Page 23 of River
“I was offered the rights to drill in a prime spot, but we were already at capacity, so I let the offer go. My competitor made billions on that oil rig.”
“That’s your biggest regret? Not making more billions than you already did?” My foot was tapping, and I looked down to hide my contempt for him.
“You want me to say that I regret not being a better father to you, is that it?” he croaked in a tired, raspy voice.
Lifting my head, I kept my jaw tight and didn’t care that he would see the emotional storm in my eyes.
“Don’t give me that scowl. I made sure you went to the best private school in Oslo and that your mother never lacked for money to buy you food and clothes. Soon, I’ll be dead, and you’ll have more money than any of your friends. That’s a whole lot more than I ever got from my father.”
I swallowed my emotions. There was no need to start a fight with him now. “Tell me about him. My grandfather.”
My father turned his head to look out the window again. “His name was Francesco, but he changed it to Frank after he moved to Norway.” There was such resentment in the way he spoke the name. “He was a bitter man who treated my mom like a servant and constantly bossed us around. We lived in a small apartment without a bathroom. I hated everything about it, which is why I left when I was fourteen and never looked back.”
“Did you have any siblings?”
“Two. One died as an infant, and the other was retarded after lacking oxygen during birth. At least I was smart enough to make my way up to become the one bossing other people around.”
“How come you never married?”
My father’s movements were slow, and his hands shook when he reached for a glass on the side that reminded me of a sippy cup for babies.
I waited while he drank and then I repeated my question. “Why is it that you didn’t marry?”
His eyes sat deep in his skull and with his bushy eyebrows and typical Mediterranean nose, he suddenly reminded me of the two old men from theMuppet Show.
“Why would I? Women are bothersome and demanding. Your mother included. She tricked me into getting you when she knew damn well that I never wanted children.”
“Are you saying that you regret having me?”
“Why are you asking me these questions? I’m leaving you a fortune.”
I leaned back and crossed my arms. “Money isn’t everything.”
“Yes! Moneyiseverything!” my father insisted, but right there in his old eyes, I saw the lie he was telling himself. His hand on the cover was trembling, and his lips were twitching enough that I could see that underlying emotions were haunting him. This man had given up everything to create a fortune, and now that he was dying as a lonely old man, his only heir told him his legacy was pointless.
He didn’t deserve any kindness from me, but I still leaned forward and took his hand. “Do you have any last wishes?”
“No. You’re not a businessman like me, so I’ve negotiated a take-over of my business for you. You’ll receive the money. I suggest you invest it and let it grow so that you can leave an even bigger fortune for your children.”
“I will.”
“You’ll never have to worry about money, Noah.”
I nodded and squeezed his hand a little.
“Mom sends her love.”
My father sighed. “I trust that she’s happy with her new man.”
With a small smile, I said, “They’re in France celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, so I wouldn’t call him her new man.”
“Hmm… she was a silly goose, your mother. So young and naïve.”
“Why were you with her, then?”
With a tiny lift of my father’s shoulder, he breathed. “I was younger then and she was beautiful. She worked in my company for a while, did you know that?”
“Yes, of course. You were her much older boss and you two had an affair that resulted in me. I’ve heard the story many times.”
