The Solitary Man

"I hope you not leaving without me. Dad!" My daughter said. "Steve agrees with me that since we are home that I

should stay with you. It will give us a chance to get to know each other again. After all we both expect my real father to be the one that walks me down the Aisle."

I lost it again.

It was a hoot watching her drive the old ford home. She had never driven a standard in her life. I just watched while mentally figuring out the cost for a new transmission because she kept using the clutch as a brake and inexperience caused her to grind the gears. The double S curve gravel driveway up the hill to my house blew her mind, she stalled out at least five times. It made me laugh yet it was a simple memory I would treasure the rest of my life.

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As soon as we got into my home, I started up the wood stove to take the evening chill off the place. Then gave her a royal tour after planting her suitcases in what was now going to be her room. By the time we had done the tour she was in love with my log home. Each of the bedrooms were designed like they were all master bedrooms each having there

own bathrooms. The open kitchen, with a pantry off to the side, open floor dining room and living room made the space appear huge leaving the office room half bathroom and stairs at the very end. We had left the office /computer room to the last so I could let her play the conversation my grandfather had recorded so many years ago.

After listening to it she asked if she could get a copy of it, so I copied it to a stick and gave it to her. I also copied the video of them making love. She noticed that the files were originally made two days before my reported death. I left her there crying grieving knowing she was experiencing the gambit of emotion from love right through to hate. The raw truth of hearing the voice of someone you love with their own mouth proving everything they had told you in your life was nothing but lies had to destroy one's trust and faith.

I had gone into the kitchen poured us each a glass of wine and was sitting on the couch facing the window watching the village lights below when she final came out to join me. I could notice the puffiness of her tear swollen eyes. She sat down beside me, so I took her and held her in my arms holding her not saying a word. The glasses were almost empty before my daughter spoke.

"All my life I have been told they drew closer as they grieved your death until they realized they had fallen in love and then they got married. It was the biggest wedding that year in the state." Jennifer said. "my own mother's voice proves everything they said about it all was nothing but a lie. I still am having difficulty understanding the coldness of both towards you. I ask myself if it was done out of hate? Mother claimed she loved you till you died. It is forcing me to wonder if anything they said to us was true!"

"It's going to take time for you to work it out. Hell, I still don't understand it all. Even worse there may not be an acceptable answer as to why?" I replied. "Their marriage may not even be legal. If that comes out James reelection bid to the senate will go down. I have got a copy of the non-disclosure agreement I had to sign with the judge and your mothers' father. It details what I had to do and why it had to be done. I will give you a copy before you leave."

"They stole us children from you and changed our lives in ways we will never know." Jen replied. "It's like they were acting as if they were Gods. The one thing I don't understand is why you let them."

"First of all, they had made me a cuckold. My Grandfather believed till his dying day that they had it all planned. They counted on the fact that the rest of the family on both sides had too much to lose and would do anything to cover it up. Their families own long term conduct proved them right. So, for your mother and my brother there was no downside. As a result, they got to keep everything. My former business lost a lot of its reserved cash. My ex took the corporation public and

converted my equity into shares to raise now needed capital. Out of sight out of mind as far as the public was sought. Both

the judge and your mothers father transferred offshore money into a new LLC set up for me in my name only to help me restart my life far away." I explained.

"Joan and James knew the family with enough money could find a way to make everything disappear. They banked on that fact. Time proves that they counted on it. So now everything I do now is done through the LLC, so I have no personal income to declare. This was done to make it harder for anyone to trace me. The international corporation is in a tax-free haven and every cent I draw comes from retained earnings. My computer room is where I management the LL C's many investments which have done very well." I explained.

"My grandfather told me the day would come when the truth would come out, but I had to promise him that I would wait until it did. Only then would I become free. He said it would be the truth of what happen that would take the two of them down. Now with you knowing when I walk you down the aisle many will see my face. There is no way they can hide it. Their past will begin to unwind. It will become a very public scandal. The business here gives me the appearance of having a normal life." I stated.

"Our wedding is set for the sixth of August. They have already rented the hall booked the church sent out the invitations. Grandfather Barnes was to walk me down the aisle but when he hears about our conversation, he will gladly give up his spot for you." Jen said. "With my connections back home in the mass media I want to have the information on the stick released the last Sunday before my wedding and have the search for your death certificate begin. I want those two to pay for what they have done. Do I have your permission to tell your father that your alive when the conversation is finally released? So why didn't you remarry and build a new life?"

"Yes, you can tell my dad although I believe he might already know that I am still alive. The answer to the second question is quite simple your mother and I have not gotten a divorce." I replied. I may not be legally dead, so I was not free to remarry. In my heart I could not deliberately allow my wants and needs to hurt another. The price I had to pay was to lead a single life. The morals principles and standards I have would not allow me to be like them. "I told her.

It had finally sunk in because Jen's face showed the element of surprise for the first time in her life, she saw the

difference between her mother, my brother and me. It had to register in her mind that the difference was like night and day.

"Dad you have been imprisoned, they striped you of your life and your children. They made it impossible for you to have a new family. You were put in a box and forced to play their games by their rules. You are free but its restricted just the same. Does that make sense?" Jen asked?

"Yes, it does but that it was also my mistake because I could have refused to go along." I replied. "Instead I decided to put the needs of the whole two families first."

I left her walked back into the computer room and pulled down a huge binder from the shelving built into the wall. Returning to her I placed the binder in front of her and told her to start to look while I refilled our glasses. Jen was amazed. It was a binder book filled with all her life memories. Every announcement, every public appearance every play she played in copies of her report cards I had captured everything I could in her walk of life. I had got it all. She was surprised of how much she had forgotten.

We talked into the wee hours of the morning as she shared her thoughts on those memories I had never shared. She went to bed with the knowledge that she had always been loved by me. I told her that I had a binder just as full for each of her sisters that I hoped one day I would be able to share with them. She stayed for two weeks spitting her time with Stevens family and me. By the time she left we were closer than we'd ever being. I felt blessed to have her back in my life.

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On the last Friday of July, the order went out from me to buy short the stock of the company I had formerly owned. Its current value was one hundred and twenty-nine dollars a share. I was gambling with my future. By the end of the day I owned over a million shares. Jennifer's mother was the current CEO. All my original shares should be in my trust for my children until they reached the age of 25. That was the way it had been set up, but it could have been changed. When I had left fifteen years ago, they had estimated the value of the company to have a market value of about 45 dollars a share.

Bill, Connie and I would be flying out the following Thursday via a private jet I had booked. Jennifer had kept her vow of secrecy but called me daily to keep me informed as to what was going on using Stevens phone. My stockbroker had been informed to continue to buy shares each day until the fifth of August and only sell the shares that were bought at the highest value to cover the margins needed on that market day.

The conversation between the former deceased Judge and my wife hit the air waves Sunday morning along with the video of Joan giving up her body and soul to my brother. An online adult web site crashed because the video became that hot. The democratic media sucked it up big time. By the end of the day there was an all-out search for my death certificate, a record of divorce, and any related documentation concerning the settlement of my estate. Questions were raised about how I was supposed to have died. Had I been murdered?

It was seven o'clock on the west coast when my daughter called eleven pm in New York. She thought the news coverage was a blast. Her mother and stepfather where in panic mode. Jennifer's sisters Judy and Joanne had been trying to get clarification from their mother about it all. Joan or James was refusing to answer any of their questions. One of the questions they asked was is our father still alive?

Jen then said the second bomb shell would be released over night. Those who had it read it said it appeared that I was made by the family with James and Joan's Barnes direction to have been forced to disappear. The accounts the funds the family promised me appeared to have been sent to had never existed adding speculation that I had been set up to be killed. She then said she was going to call my father into his office and hand him the cell. I could hear his office door close as my father said Hello.

I replied, "Hi Dad."

"John is that really you?" he asked quietly." how are you son?"

"Yes, it is. I'm good Jen can fill you in. How is mom? How much do you know?" I replied.

"We learned about the whole mess about a week after the release of the story of your suicide and why they felt it was necessary. Were a bit older but were both quite healthy all things considering. You will be proud to see how well your daughters have turned out. But tell me how Jen figure it out?" my dad asked.

"She found me by accident. It turns out her intended is the son of a good friend. His family threw a barbecue to introduce her and to celebrate his graduation from university. When Steven took me over to her when she turned to face me, she recognized me right away. We have been in contact ever since." I said. "I need to remain hidden until the wedding so I'm flying in Thursday night with the groom's parents and family. Do you think I can remain safely hidden if I get a helicopter to drop me off at your estate?"

"I'll make sure the landing pad has the lights on and we will give the staff an extra few paid days off. Your mom will be thrilled to cook the two of us a few meals. Just let Jen know your time of arrival." my Dad said.

After a few words he let me know he wasn't going to tell my mom he wanted it to be a complete surprise.

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Early Monday morning in the European Markets according to FBN share values of my former company had dropped over twenty dollars. On Monday morning just at opening I picked up another million shares for 101 dollars each. Buying them short. That afternoon after watching values continuing to drop, I put in a buy order of 4 million shares at $45.00 a share trying to get it to bottom out and to sell off all the shares I currently owned at 65 dollars a share.

The mass media hysteria with CNN taking the lead were destroying James and Joan Barnes and taking down anything associated with them. Incest, possible murder and the making of a cuckold ruled the printed page. James Barnes being a republican allowed CNN's Anderson Cooper to rant and rave like a lunatic milking it for all it was worth. CNN's ratings were huge. They had a huge crowd of reporters parked at their front gates. Based on what the mass media had proved the FBI announced an investigation into my disappearance.

On Thursday Morning my former Corporation announced that their CEO Joan Barnes had accepted a buyout. Everyone knew she had been forced out. Her association with the corporation was destroying them. The stock share value began to stabilize at 35 dollars a share. On Friday afternoon the stock began to climb but the personal problems for my brother James Barnes began to evolve. He was now facing a senate ethics investigation. There were calls hourly within the senate and the mass media for him to resign. In his only public appearance, he restated the story that Joan and he had become involved seriously only after my reported suicide and that the conversation between the former judge and his wife had to have been manufactured. The video of them making out had to have been created later.

CNN announced they were going to do a voice audit to see if the voices of both parties on the conversation could be verified. They uncovered tape of James publicly announcing that I had committed suicide and brought out the point that to date no death certificate had been found. On Friday Joan's father announced his sudden retirement from the senate due to ongoing health problems. His daughters own long term conduct had taken him down. For him it had gotten to hot. The shares of my former company closed on Friday at $59. My purchase of the shares at under $45 had been confirmed.

At dusk on Thursday night the helicopter began its decent. As it lowered itself down, I could see my parents walking out of the back of their house to greet me. After the pilot shut down, I got out underneath the twirling blades and picked up the suitcases he had got out. As soon as I cleared the rotating blades, I straightened up allowing my mother to see my face. My dad had to hold her as the tears and shock buckled her knees. It had been over fifteen years since I had seen their faces. Mom kept crying my baby has come home. She spent the next two days acting like an over protecting mother hen while trying to fatten me up because to her I looked so lean. Home cooked meals never tasted so good.

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At 5 minutes to two On Saturday Jennifer stepped out of the door of the church which signaled for me to leave the limo. As I walked up the steps towards her a CNN reporter caught me on live camera and asked me who I was? I turned and said with a straight face "I'm the walking dead." I then walked up to stand beside the bride. Jennifer looked stunning. After giving each other kisses on the cheek we walked in arm in arm. Each one of our faces showing our pride. The camera man had captured it all.

I caught Joan's image from the back side and man her ass still looked good as she led the bridal party down the aisle to the front. She didn't look half bad from behind. She still had an ass a man would die for. Next came the ring bearers and the flower girls who made sure to drop rose petals as they walked. Joanne was next then Judy was just ahead of us. I told Jennifer to relax which caused Judy to look back. I raised my index finger to my mouth letting her know to remain

quiet. Judy mouthed to her sister you found dad fighting the tears that wanted to flow just before entering the main area of

the church. Jennifer just nodded her head her face shinning in joy. Looking up towards Steven I noticed that everyone had

to be asking themselves where was the best man? Little did they know he was walking his bride down the Aisle.

I watched Joan take her seat beside a man I assumed must be James. If it was, time had really changed him, he now had the typical dad body with a bald spot on his head. Both Jennifer and I watched Joanne ascend the steps taking her place then turning towards us. As the tears started flowing, she put her hand over her mouth to hold in her screams. It was almost as if she believed I could not be real. Then Judy stood beside her holding her hand while whispering in her ear. She too joined her sister in shedding her tears. I let go of my daughter and watched her climb the steps until she stood beside Steven.

Who gives this lady away the father said? I said her Mother and I do then I went and stood beside Stevens side. It

was a beautiful ceremony. Many would say it was the most emotional ceremony they had ever seen because the tears of joy flowed from my three daughters face. I could not help noticing that my daughters' mother and my brother faces were completely white. Neither one of them could look me in the eyes. During the whole ceremony their eyes were looking down.

Over the evening festivities I got asked numerous times how I had come to be my son in laws best man. Had I introduced the two? When we signed the form for registration for the marriage certificate the catholic father was shocked when I signed my formal name. Almost all the witnesses of this marriage who had known about me now knew that I was alive. Though nothing was said I could tell that cell phones were being used all over the place. We would later learn there had been three live feeds.

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The judge and the senator by the end of that day had set the plans into play. Both saw the situation as a mess that would scandalize the two families in every way. Having served in the marines until just after the birth of the triplets it was decided I would get called back in. So, for over three years I was hidden in plain sight fighting the Taliban with brothers in arms. There wasn't a mission that I would not volunteer for. They said I had been driven. I got the reputation of being very hard core. But it was a faulty set of body armor that finally did that in. As a result, I had eight bullet scars across the front of my chest. I had barely escaped with my life.

After getting my discharge papers I was a Major no more. I had gone to the Cayman Islands to reorganize my accounts before deciding what to do with the rest of my life. The Judge and my grandmother had met me there on the family estate. It was my grandmother's idea that If I could not figure out what to do, I should make it a chance of discovery by throwing a dart on a map and see where it led. That stupid suggestion had brought me here.

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The congratulatory line was a hoot. Judy and Joanne stood on each side of me. They milked the introducing of me to everyone for all it was worth. Pride was glowing from their faces. Yet I did not feel comfortable in a tux. Joan and James were the last to pass through. Steven was polite but Joan wasn't because she appeared to be in total shock.

"Mother!" Jennifer said "You should know Dad did not find me I found him. It was me who had all the information about what you both did released. Dad reluctantly allowed me copies of it so I could prove to my sisters what truly had

happened. He had no clue to what I was doing. What James and you did to all of us is unforgivable. I decided it had to be set