"⚠️📦I had packed most of his clothes, but as I passed by his room, I found a small wooden box with a metal rim. It was about a foot square, and its lid was tightly sealed and locked."What's in here?" I asked."Nothing.""Open it, Jeff."He didn't move. I could see he was agitated, but I was keeping a close eye on him.His nervousness confirmed what was then my suspicion. I had previously found some pornographic magazines and suspected he had put others in the locked wooden box. Since I didn't want my mother to find those things, I asked him to open it."But why, Dad?" Jeff asked. "There's nothing in there.""Open it."Suddenly, Jeff became very alarmed. "Can't I have just a foot of space to myself? Do you have to go through everything?""What's in the box, Jeff?""Only one square foot?" Jeff asked. He looked hurt. "Only one?"I stood my ground."I want to know what's in the box, Jeff," I said firmly.Jeff didn't move to open it.I turned and headed down to the basement to get a tool I could use to open the box myself.Jeff jumped up in front of me. He pulled out a birthday check I'd written the day before and tore it up. "I don't want this if you can't give me a foot of privacy."I looked at him silently, and Jeff quickly calmed down."You're right, Dad," he said quietly. "It's magazines, that kind of stuff.But leave it for now, okay? It might upset Grandma. I'll open it for you in the morning, I promise." He went back into the kitchen and tucked the box under his arm. "I'll open it in the morning," he said, disappearing down into the basement."📦⚠️
