Chapter 1

Checking the clock on the wall, it was eight-thirty in the morning. “I have to eat quickly. The solicitor’s appointment is at nine,” I said to myself while consuming my breakfast. Halfway through my meal, I noticed someone approaching my table. It was one of the waiters.

“Mr Ward the car to take you to the solicitors is here.”

“Thank you,” I replied to the young man.

Putting my napkin on the side of the plate, I got up, making my way to the hotel’s main entrance. With my army Windproof Smock jacket buttoned up, I was getting ready to put the hood over my head, to cover me from the rain. Out of nowhere, a dark-skinned man appeared next to me. He was over six feet tall, built like a rugby player. Holding an open umbrella over my head, he said, “If you can follow me, Mr Ward.” Taking me to a black Mercedes limo parked a few yards away. Opening the door, he gestured me to get inside the car. Closing the door behind me, I watched him as he walked around the front of the car, to the driver’s side.

As the car started to move, I gazed out of the car window. Watching the raindrops splashing on the glass, leaving a streak of rain. Bringing back memories of the last time I was in a limo, a dark time in my life.

Let me tell you a bit about myself. I am just under six feet tall, brown eyes and curly black hair. I was an average student in school. I had the chance to go to university, but with the circumstances that fate brought my plans had changed overnight.

Since I can remember, it was just my mother and me. Living in a council estate on the borders of Birmingham. It wasn’t the best of neighbourhoods, but then again beggars can’t be choosers. Mum had two jobs, working over twelve hours a day. She would leave the house at seven in the morning, returning after eight in the evening. So, we could have whatever we needed in life. She wanted me to have what all the other kids had.

I was eighteen years old, just finished secondary school with five A’ Levels. I was to start at Birmingham City University in September. My mum was so proud of me. She told everyone she knew that her son was going to university. I had just passed my driving test, first time, I was over the moon. Mum had some money she had saved up. She wanted to buy me a second-hand car. I responded to her desire, “The car can wait, mum, I know you want to buy it for me as a gift. Put the money aside for a rainy day.”

Everything was going so well until that rainy day came. It was a Friday evening in August. I had just finished my part-time job in Tesco. Mum was going to be late coming home, as she had an appointment to see her GP at our local clinic. Rushing home, I started to prepare dinner for us. Standing over the stove, I heard the front door close. “I’m in the kitchen mum cooking dinner!” Dropping the Spinach and Ricotta Tortellini in boiling water for it to cook. Turning towards the door, mum was just standing there next to the kitchen table. Holding onto the chair, just glaring at me. The look she had on her face, I knew there was something wrong.

“Is everything ok mum?”

“The tests I had two weeks ago, the results came back. They were not too good. They show I have lung cancer.” stating this, mum pulled the chair from under the table, dropping on it. With her elbows on the table, she put her hands over her face as she started to cry. Rushing to her side, I leant over, embracing her with both my arms. Stroking the back of her head, trying to comfort her. Forcing myself not to cry, as I wanted to be strong for her.

We didn’t eat anything that evening, we both lost our appetite. Sitting on the sofa, both of us just staring into space in silence for almost an hour. I eventually broke the silence.

“I told you so many times mum, about the smoking!”

“I know Jason,” looking away as she started to cry again.

With everything on hold in our life. My mission was to get my mother well. I would go with her to every chemotherapy, be by her side after her treatment. When she got too weak, she had to stop work. I worked more hours at Tesco. Management was showing some sympathy. They would be very flexible with my timetable so I could take mum to her appointments and letting me work more hours on the night shift for the extra money. After six months of treatments, the doctors told us the cancer was not going away. It was a matter of time, six months to a year they gave her.

She fought the disease for over two years, passing away on a cold night in December at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Lying on her deathbed, she stroked my cheek with the back of her hand. She whispered in my ear, “I am so proud of you Jason, my beautiful boy.” Those were the last words I heard from her, as she drifted away from my life.

Not many people attended the funeral, maybe two dozen. It was only friends; there was no family. My mother was an only child, no brothers or sisters. My grandparents passed away when I was young. I had no memories of them. When my father left us, I was only a year old. I didn’t even know where he was living. Mum would never speak of him. When I asked about my father, she would respond with the same answer every time.

“He had his reasons to leave.”

That was the last time I was in a limo, at my mother’s funeral.

“We are here Mr Ward.”

The driver’s voice brought me back to present day. Looking up, he was standing there, holding the car door open. Getting out of the car, the first thing I notice, it had stopped raining.

“With the sky clearing up, maybe I will get a clearer view why I am here,” was my thought.

In front of me was a large frosted window with the name ‘Robert Clark Solicitors’ written across the glass in gold letters with black trimming on each letter. It was the same font style the letter had which I received a week ago. Opening the door for me, he gestured me to go inside.

“Have a good day Mr Ward.”

As I entered the office, to the left was an office desk. Sitting there was a lady in her fifties. “Good morning Mr Ward, I am so glad you could make it,” the secretary said. Smiling at me, she motioned me to take a seat on the sofa opposite. “Mr Clark will be with you as soon as possible.” Sitting there, I watched her fingers bouncing on the keyboard while she looked at her monitor. When she saw I was watching her, she smiled at me again. “Could I get you some tea or coffee Mr...”