Who is Jonathan Clark

Untitled Part 21

                                                                            CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

                                                                                  TROUBLE AHEAD

2005 Jonathan was seeing less and less of his children and more of his Grand-children, and in all this time he had never mentioned Loretta or Mirrani. He would go to soccer games with Trent, but Sylvia was never there. They had a maid who doubled as a baby-sitter while she was teaching. Jonathan enjoyed being with the children more than the adults as they never argued back. It was from Trent that he discovered that his Grandmother had separated from her fourth husband. This, Jonathan assumed, and rightly so was because of her excessive drinking. He had on occasions driven past the house where they had once lived happily together, even leaving his car and walking to the front door, but everything had changed. It was no longer a pretty Cottage more like a derelict one. The garden's were overgrown, there was rubbish on the drive and paint was peeling from the walls of the house. Now it seemed even her children were reluctant to visit. Constance had shunned any help that had been offered and now her life was in her own hands. 

By 2006 Julian and Jennifer had a third child. Now along with Bobby, Lexi, they had Gabrielle, a more beautiful little angel you would never see. Two days after her birth Jonathan arrived at their modest little house with a present for his new Grand-daughter, a Moses Basket. It was all he could think of. He was warmly received by his Daughter-in-law, but sadly not his son."Thank you Jonathan" said Julian, still not Dad. Jonathan looked around their home and wondered whether with his wealth he should be helping more, especially with the children, but for all its modesty they seemed to have all of their basic needs. In truth he would have given them anything if not for the disrespect he had endured from his eldest Son over the past twenty years. "and also" thought Jonathan, "The greatest feeling around money is earning it, not being given it"

Jason to his Father was someone that he spoke to by phone once in every month, but he always seemed happy with his life. His main concern was the failing health of his Mother who was constantly ignoring the advice of Doctors specialising in alcohol abuse. Choosing what in the end would prove to be a path of self destruction. Therefor it was only a matter of time before the decision was made by all three children that their Mother for her own sake should be Hospitalised.

Julian and Sylvia found a lovely place just five miles from Bretton Falls where you could visit any day at any time. It was deep in the Country and all residents were encouraged to rise early and head for the forest where they would cut wood for the numerous open fires. Breakfast was followed by long walks in the Countryside which could take up to two or three hours. During these excursions their only sustenance would be, water, chocolate and  fresh vegetables. The afternoon consisted of impromptu meetings where individuals were encouraged to tell their story, only to be ridiculed by the others for their actions. Although they did not at the time, but Constance would spend the rest of her life in this place.

Jonathan decided to restore the Cottage. Maybe as a penance for his past failings, but always in the hope that someday Constance could return. Builders, gardeners and decorators moved in and within a matter of weeks it looked like the vision they had both seen thirty years previous. Sylvia and Julian did not understand why he wanted to do this, but in Jonathans eyes although the likelihood of Constance returning was very slim he had visions of her once again walking through the front door.

2008, Jonathan had become almost reclusive, living alone in a rented apartment on the outskirts of Bretton Falls. With the installation of Computers he had information coming to him every minute of every day and night. He had kept his promise to Argi Botar and he was now in his own offices in the centre of Conakry, but under the banner of the W.A.A. as he would not have been recognised in the other three Countries if working on his own. He would collect, mainly from Angela information on any problems occurring in the outlying Villages. Raging from actual killings to land ownership, theft and domestic issues. Having the use of a two seater Plane owned by the C.A.I. Bank was a god send, but already Argi was looking to recruit more Lawyers specialising in different crimes, and by the middle of 2009 he had four full time Lawyers and three Secretaries. He was funded in part by the Jonathan and Angela foundation, but in more serious crimes he looked to the relevant Governments for recompense.

In late 2009 the weather in the North East U.S.A. was severe to say the least. Six foot snow drifts were causing chaos on the Freeways and visiting times for Julian and Sylvia had gone from three times each week to once every two weeks. It was midway between one of these visits that they received the call they had been expecting for the past twelve months. Their Mother had passed away quietly in her sleep. Constance was sixty three years old but died in a seventy three year old body. 

The Funeral arrangements were made and Constance was laid to rest alongside her Parents, Daniel and Melissa Johnston in the local cemetery at Bretton Falls. Jonathan attended but stayed out of sight for fear of any condemnation coming from Julian, and for the same reason did not attend the reception afterwards.

Jason had been granted fourteen days compassionate leave, and visited his Father every other day. Their bond was as strong as ever. Julian on the other hand was devastated to discover that his Mother had left nothing. He always had in mind that he would at least inherit the home that she lived in, and the realisation that it still belonged to his Father drove the knife even deeper.