A Long Drop Down

It was a dark and gloomy day as most days are bound to be when everything around you seems, unreal.

Seven married years, twenty-one years of friendship, thirty odd years of family and suddenly it all seemed so, staged. Nothing seemed to make sense as Mark Tinder walked down the paved path towards his favourite park on this gloomy January morning, the wind picking up scattered dirt and hurling it all over making the moment even bleaker if at all it were possible.

What was it that happened, turning a happy, vibrant, cheerful and charismatic man of thirty look like a convicted felon about to be put to the gallows for a most horrendous crime?

The chain of events were all unpredictable as were the actions of all the characters involved. Mark had just opted to sell his secret passion whose knowledge none had as it was just a development in his mind that one fine day he had committed to paper and sent to a tech savvy company which he found on the net, had no knowledge of their potential and totally on a whim not knowing if it would amount to anything. A sudden call from a senior executive of the firm requesting a face to face meeting or some face time using any number of communication apps got the ball rolling to what was a totally surreal experience for the young man.

At first, he thought it was all a joke, someone at the receiving end of his email had decided to call as a prank and give him false hopes however, on making the call, it turned out that his concept, his secret passion was indeed an amazing idea and the firm he had sent the same blueprint to on a whim had seen immense potential in using his idea to develop software that would revolutionise all modern gadgets. Being a person of integrity, the senior executive felt it was only fair that the originator be fully recompensed for the idea although, technically, since he had no patent or witnesses to it being his own work, it would have been extremely easy for unscrupulous people to take advantage and he would have been none the wiser.

An internal debate whether to disclose all this to family and friends especially Emily, the love of his life resulted in him planning his own surprise. He would first see how much he would stand to make from the deal, put the money in a separate account and spring the surprise on their wedding anniversary twenty-four days later on valentines the day that epitomised their unconditional love for each other.

On further discussions with Timothy Banks the executive of the tech company, he was offered a handsome sum of Pounds fifty million sterling! Staggering amount for a man used to making a thousand pounds stretch through the month. Timothy further advised him that they were willing to negotiate if the amount was not enough. Not enough! It was a bloody fortune. Still not sure if this was for real, Mark kept his own counsel although all around noted that his vibrant personality was aglow with something akin to a balloon ready to pop. So exuberant was he that all he passed on the dull days of January had their spirits lifted and smiles replaced frowns and joy reflected on sorrowful faces just on his passing by with a cheery hi.

Seventeen days later, with details of his new account, flight and travel arrangements to a quaint resort on the seashores of Kenya and a copy of his resignation letter all safely tucked in his pocket besides the small diamond set he just spotted at the jewellers next to the bank, Mark walked with a bounce in his step homeward bound to hide his stash and plan his surprise as Emily would be gone having started working for a local realtors late last year. He could ask her to resign as well and after their holiday away they could plan the future they both had dreamed off that could now be a reality.

Oblivious to Emily's bike at the gate, Mark walked slowly into their front room, the door and locks recently oiled making no sound as he opened and closed the front door. Imagine his horror on spotting his dotting wife atop his brother screaming in ecstasy.

What cut him to the core was what he heard next, Emily telling Simon how much better he was then his adopted brother.