Chapter 8

"Everything can change at any moment, suddenly and forever."

-Paul Auster-

***

There was a time when Adonis thought he was born to struggle forever, yet it all changed in a snap of an eye. He slowly drove his car to the restaurant where he would meet the man who claimed he knew of his father. He did not wish to put so much expectation in just yet for he did not wish to be disappointed but he did have a bit of faith within him that told him to continue driving.

Once he arrived he mentioned the man’s name to the staff and she led him right through the caller man. He had booked a quiet spot in the corner just for the two of them, where no one could disturb their lunch. For the first time ever he met the mysterious caller that made him lose his sleep. The man appeared to be in his sixties, with trimmed white beard and hair all over. His skin was wrinkly all over as proof of his life maturity. He wore a well-tailored black suit with white shirt and no tie. On his pocket laid a red pocket square that was folded to perfection, He had a golden monocle on and carried a polite demeanor as if he came from the British monarch.

“Filippe?” he had addressed him by his first name for the man had not told him his last name just yet. The man’s face lit up as he saw Adonis face. He gestured for the young amn to take a seat across him. As he did a waiter approached them and asked what they wanted to eat.

“No worries, you can order whatever you want young man. It will be my treat.” Adonis did not know why the man was so kind to him but he ordered something random that looked appetizing of the menu. Once they were done with the formality and procedures. They stared into each other and Filippe could already tell Adonis was quite nervous in his presence which was quite common but he assured him that the man could talk with him like he was talking to an old friend. He also did not want to waste too much of his time blabbering around with small talks, so after he was sure the young man was seated comfortably enough, he went straight to the reason why he even came there today.

“Adonis, as I call you by your first name, I am sure you would like to know who your father really was. Let me enlighten you today.” He pulled out a folder from his brief case and placed it on the table. Flipping the pages, he took out a picture from in bewteen the paper and handed it over to Adonis. Within the picture he saw a bearded man with dark brown hair and striking blue eyes. He was standing against a chair wearing a suit and holding a walking cane in a grandiose manner. His sharp eyes stared right through the camera and one could already tell the man was not someone to be reckoned with.

“Your father’s name is Eduardus Richard Earlington. He came from a British Greek family who immigrated to the States. He’s the second child of three, having an older sister and younger one who died from Leukimia. His entire life he had always been a hard-working man, establishing his first business adventure in the agriculture section as a small scale distributor. Unfortunately, this first venture of his failed and he had to start all over. This time he dedicated himself to the world of manufacturing. Eventually his business grows exponentially and by last year, he owns some of the most prestigious property in this country and has quite a few investments in car and fashion retails companies across US and Europe. He’s a self-proclaimed venture capitalist with his recent acquisition is within the marijuana industry.” Adonis did not know how he was supposed to react. It took him a while to comprehend the words the man had told him.

“So what you are saying is, my father is a multi-millionaire?” the man chuckled in response.

“Not just any multi-millionaire, Adonis, he is also one of the most respected business magnate in the States. You’ll learn more about him as we go along. The reason why I want you to know all of this is because he has left a note for you before he passed away.” His heart both jolted and sank at the same time when he heard those two thing combined in one saying. On one part he was surprised to figure out he was the lost son of a business magnate but on the other hand, that man had died before he could ever meet him.

“So he’s dead?” Filippe nodded in sympathy.

“Yes, unfortunately he passed away from heart attack.”

“Then, who are you and how did you find me?”

“Well, I am the watcher of the house and the man who he had entrusted to guide you. Because from now on, you are the heir to his fortune. As his son, you will inherit everything he owns, from his properties, his stocks and his network. I have made some arrangement with the lawyers. Soon enough you’ll be introduced to the company, we will have you trained to become a leader. It’s going to be a new turn of your life, so I hope you are ready.” Adonis was speechless. He had no idea how someone could just come to his life and dictated what he would be but apparently it was happening to him.

Filippe asked him if he had any other question, he nodded, there was one thing that he had wanted to ask since he received the call for the first time. It was about his mother.

“What is my mother’s relationship with my father, if he is such a wealthy man, then why do I and mother lived in poverty, where was he during all those years? Why didn’t he help us?” Filippe gave the young man an empathetic look.

“Your mother used to work as a maid in his house when she was younger, but at that time, your father already had a wife. One night he got so drunk and your mother was there, they had a one night stand but your mother got pregnant, when his wife found out about this, she was so furious and threw a storm inside the house, your father had no choice but to cast away the maid or it would mean the end of his marriage.” It was only the first part of the explanation and he could already feel his head throbbing.

“Your father loved his wife so much he could not bear to part with her because of his mistake. So he gave her some money and told her to go back to her homeland and never showed up again. However, throughout the years your father had kept a watch for you, he might not care about your mother because there was no real love between the two of them, but no matter what you are still his son. His wife passed away a few years ago but to keep his vow for her, he never let you meet him. Only now that he has passed away could he send me to meet you. Him and his wife had never had children of their own because she was barren. You are the only child he has ever had and as a compensation for everything he wished to legally inherit his fortune to you.”

Suddenly everything made perfect sense. It was the reason why his mother had never talked about his father. He was a bastard, a product of rape. All these years his mother had carried the shame and disgrace alone. He did not want him to think he was a mistake, his mother had loved him so much, she kept her burden to herself.

He could not help but shed a bit of tears upon hearing the story. He finally understood everything. Filippe comforted the man by saying that everything had happened and there was nothing they could do to change it. However, there was an entire future ahead of him. The man handed him over his name card and told him to keep it.

“We would be in contact from now on, I know right now you are unemployed, but from now on I have the duty to train you to be a leader of the company, in order to inherit the fortune you must acquire some skills to maintain them. Everything would be given to you step by step, but you must also work for it. It is by your father’s order. I would be by your side in the beginning to help you adjust, so you do not need to worry about anything.” They eventually finished their meal and Filippe stood up first.

“It was delightful to finally meet you. We will meet again tomorrow for your first training. You’ll also be meeting a few important staffs who will help you with this new life. Be prepared.” Just like that, Filippe left.

Adonis could not believe what had just happened. His mind was racing with so many thoughts but his heart was filled with excitement.

For the first time in his life, he could not wait for the next day to come.