyone.”
“Yeah, it was,” Tom agreed. “Linda’s father feels terrible about what happened. He wants to make it up to everyone.”
“Really? How?” I asked, curious.
“He’s planning an ‘After Wedding Shindig’,” Tom explained. “He’s going to invite everyone who was at the wedding, plus a few more. There will be plenty of food and entertainment. He wants to make sure no one goes hungry this time.”
“That sounds great,” I said, genuinely pleased. “When is it?”
“Mid-August,” Tom replied. “He’s pulling in favors and going all out. There’ll be food, drinks, music, and even some fun activities like axe throwing and a bonfire.”
“Wow, that sounds amazing,” I said, smiling. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me too,” Tom said. “I hope this helps smooth things over.”
“I think it will,” I agreed.
As I hung up the phone, I felt a sense of relief. The situation had been awkward and tense, but it seemed like things were moving in a positive direction.
Reflecting on the whole ordeal, I realized how unexpected and strange it had all been. A simple lack of food had caused so much drama, but in the end, it brought about a solution that promised to be even more fun than the original event.
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