Life after Death Ch. 11

Date: 21.05.2008

Keywords: after, Ch., Life, 11, Death,

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He realized he was cornered. Alex was too smart. He would eventually find out about his past investments so it was better for Alex to hear it from him directly. His grandfather sighed.

"It happened so long ago. You remember when you were about twelve or thirteen your father used to bring back a portly guy with his beautiful wife and a little boy, whom you love to bully?" said his grandfather trying to jog his memory.

Alex let his memory carried him far back to when he was a young boy starting into puberty. He vaguely recalled his father used to bring home some friends and even his subordinates as guests for dinners.

He was sifting through his memory and suddenly he remembered. He recalled once his father had brought back a very tall beautiful lady with platinum hair. She was soft spoken and he finds her English funny with an accent. Alex being at that age where he was about to discover his sexuality had often fantasized about the tall lady every time they came over for dinner and he would go red when the beautiful tall lady patted him on his shoulder. He also remembered her son about seven or eight rather skinny with intelligent steely blue eyes. And he would climb up the tree in their garden and pelt the little boy with water-filled plastic bags because his father and grandfather confiscated all his replica airsoft guns.

One day the little skinny boy finally caught him red-handed. Instead of complaining to the beautiful tall lady he had kept quiet and had given Alex a toothy grin. From that day on whenever the beautiful lady with her portly husband and her skinny son came to visit, Alex would share his computer games with him. Come to think about it he don't remember the little boy's name at all. But after about five months off and on visits they stop coming altogether and eventually Alex forgot about them.

"Yes, I remember now but what is the connection here? Grandpa, I am not trying to meddle in your affair but the fax says here you deposited two hundred and fifty thousand to the company's account every month up until ten years back..." said Alex.

His grandfather put up his hand signaling Alex to stop.

"Let me go on Alex," said his grandfather. Alex nodded his head.

"They were the Mendelssohn and were from Poland. The portly guy was our Senior Financial Executive Accountant back then. He would take care of all our businesses accounts. Then one day your father found out that he had been embezzling the company funds. Your father wanted to give him a chance to own up so one night he had gone over to their house to look for him..." William Sr. paused for a while before continuing.

"Your father and Mendelssohn got into a tussle and Mendelssohn pulled out a gun when things turned nasty. During the fight the gun went off accidentally shooting Mendelssohn. His wife saw what happened and had taken their little boy into the car. She had wanted to go to the police. Even though your father did not kill Mendelssohn but your father got scared. So scared that he had chased after them. His wife probably was scared out of her wit with your father chasing them and drove at high speed - so when she came around a sharp-bend she lost control of the vehicle and had crashed into a tree. She died instantly and the little boy was in massive haemorrhage..." sighed the old man before he went on.

"Your father then called me asking me what to do. Of course I called the police. We sent the little boy to the hospital as fast as we could but he went into a coma. I then arranged to send for his next of kin, an aunt, Rebekah Mendelssohn from Poland to come see his nephew. A few days later she came and we told her exactly what happen. She felt embarrassed with her brother's behaviour for the embezzlement and insisted on bringing the boy back to Poland," he paused again.

"I had them sent back by first class and sent the boy to the best hospital in Poland hopefully he would regain consciousness. I had also arranged that every month a two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to be credited into his aunt account for the boy's medical fees and expenses. A couple of years later she had called to say that her nephew had finally passed away and had asked me to stop sending the money but I insisted she should continue to use it in anyway she saw fit out of guilt on my part.

She then told me she had just started up a little cosmetic company in memory of her sister-in law and her nephew and would appreciate if I could channel the money into the company as an investment instead. I thought that was the least our family could do for her since indirectly we wiped out her brother's family. It wasn't really an investment but more...more of a compensation for what your father did. After ten years later Rebekah Mendelssohn...that's the aunt name... passed away and I have stop sending the money since. And the company was defunct by then since there wasn't anyone to take over the business. How the company had revived was beyond me. I have no idea about it and I don't want to have anything else to do with the Mendelssohns anymore," William Sr. concluded the story with a long sigh.

"What about the shooting incident? Didn't dad have to go to court? I don't remember seeing anything on the news about the Mendelssohn's embezzlement or demised? I mean I was still young then but I had already begun reading the news following our business progress," Alex queried.

"Well, we didn't want to blow things out of proportion and your father was really innocent. It was an act of self-defense, so we had a close door court proceeding and the court had ruled him not guilty and of course we didn't want the press to know that the Jefferson got cheated of millions by a mere accountant so we had a bit of help from the then Police Commissioner – Arthur Bailey to keep things away from the press. It would make us looked like fools as though we were incapable of hiring the right people to run our companies. The public would lose confidence in our businesses," said the old man.

Alex did not buy his grandfather's story one bit. It was too far-fetched. He could sense his grandfather was lying but why? What was he trying to hide? Alex would not have been interested in this had he not come across the name Mendelssohn in the reports. And when he had received the fax stating his grandfather had business dealing with the company that really intrigued him to find out more from his grandfather. And if it was a genuine self-defense act why the need to have a close door court proceeding? And if his father were really as innocent as his grandfather had portrayed why the need to go at length to hide it from the public?

In fact this morning he had only wanted to come over just to have breakfast with his grandfather as he had forgotten all about it until the fax came in. But for now he would pretend to buy his grandfather's story. It's too coincidental. Their shares dropped and out of the blue someone from Poland buying their stock and it so happened the firm that was buying their shares had some kind of a connection with his grandfather and late father. Alex decided he would investigate but of course he would not let his grandfather know.

"Well, I guess that clears things up now. Maybe this present owner has nothing to do with the Mendelssohn but merely using the name," said Alex casually.

"I am sorry Alex, would you forgive me for not telling you about the shooting incident?" asked the old man.

Alex gave his grandfather a smile. "Grandpa there is nothing here to forgive, you and dad had to do what was right back then."

Old man William Sr. smiled back at him seemingly please that Alex was satisfied with his explanation. Alex could see his grandfather was making an effort to pretend everything was fine now. Alex would pretend he had accepted the story too.

"I'll see you grandpa and behave yourself, don't give Miss. Kathy any trouble," said Alex giving his grandfather a pat on the shoulder and went off to look for Aida.

He found her in the bathroom retching into the toilet bowl. She was throwing up so badly she did not even notice Alex had entered the bathroom until Alex put his hands on her back stroking her back.

"There, there it's ok," he said soothingly to her. Alex took a towel from the towel rail; wet it with warm water before pressing it gently on her face. He helped her over to the sink as she cleans her mouth.

"I looked terrible," groaned Aida when she saw her reflection in the mirror. To him she had never looked more beautiful. He felt sorry for her though but the morning sickness would soon passed. He promised her silently.

"Must be something I had yesterday at the fund-raising event. I have been throwing up so bad," Aida said weakly after she finished washing out her mouth.

Alex scooped her up and carried her to the bed and lay her down gently. He only smiled at her.

"You think it's funny to have food poisoning? Wait till you get it," said Aida grumpily. Alex only laughed.

"Stay here, I'll go get you some tea," said Alex gently. He then gave her a quick peck and went out. About ten minutes later he was back with a tray. Aida was still lying on the bed with her eyes close. At least it seems her vomit motion had settled for now. He put the tray down beside the side table and sat next to her. Aida opened her eyes and noticed the tray.

"Wow, this is what I call good service. Breakfast in bed," she joked, her colour had returned to her cheeks and lips.

Alex poured her a cup of tea and she accepted it gratefully.

"Hmm...chamomile tea! Nice," she took a sip of the hot tea and felt much better.

"Feels better?" asked Alex.

"Much," she replied still taking sips of the tea.

"Here, have some wheat crackers. It's good for your condition," said Alex knowledgeably while handing her a plate of crackers.

"Wheat crackers good for food poisoning? Never heard of that before," queried Aida.

She must be hungry after all the throwing up.

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Keywords: after, Ch., Life, 11, Death,


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