A Loss and a Change

Sitting in the study of his mansion in New York City, billionaire Noah Johnson was preparing his will. “I’m bequeathing this company and all my wealth to my son, Aaron T. Johnson.” He knew that this would cause some backlash by company directors as well as the public. But Aaron was his only son and Noah loved him.

“WHAT?!?” protested Bill Nelson a heavy set, short and bald man who was also there with him. He was Noah’s personal confidant and friend “Noah this is insane. You know very well that Aaron is nothing but an irresponsible brat who thinks of everybody as a slave. He’s got a very short temper, spends money impulsively and he can’t even take care of a dog let alone a company. He’ll drive Johnson Enterprises to the ground in less than a year... at best”.

Noah started Johnson enterprises, a clothing firm, in 1985 when he was 20 years old filled with the entrepreneurial spirit and became very wealthy. He married a Russian singer, Angela Turgenev, at 30 and soon after Aaron Turgenev Johnson was born. Aaron grew up in luxury. There was nothing he lacked and he was very cheerful, happy and sweet.

Noah was now 55 with greying hair, a huge thick beard and a gentle yet powerful voice.

Noah looked up but couldn’t look Bill in the eye because he knew Bill was right. “Bill...I know what kind of person my boy is. He’s a really good person who has just been trying to cope up with his mother’s death perhaps. Maybe once he’s given this responsibility he might change Bill. I just know it...” “Noah i perfectly understand the amount of love you have for your son...I even know how much you loved Angela and how you can see so much of her in him. But Noah this is madness. This is a unicorn company which is right now a market leader in clothing. This is a beautiful legacy that you’ve created and you can’t give it to Aaron just on the presumption that he ‘may’ change his ways. Think of the Shareholders and investors... You’ll be putting their money at risk. Not to mention the bad publicity we’ll get. Aaron has a very bad reputation in society.”

“But...” Just then the door swung open and Aaron Johnson entered with an arrogant strut. Aaron was very tall with broad shoulders and a muscular physique. He was a handsome man with blue eyes, wavy locks of golden hair, a sharp nose and a three days growth of beard. He wore a blue John Varvatos t-shirt, jeans and Axel Arigato sneakers.

“You know how these commoners were acting at the cinema today. It was so demeaning to watch a movie there but i didn’t have a choice. We should really have a private theater here. That way i can watch my movie in peace without being disgusted by these peasants shouting, playing, pushing...they're just not up-to our level of class.”

Bill turned away in anger. Noah beckoned Aaron “Aaron come sit down...we must discuss something of utmost significance.” Aaron sat down on the couch “What’s going on?” 

“Aaron, pretty soon you’ll be taking over Johnson Enterprises, the most reputed clothing brand in the world. There are a few qualities you need to possess as the head of this company namely honesty, humility, responsibility and treating people well. These traits will ensure that the brand maintains it’s good image as well as keep all stakeholders happy...that being said i need you to realize just how badly you treat people. It’s not right. You’re better than that.”  

Aaron replied haughtily “I don’t see what’s wrong. We ARE superior to everybody else. We have a level of sophistication and we are very powerful. I’m just showing people the fact”

“Nobody is inferior or superior to us” Noah retorted “My God Aaron! what’s happened to you? When you were young you were such a nice boy...I remember how you used to play with the other boys around the neighbourhood. The same boys you call ‘commoners’ and ‘peasants’ now. Back then you treated them so well. What went wrong?”. “I guess I grew up” Aaron replied sarcastically, deliberately avoiding eye contact with his father and Bill

.

“You know, I feel you’re like this ever since you’re mother died in the car...”

“STOP!!” Aaron immediately interrupted, now looking directly at his father with fierce anger blazing in his eyes “Don’t you dare mention that...first of all it’s your fault she’s dead”

“My fault!” Noah exclaimed, shocked “Aaron I loved your mother. I never wanted her to die. Everyday I wish I was there with her at that time so none of this would have happened. But there was this important business deal that just had to be conducted. I felt it be better if Jacques drove her. After all nothing had happened till then”

“NO! You knew that Jacques was nothing but a big drunk who has never driven safely. It’s only dumb luck that we’re still alive after letting him take us around. I don’t even know why you agreed to hire him in the first place. You know maybe if Ma was still alive i would’ve been different but she’s not...so everything...Ma’s death and my personality...is your fault”. And at length Aaron got up and turned towards the door.

“ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE” shouted Bill, glaring at Aaron and slamming his clenched fist on the table.

“Alexei please...” Noah croaked teary eyed.

‘Don’t call me that...only Ma could call me that name” and with that Aaron slammed the door behind him.

Aaron, breathing heavily with anger, decided to eat out at one of his favourite restaurants, the Le Bernardin, to get his mind off the quarrel with his father. He got into his car, a Koenigsegg Agera R, and drove towards the restaurant without caring for the speed limit. Once there, he handed the keys to the chauffeur, a short fair man with a gold tooth. Aaron had never seen him all the times he came before. But he decided to let him have the keys thinking that he was newly hired.

At the Johnson mansion, Bill had been consoling Noah who was lamenting his wife’s death and his son’s hatred towards him. They decided to watch MSNBC. At least watching the news on how the markets are doing would take Noah’s mind of his wife and son. While fluffing through the channels, they came across breaking news.” A Koenigsegg Agera R has crashed into a wall in The Bronx borough of New York City. The license plate is KED 2522. The driver has not been identified.”

Noah sprang to his feet “KED 2522?? That’s Aaron’s car! Oh no” Noah, wanting to save his son, asked Bill to take care of the mansion and rushed out. He got into one of his Bentleys and quickly drove to the site at full speed. When he got there he parked at a distance and ran to the accident site, There was a crowd but not many recognized him. He got close to the car, which was battered beyond recognition, but there was no driver inside. Thinking that Aaron got out and is somewhere nearby, he began to search down the road. Soon he came across a small man with a cut on his head, resting in a narrow lane. He had a golden tooth and was wearing a custom Armani Jacket with the initials ATJ.

“That’s my son’s jacket” Noah screamed ‘WHERE IS HE?” but before Noah could do anything else the man quickly took out a gun and shot Noah-two bullets to the chest-and ran away. Noah had just enough strength to call Bill and ask for an ambulance before passing out.

At the restaurant’s parking lot, Aaron was frantically searching for his car “Damn it! That small peasant of a chauffeur has stolen my car. Even my Armani jacket was in it”. Suddenly, Aaron looked up and was blinded by two headlights. It was a police car. The police got out and stood in front of him “Aaron Turgeva Johnson?”

“Yes. That’s me”

“We’re sorry to inform you that your father, Noah Albert Johnson, has been shot in The Bronx borough of New York. An ambulance has taken him to the hospital but there’s little hope for him since he was shot very close to the heart. Please come with us.”

Aaron didn’t even hear the latter part of the sentence; he just froze for ten minutes out of sadness and shock. The cops had to help him get into the car.

When they got to the hospital Aaron rushed to his father’s side, held him and shouted “Dad! Dad! Wake up!!. Noah wasn’t responsive. He was then immediately taken to the operating room.

After about an hour, the doctor approached Aaron to inform him that his father was dead. Noah sat back, thought of the fight that occurred earlier in the day. Those harsh words would be the last thing he’d say to his father. The more he thought about it, the more difficult it was to hold back his tears and he started crying bitterly.

Bill was also there, sobbing in a corner. He had just lost his best friend.

The next day, there was a state wide funeral. All the major media agencies were present. Bill had also come and after the funeral, He walked up to Aaron “Aaron listen...now that you’re father’s gone, you need to take responsibility and take over this company. That’s what Noah always wanted. He loved you too much and every single time I’ve met him, he has mentioned the car accident... how he should’ve been there for Angela to avoid losing her and how he wants to see you happy. He worked even harder after that to build this powerful enterprise just so you could have it. This was the only way he could make it up to you. Please honour him-honour both your parents-by being a good man and running this company well. This is my last piece of advice to you.” And Bill bid him farewell and left.

Aaron was silent throughout. Later that day, still deep in thought, he was rummaging through his father’s study for a few files for the reading of Noah’s will. He suddenly found a set of letters. They were by his mother, addressed to ‘Alexei ’

Aaron smiled on reading the name. His mother was an admirer of Alexander the Great and wanted to name Aaron after him but Noah decided to call him Aaron. Angela conceded but she used to call him affectionately ‘Alexei’- the Russian nickname for Alexander.

He thought about both his parents. Both of them were extremely kind hearted people. They took every opportunity to help people in need and they always put others interests before their own. They used to tell him that he must strive to be a good man. But he had turned himself into a completely different person. Aaron started to reflect on the root cause of his change in personality.

When he was eight years old, Angela’s father was admitted in the hospital. She desperately needed to go back to Russia. Since Noah was busy with a meeting, she asked Jacques to drive her to the Airport, leaving Aaron at the neighbours till Noah returned. She had asked Jacques to speed up as she wanted to reach the airport soon, but the car skidded, smashing into an electric pole and the car burst into flames.

When Noah heard his mother was dead he was distraught and he wailed bitterly for hours. To cover up the pain and to hide his vulnerability, Aaron put on a facade of arrogance and insensitivity which soon became a habit over the years. He also realized that his father was not to blame for his mother’s death. He only blamed his father to cope up with the loss of his mother because he didn’t know what else to do at that time. And now the last meeting with his father ended on a wrong note. 

Now Aaron vowed to never look down upon people and to be more understanding and humble. He was willing to do anything to make his parents proud.

Six months later, Bill was passing by the Johnson’s mansion when he saw Aaron. He dropped his casual dressing style and adopted a more formal look with an Armani suit. He even appeared in several business magazines as the most effective business leader. Bill waved to Aaron and walked up to him “Well kid...i didn’t think you could do it but you did”

“Yeah” Aaron smiled and pointed to the sky “God enlightened me...He gave me another chance at life. Everything was meant to happen to make me who I am today”