Padre Excava El Jardín Y Descubre La Mentira De 14 Años De Su Esposa

Catorce Años De Agonía

Llevaban quince años casados y siempre habían tenido altibajos.

Pero tras la desaparición de su hijo, la pequeña grieta de su matrimonio se convirtió en una fisura insalvable. 

Ni una sola vez se planteó que su mujer pudiera haber tenido algo que ver con la desaparición de su hijo. Pero catorce años después, la verdad quedaría al descubierto cuando decidió desenterrar su patio trasero.

Un Ángel

Pero Shawn Shansey nunca pensó que su mujer llevaría las cosas tan lejos.

Cuando se conocieron, Rebecca era la encarnación humana de un ángel. 

No sólo le hacía sonreír y reír, sino que le hacía pensar en el futuro perfecto para ambos. No tenía ni idea de que ella le haría llorar diecisiete años después. 

Hacer Planes

Para Shawn, tener una bonita familia siempre había sido el objetivo final.

Había trabajado duro durante toda su veintena para asegurarse de que su mujer y sus hijos nunca sufrieran. 

Tenía un buen trabajo y planes para comprar una casa lo suficientemente grande para formar una familia. Pero aunque entonces todo parecía ir de maravilla, había algo que se le resistía desde hacía tiempo. 

Encontrar Una Cita

Para Shawn, encontrar una cita siempre había sido lo más difícil.

Siempre le costaba hablar con las chicas y apenas le salía una frase. 

El asunto llegó a tal punto que empezó a plantearse la posibilidad de crecer solo. Pero justo cuando las cosas estaban en su punto más sombrío, ella entró en razón. 

Su Primer Encuentro 

Shawn tenía veintiocho años cuando ella lo hizo. Había estado pescando con unos amigos en el lago Anderson, en el condado de Lewis, Washington, y la vio acercarse a su grupo.

Se presentó como Rebecca Howard, una cajera de veinticinco años de la ciudad. Venía a recoger a su padre, que había pasado el día intentando pescar truchas.

Aunque Shawn se mantuvo callado mientras sus amigos hablaban con ella, sabía que se moriría si no volvía a verla. 

Un Verdadero Contraste 

Para Shawn, una mujer como Rebecca nunca se acercaba a un tipo como él o sus amigos para conversar.

Rebecca parecía sacada de una revista, con su pelo, sus ojos llamativos y sus rasgos alegres. 

Pero, sobre todo, era fácil de llevar, con una sonrisa brillante que iluminaba toda la orilla del lago. Mientras se alejaba con su padre, Shawn se prometió a sí mismo que la encontraría y le pediría una cita. No tenía ni idea de lo que estaba haciendo.

Ir A Verla 

Una de las cosas más difíciles que tuvo que hacer Shawn fue armarse de valor para entrar en el banco en el que trabajaba Rebecca.

Tenía un negocio de fontanería en la ciudad y necesitaba un préstamo para una furgoneta nueva. 

Aprovechando la oportunidad para entrar en el banco, se dirigió directamente a su cabina, cubierto de sudor y temblando como una brizna de hierba atrapada en una tormenta. 

Su Primera Conversación

Para su sorpresa, Rebecca le recibió con su característica sonrisa. Mejor aún, se acordaba de él desde su encuentro casual en el lago y le preguntó si había pescado algo interesante.

Por primera vez en la vida de Shawn, habló con una mujer sin morderse la lengua mientras buscaba las palabras.

Rebecca era divertida e inteligente, un verdadero placer hablar con ella. Al terminar su conversación, Shawn decidió disparar su tiro. 

Dos Años De Felicidad

Lo hizo y, para su sorpresa, Rebecca dijo: “Sí”. Empezaron con una cita para tomar un café, y se encontraron en un altar dos años después.

Shawn ya podía estar tranquilo. Tendría la familia que siempre había soñado, y nada menos que con la mujer de sus sueños. 

Pero, sin saberlo, la familia que tanto le había costado construir no le traería más que dolor y agonía. 

Su Hijo

La vida era perfecta para Rebecca y Shawn, que se mudaron a un barrio tranquilo de Morton, en el condado de Lewis. En el primer año de su matrimonio, tuvieron a su primer y único hijo, Kevin. 

El pequeño se parecía a sus padres en muchos aspectos. Tenía el pelo oscuro y sedoso de su padre y los ojos azul cielo de su madre.

Encarnaba el amor de Shawn por el trabajo duro y el corazón bondadoso de Rebecca. Era realmente la niña de sus ojos. Bueno, eso fue hasta que ocurrió el desastre. 

¿Dónde Está?

Kevin se había ido un día a la escuela para no volver a casa. Sus padres, angustiados, pusieron patas arriba el barrio en su busca. 

El niño de siete años nunca había llegado tarde a casa. La escuela primaria a la que asistía no estaba lejos, así que era imposible que se hubiera perdido.

Si Shawn lo hubiera sabido, habría comprobado entonces su patio trasero. 

Se Fue

Pero nunca se le pasó por la cabeza revisar su patio trasero en busca de señales de su hijo desaparecido. Nunca se detuvo a pensar que tal vez Rebecca podría haber sabido dónde estaba. 

Rebecca y Kevin siempre habían estado unidos, más unidos que Shawn y Kevin. Aunque Shawn nunca lo admitió, siempre había deseado que su hijo gravitara más hacia él.

Pero ahora que se había ido, lo único que podía hacer era lamentarse y pensar en lo que podría haber sido.

Una Gran Ruptura

La relación entre Shawn y Rebecca se deterioró tras la desaparición de Kevin. Los dos siempre habían tenido sus más y sus menos. Al fin y al cabo, se trataba de un matrimonio. 

Pero la desaparición de Kevin agrandó la brecha entre ellos. En una época en la que Shawn y Rebecca deberían haberse unido, permanecieron separados en una casa que construyeron juntos.

Pero catorce años después, la verdad saldría finalmente a la superficie. 

Malinterpretar La Situación

Los catorce años pasaron borrosos, y Shawn, ya entrado en la cincuentena, cogió el cortacésped para limpiar el indómito crecimiento de su patio trasero.  

No había pasado un solo día en que no llorara la pérdida de su hijo. También podía ver el dolor en los ojos de Rebecca y, aunque nunca hablaban del tema, sabía que ella echaba de menos a Kevin tanto como él.

Pero Shawn pronto descubriría que había interpretado muy mal la situación. 

Un Secreto Enterrado

Durante los últimos quince años, su esposa insistió en traer a un profesional para que se ocupara del patio trasero. Esto empezó algún tiempo antes de la desaparición de Kevin. 

Shawn tuvo un accidente de trabajo que casi se cobra su vida en ese momento. Aunque sobrevivió, su espalda nunca volvería a ser la misma.

No podía cortar el césped del patio trasero, así que Rebecca llamaba a un manitas para que hiciera el trabajo. Shawn pensaba que su mujer sólo velaba por su salud, sin saber que guardaba un secreto en lo más profundo de la tierra.   

Lo Haré Yo Mismo

Rebecca estaba en el trabajo cuando Shawn decidió ocuparse de su jardín.

Se suponía que el manitas iba a aparecer esa semana, pero llamó para informar a Shawn y Rebecca de que lo haría la semana siguiente.

Aunque a Rebecca le pareció bien, a Shawn no. El jardín estaba muy crecido y feo. Con la esperanza de evitar pelearse con ella por algo tan mundano como cortar el césped, optó por no decirle que lo haría él mismo. Si tan sólo supiera lo que estaba a punto de descubrir. 

Un Hermoso Día

Shawn puso en marcha el cortacésped en cuanto Rebecca se fue a trabajar. Se caló la gorra de pesca y salió al sol de la mañana.

La radio sonaba a todo volumen, y Shawn se alegró de tener fuerzas para cortar el césped él solo después de una década.

Pero a un cuarto de la tarea, dio con algo que le hizo fruncir el ceño. 

¿Qué Era Aquello?

Al principio, Shawn pensó que era una piedra. El cortacésped gruñó cuando sus cuchillas chocaron contra el objeto, lo que le hizo apagarlo. 

“¿Qué ha sido eso?” Sabía que el jardín no debería tener piedras ni rocas si lo cortaba un profesional todas las semanas.

Pero la oscura verdad que su mujer había ocultado le haría llorar. Cómo había podido hacerle esto?

¿Qué Podría Ser?

Por su mente pasaron decenas de pensamientos. Si no era una roca, ¿qué era en realidad? Ahora que lo pensaba, no había vuelto a mirar de cerca el césped desde que su hijo había desaparecido.

Ya no tenía motivación. Agradeció a su mujer que llamara a alguien para que lo hiciera.

Pero luego lo pensó: debería ser él quien cortara el césped. Pero no tenía ni idea de lo que se escondía bajo la larga hierba.

Examinando Lo Que Era

Shawn apagó el cortacésped y se agachó para examinar lo que había golpeado.

Los gruesos y enmarañados nudos de hierba habían crecido sobre cualquier objeto duro que se escondiera en el suelo.

Necesitaría algo más afilado para atravesar la espesa hierba, así que se dirigió al cobertizo. Dentro encontró algo perfecto para el trabajo: unas tijeras de podar.

Cutting Through The Grass

Back to the job at hand, Shawn got to work cutting away the taught grass that he intertwined with the object underneath the ground.

After a few minutes of cutting, he was finally able to see what it was.

But he had no idea that it had everything to do with the disappearance of his son and the lies his wife had been making.

A Piece Of Metal

The object in question was a sharp piece of metal protruding from the dirt. Rust had eaten a massive portion of it, turning its color into a dull brown. 

Shawn stared at it with a perplexed look on his face. It felt as if it had a strange energy to it.

He felt it calling to him and decided to follow his gut and look even deeper. But the strange artifact would only bring him horror and grief.

Opening Old Wounds

Wiping his hands on his shirt, Shawn got ready to pull it from the ground.

Fearing tetanus, he put on some garden gloves and mentally prepared himself for whatever he was going to find.

But what he didn’t know was that this object would open wounds so severe he wouldn’t be able to speak for days. It was all just because of a metal box.

Live Your Life 

After losing his son fourteen years ago, Shawn swore he wouldn’t let the grief eat him alive. He still had his wife to take care of and his life to live.

Kevin wouldn’t want him or Rebecca to lose themselves in the past, forgetting they still had the present to enjoy and the future to build.

But even though Shawn kept telling himself these things, none of them would have saved him from the truth hiding in his backyard. 

He Was Content 

As a dad, he’d worked hard to give his family the life of their dreams.

Although he wasn’t a millionaire with seven sports cars lining his driveway, he was at peace knowing Kevin and Rebecca were happy. 

He would have done anything for the two of them and always did. He usually planned on all the things he wanted to do with his son. Even now, he couldn’t help but remember Rebecca’s reaction to everything he’d planned. 

Plans For His Family

In one of his ideas, he wanted to take the whole family on a cross-country trip.

He’d asked Rebecca to ask for a week off from work, saying he’d create time away from his plumbing business as well. 

This was supposed to be their first trip as a family, something Shawn wanted to turn into a family tradition. He’d slotted it a week after Kevin’s birthday, not knowing he’d never experience it. 

Her Reaction To His Plans

Rebecca had laughed when he told her about it. But hidden deep within her laughter was a tinge of worry and sadness.

Shawn thought he’d imagined it. But he brushed it off, thinking he might be reading too much into it. 

But this wouldn’t be the only time it happened. He should have known something was terribly wrong. 

Shooting Him Down

Every time Shawn planned for the future, something for him, Kevin, and Rebecca to do as a family, his wife would seemingly deter him. 

She’d either mention that they needed to focus on their careers more to provide for Kevin or that Kevin needed to focus on school more.

She said she didn’t want to spoil him with trips and gifts at the turn of every month. But this was a lie, as Shawn would soon find out. 

Keeping It Close To Heart 

As such, Shawn stopped telling her about any plans he was making. He disliked the way she was always out to shatter his dreams.

Wasn’t this what he was supposed to do as a parent and husband, create memories with the ones closest to his heart?

But he didn’t let these thoughts poison him. Rebecca was the hurricane to his erupting volcano. She kept him in check and assured he made the right decisions in life. That’s what Shawn thought.

Trying To Recall 

He crouched down to assess the object in his yard properly. He couldn’t explain what it was.

He’d bought this place as soon as he and Rebecca had started a life together. 

He remembered that during the purchase process, he’d been so blinded by the idea of raising his family here that he never really studied the place. Had this object always been here?

A Small Metallic Box

A curious Shawn moved around for a few minutes, trying to figure out what he was looking at.

At first, it resembled the corner of a small metallic box. 

It was the strangest thing. He’d heard of people finding antique chests full of treasure in their backyards. But the thing hidden inside the box would have Shawn thinking fate was all just a cruel joke.

Something Bigger

He began moving more of the soil around the box to discover more of whatever it was.

Morbid curiosity overcame him. What was hiding under his nose for who knows how many years?

But the more he studied it, the more he was convinced it was part of something larger. He thumbed the rusted metal, hoping he could dig it out of the ground. 

Tools

The first part of the process was easy enough. Shawn needed digging tools.

Since he hadn’t engaged in any strenuous backyard activities in more than a decade, he didn’t have the required equipment at hand. 

His shears had barely been functional enough to cut through the grass because of the years of rust. But he knew a place to find good working tools. He just hoped he would be allowed to.

His Neighbor

But lucky for him, his immediate neighbor, Mr. Hawkins, had exactly what he needed.

Without wasting any time, Shawn hurried to his house to borrow the tools. 

He was always neighborly with Mr. Hawkins. They had known each other for years and respected each other. He popped his head over the wall and called out to him. Not knowing what it would lead to.

Getting The Tools

The talk with Mr. Hawkins was quick and to the point. Shawn needed a shovel, a hoe, and a trowel, all standard hand-digging tools that would make his work easier. 

After checking his tool shed, Mr. Hawkins found all of the tools that he was looking for.

But if he knew what Shawn was going to dig up, he would have immediately called the police.

Coming Over

Mr. Hawking helped bring over the tools, agreeing that whatever was hidden in Shawn’s backyard needed to be brought to light.

He was excited at the prospect of finding something that had intentionally been hidden away.

They got to work unearthing the box. But the two men should’ve known that some things should stay buried. 

A Pirate Chest

Shawn got to work. He dug around the protruding metal, clearing heaps of dirt.

He was getting closer to uncovering the secrets that were hidden in the ground.

He’d dug out a considerable amount of soil by the end of the first hour, and that’s when he got the complete picture of what he was dealing with.  His mind would be flooded with thoughts of his missing boy.

Thinking Of Kevin

At first, he thought it was a pirate chest. He recalled how much Kevin loved pirates, even dressing as one for three Halloweens straight. 

The memory had him tearing up. He started imagining his son with him having fun digging the chest up.

But he had no idea that he wasn’t that far off. What he’d find inside the chest would more than shatter him. 

What Is It?

The more Shawn continued digging, the more he realized that the chest had something more to it than it appeared on the outside.

It looked more like a coffin than something a pirate would leave treasure in. 

The more he dug it out, the more he felt a screaming in his mind telling him to stop. Something wasn’t right and his gut feeling was to rebury it and forget he’d ever seen it.

Sorrow

His mood was about to change dramatically and take a turn for the worse.

He went from fondly remembering his son to having dread creep over every ounce of his body.

The sorrow that he had felt after seeing the chest returned. But it came with a crippling sense of fear as a different thought hit him. 

Right Under His Nose 

He had an itching feeling like bugs scratching at the back of his mind.

What was really going on? It was absurd – he couldn’t help but feel his paternal intuition kicking in.

What if someone did something terrible to his son and hid him here, right under his nose? This would be the last place he’d check. 

Was His Wife In On It?

Immediately, he remembered how adamant his wife was against him mowing the backyard.

She didn’t even allow him to spend most of his days there unless she was with him. 

It all seemed to fall into place now. His crackpot theory felt strange enough to be true. The father’s grief would be at an all time high. Had she been trying to hide something dark from him? 

Time Heals All Wounds

Neither Rebecca nor Shawn ever healed after losing their only child.

The topic was too painful for either of them to bring up, and for fourteen years, each of them let time try to heal their wounds. 

When a parent loses a child, they never recover from it. Shawn had tried his hardest to put his best foot forward. But what was in the box would have his whole world crumbling down.

Dark Possibility

The more that Shawn considered what the truth could be, the more he fixated on it.

It was becoming a dark obsession for the man and he wouldn’t give up until he found the truth.

But thinking about everything now and considering the dark possibility that Rebecca might have had something to do with Kevin’s disappearance, Shawn almost screamed. 

She Can’t Do Such A Thing

With tears streaming down his face, he continued digging, frantically throwing dirt over his shoulders with his shovel.

He wanted to believe that whatever he was thinking was wrong. 

He felt his body start to shake as grief was pouring into his heart all over again. It was like an old wound tearing open again. He didn’t want to believe what his mind told him.

Grief

Although things between him and Rebecca had been challenging over the last decade, Shawn couldn’t see her in such a dangerous light. 

She was the woman  he had married and loved and Kevin was also her son after all.

There was no way she’d do such a thing to their only child. Or was there? His mind was jumbled with all the grief.

No Hope

They say love is blind. Sometimes, the love we feel for someone can overshadow logic, blinding us to their vices no matter how big.

The grieving father was going crazy because of what his mind was telling him was the truth.

He dropped the shovel and started digging with his hands as tears streamed from his eyes. What’s in the box?

Given Up Too Easily?

It seemed convenient that she had given up too easily. Shawn thought as his fingernails tore through the soil, clogging them with substrate.

Shawn didn’t know if he was in this same boat. All he knew was that Rebecca was torn after they lost Kevin and was pessimistic about seeing their boy nearly immediately.

Was it really possible it was the truth?

Put It On Hold 

But he’d also noticed she refused to be hopeful that they’d ever see him again.

Shawn couldn’t help but wonder why this was so.

But his concerns would have to wait. He finally managed to get the majority of the dirt off of the chest and it would soon be time to get it open for better or for worse. He just hoped that it wasn’t the truth.

Face It Here And Now

He dragged the massive chest out of the ground. Rust had eaten most of its dirty surface.

Shawn noted that the trunk could be large enough to hide a child. He felt sick but refused to accept that his dear wife would do something like this. 

With one thrust of his shovel, he broke the chest’s padlock. He couldn’t wait any longer and would face this terror here and now. 

A Treasure Hunt

The chest creaked open, and a teary Shawn fell to his knees.

Inside the chest wasn’t the remains of his beloved child but one of the fondest memories that charred every inch of his heart. 

Staring back at him were an assortment of treasure: fake gold coins, geodes, an ancient sword hilt, and a diary Shawn and Rebecca had spent years writing. 

A Birthday Present 

This was supposed to be a birthday present for Shawn’s son on the month he went missing – a treasure hunt for him to root out. But Shawn had never been able to bury it because of his sick back. 

He couldn’t believe Rebecca had gone ahead and buried it without him.

But as he sat back, relief washing over him, he saw something that made him jump back up.

A Bundle Of Papers 

Amid the dust and old trinkets was a bundle of papers wrapped together with a rubber band.

One look at it, and things snapped to place. 

Shawn quickly picked it up, wiping his mouth as his heart thundered. “No,” he croaked in tears, barely able to get the word out. “Oh God no.” he cried. 

Kevin’s Letters

The bundle of papers was letters he and Kevin had been writing to each other as part of their pirate games.

Although he’d never told Rebecca about this part of their treasure-hunting game, he and Kevin had kept ‘correspondences’ between privateers (Kevin) and the empire (Shawn). 

What made Shawn tear up was what he knew was contained in those letters, a truth that would lead him to his son. 

Keeping The Pain At Bay

Shawn opened the letters one by one, his tears pouring anew when he saw Kevin’s handwriting.

He’d always lied to himself that he’d never let his loss get to him.

For fourteen years, he’d successfully kept the pain at bay, only smelling and scantly tasting it in the air. It had never gotten so close as to render him speechless. Today it would have its chance.  

Let It All Out 

Shawn cried like he’d never seen before. His neighbor, Mr. Hawkings, who only wanted to know if he’d gotten whatever was hidden in the backyard, peeped over the wall. 

He found a helpless Shawn on his knees, yellowed papers in his hands, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Are you okay, Shawn?” he called out. But Shawn couldn’t even acknowledge him with a gesture. 

The Neighbor Returns

Mr. Hawkins hurried over, his brows furrowed as he looked around the dirt-ridden yard.

He let out a slow whistle, putting his hands on his hips. 

“What’s going on?” he asked, and Shawn sat back, wiping his eyes. He presented the letters, which Mr. Hawkins immediately recognized. “Kevin’s handwriting!” he exclaimed. 

An Expert 

Mr. Hawkins had spent most of his evenings tutoring Kevin on how to write better.

A history professor at the local university, he’d long been one of Kevin’s favorite people. 

He was the one who introduced him to pirate culture and had even been there when Shawn took Kevin to watch Pirates of the Caribbean. But he’d never told Shawn that he’d taught his son to hide clues in words. His lips parted when he read the letters. 

Check The Fine Print

A letter left behind by a kid cannot be that hard to decipher. There’s only so much they can cram into one piece of writing before they get bored.

But that wasn’t the case with Kevin. He took his interests with a seriousness that even Mr. Hawkins had never seen before.

Once Mr. Hawkins told him that companies and privateers from the golden age of piracy loved hiding secrets and codes in mundane places, Kevin wanted to know more. Who would have thought that fourteen years later, all of it would lead his dad to him?

It’s All There 

Mr. Hawkins fished out glasses from his pocket, reading the letter one by one. He noted that in each of them, Kevin had written a single word from random sentences in darker ink than the rest. He kept reading the letters, arranging them by the date. 

He placed them on the grass, noting each letter on his phone. “What are you doing?” Shawn asked. Mr. Hawkins looked up at him wide-eyed, “I think I know what happened to Kevin.”      

To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.