The Last to Know

Note to readers: This story starts out in a similar way to one written by Kezza67 a few years ago. I've already received his okay for my version, though he hasn't read it. There's not any sex in this story, so if you want wham, bam, thank you ma'am you might as well move on. This could have been categorized in several different categories. I chose non-erotic.

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed. Please keep in mind that it's FICTION!! Thank you for reading.

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Chapter 1

I was sitting at the bar of my favourite watering hole one Friday after a long, long work week. It had become my habit to stop in here after work on Friday before heading home since the beer was cold and the food always excellent. And, it wasn't that there was anything pressing awaiting me at home; by the way, that's by my choice.

My favourite server in the whole world, Gail, was standing at the bar chatting with me about nothing in particular when she mentioned that a young couple had come in that she hadn't seen before. Since the other server was occupied with another table Gail walked over to where the young couple stood, appearing unsure of where to sit. She greeted them and a brief discussion ensued that ended with Gail pointing directly at me.

The young couple came over. As they walked toward me I could see that they must be brother and sister, and maybe even twins. They looked vaguely familiar for some reason, but I knew I'd never seen them before. "We're sorry to intrude, sir, but is your name Ames?" the young woman asked.

"Yes, it is. Why?" I replied. I had no clue who these people were or what they could possibly want with me. I wasn't being unfriendly, but not totally welcoming either.

"Mr. John Charles Ames, you go by Jack or sometimes JC?" she continued her questioning.

"Yes. Now, since you seem to know who I am, would you tell me who I'm talking with?" I hadn't been called JC for ages.

"I, we, think you're our father. We're Jessica and James," she said, hesitantly and somewhat hopefully, as if their names explained everything. They didn't.

"I'm sorry. I don't know who you think I am, but I've never had any kids in my life. You must be mistaken," I answered her.

This was a fact. I'd been divorced for over 20 years, and I knew that my ex and I didn't have children. If she had kids, it wasn't by me, and I hadn't been in any relationships since that would have resulted in 2 kids the age of this couple.

"Please excuse me. I have to go," I said to the young couple, then to the server,"Gail, can you put this on my tab, please? I'll see you next Friday as usual." I got up and left the pub. The young couple didn't say anything, just watched me walk out.

I drove home to my cabin attached to a campground I owned part of. The cabin could be accessed, with permission, via the campground or by knowing where to turn off the access road. Well, it wasn't really a cabin, I just called it that. It was a 2 story log house with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living room, den and kitchen/dining room. It was far more room than I needed; it came with the campground and my partners didn't want to live in it. They owned a large, spacious house about a kilometer away. They needed the room because of their 5 kids.

The visit of the 2 young people stirred up long-buried memories, memories I had hoped were buried forever.

I am a computer security consultant, and also an instructor at a small community college near Halifax, Nova Scotia. I've been with the college about 15 years now, and also consult with small and medium sized businesses as a sideline. Though my partner and his wife and I are equal owners of the campground we have little to do with the day-to-day operation of it. We have a very capable manager who runs it for us. We might help out when it's really busy, but usually we just stay out of the way.

23 years ago, I was just a young guy out of university with a brand new degree in computer science. My ex-wife, Bev, had graduated with a nursing degree and we were married shortly after graduating. Our life was great. We were young and in love and had the world by the ass. A couple of years after getting married we bit the bullet and purchased a small house in the West End of Vancouver, British Columbia. It wasn't too far from St. Paul's Hospital where Bev was an OR nurse. The commute to my job took all of 10 minutes by bus in inclement weather, or about 30 minute walk.

My work was new and interesting since it was the early days of the internet. In depth and complicated security needs had yet to rear their ugly head at the time, and we were all busy developing new programs and services. It was an exciting time to work in the industry. Our company was expanding almost daily and I was quickly rising through the ranks by virtue of seniority if nothing else. However, I did know my job and found myself being asked more and more often to train new-hires on our programs and systems. Though I'd never had any formal training as a teacher or instructor, I found I enjoyed that part of it.

The only blot on our total happiness was the passing of our parents within months of each other. Mine were killed in a multi-car accident on an interior highway. I was devastated, naturally, since I had no other immediate family. Bev's mother had come down with an aggressive form of breast cancer, and mercifully died quite quickly without too much suffering. We always thought that her father died from a broken heart. He was devastated by the loss of his wife of 30 plus years, and was never the same after she passed. He left us about 6 months after she did. As I was, Bev was an only child. The only benefit out of the whole mess was we were able to be debt free except for a small mortgage remaining on the house. Truth be told, we'd rather have had the debt than lose our parents.

I had a bear of a week. My team called me in Sunday to troubleshoot a problem, and then all week I was working from early morning until around 10:00 at night. I hardly saw Bev during that time, at least awake; I was just too tired and she was usually in bed by the time I got home. In the morning I was gone before she was awake. I'd get home, eat something or other and go to bed, get up early and the whole thing would start again. So it was on that fateful Friday.

We'd been married about 3 years when that world and everything I valued came to an end. I came home from work late Friday evening, as I had all week, to find that Bev had moved out. Everything, and I mean everything, that could have been considered hers was gone, including our car. Well, actually it was hers; I was never on title and she owned it before we were married. To say I was frantic would be like saying the Sun is hot. It was obvious that she'd been planning this; I never saw any hint of it coming. The hospital would only tell me she had taken a leave of absence and they didn't know where she was. They wouldn't say when she'd be back. I searched all our favourite dining and watering holes, and called everyone we ever had any kind of relationship with. I waited the requisite 48 hours before filing a missing person report with the police. They didn't sound hopeful.

I reluctantly went back to work the following Monday. Even my PA, Patricia, or Pat, could see that I was just going through the motions. It was hell, not knowing where the love of my life was or why she had left. We had hardly ever had an argument in all the years we had known each other, and never a fight. It was a mystery that I wouldn't solve for many years. I determined, in my own mind, over the ensuing weeks that she had found someone else. I was heartbroken, but if it made Bev happy, then I'd try to forget her and move on.

My lawyer called me about 2 weeks later and told me he had some documents I had to sign. I had no idea what was coming when I walked into his office and was presented with divorce papers citing irreconcilable differences. On her lawyer's instructions, Bev's location could and would not be revealed. Defeated, I signed before leaving my lawyer's office. He'd explained the various options open to me; I didn't like any of them. I did, however, get him to include a note asking her lawyer to pass on asking why she had left me. I never heard back and a few months later I was single again.

After a couple of months living in a fog, I sold the house. After paying off the mortgage there was a good amount of money left. I put half of the proceeds in an account in Bev's name and informed my lawyer, who of course knew who Bev's lawyer was, that I had done so. She could access the money anytime she wanted. I still loved her though I was devastated by what she had done. I didn't know for certain that she had someone new in her life, but if she did, it was better that I was out of it.

After selling the house, I resigned from my job, with a vague plan of travelling for awhile before settling down. Was I running away? You're damned right I was, hopefully into a new life without memories. It was a tearful goodbye with my loyal PA, Pat. She and her husband were the only islands of sanity in my world. I told her, truthfully, that I didn't know where I was going. I made vague promises to let her know if I ever settled down. I piled everything I owned into my Ford F250, purchased with part of the proceeds from the sale of the house, and departed Vancouver forever. I haven't been back since.

Chapter 2

I virtually worked my way across Canada over the next 2 years. If I found a place I liked, I'd find some inexpensive accommodation and then find some work in the computer industry. Usually it was retail sales and repairs. My credentials were never questioned, I had my certificates with me; probably the most valuable items I owned. I'd work for a few weeks or months then move on.

Eventually I ended up in Nova Scotia. After exploring the province, which is actually not all that large when you get down to it, I ended up in a small town that is virtually a suburb of Halifax. It was there I met my future partner and his wife. I had found work in a large computer store and he had come in asking about setting up internet access for a campground. Since I was the most qualified of anyone on staff to discuss it, we ended up talking about it over a coffee. He came in quite a few more times to pick my brain. I finally told him that to save driving into Halifax every time he had a question, why not just call me at home since I lived out that way, or I could meet with him on weekends at the campground that was giving him so many problems.

I made several visits to the campground over the following weeks. They were spending quite a bit of money on it to upgrade so it could be open all year round. Apparently there was a good market for winter camping, and not many places to accommodate the demand. Since I had helped so much with the campground, Gordon and Heather offered me a partnership. They were trying to raise enough money to finish their modernization project. I had the funds to invest and did so. In return, I received my partnership and use of the 'cabin' attached to the grounds. Of course, I paid for all the utilities and improvements, but it was still pretty cheap living.

Once I got established I found I could make a better living as a consultant than just selling for a large store. About this time, computer viruses and their assorted cousins were becoming too common. I decided to learn everything I could about the security aspect of computing by taking online courses and night courses at a local college. Within a couple of years I was a leading authority on internet security, at least in my small part of the planet. I kept my consulting business small enough that I could handle everything myself. I had a small, but dedicated, client base that I looked after very well.

About this time, I was approached by the college about maybe running night classes for adults who wanted to learn about computers; just the basics for email, internet surfing and the like. The pay wouldn't be much, classes would only by about 3 hours a week anyway, and I could teach most of the stuff off the cuff. I took the gig, and found that I was again enjoying the teaching aspects of the computer industry. I talked to the Dean over coffee one day and suggested a formal curriculum with qualified teachers or instructors. If the program got started, he promised that I'd be 'grandfathered' so that I wouldn't need a teaching certificate or Master's degree.

Eventually they did start a program, based on Microsoft Windows products. There were several different programs and certifications; I taught computer networking and security. I had found my niche.

Over the years since I arrived in Halifax I never had a serious relationship, nor did I want one. After what had happened with my marriage and Bev just walking out, to say I was gun shy would be a drastic understatement. I did have several short term relationships, of course, but I think my partners could sense that these were going nowhere and most left after a short time. I couldn't and wouldn't blame them.

* * * *

Unknown to me while I was travelling and before getting settled in Nova Scotia, things were developing at a rapid pace back in Vancouver. Pat, my ex-PA, happened to come across a very pregnant Bev in a department store not long after the divorce was final and a couple of months after I'd left Vancouver. She confronted her about leaving and virtually destroying me. Bev had been pregnant with twins when she left me. I never knew. What transpired next I learned many years later.

It seemed that someone had seen me having lunch with a beautiful woman one day, and thought we were just too friendly. Whoever it was reported this to Bev, who, instead of asking or talking to me about it, jumped to a natural, and incorrect, conclusion. My long days at work and short nights at home over that week had me, in her mind, having an affair. My ex-PA convinced Bev to return with her to the office and she could check dates and luncheon engagements I'd had. Pat kept records of everything from the day she had been hired. They were able to pinpoint the lunch 'date' in question. It turned out that the beautiful woman was the head of the marketing department. Yes, she was very beautiful, and very married. We had a good working relationship and that's all it ever was. What had been reported to Bev was a misunderstanding, and a mistake. If Bev wanted, a meeting could be arranged since the woman still was head of marketing, and would verify what Bev was being told.

Bev became unglued, apparently, when she realized what had happened and they almost called for an ambulance to have her admitted to hospital. Before they did, she got composed enough to thank my ex-PA and provide contact details in the event that I ever did get in touch with her or anyone in the company. Of course, I never did. She then contacted my lawyer who couldn't give her much more information, other than the large sum of money on deposit with a local bank in her name. He had also provided the information to her lawyer. I guess he hadn't got in touch with her. Unfortunately for everyone, the address provided on the account turned out to be the law office. I had virtually disappeared.

In the months that followed, Jessica and James were born. Bev continued to try to find me, to no avail since the internet was fairly new and she didn't have the knowledge or resources to use it; and she didn't have any idea where to start looking. Now she was a single mother with twins, and a missing father that knew nothing of them. With the help of the money I'd left for her, and her job in nursing, she was able to provide a good home and education for the kids. Eventually she stopped trying to find me, accepting the fact that I had disappeared from her life.

Jessica, as she grew older, wasn't all that convinced that I couldn't be found once she and her brother were told about their father. She and James had grown up with the internet and were well aware of what could be done. She initiated a wide sweeping web search over a period of weeks that eventually found my square peg in the round hole. How she narrowed it down to me, I don't know, and never did discover; but knowing how the internet works and the resources available, I could hazard a pretty good guess how she managed.

Of course, they didn't know for sure that their search was correct, and it would be some time before they would have a chance to check it out. They never did tell their Mom that their search had probably been successful since they didn't want to get her hopes up yet again. She had accepted that I had disappeared and hadn't discussed the situation with her children in years.

As it turned out, finding me became quite urgent. James had developed a medical condition that could only be cured, if that's the word, by an organ transplant from, preferably, a male relative; in short, me. Jessica was certain that she had found me living and working just outside Halifax. She was disappointed to find that there were absolutely no photos of me on the 'net which may or may not have clinched it for her. She and James made arrangements to fly to Halifax and track me down. Their excuse to Bev was that they wanted to visit the East Coast since they'd never been there.

That fateful Friday, they had missed me at the college by about an hour, but a helpful clerk told them about my stopping at the pub for supper on Fridays, and had given them directions on how to get there. I still wasn't aware that I was a father, and was blissfully unaware that the two had only begun to confirm that I was their father. The next morning, I received a phone call from Jessica.

"Mr. Ames. I'm really sorry to disturb you. My name, as I said yesterday, is Jessica, Jessica Ames. I'm almost positive you're my father."

"Look, Miss Ames, I've been divorced for over 20 years. I don't know where my ex-wife is, and I know for a fact that while we were married that we didn't have any kids. I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm the Ames you're looking for."

"Look, Mr. Ames. I hate to be a pest, but I think I can prove you're our father. Is there somewhere we can meet? I have some documents and photos I'd like to show you. If, after that, you still feel that we're not related, we'll walk away."

I thought about it for a few seconds, "Okay, I guess I can listen to what you have to say. Where are you right now?"

"We're at the Bayview in Halifax," she gave the name of a mid-scale hotel near downtown Halifax.

"Okay, do you have my address?"

"Uh, no, not really. All that shows up on the GPS is a campground."

"That's right. I live in a home attached to that campground. Just drive in and go to the main office. I'll call and tell them you're coming. They'll give you directions to the house, and the code for the gate."

"Mr. Ames, I promise. I think this will be worth your while. Thank you for agreeing to see us. I think it might take us some time, we don't know the area."

"I'll be here waiting. It's not that far."

"Thank you so much. You don't know what this means. We'll see you in awhile." She ended the call and I called the office at the campground to advise them I was expecting visitors, probably in half an hour or so, and to give them the access code to the gate for the house.

I decided to use the time I had to shower and clean up. Since it was Saturday, unless I had some kind of engagement it was my habit to just hang out in my sweats, reading or watching TV.

Chapter 3

I was sitting on the deck sipping a coffee when the rental car pulled up in front of the house. I waved to the young couple and indicated that they could come up the outside stairs to join me, which they quickly did. Jessica was dressed in shirt and jeans with comfortable looking clogs. James followed slowly behind as she came up the stairs, dressed in t-shirt and jeans. I mistook the slowness for lack of interest; actually it was because he was quite ill.