Song: 'Lean on Me' by Bill Withers
Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
that you won't let show
You just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'll understand
We all need somebody to lean on
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ZACHARIAH EVANS' (Hannah's dad) POV
"Sir, there is someone who wants to meet you," my London office secretary announced as she entered.
"Who is it, Casey, I don't think I have a meeting lined up with someone?" adjusting the glasses I asked looking up from the file I was reading. She shook her head in response
"He says he's your friend but he refuses to tell his name," my friend... Who that could be? Since I don't have many friends (business colleagues, sure but not friends) I wonder who that could be.
"I don't have any friends who could visit me, especially here. Why doesn't he wants to tell his name anyways, did the security check him?" I can't help but get suspicious.
"Yes sir, I asked the receptionist she confirmed and said he looks like a man of a rather high profile," she paused then added, "should I send him away?"
"No... no, send him in," Casey left and now even I'm curious who that friend could be?
After my wife Abigail's death I've distanced myself from everyone, living an isolated life, just focusing on business. I've even distanced myself from my beautiful daughter, too.
Guilt once again started enveloping me, how much I failed as a father. After losing the love of my life I got so deep in my own misery and grief that I started neglecting her when she herself needed me the most and I'm not proud of it. I can still see the pain in her eyes even though she tries to act like she's not affected but I know better. It'll be a miracle if she doesn't hate me by now or at least I hope she doesn't.
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts and after clearing my eyes and throat I said "come in."
The door unlocked revealing the person I never expected to see in my life again. Even after 34 years of not seeing him, I can still tell it was him, he still looks the same, just older.
"Richard?" I stuttered as I stood up from my chair still not believing my eyes.
"Zach" we both fastened our steps and enveloped each other in a tight hug in the middle of the room.
"Wha... how... You," I was too dumbfounded to even coherent a proper sentence, his eyes too glistening with happiness.
"I can't believe it's actually you," I finally found the strength to speak, too overwhelmed.
"Oh, believe it or not, old man, it is me," he said with the same mischievousness as he had 34 years ago.
"You don't look any younger, Rick," happiness evident in my words to find him well and alive.
"But I'm still more handsome than you," he was right, he still looked very good looking and playful for his age.
"Where were you, Rick where did you disappear, we looked for you everywhere but it was like you vanished from this planet," I had to ask.
"It's a long story, how about we talk it over lunch?" I nodded.
..........................................................................
We are currently sitting in one of London's finest hotels waiting for our food when after a long silence I asked him again to tell me about his decades-long disappearance, he owes it to me. We were like brothers after all.
He sighed and started as if he's really deep in his thoughts as if he's not here anymore.
"You remember my father and his gambling addiction," of course, I do, the guy was a scumbag of the worst kind, I nodded but stayed quiet.
"Things got pretty rough, so much that his drinking and infidelity were no longer the only issues we had to deal with. With his gambling we lost everything we had and he got involved with the mafia, smuggling, drug, human trafficking, and all that comes with it money but wasn't able to pay back, the whole business went bankrupt and we were left with nothing but he never gave us an idea how deep he was in his own shit, turned out he was pretty deep." He said all this with a blank expression, he was always like this hiding his misery but I knew him better than that, I can read every single emotion behind those empty eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me, why did you leave without saying anything... anything at all? We could've fixed everything together like we always did," I can't imagine what he went through and that too alone.
"You remember the day I last met you," he looked at me for confirmation and I nodded, "remember how I attended a call and left immediately after, it was a call from him." He paused then continued, "that night he told me about everything... about his debts, his involvement in mafia and bankruptcy. He even apologized for everything he put us through and said that he will fix it all but I have to be strong for all of us, he even told me he loved me and that I'm a damn good son." A sardonic laugh erupted from his throat, he stopped just as the waiter arrived with our food.
"Then..." I asked after he didn't continue.
He looked up from his plate and looked me dead in the eyes, "then he killed himself the next morning," I had no words; I just sat there and stared at him shocked.
He told me how the mafia shot him on the arm to threaten them to not utter anything against them, how they left For Australia without telling anyone with the help of his maternal grandfather, changed his surname from Grayson to Norman which also belonged to his grandpa, completed his studies came back after 4 years, started the business, got married and now he has 3 kids.
"You have no idea how proud I feel right now but still, it pains me to know that you went through this hell all alone and you never told me about any of that even after you came back, never met me until today, I was your best friend, hell! We were like brothers, Rick," I said a little angry and a look of guilt crossed his features but I had to know, he needs to know that what effects his sudden disappearance caused.
"I know and I'm sorry but Zach, you have to understand that I never wanted it, any of it. Yet, it all happened and I had no control over it, I was helpless. I was not ready for it but I had no choice, no option. It changed everything, it changed my life, it changed me, dammit!" he rubbed his hand on his face in frustration.
"I wasn't the same person anymore, if it wasn't for Heather I don't know where I would've been now, her love and support was the only thing keeping me sane even though I wasn't even myself, I don't know why she fell for me when I put her through hell and more but I can't thank the God enough that she did and never gave up." His eyes showed pure love and adoration, I didn't have to be a genius to know he was talking about his wife.
"Starting a business was not as easy as I thought,' he continued 'with all my own demons, a wife, and an infant to take care of; business was not progressing, life was not getting back on track. It took me 5 years to just get acknowledged in the business world. Things turned a little better and my twins were born, a girl and a boy, but then a little after that grandpa died and I was once again on my own, without his love and guidance but till then he'd mentored me to be on my own feet without his help and he left me every single penny he ever earned, it was quite a large sum, it helped me a lot to expand my business."
"Business stabled and just as I thought that things got better, shadows of the past started lurking once again. At the age of 8 my eldest son was kidnapped by the mafia my father was associated with, it felt like all hell broke loose on me, I had already paid more than the debts were, just to keep my family out of it but still, to make sure I don't open my mouth they did it and said same would happen to every person I loved."
"I tried everything in my power but to no vain. He got back after 4 days, traumatized with experience no 8 years old should have. After that I was so scared for the safety of the people I loved, I had to refrain from reaching out to you and Abby as if you never existed, I couldn't risk your lives; you both were the only ones I cared about from the previous life I had to keep distance, until now when I finally found enough courage to get in touch with you."
"The gang later was arrested by the FBI but till then I had learned the lesson that the only ones to survive are those who have power, so I worked day and night to get on top so no one can ever lay hands on my family again." I just sat there like a statue beyond speechless that how cruel life has been for my friend. To break the silence I said the only thing which my mind could come up with.
"So you're the owner of Norman & Co, I presume? My friend you are indeed very rich, if not richest I have to say," he laughed heartily just like his old self and I laughed with him.
"That has to be me but I'm soon retiring giving the CEO ship to my eldest son, though it's been 4 years that he's running the business alone without my help, that little bastard is a workaholic and already better than I ever could've been." Just looking at him I can tell how proud he was of his son.
"Now enough about me, tell me about you and Abby, I'm sure she will kill me the moment she'll see me." He smiled fondly, "And no, I don't have to be a psychic to know that you both got married and have a dozen ugly kids by now, you both were inseparable," he referred to an old joke we used to have.
Life has a way of separating the inseparable. He must have seen something on my face that the smile dropped from his face and a worried expression took over, instead.
"She died 15 years ago," his eyes bulged out with disbelief and I clenched mine shut, still as hard to say these words as the first time. I can see a million questions running in his mind which he couldn't voice out, so bracing myself I started
"We got married after two years of passing college, life was beautifully filled with love and laughter, we were still just as crazy about each other." I smiled at the memory just as if it happened yesterday, "We both started our own interior design business together and it established faster than we expected and we got busy."
"Everything was going perfectly fine when one day we discovered that Abby has problems in conceiving. You know how much she wanted kids so we tried a lot of doctors but nothing worked, still she never lost hope and her faith in God never wavered one bit."
"I, on the other hand, was never really religious so I suggested that we should adopt a baby but she refused to say what if she can't love it like her own. Time passed and after 7 years of our marriage a miracle happened, our own little miracle, our beautiful daughter Hannah." a memory of holding her in my arms for the first time flashed in my mind.
"Life was complete, we were complete. She was the light of our eyes, our only center of attraction making our love stronger every day with her presence. When Hannah was 6 Abby got pregnant again, the doctors advised that we should abort this baby because this time it was even more complicated than last time, but she refused, saying she can't do that and it's a blessing and she knew how much I want another baby, we consulted the best gynecologist to make sure if we can proceed further and he gave us hope but we had to be really cautious," My eyes moistened.
"In 7th month one night Abby got up from excruciating pain, she went into pre-labor. The doctors asked me to make a choice and without a second thought I told them to save her." Uncontrollable tears were rolling down my eyes by now, "turned out the baby was already dead which caused infection in her womb and it took her life" my hands were shaking; I still don't know how to cope up with it. If only we listened to the doctor, if only we had never wanted another baby, if only I had persuaded her enough then she'd be still here with me, if only...
Richard's face was smeared with tears; I can tell he still found it hard to believe. The pain of losing someone so dear to you was evident. And why not, she was always like a sister to him, being the only child he always wanted a sister and he found one in her, he loved her like his own.
"They left the world but it feels like they took my soul with them, just completing the rest of my days lifelessly."
"I... I can't believe she's gone or maybe she was too good to stay in this cruel world' he wiped his eyes and I did the same, 'I'm sorry for not being there for you but you had your daughter, tell me about her." He looked genuinely interested.
"She is just like Abbey in every manner, an exact replica of her so much that it's not easy to look at her and not think about her mother."
"Thank God she's not like you" he smirked sarcastically
"She got my eyes," I stated smugly, "Oh and stubbornness, too" now it was my turn to smirk, "but gentle like her mother, too. After her mother's death, I was emotionally unstable, I was a mess that I started heavily drinking and neglecting her, forgetting that she was suffering from the same loss as me, even looking at her was a reminder of my misery. I busied myself with business avoiding going home. God knows if it wasn't for Claudia what I would've done. I love her a lot but I couldn't be the father she deserved."
"How old is she now?" He asked but the flicker of his eye didn't go unnoticed by me at Claudia's name but I let it slip.
"She's 22 and graduating soon, in fact, I'm leaving tomorrow for her graduation ceremony," I said proudly
"And she's a genius too, just like me," I had to add.
His eyes sparked with an idea I knew too well and I answered immediately.
"No, Rick, it's not happening."
"Why not, what's wrong with it, don't you remember how we always used to plan it. Now is our chance," he urged
"Things are not the same now and for God's sake we were young and stupid back then." As much as I'd like this to happen it just can't.
In college we used to plan how we would start a business together, our kids will grow up together, fall in love and then we'll marry them, even business wouldn't have to split, it was our dream. I know a stupidity indeed.
"Think about it Zach, we can still work together as we always wanted, I have a construction company and you have an interior design firm, we can merge our companies or work together separately, it's up to you." His voice rose with excitement, "But it's always been our dream to marry our children, I think it's about time."
"Oh come on, they haven't seen even each other, don't even know the other exists." All of a sudden it feels like he hasn't grown up, "forget about them, even we haven't seen them, and Hannah would never agree to it and I won't ask her for it, she already doesn't believe in love and I don't want her to have an arranged marriage because of some stupid promise we made years ago."
"This means she's not in a relationship and Elijah is also single right now. By the way, your future son in law's name is Elijah if you haven't noticed. As for us seeing them is concerned I'm sure she must be gorgeous if she looks like Abby, not that looks matter to me, and as for Elijah, my son, he's just as handsome as his dad," he's lost his mind I'm certain of it.
"You have lost your mind, Rick, it's not happening I told you. Let them decide on their own with whom they want to spend their lives. And this is the end of this discussion." He started saying something but I made a hand gesture to make him stop, "Period." I said with finality in my voice and his face dropped.
"Still do think about it," I shook my head, this man never gives up.
2 days later at night
In a hospital bed, with my head between my hands, I dialed a number.
"I thought about it, let's do it," I said seriously
"Really!! You're not joking, right?" came an enthusiastic reply.
"No, meet me tomorrow and we'll discuss this further," with that I ended the call.
Forgive me, my dear daughter but I had no other option.
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A long looooong chapter, but the story needed to proceed.
What do you think the call was about, any guesses?
Don't forget to vote and comment!!