First of all I would like to thank Todger65 for editing this story and teaching me things about both the English language and Open Office. The help provided has been invaluable and I am indebted. If there still are any faults they are entirely my mistakes due to last minute changes or negligence. Thank you Todger!
As usual this could have been put in a number of other categories (Exhibitionism was a strong candidate), but I decided on Romance in the end. The story is somewhat long, around 20.000 words, and if you want a lot of 'action' you have probably come to the wrong place. Comments are welcome, even negative ones: I promise that I won't erase any as long as they aren't offensive to others, but I would prefer if you are constructive.
This is a work of fiction and none of the characters are based on real persons, living or dead.
Halin24
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The old man in the back of the limousine was out on his last ride. At 96 it wasn't surprising, it had been expected, by some eagerly awaited, for the last 10 years at least, but now his body had finally given up the struggle and was being transported to the cemetery and his final resting place. The limo, his only transportation the last 50 years, was driven by the man's latest chauffeur, Daniel, son and grandson of the only other two chauffeurs he had ever had. The interior of the car had been cleared out to carry the casket, the back opened up to get it in. Another of the old man's ideas, it had been specified in his will, and as always one that the man's family had fought to prevent.
Jason Jones the 3rd, (the 3rd added by him as a joke), had walked his own ways all his life and no-one would stop him doing so when he was dead! Everything was specified in his will, everything was paid for in advance, any those of his heirs that didn't accept it stood to lose everything that was coming to them. They expected a lot was coming their way so in the end they all relented, although grudgingly.
The coffin was simple, the cheapest there was: 'Why on earth would anyone want to have a luxurious coffin to be buried in?' Jason Jones (the 3rd...) had said several times 'They'll be dead for crying out loud! They might as well set fire to the bills!'
The burial site was also simple, a small piece of the cemetery among others, the headstone was ordinary as well but had one thing that stuck out: an inscription that said '
I left the money behind and so should you!
'.
It was his final insult to his sons and daughters as well as other relatives. They had always been after more wealth, no matter how much they already had or if it was more than they needed.
Jason had lived well, he had never denied that, but he had resented spending for the sake of spending itself.
His children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and the rest of the 'vultures', as he had called them, was waiting in the cemetery, watching as the old limo drove up. In their minds they all wished they didn't have to be there, didn't have to be degraded like this. The richest man in the state, one of the richest in the country, brought to the final rest in a crappy old, and now totally destroyed, limo, laying in a simple casket, buried in an unremarkable spot with a simple headstone, and they, his heirs, had to be there on display to let everyone see it. It was an insult to them and they knew that it was intended by the old man. He had never made a secret of his dislike for their want for more, but soon they would finally have it. They felt that it had been to spite them that he had held on to his life for so long, but now he was gone!
- - - - - - - - -
Daniel Brady, the chauffeur, drove the limo over to his parents house after the ceremony was over and was met by them outside the door.
"Is it over with?" his dad asked. All three of them had tears in their eyes so Daniel only nodded in answer and Jonathan, his father, continued.
"Then we should honour him the way he would have wanted and nothing more: drink a glass of his favourite whiskey, dry our tears and remember all the good things he did. He wouldn't have appreciated us mourning him. After that I have a letter from him that we should open. He gave it to me a few years ago, before he went into surgery, and said that it should be kept safe until he was put in the ground. Come on."
He put an arm around his wife's shoulder, the other around his son and led them inside.
In the living room he poured three glasses and handed two of them over to the others, then he spoke:
"In honour of a great man and true friend! May you rest in peace Jason!"
They held the glasses up in cheers, emptied them and threw them into the fireplace, shattering them in thousands of pieces. Then they sat down on the sofa and he took an envelope from the inside pocket of his black suit, ripped it open and started to read out loud.
Jonathan!
When you read this I will be gone and buried, I know that because you would never fail to follow my wishes. That is one of the things that separates your family from mine, the honour and honesty.
I also know that you have not attended the funeral despite the fact that you wished too. I told you not to, so you didn't, simple as that! Daniel took me on the last drive, that was his job and I am sure he did it well as always. Both of you, as well as your father before you, always performed your duties to the letter. Now you are sitting together after a toast of my favourite drink, determined not to grieve, are you not? Yes, I know you all well after all our conversations, and that is the reason for this letter.
You all know what I wanted, the values that I appreciated, my contempt for the money-hungry vultures of this world (my own children not least!) and I know that you are different than most in that respect.
Therefore it is my wish that you do one last thing for me, well, actually several things I hope, but that depends on whether you really understood me as well as I think or not.
The old limo has been 'rebuilt', I guess you would say 'destroyed', for my last ride in it, and I have stipulated that it now belongs to you, Jonathan, and Daniel, along with some money. Do what you want with the car but remember that it was only a means of transportation: something to take you from 'A' to 'B'. It did well in doing so and that was all I needed so I never bought a newer, better or more luxurious one like my vultures wanted. I hope it will take you to the next point on your travel too, after all it is the chauffeur that drives the car, not the other way around.
Think of me but not in grief but with joy. I hope that I deserve that after all.
Your friend
Jason Jones (III)
- - - - - - - - - -
"What do you mean: 'can't be concluded yet'?!" Donald Jones ( the 1st) almost yelled to the lawyer sitting in front of him across the conference-table "The old man had a will, it stipulated how that stupid funeral should be done, we all know that, and we had to be there or be excluded from any money so how the hell can you say that we can't take over the assets?"
"There was a will, yes, and it stipulated everything in detail, also how much you should be told and when. This is the next stop on the way and it says that all his children will each receive 10 million dollars. The rest of the assets will stay under the control of a foundation until someone can show that he, or she or them, are the rightful owner(s) and thereby take over the control. This is clearly defined, very clearly."
The lawyer Henry Crawford was calm and professional but laughed inside at the other man's rage. As an old friend of Jason he found that the predictions so far were exact and he hoped they would stay that way. Donald was not the right person to control an empire.
"Fuck!!!" Donald screamed "How the hell can anyone show that they are the rightful owner when no-one knows who the rightful owner is??? That is ridiculous!"
"No doubt later instructions will prove or disprove any claims, but for now this is the situation."
"What about the foundation, who controls it? You?"
"Absolutely not, Mr Jones made sure that no interested parties were on the board of the foundation and no-one that was involved with handling the will or property. I have the right to pay for repairs on his property but that is all: I have to show receipts to the board on any expense."
"Then you must know who are on the board, so tell me!"
"I have no idea: it is something I do not have to know. I have an address, a PO box, that is all."
"Fuck!!!" Donald repeated, stood up and stormed out.