Pools of Blood

Chapter 50

Things started to clear up a bit by bit. The fogs of mystery started to dissipate. The will of my grandfather protected our family heritage from being usurped by some foreigners. Mr.Topas took me to his Study room. It was full of books. Big fat leather bounds lined the shelves from the top of the ceiling to the floor. Many were lying scattered. The room looked like it had never been arranged or deep cleaned before. Diaries, notepads, and other writing tools filled up the big mahogany table in the center. The dustbin was overflowing with crumpled papers and bits and shreds.

" I know what you are thinking", he smiled at me.

I looked at him sheepishly. "Why is this room so dirty? "

" I never allow anyone to enter here. I clean this room myself whenever I get time. But except me, no one enters here, not even my grandchild. There is a reason for this."

-" What reason? "

-" After your parents died, and you were in the hospital, Frank and his mom came here. I was in the hotel at that time. They entered like thieves in the dead of the night and scattered every book and sheet to find the will. They thought that I would keep it lying on the table or probably photo-framed it on my walls. When they couldn’t find it, they left. From that day, I became cautious. Although I have only the copy of the will and the original is safe in the locker of a bank far away, but still, the fear of not being able to hand over the treasure to its original owner ate me away. I started trusting less and less to unknown people, maids, and friends of my son and daughter I law. What if that was a conspiracy of Frank? So it's all a mess down here."

I realized, that this man fought a lifelong battle only for me. I was unaware of so many years, plunged deep into my own griefs that I didn’t even try to return, didn’t even try to search for the remaining of my family. I cursed myself silently.

" I am sorry for the pains you have taken for so long. Only for me. I am sorry ".

He smiled.

" Michael, I have seen your birth. I still remember those days when you would run around wearing a nappy and licking lollipops. You were such a mischievous little prick those days. I love you, my son. Always loved your family. Your mother was a goddess. So compassionate, so loving and so caring for others. And you are just like her. You have her eyes and your father's good looks."

I smiled. He was the only link I had with my past, the only one who knew the old Michael, the only one who knew my parents and my family.

He went to a photo hanging on one of the walls. It was a photo of a child hugging his mother with an ancient Chinese background. He removed the photo and a small hidden closet came in view. He opened it and there was a small locker. A high-tech password consisting of facial recognition, heartbeat, and eye scan led to the opening of the locker, and inside there was a small scroll of paper.

" This is the second copy of the will", he said handing me the scroll.

If the photocopy was so heavily protected, I doubt how much protection the original had.

"But why are there two copies of the will? ", I asked.

"Your grandfather did things which no one could comprehend sometimes. Maybe he thought that two will would be tough to forge and manipulate."

-"Where is the second will? The original one? "

-" I don't know exactly where it is. Before dying, he gave me a book. He said when Michael grows old enough, the book should be given to him. It consisted of clues and hints. If he is ready to take over the empire, he would need the original will as proof of his identity. He would have to find it himself."

Saying this he moved towards the shelves lined with huge leather bounds. Among them, there was a thin paperback. He handed the book to me.

It was a book of short stories, written by several ancient Chinese and Japanese scholars. There were haikus and sonnets and micro tales. What was I supposed to find there? What clue? Topaz could provide me with no answer.

"Why don’t you read the second copy of the will? "

I opened the scroll, it was written in slanting neat handwriting of my grandfather.

" Read it Michael", Topaz said as he sat down on the chair and closed his eyes in relief.

I read the full contents twice. It was written clearly that after his death all the property including the house, the hotel, and the bamboo forest would pass on to me, the only heir, the legal child of my parents. There was no mention of anyone else. Even he didn’t mention the names of my father or my mother as the regent of the will. No doubt he was a clever farsighted man. 

" At last, I can rest in peace. I have done my work of protecting this will. All these years I have protected it with my life. after the blast, Frank might have thought that you too have died, so he didn’t chase or try to find you anymore. You only came under his radar after the death of your friend. Now, you have to decide what you are going to do with him."

I too have been thinking the same thing. 

It's time. I will chase him back. He took away my parents, killed my wife. Killed my brother. r***d his wife. No more. Now I am going to chase him, make him run like a dog. He has no idea what I am going to do now.

Topaz smiled at me and rested his head on the edge of the chair.

" I am happy you are back Michael. I am happy. So what is your plan? "