Chapter Two: The Other Will
"Are you going to speak to him again?" Audrey asked Stephen back home later that night.
"Probably not. I know he says he isn't dying but I don't think I believe that. He's acting like a man running out of time. I already dealt with one father's death in my life, can't deal with another one at the minute" Stephen replied.
Taking a sip out of his tea and realizing the double meaning as soon as he said it. Audrey of course just thinking he was talking about his adoptive father. Though a thought did come across his face as he placed the cup back on the table. If he was dying, was he perhaps putting his final affairs in order? Though as soon as he thought about it, he pushed it out of his mind; he didn't want to be this person with these nasty thoughts.
"Malcolm wouldn't have minded if you wanted to talk to him. Neither will I, not really. I made the same mistake with Ted...I felt guilty when I saw how he and Gail got along" Audrey admitted with a sigh.
"My actual father was a good man"
"Yes he was. You know I didn't tell Geoff about you...So he may have been a good father as well but he never got the chance" Audrey paused before saying..."So you may as well hear him out. Don't punish him because of me"
"We're past that, mom"
"Past it? We've never been through it...You were one of the few adoptees who never held a grudge"
"If he calls, I'll hear him out but I'm not chasing him"
...
A few miles down the road meanwhile was Geoff Chambers. Rattling about in a nearby flat by himself. He kept looking at Stephen's number and was wondering if it was too soon to call. He just wants him to know that he had no idea he existed until he went to Canada. Geoff must have spent hundreds paying for records with women and men of a certain age with the surname Potter. He had no leads beyond that and now he's found him at last. He took another look at the number and the house telephone. Finally picking it up as he dialled it, maybe he could call under the pretence of making sure the number was really his.
"Speak of the devil" Stephen muttered as his phone went off moments after saying he'll hear him out.
"Answer it then" Audrey told him.
"Stephen?" Geoff asked as soon as his phone call was answered.
"Yes?"
"Oh good. Is it the right one...Look. I'll cut it short. Very short. Can you meet me next week at some point? I want to explain and not on the phone"
"I understand it was a necessity and not a want. I explained this all to mom years ago"
"Yes, yes but that's not everything I want to explain. I don't have any other children as I mentioned. And I'm lonely, do you want to see me? I live in the flats on Talbot Road. Only for a cuppa or a pint. Whichever you prefer"
"Which number?"
"Fifteen"
"Alright. I'll come round but you have to explain this thing of yours. I can make it on Sunday night. Though I'll have to borrow mom's car, mine's at the garage" Stephen responded.
Audrey briefly looked up on hearing that lie. His car in the garage? Maybe he was ashamed to admit he was struggling she thought, he was a proud man. Didn't want people thinking he's fallen from grace. They agreed to this date and he put the phone down.
"You didn't have to lie to him" Audrey reminded him as she watched him write down the address.
"Yeah well I don't want him thinking his only son is a loser"
"You're not a loser. You just fallen on hard times"
"That's debatable, mom. My ex-wife has control of my remaining business account and I can't get a dime. That sounds pretty bad to me"
"Well that will change soon. You'll be running that factory in no time" Audrey insisted.
Stephen just giving a smile to himself. He wishes. He almost got it back in the day until Mike Baldwin changed his mind.
...
A couple of days had passed and it was Sunday. Stephen drove his mother's car to the flat. Not the best looking area in Manchester and so he drove to the nearest carpark and parked there rather than risk the car outside the rundown looking flat. It took around six minutes to walk back towards the flat. A couple of hooded teenage lads sitting on the small brick wall. Watching as Stephen pressed the button and waiting for the response on the intercom. He quickly said his name when his father's voice was heard on the other side and was let in. One of the teenagers quickly got up as he stepped in the way and got inside.
"Come on. It's open...Let's get back in"
Stephen trying to keep his head down as he walked into the small passageway. Watching as the teenagers made their way up the stairwell to wherever it was they were going. All the older man could think was that his father wasn't well-off, he lived in a council flat in a rundown part of Manchester. He was happy that he didn't leave Audrey's car outside. He walked towards the lift and found it out of service so he too had the take the stairwell. Five floors and his father was on the third, better than the fifth at least. He could hear the teenagers knocking on a door and telling the person to let them in but they weren't budging. He paused to look at this situation.
"What are you staring at?" one of them asked him with a hiss.
Making him quickly look away again and climb the stairs further. He reached number five on the third floor. Giving it a knock and the old man, his father, opened it with a smile as he invited him in. His flat wasn't that decorated and he didn't have any portraits on the walls. Just seemed to have the basics like a couch, a television, a phone and a DVD player. Geoff invited Stephen to sit on the couch and asked what he wanted to drink.
"Anything. I don't mind" Stephen insisted as he settled himself on the couch.
"Right. It's odd you being my son. We barely look much older than one another" Geoff joked.
"That's teenage parents for you"
"Yep. So do you have any kids?" Geoff asked as he switched on the kettle.
This question made Stephen pause as he was almost looking the best answer. He took one last look at the flat. There was nothing here, was there? He doubts Geoff has a penny to his name. He seems to live by weekly payments or monthly payments, did he have anything to gain by lying this time?
"No. No I never had time" Stephen told him after a few moments.
"Oh. Right...So what did you have time for?"
"Work. I own a factory. I owned quite a few in my time but I wanted to settle by mom. So I brought the nearest factory I could find" Stephen lied.
Geoff returned moments after hearing this with two cups of tea. Passing one to Stephen with a smile. He was happy to have company, he would usually have to rely on punters at the local pub. He looked at Stephen and could see himself so clearly in him. Everything but the accent.
"I never had any kids after you. I had a few girlfriends but nothing important. Never married or 'owt. In a way, my life was spent up with work too. I use to work on the docks" Geoff began to explain.
"The docks?"
"Yeah. I still can't get over your accent you know"
"What work did you do on the docks?" Stephen asked with an ulterior motive.
"Just unloading cargo and the like. Any ships that came in, me and the boys would sort it out. Why? Did they not have them in Canada or something?"
"No. Our ships are just dropped off by plane" Stephen answered with sarcasm.
Geoff giving a laugh in return before taking another sip of his tea. He was thinking how to get away from the small talk. He did have important stuff to tell him after all and it had nothing to do with docks.
"Well anyway. The thing I wanted to tell you was about my money. Now I know you as a factory owner probably thinks I don't have much but I have more than you think. It's been sitting in my bank for a while...Too long actually. I had nothing to do with it which is why I searched high and low for you. I have over twenty grand in my bank" Geoff insisted.
"Twenty grand?"
"Twenty grand. I know it's not a big a sum nowadays but it's still enough for you, isn't it?"
"Well yes. It's enough" Stephen responded quickly. Thinking he could pay Elaine off with that.
"Alright. I'll make a will for you. I'd rather it go to you than so-called public funding" Geoff replied firmly.
...
TBC