Douglas had no further contact with his father, although he would occasionally think about picking up the phone and calling, but the anger always came back and prevented him from going through with it. He told himself that if his father wanted to mend things, he would contact him, first. 2 years passed, and Douglas received a letter from a lawyer’s office. He opened it up and found a short, terse message which read:

Mister Wensley,
I regret to inform you of your father, Arthur Douglas Wensley, Jr.’s death. While this must be a difficult and emotional time for you, there are critical matters that must be dealt with in a timely manner. According to your father’s last will and testament, he wished for you to inherit the following items:

Estate and contents
1 x Letter – opened posthumously

Please call our office to schedule an appointment for the ownership of these items to change hands.

Douglas was stunned – he thought there must have been a mistake, or a mix up… he called the number for the law office, and after a lengthy discussion with a secretary, he hung up the phone and hung his head in sorrow. There was no mistake. His father was dead, killed in an automobile accident, and there would be no chance of reconciling with him. Douglas felt awful. Regret washed through him in an icy flood, obliterating every trace of resentment and anger that had previously dwelled inside him. He cried for the first time since his mother had died.
A week later, he was sitting in the lawyer’s office. Mr Thompson was trying to explain something to Douglas, which obviously the lawyer thought was bad news. Douglas simply waited until he stopped talking in circles and said what he was trying to say.

“So, Mr Wensley, I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do… I do have this letter for you, of course…”

The sharply dressed, elderly man lifted an envelope off of the desk with a gnarled, wrinkled, and shaky hand, and passed it over to Douglas. Douglas took the letter, noticing that it had previously been opened by a letter opener, or a similar item, and tucked the envelope into his jacket for later.

Frowning, he asked, “So, I’m not allowed to inherit the house?”

Mr Thompson shrugged, the old man looked to be on the verge of tears. “Apparently, you father built on land that didn’t belong to him, and the city is claiming possession of the estate.”

“This doesn’t make any sense – how would he have been allowed to build there in the first place? Will they let me take some things out of the house? There might be portraits or other sentimental items that I would like to keep…”

The lawyer shook his head, “No one is allowed onto the property. You’ll have to take it up with the Housing Authority, downtown.”

Douglas sat agape for a moment before gathering himself. He thanked Mr Thompson, and then slowly headed out the building for home. Later, he remembered the letter and opened it up to read it.

Son,
I know that we have had our differences over the years. I will not seek your forgiveness, only your understanding. There are powers outside my control that have been of great influence in my life, and have caused more heartache for me, and those I love, than I care to imagine. Suffice it to say that I am deeply sorry that you have had to feel some of the burden of my life’s work. I wish I could tell you all about it, but I cannot. I know that they will get their hands on this letter, and they will not allow me to say anything to you.

As I sit in my study writing this, a lone tear drips from my nose onto a book I have nearby. I think it is called Schematics for Various Diode Devices. I thought I had run out of tears a long time ago. At least I can take solace in the thought that once I have gone, you will be able to read this book, and many more like it in the library I will leave to you. I know how much you like books. This whole house will belong to you, my son. I did not have a chance to show it to you when we last met, but there is a particularly nice painting of your mother in the foyer. I may move it to the dining room, and place it over the mantle. That might look nice.
Please understand. I have tried to do everything I can for the sake of the people I love.
Take care, son, and good luck.

- A. D. W. (Dad)

Although most of the letter seemed to be rambling, Douglas still broke down in tears for the second time in as many weeks. He would spend the next couple of months battling the red tape of bureaucracy in an attempt to restore ownership of his father’s estate, which brings us back to the present…