The Road to Redemption

by Stephen Morris

  “What if I could make that happen,” John threw in.

  “Yeah, and pigs will fly.”

  “No,” said John. He was in full persuasive mode now.

  “ I can make it happen with just one small change.”

  “Oh yeah,” said the old man, who was now very suspicious, “ and what would that be?”

  John needed distract him away from his negative thinking.

  “Come outside, I want to show you something.”

  The old man got up and reluctantly followed John, out on to the street.

  “OK,” said John,” you see that block of land down there on the corner, its flat just like where you are now.” The old man looked towards it suspiciously.

  “What if I was to say we could move your whole shop, “hollis bolis” down onto that block, leaving everything just as you have it now. We could give you the land down there for free, and give you a very good price for your land here. It would just mean moving a hundred yards or so down the street.”

  “You young blokes and your fancy ideas. I don’t know what it is all coming to,” the old man replied, going back into his shop.

  “OK,” said John following him in. At least have a think about it. You could have your same shop exactly as it is now, it would just be a bit further down the street. You would have the money to help your daughter with her mortgage and still have your business and land to eventually leave to her in your will.”

  It was all a bit much for the old boy, but John could see he was at least thinking it over. John changed the subject and talked on with him for a while. Just as he was leaving the old boy inquired?

  “So everything would be just as it is now, all my old knives and all?”

  “Exactly as it is now, that old cutting machine over there, just as it is now.”

  John could see he had his interest, the seed had been planted. It was in fact a very good deal for the old boy. However it was vital for consolidation of the site, that they move him. Sacrificing a small block on the edge of the site would be a reasonable price to pay, to make the whole thing viable to a developer.

  John had been visiting the old boy every week recently. He wanted to know everything. It was a big change for him after 50 years in the one spot and John felt he was going to need a push. He was too old for any changes. Through careful questioning John had found out the daughter’s married name and where she lived. It was in a modest house in an outer suburb.

  John’s BMW looked out of place as he pulled up outside after an hours drive. He found she was far easier to convince than her father. The lure for her was, she could get her mortgage paid off and still eventually get her inheritance. She even volunteered that her father was slipping a bit and it may be time for him to go to a retirement home soon.

  John now had her working on the old boy for him.

  “Well all right,” said Graham, when John had outlined all this to him,

  “We can live with the loss of 500 sq metres on the corner of the land. How long is it going to take to get the old bastard to move?”

  “Well I think within the next month or so,” volunteered John.

  “Can’t you do it any faster than that, we really need to get moving.”

  “No,” said John, “apart from having him knocked off it will take another month.”

  “Don’t laugh,” said Graham, “that may not be such a bad idea.”

  John was in fact making it all seem a bit harder than it really was. He had been talking to the daughter again and she had been really working on her father. The old boy was just about ready to fall over. It was likely he would be able to make the sale within two weeks, but no harm in giving yourself a bit of breathing space, he thought.

  He also thought it was time to get Graham off his back,

  “How are you going with the re-zoning?”

  That at least was something Graham had been working on. Currently the site was zoned only for low-rise buildings. Getting approval for a developer to construct high-rise was crucial to sell the site for a high price. The local Council had refused to budge so Graham had taken it to the Land and Environment Court. He had also used his father-in law, to talk with a few of his high-level government contacts, now it was out of the hands of the local authorities.

  “It’s coming along but you know how slow the legal process is,” Graham said with a sigh.

  “Look,” said John, “we are now very close. Just tell your investors to back off for one more month.”

  It was true; they were finally, very close. Graham sat back sipped his wine.

  “Any nibbles from those developers you have been talking to?”

  “Well not directly. As you know, I can’t give them too much information. We don’t want one of them going in and buying one of the two remaining blocks, then holding us to ransom. But I know two big one’s are anxious to get their hands on a good site, like ours, close to the city. So there will be no trouble once we have the consolidation completed.

  Graham’s questions had been satisfied and he was starting to relax now,

  “So who is this mysterious beautiful woman?” He was at it again.

  “None of your business. How’s Francis?” That was the name of Graham’s mistress and he did not like talking about her. Especially in a public restaurant.

  “OK, OK, don’t get your knickers in a twist.” Graham was ready to back off now. Even though there were no other diners near their table, you can never be too careful when you have a mistress and a wealthy wife.

  He went on to talk about a model whom he really fancied, that someone had brought along to his last function.

  “Who did she come with?” he asked. When John told him, he asked rhetorically,

  “How did that loser get onto a chick like her?”

  “Find out who she is and ask her along on Friday. Get her to hang around for the after party for me, will you?”

  God, thought John, he wants me to procure for him now. He also didn’t like Graham talking like that. Did Graham think he was a loser too?

  Like John, Graham was never satisfied. But unlike John he really did have it all. At least in John’s eyes anyway. He had a wife and a grand home to live in. It was a Victorian stone mansion, with a court, pool and sweeping grounds all the way down to the water. John had only been there once. Graham liked to keep his home life, separate from his other life, so there could be no slip-ups in front of his wife. He also of course had the penthouse in the city, to entertain in, with his mistress. Yes, he had it all worked out. He was where John would like to be. However Graham had a push start, with a rich father to help him out all the way along. Unlike John who had to fight hard for everything he had.

  Chapter 12 The After Party

  Friday night and John told Audry he was going to dinner with a client. Well, it was at least partly true. He was going to Graham’s penthouse and Graham was a client, was he not?

  He had found out who the girl was. She was a model and had recently done some bikini shots for a men's magazine. John had rung up “the loser” and managed to find out her name was Gail and had even got her mobile number. John said he wanted to use her for a brochure he was producing and the loser swallowed it. It was no trouble then to ring her. She was very happy to be invited again. John told her not to mention it to “the loser”.

  Around 11pm the “function” was in full swing when Gail arrived. She had brought one of her model mates with her. They had been doing a shoot together that day. John met them at the door. They were both tall with long blonde hair tailing off into ringlets and showing very ample cleavage. They made quite a striking pair. John suspected that wasn’t the natural hair colour for either of them and some of their other parts may not be all that natural as well.

  Both had been drinking before they arrived and were quite giggly. Gail was first to speak,

  “So you’re John. I was wondering who you were when you rang me. But now I remember you from last time,” giving John a big hug and a provocative kiss.


  “This is my friend Cindy.” Cindy also gave him a greeting kiss.

  Both were slightly unsteady on their feet.

  Graham’s mistress Francis spotted them. She could hardly miss them. She came across to size up the competition,

  “I remember you from last time, Gail isn’t it?”

  “That’s right. This is Cindy.” The greetings were far cooler than for John. He had three, on the make man-eaters in front of him, all dressed to the nines and each showing more than a decent amount of cleavage.

  “Well, you had better come in,” said Francis grudgingly. “John will show you where to get a drink.” Francis was taking charge. She then abruptly walked away, leaving them with John.

  As he was showing them around, Graham pulled him aside,

  “You can tell Gail, her mate can also stay for the after party.” John just looked at him. Both Graham and Francis were treating him as if he was an employee and he didn’t like it one bit.

  John took the two girls over to the bar and they both ordered Red Bull and Vodka’s from the bartender. As they were doing this Francis pulled John aside and asked,

  “Who invited those two blonde tarts tonight?” John looked at her. He really couldn’t see much difference between them and her. In fact the only real difference was perhaps Francis boobs, which were real. John could vouch for that, from previous experience.

  “I did,” he confessed, “but I didn’t know she was going to bring a friend with her.”

  “Next time you check with me first.” She was really taking over now. Suddenly realizing her jealousy had got the better of her and she had gone too far, she added,

  “Well, I suppose its OK. At least they will give the boys something to look at.”

  Of course, what she didn’t know was the main boy looking at them was her own Graham.

  The night wore on and after a few more Red Bull’s and vodka; the two blondes had attracted a small group of male followers. They were really giving it to the men.

  Graham had decided that it was getting near time to start the after party. He instructed the bar staff to stop serving drinks and pulled John aside again,

  “Tell Gail and her mate to stay for the after party and get rid of those guy’s hanging around them.” He was full of instructions. “And get Francis off my back will you? She won’t give me a minute alone with the two of them.”

  John was feeling more and more like a servant, caught in the crossfire between Graham and his mistress. However he knew to obey. He walked over to the group,

  “Would you mind finishing up fellows, the bar is closing now.”

  “Gail and Cindy, could I have a word with over here,” he said, leading them away from their admirers.

  Gail was quite pissed by now and grabbed on to John to steady herself.

  “Graham would like you two to hang around. There is going to be an after party.”

  “Oh goody,” slurred Gail.

  He then went over to the bar tender who was watching the interactions.

  “Just give them half vodka’s,” nodding in the direction of the two girls. Then to find Francis. She was seeing some people off at the door.

  “Hi beautiful,” said John putting his arm around her waist, as he moved along side of her.

  While he was doing this, Graham had moved in on the two models and was chatting them up. Francis saw this and decided to play along with John.

  “Come, I want to show you something.”

  She led him into the bedroom, grabbed him and started to kiss him. In the past John would have been totally involved, but not tonight. He kissed her back but there was no real feeling in it. Just a mistress who was losing control of her man and seeking comfort elsewhere. For the first time it occurred to John that Francis was losing her power over Graham and he actually felt a bit sad for her. Mistresses are much easier to get rid of, than wives.

  He gave Francis a hug, but it was more a friendly hug than a sexual one. There was no real passion there. Not like there had been with Alice.

  “You OK?” he inquired.

  “Sure,” said Francis. But John could tell she was bluffing.

  He looked at Francis with the harsh light from the living room, shining into the bedroom. The lines of age were starting to clearly show on her face, with the light shining on her sideways. She was on the way out and Graham was chasing new younger versions.

  They came out of the bedroom to find everyone had left, except the bartender, Graham and the two girls. The bartender was washing up the glasses, while Graham and the two girls, were already semi naked and getting into the spa on the balcony.

  Francis took one look and saw red. She grabbed a half finished glass of beer from the bar, marched over and poured it over Graham’s head, then stormed off into the bedroom and slammed the door.

  Graham didn’t seem all that perturbed. Gail was giggling in the spa beside him. She had won the battle of the tarts.

  “Don’t worry about that John, she will get over it. Come and join us in the spa. Bring a couple of drinks over will you?”

  But John had, had enough. He was not interested in two tarts with hair extensions and false boobs, plus he was sick of being treated like a servant all night. Also he was feeling a sorry for Francis and Graham’s callous attitude towards her.

  “No I have to go,” said John. “But I’ll get you a couple of drinks.”

  Graham was busy with the two girls and didn’t seem to mind if John stayed or went.

  John went over to the bar.

  “Give us two red bull’s and vodka for the girls, will you Harry?”

  Harry had been the regular bartender at these functions for years. He knew about all the goings on.

  “On second thought, make that doubles will you? Give Graham, whatever he is drinking. Make that a double too.”

  Harry looked at John puzzled.

  “I’m going home Harry, that should finish them off. They will all be too pissed to do anything much.”

  Harry just smiled.

  Going down in the lift John thought about Graham’s situation. Sure he had it all but there were rules, even with mistresses. Graham was being very hard on Francis. Her options for the future were closing, as she aged. Graham was already moving on to the next younger conquest, or in this case two younger conquests.

  It occurred to John that in the past he would not have been too worried about this. He would probably have been in the spa with them by now. But since his affair with Alice something had changed. At his point he didn’t know just what, but something had definitely changed.

  Chapter 13 A Drink with Bill

  John had been thinking about it. Yes, his business associate, Graham had it all, but was he really happy? All the time he had to be on his guard, so his wife would not find out about his other life. John didn’t have to be too careful. Audry never went to the city, she was busy looking after the kids and going to tennis. Anyway, he only went to Graham’s functions occasionally. It wasn’t like he was supporting a penthouse and mistress full time, paying all the bills etc. Also, Graham’s mistress and the other women who attended the functions, all had a hard edge to them. They all seemed to be on the make. There were no deep feelings involved. It was all, get what you can.

  His affair with Alice had been something totally different. There was something new here. Something he had never known existed. All he knew at this point, was that deep emotions were involved. Yes, there was much to ponder.

  It was Saturday morning. Four weeks had passed since the night of the dinner party. John was poking around in the garden aimlessly with no particular objective. It was looking more unkempt than it used to. His head was numb from a few too many scotches the night before, when he heard a mower going across the street and looked up to see Bill, cutting the nature strip outside his and Alice’s home. Bill saw him, stopped the mower and beckoned him over.

  “Uh oh” thought John what could this mean? What does Bill want? The thoughts were racing through his mind. Pe
rhaps he would see Alice. Perhaps Bill knows about their affair. Yes, that’s it, he must know about the affair, because she said they had an open marriage and told each other everything. Yes that’s it

  He nervously started across the road. Bill's greeting was surprisingly warm if a trifle subdued.

  “Come in and have a beer mate,” he went on, “I haven’t seen you since the dinner party.”

  They sat down at the breakfast table and Bill handed him a beer.

  John hadn’t noticed before, how much of a yobbo Bill was. Perhaps that's what they had always shared in common, their working class upbringing. But Bill was still ending everything with the word “mate”. John had stopped doing this years ago, ever since he started dating Audry and needed to relate in “higher circles”. In fact it would be hard to pick John’s working class origins from the way he dressed and spoke these days. However it was not hard to pick Bill’s origins. Whenever John was talking with Bill he reverted to putting the ‘mate’ word in again. It made Bill feel more comfortable.