Remembering His Father
His dad had meant everything to him, and he wanted to be a man that would make him proud. But losing his dad changed his life forever.
He was kept away from their home thanks to his brothers and didn't see a cent of the multi-million dollar fortune his father had left behind. The only thing he had left to remember his father by was a derelict car covered in dust. But that would soon change.
Heartbreaking News
Tommy was heartbroken when he got the news about his dad’s passing. The following weeks morphed into one painful blur, but it would only get worse.
His dad had been his best friend, biggest supporter, and mentor. He taught him everything he knew and had promised he’d never leave his side. But when that phone call came, Tommy knew his life would never be the same.
The Pain Of Death
As kids, we never imagine that our parents would no longer be with us one day. Even though we accept this possibility as we get older, most of us will admit that the entire premise is frightening.
For Tommy Hawthorne, losing his dad was more than losing a parent. But what came after would leave him in even more tears. How could his dad do this to him?
Superdad
Tommy and his three brothers grew up without a mom. His dad, a wealthy novelist living in England, had raised them all by himself, giving them everything they wanted in their lives.
Although his dad never verbally admitted it, he’d always held a soft spot in his heart for Tommy, the last born. This was because of a very endearing fact.
His Favorite
Tommy was his dad’s favorite because his mom had passed away while delivering him. Tommy’s dad always said he was the last gift his wife gave him before the next world called her.
As such, he peppered Tommy with love and affection, sometimes garnering whines from Tommy’s other siblings. So when the man died, Tommy couldn’t understand why he’d left him a scrap of a car while his brothers got heaps of money and their childhood home.
Extraordinary Child
Tommy was the only one to read his way to college among his siblings. His brothers had dropped out of high school, choosing a life of pomp and splendor instead.
Since their dad was rich, they never lacked anything they wanted. Each had sleek cars and a bevy of women streaming in and out of their apartments each week. But this would soon change.
The News
Tommy was a year from finalizing his master’s degree in creative writing when his dad passed away. The news came as a shock, and Tommy never recovered even weeks after laying his dad to rest.
His mind only snapped back to reality when the family lawyer gathered his brothers and him to read his dad’s will. He’d expected to get some cash to cover his last year of education and maybe the house, but his dad had left him close to nothing.
The Car
Tommy’s dad gave heaps of his fortune to his brothers, the house included. To Tommy, he left an old derelict car that had gathered dust in the garage.
The car, a Shelby Cobra, had been in the garage for decades, given that all of Tommy’s brothers found it there when they were old enough to notice it. Its paint was chipped, the frame covered in rust, and most of its interior missing. So why would Tommy’s dad leave him such a thing?
He’s Furious
Tommy couldn’t understand why his dad could do this to him. He’d always worked hard to make the old man proud, even following in his professional footsteps to become an author.
But maybe Tommy had misinterpreted his relationship with his dad. Still, he tried to make sense of everything. Perhaps one of his brothers knew something he didn’t.
Blood Brothers
After the meeting with the lawyer, Tommy followed his brothers home to talk. He hoped one of them would at least offer to cover his tuition while he tried to figure out the rest of his problems.
But walking into the house after his brothers, he noticed they seemed cold toward him. Of course, Tommy didn’t dwell on it much. But his brothers would show him the truth.
The New Favorites
Tommy tried to sit on his favorite seat in the living room, but his brothers told him to stand. They had expressed their distaste for him for the longest while.
Now that the house was in their name and they had 99% of their dad’s fortune, they kicked him out, calling a tow truck to help him move his junk out of their garage.
A Wet Dirt Party
If Tommy had been heartbroken when he learned of his dad’s passing, now he was furious. Standing outside his childhood home, he watched as a stream of young, attractive women and men walked up the drive away.
The dirt on his dad’s grave was not even dry, and his brothers were already throwing a party. Tommy rushed back in to scold them, immediately regretting the decision.
Get Out!
One of his brothers saw him from the top of the stairs, shouting at him to leave their house. The other brother, who was entertaining the guests, heard the commotion.
He came out with a hunting rifle, training it on Tommy before asking him to leave. “Dad’s no longer here to play favorites,” he said with a hiccup, wobbling about as he struggled to keep the rifle on Tommy. “Get out!”
They Laugh At It
Tommy backstepped out of the house. Everyone was laughing at him. Sad and alone, he walked to the garage to look at what his old man had left him.
The tow truck his brothers called found him at the garage door, unable to take the first step in. His anger had changed into loss again, as he couldn’t believe that his dad was truly gone. Stepping into the garage and seeing the car would make everything real. Tommy wasn’t ready for any of it.
Men Cry Too
He let his tears flow freely without crying or sobbing. If this were what his dad wanted him to have, he would take it with both arms open.
The tow truck came and took the derelict car away. The process was so impromptu that Tommy had to hire a garage while on the road. He needed to know what was so special about this old piece of junk.
Alone Again
The tow truck dumped the car onto Tommy’s hired garage. The driver helped him move it inside and left. Alone again, Tommy sat in the driver’s seat with his hands on the steering wheel.
His eyes blurred with tears again as loss clouded his mind and heart. He couldn’t believe his brothers had kicked him out of their house twice. He mourned for his dad, praying the pain would relent sometime soon. It was then that something in the glove box caught his eye.
An Envelope
The sheet was a whitish piece of paper. It had dog collared ends and seemed old: an envelope. Curious, Tommy opened the glove box and fished it out.
The day had been difficult for him, and any distraction that would make him forget his pain was welcome. He ripped the letter open, wiping his tears before reading.
An Old Letter
The letter was a few years old, judging from its date. It was also written in his dad’s hand. It detailed how much Tommy’s dad loved him and his brothers.
But it also relayed the old man’s fears over Tommy’s brothers’ futures because of their dangerous lifestyle. But there was more toward the end of the letter, words that would make Tommy hunch forward.
Call This Number
The letter’s last paragraph stated that Tommy’s dad had left him sixty thousand dollars sealed in the car’s trunk. He also left a few plans alongside the money and wanted Tommy to take on a project of his own.
“Fix this beauty up,” the letter read. “There is a private auction in London. Take it there when you are done, and call this number.”
What He Needs
Tommy scratched his head while reading. His dad wanted him to repair an almost unrepairable car and take it to London.
He took a deep breath, seeing it as doable since he was done with his school’s fieldwork. He also needed something to take his mind off what he was going through. Perhaps this project was what he needed.
Setting Up
Tommy went to school and ensured all his affairs were in order. He deferred from the rest of his classes to focus entirely on fixing the car and got to work.
The first thing he did was hire experts who knew their way around such a vintage model. He also paid the garage he was keeping the car in to host him for a few more months. He hoped he would honor his dad’s last wish.
Getting To Work
The weeks began flying by, with Tommy’s brothers coming to the motel room he lived in to mock him. But he never cursed them out, only welcomed them with a cup of coffee and returned to work.
He’d also divided the sixty thousand his dad left him between school fees, the car repairs, and the transport money he’d need to take the vehicle to London. But he had no clue how long it would take to finish everything.
Two Years Down The Line
Two years passed, with Tommy’s still fixing the car. His brothers had put their childhood home on the market and left the country to chase whatever adventure their hearts desired.
Of course, Tommy had tried to dissuade them from the endeavor, but they called security on him, forcing him to leave their premises. But now, he was putting the last finishes on the car.
A Showstopper
One look at the Shelby, and Tommy knew what his dad had been thinking. What was once an old derelict had transformed into a beauty that turned heads everywhere Tommy drove.
After spending an additional month ensuring the car was running great, and each part was working, Tommy began planning for the trip to London.
Going To London
Tommy cleared his motel room and found a transporter truck to get him and his car to London. His brothers had long stopped visiting, and they'd chase him away each time he went to their respective apartments.
They’d sent security after him once and even called the police occasionally. It was clear that they wanted nothing to do with him even though he was their blood and flesh.
The Least Beautiful Thing
Throughout the two years that Tommy had spent rebuilding the car, he’d learned to appreciate the little things in life. He wasn’t rich and had many problems that kept him up at night.
He learned the value of money, planning, and hard work and understood the need to see things through. By the end of it all, the car was the least of the most beautiful things the experience had given him. But now that he was finished, he didn’t know what to expect next.
The Price
According to the letter from Tommy’s dad, he was to take the car to a private auction in London after fixing it. He expected the car to sell for a few hundred thousand dollars.
He didn’t care about the money, only that he’d fulfilled his dad’s last wish. But as he drove into the private London auction, he realized something.
All Eyes On Me
All eyes were on Tommy as soon as his car roared up the driveway. Princes, business moguls, politicians, and celebrities stared at him. His life was about to change.
He found the man his dad wanted him to see, and soon his car was among the ones waiting to be auctioned. He looked at it with pride, hoping everything would end well.
The Bid
The bid for Tommy’s car began at a million dollars, an amount that left him speechless. By the end, it sold for over five million, double the amount his brothers got in their dad’s will.
Tommy couldn’t believe it. He’d always trusted in his dad’s judgment and felt guilty that he’d been mad before. He knew what he was going to do with the money.
A Lesson To Remember
Tommy arranged to buy his childhood home before he even returned. He got in contact with the realtor and bought the place, with everything inside.
He still had a lot of cash left, which he invested in businesses, his education, and his writing career. Standing in his old room, he wondered why his dad did what he did. Perhaps the old man wanted him to know the value of hard work and persistence. If that was the case, then this was a lesson Tommy would never forget. Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.