Chapter 1

Life at times, can really throw a curve ball at you, but all that matters is will you be able to out maneuver it or just lie down and wait for it. My life has been a struggle from day one up to a few years ago. I am now the chairman of Besant Inc, a multi-billion company with roots in every part of the world economy and in more than ten countries and still expanding.

As I was sitting at my desk, just staring out the window of my office on the thirtieth floor of the company building, my most reliable secretary informed me, "Richard your 10 o'clock appointment is here". She is the only one who doesn't see the need to add sir or Mr. before my name. I composed myself and told her to usher in Nick the biographer.

I was watching a movie with my wife the other day. The movie did not have a great appeal to me but it was this year's best movie according to the critics and on its premier night, it had just fallen on the day my wife and I usually have our date night and show. It seemed that we had to attend its premier as one of my company's was involved with its production. My wife knew I was not into the movie, and she joked that I should make my life struggles into a movie, so that maybe it would intrigue me enough to watch it. After hearing her say that, it gave me the idea that I should write my biography before my time runs out.

"Mr. Richard, it's nice of you to offer me this opportunity," my biographer said. "I know you have a busy schedule, but I do not plan to take up too much of your busy morning. However, if possible, I wanted to lay out the foundation of your biography before the end of this year." I do have a busy schedule and most of my time I'm attending meetings in one country to the next and it turned out that this is the only time I was available to deal with personal matters.

"I have found a bit of your life history from friends, your former teachers and some of your colleagues", he informed me, "But the personal details, I have to get from you. So where do we start?" I pondered the question for a while, because I felt that there was no reason to go back and rehash it even though, I felt determined to write this biography from the beginning from my point of view.

"Okay, we can start with what my mother told me about her life, because it is closely entwined with my entire life as it is", I told him. For some reason, I felt sadness engulfing the entire office when I think about the life my mother lived from the time she found that she was pregnant to her last breath. My heart was breaking into small pieces.

My mother Beth Clarke told me that when I was born, she just whispered that she hoped that my life would be better than hers was, so that I could fulfill all the ambitions and dreams that I would ever have. She did raise me all alone after a life altering scandal that did haunt and hurt her until she died. She was a strong, multitasking lady who taught me, with all her might and will that when one door closes another one might open.

My life challenges started way back before I was even born. Due to no fault of her own, my mother was born in the late sixties to a strict Christian family. My grandfather was a church elder and my grandmother was a choir lady from when she was a teen. Therefore, you can imagine when they said that an action was evil that there were no more questions, she just accepted it and moved on.

While I was growing up, some of the stories my mother told me were funny, sad, and mostly tragic, as the only thing she ever did for fun was to visit Christian camps, Christian outings, and attend more church activities than you can ever count. By the time she entered teenage years, she had never kissed a boy or gone out on a date, because that was a no-no in her grandparent's eyes. They did not allow dates until she went to college or was over sixteen years of age.

I remember the time when we were talking about how she fell in love for the first time; this was at the time when I got my heartbroken, because I did not have extra money to buy the girl of my dreams any of the pretty things I wanted for her. My mother told me that the guy she loved was new to the area where they lived and, he fell in love with my mother after the first time he ever saw her.

He could not imagine a beauty like her being all alone and without a boyfriend. The only mistake he made was not asking around about the family history, for if he had done so, he would have gotten the real picture why. In the neighborhood, everyone knew that the Clarke sisters were off-limits if you wanted to live a comfortable life without having some missing limbs or limping legs. Richard was his name, and when I was born, my parents named me after him, because he did the unthinkable by asking my mother to go on a date with him.

Well, as you can imagine, this was the first time a guy come and asked my mother on a date and the only thing she could do was answer him that she will think about it. Beth's mind was in turmoil because if she said yes there would be severe repercussion from her parents and if she said no the cute neighbor would never speak to her again.

"Sis, a guy asked me out on a date," Beth told her sister Cate and for some reason that she could not have foreseen, the outcome of that question caused her sister to become dumbstruck for a long time.

"Dad is gonna beat the hell out of you if he ever finds out about it even if you do not go out with him." Cate answered. "You know that he forbid us to even talk to boys at church let alone going on a date".

"But he is cute and I want to go before someone else gets him" Beth told her, " And you know if he finds out how dad is he may run away, and I won't ever have a chance to go out with him" Beth sulked.

"You know it's kinda cute when you pout like that", Cate answered while pinching her sister's checks. "Please do not let Sandra hear you talk about this, since you know she will just go and tell mum". Cate and Beth were closer than any other members of the family were, and they told each other about their secrets and dreams.

Of all the Clarke children, everyone saw Sandra and Michael as the good children who follow all their parents' instructions and Beth and Cate were the black sheep of the family as it seemed that all the punishment administered in the house did fall on to Beth and Cate.

As normally happens, when there is an action, there is a reaction that has to occur. When Beth sneaked out to go on a date and because luck was not on her side, later, her parents found out. They grounded her for a month and they sent her to Christian summer camp for girls for the entire summer.

"This is not fair, why should I go to this stupid camp..." Beth did not have the chance to finish the end of her sentence, as her father slapped the living daylight out of her and she fell on the ground.

"I will not have my daughter use that kind of language in my house ever, and to let you know that I mean that, after the camp finishes, two weeks before the normal starting time I am sending you straight to college. I set up an appointment with the school counselor to see you," her father told a sobbing Beth.

Beth rose up, glared at her sister Sandra, because she was the one who told her parents about the date, looked at her father, and nodded. She knew that until she got out of the house, that her parents would control all her actions. To say this was the last time the entire family was in the house at the same time is something that no one could foresee, because when Beth left her parents home to go to the summer camp, it was the last time anyone ever saw Beth in the house.

The summer camp for girls was more of a boot camp where they taught them home care, babysitting etiquette and female hygiene. Parents sent their girls to this camp to learn how to become a lady. Many girls, who their family sent there, went willingly while others, like Beth, went under force. After six weeks of nothing but torture, Beth left the camp with her mother who took her to South State University.

University life was a revelation for Beth, as for the first time, she experienced the joyous life outside the family restriction and she took to it and explored all the benefits that she could derive. On the first week at the university, Beth tasted her first beer, which got her drunk and the next morning when she woke up with the worst headache of her life, she vowed never to drink again.

"Hi Cate," as Beth called her sister after a week on campus. "How is the concentration camp?" Cate was happy to hear her sister's voice after the three months since she left for camp. "Life is the same but a bit harsher than before", Cate answered. "Miss you sis and I hope when I finish high school I can also go to college"

"Hang in there sis, your time will come", Beth consoled her sister. "Hope you will come to SSU. Life is great here. We party most of the weekend." Beth bragged, "but please don't tell mum or dad".

"I promise I won't. Maybe I will come to visit if they allow me to. Richard did ask about you and when he heard that your parents shipped you off to summer camp, he was hurt but did understand and sympathizes with you." Cate informed her sister.