Days 122 and 123 – Writing Exercise

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Create and explore a character and put it in a situation

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I should have known that something was afoot.

Sunday lunch was abuzz with the upcoming presentation for a multi-million dollar housing and parkland project on land that the city had no idea what to do with

My father, the owner of Davidson and Sons Realty and Investment Corporation, was transitioning from small-time to the major leagues.

He had thrown me a plan of the land and told me to turn it into something he could sell.  At the time I thought about it, wondering why he didn’t give it to the wunderkind son, Theodore Davidson III, the Harvard MBA graduate that could do no wrong.

Oh, and at his graduation party in the swankiest restaurant in town, with people whose names were whispered in the corridors of power, my father said he was going to take us into the statisphere.

He took himself, my sister Eileen, and my parents.

Number three son was staying firmly planted on the ground.

I took the plan and figured this was my chance to prove to him that I was everything but as good as my brother.

Of course, I was kidding myself.

I was never going to reach that stratosphere my brother lived in.  The fifteen-million-dollar penthouse apartment, the top-of-the-range sports car that was more expensive than my modest apartment, and suits that cost more than my car.

I didn’t have the same qualifications.  I went to college and studied architecture and art.  I was more interested in art and then artefacts, enough to add archaeology to the list of degrees.

No point having a graduation party for me.

Eileen graduated at the bottom of her law degree class and got celebrated like she had come first.  I guess I wasn’t one of the beautiful people.

My mom said it was a pity I hadn’t been blessed with good looks, though I would not have called myself ugly.  I chose to dress down and had this University professor thing going.

Dad said I could be the back room genius.  Yes, had used those exact words.

But he had promised that when I handed him the final plans and ran through the presentation for the next week’s meeting with the city representatives, I could present it.  He even sent me to the tailors for a proper suit.

Until…

Eileen said what I knew she was going to say.  “I think you’re making a mistake letting Richard do the presentation.  We need someone who represents who we are, and who’s going to take us forward.

I’d heard Theo and her talking about a strategy.

It had to be about one thing only.

“Dad promised.  If I did the work, I’d get the presentation.”

We all look at him.

“I did.  And as you know, my word is my bond.”

I sat back and relaxed.  Just a little.  I knew my brother and sister far better than they thought I did.  They had taken it too calmly. 

…

I had a Monday morning visit with my grandmother at her house, a hundred-mile drive up into the hills.

It was a fabulous old house with twenty-five bedrooms, servants, a twelve-car garage with vintage cars, and a ballroom that hadn’t been used in years

She came from a family that had money, but over time, successive men had lost it one way or another.
My mother had married into a wealthy family based on that fortune, and it had created the first of many problems.

I was too young, being the last of the children, but as far as I knew, the marriage had survived, but there was something about the house that no one wanted me to know about.

For years, I put it down to big people stuff.

I would have liked to stay, but there was a presentation tomorrow.

After I arrived, we had tea on the back patio.  It overlooked a garden that was rumoured to be originally designed by Capability Brown.

My grandmother looked particularly unhappy.  I would not have said I was her favourite, but she had spent the most time with me when I was younger.

She said I was like a stray dog.  I never understood why.

After the usual health and weather questions, she asked, “How successful will this presentation be?”

It was odd that she was interested in anything my father did.  She did not like him, and at times barely tolerated him.  Or Theo.  But Theo was an ass.

Eileen rarely came.

“It sells itself.  It ticks all the boxes.  Why?  You rarely want to know what the business is about.”

“There was an article in a magazine.  When people start using words like stratosphere, though wonder if they can’t see past the glossy cover and see what’s underneath.”

” I don’t have a glossy cover.”

“But the rest of them do.  I look at your father and Theo, and I wouldn’t trust them at all.  Your Aunt Matilda hated him.  She has more class in her little finger than he ever will.”

That was vicious, but I’d come to realise, in the case of being overlooked and undervalued, even being treated with contempt by my own family, she was right.

But saying this to me was a risk.  If I were to repeat it, there would be consequences.  I’d heard the muted discussion coming from Dad’s study.  Turning the old girl’s shack into a mountain resort.  It was worth billions if it was done right.

The only lament, she could not be moved.  Or would not be swayed into selling her heritage.

“I would never sell this place, Gran.  Never.  This is the very personification of my heritage.  I love this place.  You know,” I said, without realising I was sounding and acting silly, “I would love to hold a ball in the ballroom.”

When I realised I was being silly, I looked over and saw her eyes were watering.

I asked, concerned, “Are you alright?”

“I am.”  She dabbed at her eyes with a monogrammed handkerchief.  “It’s what I have wanted, but I don’t have the energy to make it happen.”

We had this conversation once.  A few months back.  When she told me, Dad was trying to convince her to let him use the property as collateral for a project.  It was just dead money, he said.

She had refused.

It was why he had been angry for a while now.  And Theo.  Plans, no doubt, to make themselves rich at the expense of a relative.  I didn’t want to believe it of them, or that mom would let them, but she never seemed to put up a fight about anything, including protecting me.

Gran had asked me to draw up a plan that would turn the property into a resort, a different resort, one that had an equestrian centre at its heart.

My grandmother loved horses, had a few, and had taught me to ride practically before I could walk.  It was she who convinced me to play polo, and we had the makings of a polo field in the west paddock.

She remembered. “Did you get those plans we discussed drawn up?”

“I did.  I went to see Westerby at the equestrian centre, and he was very excited about the prospect.  Just the other week, he said the powers that be were looking at where they could set up a centre to start training Olympic hopefuls, and if we can put something together…”

“Good.  I’ll have a talk with him soon.  After you sort out this new development.”

My phone dinged.  A message.  From Daisy, my assistant back at the office.

A URL.

I selected it, and it took me to a news page where my father and Theodore, beaming from ear to ear, the city representatives behind them were making an announcement.  Smiles all round.

I listened to the speech for about a minute, then cut it off.

“What is it?”  She asked.

I guess my disappointed expression gave it away.

They had deliberately moved the presentation ahead so Theodore could take the honours.  I just noticed in the background, still on the screen, he had rebranded the whole project as his, with no mention of me.

No wonder no one said boo when Dad said I was still doing the presentation.  They were all in on it.

“Theo just stole my thunder and my job.  He’s going to be the project manager.”

“What about you?”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  “Now I have the time to devote myself to your equestrian centre.”

“Won’t you have to continue working on the reclamation?”

“Apparently not.  Theo obviously has it all under control.”

I opened my phone and went to a specific email sitting in the drafts folder.  I had hoped that I would never have to send it, but I’d finally had enough of being taken for granted.

I dated the documents and sent them to HR.  Effective immediately, I had resigned.

“Can I stay here.  I don’t think I’m going to be very welcome at home.”

“Of course.  I have a few friends coming for dinner, and Father Giles can be, well, you know him as well as I do.”

…

I left my cell phone in my room, and had a long and convivial dinner with old friends that I had known from my childhood days, when I was a far more frequent and regular guest.

It was better than sitting at a table where there were four people on the same page and a ghost sitting in isolation.  As the years passed, I felt less like a member of that exclusive club and more like a visitor on the outside looking in.

Except…

When I went back to the room, I could see my cell phone beaming like a beacon in the night, and dinging about once every twenty seconds.

The first message was from Theo. I’d say, when they asked the first question, one of many he couldn’t answer.  He hadn’t spent the time with me in the development phase, as he was supposed to, and didn’t bother prepping before the presentation.

There were seven hefty binders or accompanying documents that needed to be read and understood before giving the presentation.  It was slides and talking points, and using big words that covered trends and projections, and buzz talk.

The devil was in the details.

Theo was never interested in details, just concepts.

My guess, he would have told them any questions would be answered by the technical lead.  Me.  If only I could be found.

Fourty four messages before one from my father.

“Where are you?”

I might have been at work if they had not moved the presentation and told me.  Or not, if this was what they’d planned all along.

I was not being vindictive; I was just going about my business, which they were fully aware of.

There were missed calls from each of them, mother included.  I had heard Grans’ cell phone ringing, and the house phone, but she had seemed unperturbed.

I went to sleep with a clear conscience

..

When I went downstairs for breakfast, out on the patio, Gran was sitting looking out over the lawns, down to the fountain where I used to make wishes.

None ever came true.

Sitting beside her was Susannah, a neighbour’s daughter who used to be as frequent a visitor as I had been a long time ago.

She had also been Eileen’s best friend until Eileen betrayed her.  It ruined any chance I had with her.

About a week ago, she had sent me an email asking if I was the Richard she used to know once upon a time.  I had replied yesterday and said I would be visiting Gran this week.  She had not replied.  Perhaps the old wounds had not healed.

Or they had.

She had the gift of never aging.  I wished I were a more attractive proposition, but we can’t have everything.

“Susannah?”  I sounded surprised.  I was.

“Rich.  What a pleasant surprise.”  She got out of her chair, came over and gave me a hug like she actually cared about me.

Then she stepped back.  “Martha tells me your family finally showed their true colours.”

That was a step and a half for Gran.  She had never publicly or privately called them out. 

“It’s my misguided attempt to try and get some recognition from them, and not getting past the wunderkind Theo.  I work hard, and can’t get any traction.”

“Martha says you quit.”

“Perhaps it’s the only way.”

“What did your father say?”

“Haven’t gone home and haven’t answered any calls, texts or emails.  Not ready yet.”

“I’m staying for a few days.  You can talk to me about anything.  You know that?”

“Thank you.”

The serving girl brought over a cup of coffee and put it on the table.

Then we heard a booming voice coming towards us.  “I’ll have one of those “

I yelled back, “Get it yourself, Theo.  She’s not your slave.”

She looked at him, then me.  “He’ll get it himself.”

Martha nodded, and the girl left.

He shook his head.  The privilege oozed out of him.  I’d seen him deal with waiters and waitresses.  Someone needed to teach him some manners.

“Any reason you’re here, Theo.  Shouldn’t you be working with the new clients?”

He’d completely ignored Susannah.  She seemed amused, with no intention of going anywhere.

“We need you back in the office.  The family is taking a break to celebrate the successful conclusion.  I closed the deal, Richard.  You would have made a mess of it.”

“And yet you seem to think I won’t now?”

“Don’t be a pompous twit.  You know everything there is to know about it.  You’re just not fit to run it.  Or anything.”

As insulting as ever. Had he tempered his approach, I might have thought twice about not going. Not now.

He looked around, perhaps expecting a cup of coffee to magically turn up.

“I resigned, Theo.  Effective 10am yesterday.  The project is yours.”

“Dad says you can’t resign.”

“Tell him to read my contract.”

“What contract?”

“The one he forced on me and got your daft sister to draw up.  I was the only one of us he insisted sign.  I added a few clauses in the revised draft, and she signed it without reading it.  Both of you were painted with the same brush.  Stupid is as stupid does, Theo.”

“Rubbish.  You’re not that clever.”

I smiled.  “Then take me to court.  Goodbye Theo.  Go sort out the mess your father and sister created.”

He jumped up and pulled out his cell, and a few minutes later, we could hear him yelling at Eileen.

Both Gran and Susannah had watched the exchange with half smiles.  His badgering and bullying had no effect, but then, he hadn’t realised just how much trouble they were in.

“You didn’t deliberately set them up?” Susannah asked.

“No.  All the information is there.  Everything that was discussed, the planning, the requirements, the costings and a project plan.  They just have to know where to look and how to interpret it.  I told them that if I were the project manager, it would all work like clockwork.  They didn’t listen.  Appearances mean more than practicality.  I don’t think Theo’s ego could stand letting me run such a large project.”

Theo came back and thrust his cell phone in my face.

“Dad wants a word.”

I could imagine.

I didn’t need to put it to my ear. “You cannot resign.  Your family.  You’re in charge of the office while we’re gone.  Now get back here.  You have meetings to prepare for.”

I took a deep breath. “I resigned.  I do not work for you or anyone.  Maybe I’ll pursue a career in pizza making.  Pizzas can’t stab you in the back or lie to your face.  It’s time to see how far into the stratosphere Theo can take you, Dad.  You don’t need me.  You never have.  Have a nice day.”

I held out the phone for Theo to take it back.  I think he finally realised I was not coming back.

“Look, Richard.  This is not my fault.  Dad did this.”

“No, you did this.  You could have told him this was my turn.  But no, your ego couldn’t have that.  Well, here’s your chance to show Dad just how good you are.  You’ve never needed me, Theo.  No one in that family has.”

“Screw you, Rich.  You’ll be back, and then we’ll see what’s what.”

He snatched up his phone and stomped off.

He didn’t get that cup of coffee

…

Daisy was kept on, transitioning from my assistant to being the custodian of the documentation. Dad had the sense to realise she was the only one who knew where everything was. At least he promoted her and doubled her salary, though I don’t think he did it without a push.

Dad had to hire four new planners, architects and an engineer that were not in the original budget, and would make a hefty dent in the profit margin.

He had asked, politely, once more that I should return, given a title and double the salary, but not as project manager.

I refused.

Then he offered me the project manager position. It was too late. I wasn’t going back.  I didn’t want the hassle of listening to my brother whining the whole time.

The Davidson and Sons Realty and Investment Corporation very subtly changed to the Davidson and Son Realty and Investment Corporation.

I didn’t care.

I left the city and went to live with Gran, taking on the project of turning the family estate into a special resort for Equestrians, and becoming the perfect training establishment for future Olympians and polo players.

The family thrived without me.

I thrived without them.

About a year after the parting, a newspaper headline broke the story that my mother had had an affair and that I had been the result of it.

Dad had been caught unawares in the middle of a big and delicate negotiation, and the story blew his opportunity out of the water.

The thing was, he knew.  So did Theo and Eileen.  Mom had believed they didn’t, but I could see it had been the case.  They had always treated me as different.

It wasn’t much later that Dad was caught cheating himself, and not just with one woman, but several.  The difference between us and the rest of the new wealthy, Susannah said, was that they could keep their dirty linen in the linen basket.

Mom got divorced and came home.

Theo and Eileen stayed with Dad.

I got married to Susannah.  It seemed inevitable.  She had never really held Eileen’s pettiness against me.  She was just waiting for the day that payback became a bitch.

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©  Charles Heath  2026