End of an Era, New Beginning

John sat stunned thinking of how his plans could fail and his father had just pronounced no way to return to the fold.

“Give me the keys now!”

John reached into his pocket and produced the keys to the business and house holding them momentarily while he gave quick thought to what he should do next. Len reached over and took them out of his hand. Then pointed to the briefcase John had with him. James picked the briefcase up and handed it to his father who opened it and looked at the contents removing any office files searching all the compartments before handing it back to John as he spoke.

“May God protect you in all you do in future son. Sometimes tough love can be the making of a man, and I hope what has happened today will make a man out of you and perhaps someday as you are well established and mature there can be a reconnection again. But you will need to humbly apologize to your mother Sheila before that could ever be possible.”

The next few months there was phrenic activity at Barnard Enterprise with business consultants helping to launch it into a public entity with a public share listing. Money flowed in and Barnard Enterprise began to spread its wings to other states commencing in Perth with plans to move into the Melbourne market in future. All this required a different management team. The wealth of Len and James share values increased substantially as Barnard Enterprise expanded, and shares rose in value and while the father and son learned a lot in the process it was apparent that people more qualified to run an expanded public listed company were needed to guide its progress. They would have to step aside and let those with experience in public listed company management take over. Their influence would be exercised as majority shareholders at the general meetings as decisions were made but the day-to-day operations would be in the hands of highly qualified and experienced company professionals.

Len and James looked for other pursuits. Len putting his time into political activities and James setting up as partner in an accounting firm where his CPA qualifications could be used. James enjoyed the change. Trisha Barnard was now a graduate nurse and working for Royal Adelaide Hospital. Sheila slowly came to terms with the absence of John who she learned no longer worked for Barnard Enterprise competitors whose business had shrunk considerably as the now public share listed Barnard Enterprise expanded its operations. The Barnard family had no idea where John was now though it was rumoured John had moved East to try and make a life for himself there.

It was now two years since the change to Barnard Enterprise management, and Len and Sheila were enjoying spending more time together. They’d left their home in the charge of James who was planning to get married to Judy who’d once been his brother’s secretary, he’d worked closely with her during the restructuring of the company. Judy was completing her CPA, and they were planning on buying out the senior partner who James now worked with and temporarily living in the Barnard spacious home until they could afford to buy a home after buying the CPA practice. James was not anxious to dilute his shareholding in Barnard Enterprise by spending money on a home.

Trish Barnard was now in regular contact with her stepsister and wanting to meet with her. She mentioned that in one of her messages and there was an immediate response which with the encouragement of Marion Sykes invited her to come for a visit at some time when the two sisters could arrange for holidays that coincided. Both looked forward to the eventual date set with excitement and the Mason brothers looked forward to that meeting. Probably Cousin Martin and his wife along with Bill and his wife would be able to find a time to meet during the brief time that visit would take place.

Just before that visit took place Anthony and Marion made a purchase to present their daughter on her birthday. Her first car. Marion had discovered a picture of this car on Trish’s desk while dusting her room with the colour blue circled and consulted with Anthony who arranged to have the car delivered when they were celebrating Trish’s birthday. Trish Barnard was there to celebrate that birthday with her stepsister, and the two women were sent on their way to Port Stephens to enjoy the family home for a week after meeting the families of Marcus Granger and Bill Mason. A close bonding took place on that visit and Trish Sykes began to have a yearning to meet her mother. She asked her stepsister to communicate this to Sheila Barnard and that request was received by her birth mother with great joy.

Sheila shared that joy with her husband Len who was delighted to see his wife’s happiness at this news. Sheila was still missing John who she loved despite his rejection. Len determined to make that event possible and consulted with his son James who immediately contacted Trish Sykes to find out when this stepsister could make a time to come to Adelaide as their guest. A weekend was scheduled, and the Barnard family was at the airport to meet their guest. They were joined by Stanley Mason and his family who flew down from the Northern Territory for the weekend to enjoy this time with their sister and new stepsister. On arrival Sheila clung to her daughter abandoned so long ago constantly asking for forgiveness. But Trish assured her she now understood the circumstances and there was nothing to forgive. She preferred to put all that behind her and just enjoy her birth mother’s company for the weekend.

Stanley had rented a car for the occasion and was staying at the Adelaide Riviera Hotel on North Terrace. So, he was able to bring his family to the Barnard residence each day to enjoy time together with this now extended family. By the time that weekend was over there was a close bonding between the Barnard and Mason families and the other two Mason brothers were sending their well wishes. Max and Lydia promised that on their next trip east they’d call in to Adelaide to meet the Barnards. Bill following the happy reunion on Facebook was feeling left out and determined it was time he too made a way to have a reunion with his birth mother now knowing circumstances behind her disappearance and happy his mother had not taken her life. He was grateful to Barnard for her rescue.

Trish Sykes returned to her social work in Sydney energised by this reunion and now she had her own car visited with Marcus and Susan regularly and at times made the long journey to visit with Bill and Angelina. Anthony and Marion were now slowing down and after careful thought Anthony realized he’d need to leave the work he loved so much at the legal firm and spend more time with Marion who he could see was beginning to struggle at her age. They were considering moving into a retirement resort where they’d have support during the day and access to several recreational pursuits and interaction with others their age. Trish was aghast at that suggestion, but they gently told her it was time for her to think seriously about her own future if she wanted to include someone special in her life to keep this house alive. Trish shed tears at night knowing this was probably in the best interests of her adoptive parents but the thought of them not being there when she returned home from work of an evening caused her much distress. At last, she helped her parents look for an appropriate place for them to settle in their old age with all the necessary facilities to make their life comfortable.

Marcus Granger was made executor of the Sykes Estate due to his advanced knowledge of finance and access to Anthony’s old legal firm with Trish as the sole beneficiary. It was then Trish decided what should be done with the funds placed in trust for her now grown even more spectacularly since its existence was first disclosed to her. In consultation with her brothers, it was decided to contribute to the education of her nephew’s and nieces’ future education along with any children of her stepsister. Because of the confusion between the two lookalike stepsisters of the same first name  Trisha  Barnard was now using her second given name as her preferred name and indicated she should be called Claire as that was one of the names Sheila had given her at birth in respect for her own aunt willing to take her in but prevented from doing so by death from cancer. So, they had to get used to calling her Claire Barnard from that time onward and it did lessen the confusion in the family as they referred to each in turn.

There was a firm bonding between the Barnard and Mason families now with exception of John who no one seemed to know the whereabouts of. Then one day as Trish was scanning the files for the day at government offices, she came across a file for John Barnard. Apparently, he was living in poor circumstances in West Sydney on welfare and in poor health unable to work. She assigned the file to one of the trusted workers she was responsible for and asked this social worker to give a full report on this man’s condition to her next day.

Apparently, John had done time in prison for misappropriation of corporate funds and been given a rough time by hardened inmates during his brief incarceration. The abuse he’d received in jail had affected him mentally and he lived hand to mouth on government funds in slum conditions. She had his background investigated and discovered he was originally from Adelaide and had once been considered a brilliant financial mind. She communicated this to Claire Barnard who reported this to James her brother. The Barnard family decided along with Trish Sykes help to locate and see what could be done to rehabilitate him. His police record would prevent him from engaging in any financial activity that could challenge his mind, but they could at least try to find a way to rehabilitate him as a family and give him a better quality of life. Trish and James were heartbroken when they viewed this destroyed person who once had such a bright future in Barnard Enterprises. The records showed he’d married into a prominent family and held a responsible corporate position in Sydney but when it was revealed he had misappropriated funds from the corporation he worked for his wife took her family back to live with her parents and she subsequently divorced him and was now married to another man of social standing. They wanted nothing to do with John and refused his requests to see his children.

John obviously recognized his brother James but said nothing as they quizzed him about his needs. Trish assessed him and concluded that with counselling and therapy he was salvageable. James asked if he could take him to Adelaide, but Trish felt it better for her department to work with him for a while before that was considered. She arranged for appropriate departments to put him through psychological tests and found work with firms who worked with the government to give rehabilitated prisoners a chance to find an interest in doing useful work again. John began to respond to this focused rehabilitation program and when it was thought appropriate, she contacted James and told him that if he was still willing, they’d release John to his care. James came personally to accompany him back to Adelaide and placed him in a rented apartment where he arranged for the manager to keep an eye on his brother and either he or Claire would check on him each day. John was weaned off his medication and encouraged to join a gym that James paid for where he worked out for hours and slowly regained strength and an ambition to make a new life for himself in his middle age. James found him work as supervisor in an apartment building and John put his whole effort into the job and was commended by residents for his faithful attention to their needs. This increased his confidence, and he began to look for work that would challenge him more much to the delight of James. Then one evening when James was paying him a quick visit before returning home to his wife and two children John spoke.

“James is it possible to me to see dad and mom. I’ve been tortured with thoughts while in prison of that day when I made the most foolish decision of my life and rudely rejected my father’s advice and insulted my mom. I want to make it right with an apology to both if they’ll receive me.”

James nodded appreciatively.

“I’m so delighted to hear you say that John and so will dad and mom. Welcome back into the family.”

The next evening James drove his elder brother to the family home near Mt. Lofty and John paused to view the place before entering his old familiar home. He sighed deeply. Stepping inside he found a welcoming committee. Sheila stepped forward and hugged her son as John stammered his apologies again. Then father stepped forward and hugged his son for a long time while John repeated his apologies. Then James introduced his wife and children and finally his sister came forward with a young doctor she was keeping company with now and introduced him proudly welcoming her brother back home. John was so overwhelmed at the sincere welcome that he wept uncontrollably repeating his apologies to everyone. Len spoke.

“Welcome back to the family son. We’ve missed you.”

Claire shared the reunion with her stepsister Trish with a few photos of the reunion and Trish took her laptop to share with her parents sitting in the lounge. They were genuinely happy this prodigal son had now been returned to his family.

Trish sat on the side of her bed thinking as she recalled the excitement sharing this good news. Within a few weeks her parents would be moving to a retirement resort, and she’d miss them terribly when returning to an empty home each evening.

Susan Granger had been pushing her for a couple of years now to meet some of the adults their age who just might tempt her adopted sister to think of marriage and a family. These men had just happened to be at the Granger home when Trish indicated she’d be visiting, and they were all nice, but Trish resented being pushed into a relationship but feeling a sense of coming loss this evening, she paused to reflect on some of those young men Susan had been urging on her. There was one that had seemed extra nice. He was quiet and enjoyed literature. He was a college teacher at Barker College her old school and slightly older than Trish. He seemed just as shy as Trish was in interaction with the opposite sex but doted on the Granger children and came out of his shyness when in the company of the Grangers he obviously liked. He was often at the Grangers as he lived close by and liked to supervise the kids in the pool when Susan was busy in the kitchen. The Granger children loved him, and he loved reading to them. Maybe she should give him a closer inspection to judge whether they had things in common to make for a marriage like her adoptive parents and her brothers demonstrated. She looked at her watch. It was not too late to phone Susan, so she punched in the number to be answered by an exhausted voice.

“I’m sorry Susan is this bad timing. It sounds like you’d had a difficult evening.”

“Kids are sick, so it has been a difficult day, but I always love to have you call. Is there anything you need?”

“When is Joel Manners coming to visit you again?”

The previous tired voice was suddenly energized into action.

“Whenever you come for a visit, he’ll be here, I’ll see to that.”

Trish laughed.

“OK Susan I’m interested in him. How about this weekend?”

“How about tomorrow night?”

Trish laughed and heard laughter at the other end of the line with a voice in the background asking what was so funny which she recognized as Marcus.

“No, this weekend Susan I’ve got too much to do at work and need my evening rest.”

Trish smiled as she put down the phone. A liaison with Joel Manners was becoming a much welcome thought as she reflected on what she’d observed in him on those visits. Her parents would be delighted when she eventually told them. Life was good. She had the best parents. She was well cared for financially. She’d made peace with her birth mother and had a wonderful relationship with her stepsister, and she loved her brothers and their families looking forward to having family reunions when it could be arranged.

The Mason family had been in turmoil over the years but all that was behind them now and she was happy to be Trisha Mason Sykes and have an extended family in the Barnards who she’d come to love too. Now perhaps she might add Manners to that list of cherished family members.

Conclusion.

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