Sins of the Father

by Angela Benson

  “Except for that shot you took at Saralyn with the board nonsense, your requests were pretty reasonable. I half expected you to want all of MEEG, not just a part of it.”

  Michael had tempered his requests in deference to his wife, mother, and sister. It would take them some time to forgive him for his revised requests, he knew. Had he gone with the original ones, no doubt it would have taken them longer. He didn’t want or need all the drama, since the baby was coming soon. “I’m a reasonable man and a pretty astute businessman,” he said to Abraham. “The only thing worse than a bad hand is the overplaying of a great one.”

  “There’s something I don’t understand, though,” Abraham said, curiosity shining in his eyes. “Most of what you asked for—the board seat, the MEEG equity—I already wanted to give you. I had even thought about how Thomas Management Group would fit in with my other MEEG holdings. I wanted us to work through these ideas together and in the process forge some kind of relationship. If you had accepted my hand when I offered it to you, we could have reached this point in a much more amicable way. Why didn’t you?”

  Michael lifted his shoulders in a slight shrug. “I didn’t trust you, still don’t. And given how things worked with that board seat, I was right not to. You sang a good song about wanting to bring Deborah and me into the fold, but your execution was shoddy. I took this opportunity to set things right. You ought to thank me for it.”

  Abraham smiled that smile again. “Give me a few days to think on it. This new magnanimous Michael is a bit much for me to deal with.”

  The old man was good at masking his emotions, Michael thought, for there was no way he could be happy about what had gone on in the meeting. The smile and his calm expression had to be a facade. “Don’t get me wrong,” he said. “I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t want your head on a platter, but I couldn’t find a way to do it without suffering personal losses that were just too high. At least, too high for right now. But it’s not over yet. There’s still time for me to take you out.”

  Abraham laughed, a hearty laugh that Michael knew was real. “I’ll watch my back.”

  Abraham’s laughter threw him off-kilter. He’d expected the man to be angry, defiant, but he wasn’t. It had to be a trick, he thought. The old man was trying to get inside his head. Well, he would let him think he had. That way, when the opportunity presented itself and he was finally able to lower the boom on Abraham Martin, the unexpectedness of it would make it that much sweeter. Abraham was nowhere close to having paid the debt he owed. Michael stood and picked up his portfolio, ready to leave.

  “One more thing,” Abraham said. Michael turned back to him. “We found another donor, so we don’t need you for the transplant after all.”

  Michael swallowed hard, tried to maintain his composure, but his knees felt like they were about to give out on him. He sat back down to keep from falling down. “What did you say?”

  “I said that Isaac has another donor so he won’t need your liver. It turns out someone from our church was also a match.”

  Michael opened his mouth but couldn’t decide what to say, so he closed it, saying nothing. He merely stared at Abraham, who stared right back at him.

  “You know,” Abraham began, “a sit-down similar to this one is all I’ve wanted from you. A chance to talk, to hear about your business, to find out what makes you tick. You’ve done a great job with Thomas Management, by the way. I’ve always thought it was more than coincidence that you and Deborah chose careers in the entertainment field. It was one sign that Martin blood flowed through your veins.”

  Michael’s head felt like it was filled with cobwebs that were clouding his thinking. He wanted to give his head a couple of swift shakes to rid himself of them, but he didn’t want Abraham to know he was rattled. “What was this meeting all about, then?” he asked when he was finally able to put together a question.

  Abraham leaned back in his chair, folded his arms across his stomach. He appeared completely and fully relaxed. “You’re a businessman. You tell me what it was about.”

  Michael didn’t want to voice his thoughts. It would be too humiliating. He’d come here to put Abraham in his place, and Abraham had turned the tables on him. How quickly he’d gone from victory to defeat! “You may have won this round, old man, but this war of ours is far from over. I’m going to beat you at your own game. Maybe not today, but someday.”

  Abraham leaned forward. “You still don’t get it, do you?” Without waiting for a response, he continued, “The war ended today, Michael, and we both won. You got what you wanted and I got what I wanted.”

  Michael finally had to shake those cobwebs away. “You’ve totally lost me,” he said. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “I’ve accepted all your terms, so you’ve won,” Abraham explained. “They were all things I would have freely given you anyway, so I’ve won as well. Win-win.”

  Michael wasn’t sure he’d heard correctly, so he asked, “You’re going to honor this deal even though I won’t be giving Isaac part of my liver?”

  Abraham’s smile faded and the look of defeat that Michael had wanted to see earlier finally appeared on his face. “I thank God Isaac doesn’t need your liver. First of all, he wasn’t going to take it.”

  “He wasn’t going to take it?” Michael said, interrupting him.

  “He was adamant about not taking it, has been since he learned he needed a transplant. He wants a brother, Michael, not a donor. It was clear to him that he’d never have you as a brother if he used you as a donor.”

  Michael didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure he believed Abraham. “It’s easy for Isaac to say that, knowing he has another donor lined up. He’d be singing a different tuned if he didn’t.”

  Abraham shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. Isaac didn’t even want you to be tested.”

  Michael snorted. “Well, he had you and Saralyn out there fighting for him on that one. Don’t tell me you didn’t want me to be tested. Don’t tell me you hadn’t already lined me up to be a donor. You and Saralyn were willing to go a long way to get your precious son a liver.”

  Abraham blinked his eyes, shuttering his emotions. “You’ll be a father soon and understand how far a father will go for his child. In case you’re wondering, if the situation had been reversed and you had needed a liver, I would have asked Isaac to be tested.”

  Michael felt his temper rise with those words. Just who did this old man think he was talking to? “Why didn’t you have those feelings for me when I was born?” he asked in a calm voice, even as he fought the urge to shout. “Why was it so easy for you to walk away from me and Deborah?”

  Abraham lifted his arms as if in supplication. “I don’t have any answer that will make what I did right or acceptable. I only hope that one day you find it in your heart to forgive me. I know it’s a lot to hope for, but I’m feeling hopeful these days. I’ve given you everything you’ve asked for, Michael. I don’t know what else to do to show you that I want to right the wrongs I did all those years ago. What more do you want from me?”

  I want you to have been there when I needed you. I wanted you at my basketball games. I wanted you at my college graduation. I wanted your advice when I started my business. I wanted you to be my father so I could learn to be a man.

  Michael thought all these things but couldn’t voice any of them.

  “I know what I want from you,” Abraham said, when Michael didn’t answer his question. “I want to get to know you.”

  “It’s too late,” Michael said, but the words rang hollow to his ears.

  Abraham shook his head. “As long as we both have breath in our bodies, it’s not too late. All you have to do is give me a chance.”

  Chapter Sixty-Nine

  Michael was surprised when he received the signed contracts from Alan a couple of days later. Even though the old man had assured him their deal was solid despite the fact that Isaac had another donor, he hadn’t quite believed him. Old ha
bits were hard to break. He’d read every word of the document to make sure that Abraham hadn’t tried to sneak in any changes and found none. The old man had given him everything he’d asked for, and gotten nothing in return. It didn’t make sense.

  Regardless, he’d felt the need to celebrate, only to discover that he didn’t have anyone to celebrate with. He hadn’t heard from Josette beyond that first call, and he was pretty sure his mother and Deborah wouldn’t be in a celebrating mood. Nevertheless, he found himself seated on their porch waiting for them to get home so he could share his good fortune with them. They arrived about an hour after he did.

  “If it isn’t the prodigal brother,” Deborah said when she got out of the passenger front seat. She waved him over. “Get over here. We need help with these groceries.”

  “Why didn’t you let yourself in?” his mother asked when she got out of the driver side door. “Did you lose your key?”

  Michael ambled over to the car and followed his mother and sister to the trunk. “I didn’t lose my key,” he said. “I was just taking advantage of a beautiful spring day. Nothing wrong with that.”

  Deborah picked up four plastic grocery bags. “You’re right about that,” she said, heading for the house.

  Before picking up her bags, his mother leaned over and kissed him on his forehead. “You’ve been avoiding me,” she said. “And I don’t like it.” She picked up three grocery bags. “Bring the rest of these in for me, please.”

  Michael nodded. He removed the remaining four bags from the trunk, lowered it closed, then followed his mother and sister into the kitchen. They’d already started putting food in the refrigerator and pantry. He placed his bags on the table and began removing their contents.

  “Guess what I got via express mail yesterday?” his mother asked, putting a gallon of milk in the refrigerator.

  “I have no idea,” he said. “So you may as well tell me.”

  “A contract from MEEG giving me a seat on the board.”

  Michael met his mother’s eyes. “You deserve it, Mama. I’m glad Abraham finally realized it.”

  “Did you get a contract, too?” she asked him.

  “Sure did,” he said, not bothering to explain that his contract specified more than a MEEG board seat. He let his mother assume his was the same as hers.

  “Guess what she did with it?” Deborah said.

  “I hope she signed it and sent it back.”

  Deborah rolled her eyes. “She sent it back, all right, but she didn’t sign it.”

  Michael turned to his mother. “Why didn’t you sign it?”

  After putting a five-pound bag of sugar in the pantry, Leah said, “I didn’t sign it because I don’t want the seat.”

  “But you deserve it, Mama,” he said.

  “Don’t waste your breath,” Deborah said. “She’s not going to change her mind.”

  Leah slapped Deborah lightly on the shoulder. “Stop trying to stir up trouble. I told you why I didn’t want the seat.”

  “Well, tell me,” Michael said, thinking of all he’d gone through to get it for her.

  Leah raised a brow. “If you’d answered your phone or returned your messages, you’d know already.”

  Duly chastised, Michael said, “I’m sorry about that.”

  “As you should be,” Leah said. “I turned down the seat because I don’t belong at MEEG.”

  “Yes—”

  She cut him off with a raised palm. “You and Deborah belong there with your father, but I have my own life. If you’d returned my calls or answered your phone, you’d also know that I’m getting married.”

  Michael stopped removing items from the bag he was working on. “What are you talking about? How are you getting married?”

  Deborah laughed.

  After giving her daughter her version of the evil eye, Leah said, “I’m marrying Reverend Melvin Reeves.”

  Michael sat down in a chair to keep from falling down. His world seemed to be spinning off its axis. “You’re marrying a preacher? I didn’t even know you were dating.”

  “I’ve been down this road,” Deborah said, “so I’m going to let you two travel it again without me.” She took an apple from one of the bags and left the kitchen.

  Leah took at seat at the table next to him. “I know this comes as a surprise to you, Michael. I should have told you both about Melvin sooner.” She went on to tell him how she and Melvin had met and how long they had been seeing each other.

  “I can’t believe you kept it a secret from us,” he said.

  “Melvin is the pastor of Saralyn and Abraham’s church,” she explained. “That made things complicated.”

  Michael understood. A grin spread across his face when he thought of Saralyn’s reaction to the news. “Do they know?”

  She shook her head. “We’re announcing our engagement at his church on Sunday. I want both you and Deborah to be there.”

  Michael nodded. “Of course I’ll be there. I only wish Josette could be there with me.”

  Leah squeezed his shoulder as she got up and resumed putting away the food. “Don’t give up hope. She called yesterday and I asked her to join us.”

  Michael tried not to be hurt that Josette hadn’t called him yesterday. “How is she?” he asked.

  “She sounds good, said she and the baby were fine.”

  Michael appreciated his mother not asking questions about the separation or berating him for causing it. “Josette’ll be home soon,” he said. His mother gave him a look of pity. He turned away from it and focused on one of the grocery bags.

  “I hope you’re right, son. And I hope you’re doing the things you need to do to make her want to come home.”

  Deborah’s reentry into the room saved him from having to respond. She surprised him when she pressed a kiss against his forehead.

  “What was that for?” he asked.

  “Can’t a sister show a brother some love?”

  “Yeah, but there’s usually catch with it.”

  Deborah looked at Leah. “Can you believe it, Mama? He’s rejecting my love.”

  “Don’t put me in the middle,” Leah said. “My days of refereeing your fights are over. You’re on your own.”

  Deborah looked at Michael, while tilting her head in her mother’s direction. “She’s gotten sassy since she’s gotten engaged.”

  Leah didn’t even bother to respond. She picked up the phone when it rang and then stepped out of the kitchen with the handset to talk.

  “I’m glad you didn’t have to go through with the liver transplant,” Deborah said when her mother was out of earshot. “I think you dodged a bullet there, Michael. I’m fairly certain that plan of yours to outwit Abraham would have backfired on you and caused trouble all around.”

  Michael saw the relieved joy in his sister’s eyes. He wondered if telling her what had happened would change her expression. “I went through with it, after all,” he said, deciding to go all in.

  Her eyes dimmed a bit and she sat next to him. “Why? What happened?”

  Michael explained what had happened. “Can you believe it?”

  “To be honest, I can. Abraham was right when he said he was only agreeing to what he would have given you before, other than the board seat for Mama. He probably knew she wouldn’t take it anyway.” Deborah chuckled. “He beat you fair and square.”

  “The war’s not over,” Michael said, even as he remembered Abraham’s win-win words.

  Deborah got up and patted him on his shoulder. “It’s over, Michael. You just refuse to concede defeat. If you want to be a family with Josette and that baby, I strongly recommend that you start looking forward and stop looking back. Everything you want is within your grasp. Don’t lose it all fighting some war that exists only in your mind.”

  Chapter Seventy

  Michael’s day was off to a good start. It had begun with a call from Josette. She’d been a bit distant and hesitant at the start of the call, but warmed up as she began talking abo
ut the baby. He’d surprised himself and told her about his ill-fated showdown with Abraham. She’d been disappointed in his actions but quite pleased that he told her about it. Women! Go figure.

  She’d only asked one thing of him in the call, and he promised to do it only because she said she’d call back later that night to hear how it went. His wife was definitely honing her manipulation skills. He wanted her and the baby back with him and she knew it, so she was using that knowledge to her advantage.

  So here he stood outside Isaac Martin’s hospital room, having no choice but to go in. He’d considered not coming and telling Josette that he had. He decided against that course of action after calculating the price of being found lying and realizing it was a higher price than he wanted to pay. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

  Isaac and Rebecca both turned toward him. He was relieved that Saralyn and Abraham were not there. He hoped he wouldn’t have to see them again until the next MEEG board meeting. “I bet you’re surprised to see me,” he said, after discarding the idea of giving a traditional greeting.

  To his surprise, both of them smiled. “Surprised is a good word,” Isaac said.

  “I’m not surprised,” Rebecca said, “Josette told me she’d get you down here somehow.”

  It was Michael’s turn to be surprised. His Josette was in communication with Rebecca? “She’s a miracle worker,” he said, coming to stand closer to the foot of the bed. “How are you doing?” he asked Isaac.

  “Glad to be alive,” he said, his face serious.

  Michael couldn’t think of anything else to say. Josette had asked him to come see how Isaac was doing and he’d done that. What else was there left to do?

  Isaac turned to Rebecca. “Give us a minute, sweetheart.”

  She nodded. “Thanks for coming by, Michael,” she said. “I’ll make sure to thank Josette for getting you here.” She smiled and then she left him and Isaac alone.