Finding Parker (27 page)

After the service, as we were leaving, I saw a familiar face. Standing by the door stood Hec Astur. I hadn’t seen him since the first day I met Kenton. His green eyes glistened as he smiled and extended his hand.

“Downes, Parker, and you must be
Victoria
,” he said as he gently shook all of our hands.

As he shook Victoria’s hand he smiled, “Hec Astur, pleasure to finally meet you.”

As he released her hand, he nodded his head toward Victoria, “Kenton will be missed for sure. Touching eulogy, I must say. Brought tears to my eyes.”

Hec smiled, “Crying is God’s way of cleansing our souls.”

“So, thank you. I needed it,” he nodded his head once toward Victoria.

“Parker, I need you to stop in and see me. Tomorrow if possible,” he raised his eyebrows and waited for a response.

“Alright. I’ll do that,” I responded.

“You remember where?” he asked.

I nodded.

Hec turned to Victoria and lifted his chin slightly, “Again. Victoria, thank you, it was so very touching. As sure as I’m standing here, Kenton’s looking down you now, proud as a peacock.”

He smiled, and turned away.

“Who was that?” Victoria asked.

“A friend of the family,” Downes quickly responded.

As we turned toward the door, Downes winked. It was nice seeing him slowly return to normal. I’m sure it would take some time for all of us to return to a routine state. Kenton was a powerful man. As we walked toward the B7, Downes turned toward Victoria and me.

“Peach tea on the deck?” Downes asked.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Victoria responded.

PARKER.
Sitting in the same seat I sat in waiting for our first meeting, I sat waited to see Hec. I smiled at the thought of one of Kenton’s first questions to me. I waited almost a week to come to the office, but considering all things and the recent changes in my life, I felt it was the soonest I could break away.

“Are you a risk taker, Mr. Bale?”

I wouldn’t consider myself a risk taker, but on that particular day I became one. I took a risk, and the reward will remain with me for a lifetime. Kenton may be gone from this earth, but his memories will fill my heart and my mind for all of eternity. Or, in the words of Kenton Ward,
until the bitter end
. The sound of shoes began to echo throughout the hallway. I looked up and to my left as the sound became sharper.

Lisa.

I stood and smiled.

“Mr. Bale,” she extended her hand.

I lightly accepted her hand, “Lisa. Pleasure to see you again.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss, Mr. Bale. I truly am,” she whispered.

“Thank you. He will be missed for sure,” I responded as I released her hand.

“Mr. Astur is waiting. Follow me?” she asked as she turned away.

“Certainly,’ I responed.

As we walked past the door of the conference room, I peered in. The table where we first met sat empty. I paused, staring at the table, and smiled. For a fleeting moment, I stood and stared. As I heard Lisa’s footsteps continue, the sound of Kenton’s voice filled my mind.

“Drinking water from a bottle is akin to eating beans from a can, cereal from a box, peanut butter from a jar, or drinking wine from a bottle. A beverage is contained in a bottle for shipping and storage. It should remain in the bottle until it is poured into a glass, at which time it could be enjoyed. Do you drink your wine from a bottle, Mr. Bale?”

I stared into the room and mouthed the words.

“No sir.”

“Mr. Bale?” Lisa’s voice brought me out of the trancelike state I was in.

I turned to face her. At the end of the hall, she stood in front of a large wooden door.

“You’ll be meeting in
this
room. Mr. Astur’s office,” she smiled.

Slowly, I walked to her side and stopped. As she opened the door, Mr. Astur stood from behind his desk and smiled, “Parker. Please, come in.”

“Lisa, close the door behind you if you will,” he said as he motioned toward the door.

“Nice seeing you, Mr. Bale,” Lisa nodded.

“Likewise,” I responded as I walked into the office.

“I’ll make this brief, Parker. Well, as brief as possible. Would you like a drink?” he asked as he walked around the corner of his desk.

“Yes. Water,” I paused and smiled, “In a glass please.”

Hec smiled and shook my hand, “Please sit down, Parker.”

I sat in a chair positioned in front of Hec’s desk. The office was very large and obviously in the corner of the building. Both walls were constructed of glass, and looked out over the city of San Diego. A large desk sat at one side of the office, and behind it wooden cabinetry – which I assumed contained legal documents or books. On the other side of the room, a massive library of books, and a glass display case filled with various treasures.

As he walked past, he handed me a glass of water and a coaster. I took a sip of the water and placed the glass on the table beside me and crossed my legs. As Hec walked back to behind his desk, I smiled and waited patiently to see why this meeting was called. He crossed his legs as he sat and placed his elbows on the desk. His face somewhat sullen, he lowered his chin into his hand, and looked down at the desk.

“I have no way of knowing, so I must ask, Parker,” he looked up from the desk and hesitated.

“Did Kenton explain to you the reasoning behind his seeking to employ you?”

I nodded my head slowly, “Yes sir.”

His chin still resting in his hands, he nodded his head.

“Did he further explain his
relationship
with Victoria?” he asked.

“Yes sir, he did,” I responded.

“Well, the fact he did will allow this to come a little easier for me, I suppose. It goes without saying, I’m sorry for your loss. I feel it as well, and I will for some time. Kenton was a great man and a damned fine friend. A difficult man for most to get to know, but for those he chose to let into his life,” he paused and smiled.

“We’re truly blessed, aren’t we?”

I nodded my head, “Yes sir, we are.”

“Now, down to the brass tacks, Parker. You don’t mind my addressing you as Parker, do you? I should have asked,” his eyes widened slightly.

“Parker is fine, yes sir.”

“Very well,” he tilted his head to the side and rolled his eyes.

“You know, that damned Downes says that all the time.
Very well
. And he got Kenton to saying it, and now I say it all the damned time,” he smiled and stood from the chair.

He walked toward the window on the right side of his desk and looked out over the city. His cautionary proceeding with the meeting was making me somewhat nervous. I attempted to think of other surprises or hidden facts which Kenton may have forgotten, but couldn’t conjure up any sensible scenarios. As my mind drifted from the room we were sitting in, Hec’s voice brought me back to reality.

“You entered Kenton’s life, and from what he shared with me, you changed him into a better man. One evening here, before he modified his will, he told me what pleasure he received from your visits. He went on to say he tried his best to provide you with advice, and guide you in living life, but that you needed so
little
. He found tremendous value in getting to know you, Parker,” he turned from facing the window and pushed his hands into his pockets.

“Another evening, several months ago, he told me of a morning you two shared at his home. He was practicing putting, if I remember correctly. He told me he viewed you as a son he never had. He had become quite fond of you. He admired you, Parker,” he pulled his right hand from his pocket and pointed my direction as he spoke.

“As you might have expected, Mr. Ward left a will. A very detailed will. And on that night, he changed it. Parker, life for you is going to change significantly,” he paused and looked toward the display case.

“Everything, and I do mean
everything
. He left everything to
you
. There are conditions, Parker. But the estate, the wealth, the cars, all of the belongings, his investments, his company,
everything
. It’s all yours,” he began to walk toward the case.

I went numb. He continued to speak, but not a word was legible. In a matter of seconds, as Hec placed an ornate wooden box on his desk I began to regain my composure.

“This box contains Kenton’s remains. You’re aware he was cremated?” he asked.

I nodded and attempted to swallow.

“
One
. You scatter his remains in the ocean behind the estate.”

“
Two
. You must
keep
the estate. It’s yours, but only if you
keep
it. You may eventually choose to reside in another residence, or choose to move to another state, but the estate is only to be occupied by you and your family – and will always be your
home
,” he paused and rubbed his chin in his hand.

“
Three.
Downes Tallert. Downes will remain in your employ. It’s written into the will, you have no choice. He didn’t want to separate what Kenton described as his
family
. Mr. Ward placed a large sum of money into a separate account and the interest from said account will be transferred into Downes’ bank account as payment for his services. So, in short, you and your family – which includes Downes – will be the only residents of the home.”

“And
four.
He asked that the family visit his grave on Memorial Day each year.”

I sat and stared, still in complete shock. Slowly, I stood and walked to the window and looked out over the city. Off in the distance, toward La Jolla, I could see the same beach and ocean we often viewed from the deck at Kenton’s home.

My home.

Our
home.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Hec walked to where I stood. As he placed his hand on my shoulder, he spoke, “Take a few days or a week to digest everything, Parker. Come in and see me. I’ll do all I can to make this as easy for you as I am able. And, I must advise you, Kenton left me a sizeable sum to ensure I took care of your financial and legal needs. Anything you need, anything at all regarding the estate or investments, I’m here,
gratis
, at your service.”

“Very well,” I said, still staring out over the city.

As I spoke, I realized I too had developed some of Kenton’s speech patterns. Something else he had left me as a reminder of our time together. Still staring over the city, my focus on the ocean, I began to speak.

“There is
one
thing I’ll need you to do rather promptly. For my peace of mind,” I said.

Hec squeezed my shoulder in his hand, “Name it.”

I took a shallow breath, “I’ll need you to advise me on setting up a trust, and a college fund.”

“Easy work for me. May I ask…”

Before he finished speaking, I proudly responded.

“For the baby. Our child. Victoria’s pregnant.”

“Oh my word. Well, congratulations, Parker. Keep me apprised of the developments. And a trust will be nothing to set up. We’ll have fun doing so. The pregnancy…that’s sure exciting. It certainly didn’t take you two very long,” he patted my shoulder lightly as he chuckled.

After careful consideration of his statement and some serious thought, I responded, “You should live every day as if you’re going to die at midnight. And ask yourself throughout the course of each day,
if this were my last day on this earth, would I do anything different?
”

“Wise words,” Hec nodded his head and grinned.

“May I ask its origination?” he asked.

I turned to face the window and focused on the ocean once again as I responded.

“Certainly. He was my father.”

EPILOGUE

Although I had very few problems with the baby to speak of, for some reason today was much different. After feeding, he had not burped. Now, he continued to cry and fuss. Parker’s futile attempts to burp him were followed by Downes’ who was also unsuccessful. Frustrated and tired, I wished there was something more I could do.

“I’ll call the doctor if he continues,” Downes sighed.

“We’ll see. Maybe it’ll naturally work its way out,” I shrugged.

“Should we go ahead and try to go?” Parker asked

I nodded my head as I walked along the hallway, bouncing with each step.

“I’ll pull the B7 around,” Downes said as he walked from the room.

It had been about a year since Kenton’s death. We had each found our own way of dealing with his death as well as his absence from the home. Having the home as ours was one of the best things for us all, and had certainly drawn us closer as a family. Karen stayed, which was a blessing in itself. Together, we had developed our own friendship, sharing recipes and taking turns cooking for the men. Her peach tea was something we all continued to enjoy during our time together on the deck – a reminder of things since passed.