Simon continued sitting on the lavish chair in the office with a blank look and a frown on his face. He really was sure this was nothing but a hallucination, but he was conflicted. Everyone dreams about going back to the past and fixing their errors, and yet, he still felt like this was nothing but a fleeting moment that would only serve to cause him more pain when he realizes it was all a dream.
After thinking aimlessly for a short while without coming up with anything concrete, Simon stood up and walked to the window of his office. As soon as he looked out of the window, a strong feeling of nostalgia and sadness hit him. Right across the street from the bank was a row of small two-story building made out of stone with different signs hanging in front of each building.
There was a grocery store, a tailor and even a tax accountant’s office. Simon had all sorts of memories from each of those stores from when he was young and would come to work with his father during summer vacation.
However, it has been years since Simon has set eyes on some of the owners of those buildings. Due to his own rushing about to save his family bank and a series of other events, this street would be taken over and demolished only to be replaced by an outdoors mall. The uncles and aunts who often talked to him when he was young soon scattered.
Although to be fair, he really lost contact with them far before his falling into dire straits. This is because after inheriting the bank from his deceased father, the 24-year-old Simon saw himself above others and disdained talking with them.
Now all he wanted to do was go out and hug each and every one of those aunts and uncles because a few years later when he was complete done, it would be some of these people who extended helping hands while those he considered friends abandoned him. It taught him the meaning of that old saying about friends in need.
Simon immediately decided and walked towards the exist of his office, he no longer cared if this was a dream of not, the chance to see those people who truly cared about him at before all their lives changed forever was a chance that he was unwilling to waste.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Outside of a small little building with the words Shepard’s on a small sign on the façade, half a dozen old men were sitting under a large umbrella with large mugs of beer in front of them and cigarette smoke drifting about.
Seeing people drink so openly at ten in the morning would be alarming anywhere else, but on small rural Brandermill, this was the norm. Especially considering that this group was composed of the oldest people in town.
“What a waste of a year. I think the last team we were this low, Kenny here was still a virgin.”
One of the old men, a man with more wrinkles than hair, said while gulping down a few mouthfuls of beer.
“Right. In fact, the reason Kenny actually lost his virginity in the first place was because of our victory back then. Hahaa…”
Another of the old men spoke with a loud laughter that attracted the attention of some pedestrians, but no one paid them any more attention than that. One of the old men immediately slammed his mug on the table and was about to retort when a youthful voice sounded from behind them:
“Ah. I see the Granduncles are busy day drinking again. I wonder if I should call the police and report some public intoxication.”
All six men turned their heads with a look of incredulity on their faces. No one ever bothers to call them out let alone speak to them so freely. However, the moment they saw who was speaking, their faces immediately lit up and kind smiles appeared on their faces.
The angry old man who was presumably Kenny immediately spoke with a happy tone:
“If it isn’t little Simon. We haven’t seen you since little Michael’s funeral. Where have you been?”
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It was Simon standing there with a happy smile. He was wearing a dark suit without a tie. His dark and slightly pale skin seemed to contrast under the glistening summer sun.
He immediately pulled up a chair and sat down with the lot while speaking:
“I have been busy with the bank after father’s death. But I have come to catchup with the granduncles today. How’s everybody been.”
The Simon back then actually wasn’t that busy but was in fact disdainful of these old men who spent their days and nights drinking. It wasn’t until years later that he understood that these old men actually cared for him more than those people who he considered friends.
The bald old man who first made fun of Kenny was the first to speak with a slight grumble:
“Shitty. It seems we’ve lived for far too long. Who would have expected us to live to see the day when the Brandys would be relegated?”
Simon who was smiling amicably at the antics of these old men was immediately stunned. He remembered a crucial piece of information that slipped his mind because he was first at a loss and now preoccupied with sweet memories.
This year was when Brandermill FC was relegated from League 1 to the National league. This was one of the many small events that led to the events of his bankruptcy a few years later. Since his family owned a minor stake in the club that lost almost all of its value due to the relegation and its effects, Simon lost a few million pounds that could have been substantial to the survival of the Emerson Bank.
But more importantly, Simon remembered a small fact that could prove to be rather lucrative in a few years while also giving Simon the opportunity to solve a personal grudge. He immediately turned to the old man who just spoke and replied with a reassuring smile:
“Don’t worry granduncle Frank. I am sure we’ll be back to the league next season. Think of this as a chance to dominate the lower tiers.”
Hearing Simon’s words, the look of anger on Frank’s face lessened but he still spoke with some sadness in his voice:
“I know little Simon. But I wanted to at least see the old Brandys play in the top league one last time before I die. I don’t think I have 4 more years left in me. Don’t even get me started on Kenny, I don’t think he’ll make it through the winter. Sigh”
“Fuck you and your winter. You won’t make it past tonight if you don’t watch your mouth.” Kenny immediately retorted with spittle causing all the other men to laugh.
One of the old men interrupted the laughter by turning to the similarly laughing Simon and speaking:
“How is work little Simon. I hope you’re taking care of yourself.”
Simon immediately responded:
“Oh. I sold the Bank. I don’t think I can keep the bank afloat in this economy, so I decided to let it be handled by better people.”
Simon’s words shocked the old men to their core as they stared at him lost. Kenny was the first to gather his thoughts as he questioned:
“But your family’s business. I remember when your great grandfather started that Bank to help everyone in town. How could you sell it so easily?”
Simon couldn’t but respond with some helplessness:
“I wish I didn’t have to do it as well. But business has not been good lately, furthermore, the people that bought the bank will most likely set up shop here anyway and there is no way I could compete with them for long. I believe this is the base course of action since the Emerson Bank could continue operating but only under different leadership.”
Simon was not lying since this was exactly what happened or would’ve happened if he elected to not sell the bank and he was not willing to follow that dreadful chain of events again. He was committed to righting all the wrongs, and not just the ones he committed.
The old men continued staring at Simon as if to see if he was bluffing or unsure in any way. After a few moments of silence later, one of the old men shook his head and spoke:
“Well, I guess it can’t be helped then. Send the paperwork to me so I could look over it I haven’t practiced in a while, but I wouldn’t mind looking over the paperwork in case those people try to pull a fast one over you.”
“Don’t worry granduncle Jon. I have the lawyers at the bank looking over them.”
Simon shook his head helplessly but spoke with a happy voice at how caring these old men were to him. Jon immediately spoke again, but this time with more urging:
“You trust those little whippersnappers to do a proper job over me. I wrote the books those little shits study from. Send me the paperwork and stop arguing.”
Simon could not help but nod with a helpless look on his face These old men were the compatriots of his grandfather and treated him as nothing less more than the child that would sit on their lab when he was younger.
After about thirty minutes of chatting and catching up, Simon found a lull moment before standing up and speaking:
“Anyway. I have to get going granduncles. I’ll come back tomorrow, and the drinks will be on me.”
Simon didn’t want to cut his time with the old men short, but there were somethings he needed to look into and more importantly, he needed to find someone. Kenny was the first to speak as he put his beer down:
“We haven’t paid for a beer in 40 years. Dumbass Shepard here lost a bet, you can bring some cigarettes however.”
One of the old men’s face twitched slightly at Kenny’s words but he said nothing while gulping his drink causing the others to laugh out. Simon laughed as well and walked away after saying his farewells.
As he walked past the entrance of his bank, or at least his former bank, the smile left his face and his eyes sharpened. He knew that everything in this world was possibly in his head, but he still felt angry.
There are plenty of nice and caring people in the world like those six old men, but there are also heartless people who would go to any length in order to further their goals and Carl Siez was the later.
Simon was now certain that this world was an opportunity to not only right the wrongs he committed such as snubbing those close to him and giving back to them as they have in his lowest moment. But also, right the wrongs that other committed against him. And the first on his list was Carl Siez