A New Magical Beginning

London is the city that became a world of its own. So many people immigrate and emigrate to London that one would imagine the rest of the United Kingdom does not matter for foreigners. Economy is well, education is well, the health system could be better but still London is a city where many want to work in.

Such was the dream of a man in his thirties, an age when adults do not dream anymore but work in order to sustain themselves. But not him. He worked so much that he ended up looking at the world with too many expectations.

“10 minutes and we’ll open the doors!” Came a voice from the front.

That announcement came as bad news for the workers in the back, whose job was to make sure the books were placed on shelves and ready to be broken by thousands of hands.

“Do women really like to read this?” One of the workers asked, swaying one sample at his co worker.

“My girlfriend likes it. She told me I should take some notes.”

The first one scrunched his nose in disgust as he placed it back on the shelf. The cover itself was enough of a hint at what the story was about.

“Maybe you should read it too, Tom. When was the last time you went on a date?” The second worker asked his mate, a teasing smile widening on his face.

Tom shook his head vehemently, his ideas of a good book being far from what was before him.

“I used to work in the publishing business. This is one of the reasons I gave it up.”

“I thought you were fired because you weren’t doing your job right.” Commented the second worker keeping his eyes on the books.

Tom narrowed his eyes at him and puckered his lips, feeling his pride shatter.

“Let’s not talk about that.”

“Mate, you’ve been abandoned by your parents and now you live in the apartment above this store. I do believe we need to talk about your future.”

“Ruddy, no matter how much I like when you stop talking about yourself, let’s not concentrate on me. I’m doing fine.” Tom said, turning around and walking in the staff room.

“Why don’t you call your father and ask him for a loan?” Ruddy asked following his friend through the door.

“No, I’m not having this discussion again!” Tom exclaimed searching for something else to do. It didn’t seem like Ruddy was one to give up.

“You should leave aside your petty fights and ask him when it’s hard for you.”

“You sound just like Nina.” Tom said passing by Ruddy on the way back into the library.

“Well maybe she was right. You shouldn’t have broken up, she knew what you needed.”

“Yep. That was the problem.” Tom mumbled as he walked out.

It seemed the 10 minutes ended because a crowd of women made their way inside, some more calmly than others, and went straight to the new book.

It was just past the craziness of erotic novels and their fans when Toma was ready to take his well deserved break. He was talking to someone when he was surprised by another one of his colleagues.

“Tom, this very well dressed gentleman wants to talk to you.” She said, eyeing him.

Toma only needed to take a glimpse of his shoes and he knew who that was. He sighed but walked to the grey haired man without much ado.

“Is my father disinheriting me, Aldo?” He asked feeling like he will lose his precious break on something insignificant.

“As a matter of fact, sir, I am here about an inheritance. Your grandfather’s."

Tom raised an eyebrow, still very suspicious.

“Shouldn’t you be talking to father then?”

“No, sir. You and you only are the benefactor.” Said Aldo, the lawyer of the Bennington family, and retired from what Tom knew.

“What is this about then?” Tom asked growing curious. He couldn’t lie; he was anticipating some money since he was in desperate need.

“Should we arrange a meeting to discuss this issue? Perhaps tomorrow morning…?” Aldo answered in his posh accent. Tom raised an eyebrow but with how much attention this old man seemed to draw, it was better to go along with whatever he planned.

“Sure. Your office, if you still have it.”

“Just because I retired does not mean I do not still own the law firm.” He added before he gave Tom one of his quick bows of head and left.

“What the heck was that?” Ruddy asked as he approached his colleague from the back. “Are you in trouble?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

As soon as next morning came around, Tom woke up and groggily made his way into the bathroom. Looking at his reflection he couldn’t help but notice how much weight he actually lost in the last six months. It’s been hard making a living by himself but it was far better than having someone breathe down his neck.

He didn’t try dressing up; he actually chose to wear clothes that he knew would never be up to his father’s standards. His father, the big conglomerate, the man with the money albeit not made by his own handy work but by others he paid.

Getting the cab was the best choice to get there in time so maybe that was why Tom took the subway. There was also the problem of not having any money but one more reason to be seen as a disappointment could not be avoided. If he chose that way he may as well go all the way.

So when he arrived at the prestigious law firm, as soon as he stepped inside he was met with incredulous looks. There he was, dressed in black pants with a nerdy shirt and a kaki jacket barely covering the front, which was a picture of an anime character. His hair was a mess and he looked like he hadn’t slept in months. Anyway, once he arrived at the information stand he smiled.

“I’m here to see old Aldo.” He said with no filter whatsoever.

“And your name is?” The well dressed, superior looking employee asked from behind his neat desk.

“Bennington.”

The secretary looked up at him in a way that almost questioned if he was or not who he implied. After a sigh and a few types on his laptop, the secretary nodded and let Tom walk to the elevator.

While inside he couldn’t help but tap his foot. He was curious what inheritance he missed on and how come his father never claimed it. All these questions were killing him.

“Ah, Toma, I’m glad you came. Please, take a seat.” Aldo said as soon as the messy man entered. “I’m sure you’re wondering just what is happening.”

“I’m curious why my father isn’t here to claim it.”

“Your father does not know about this inheritance.” Aldo answered surprising the younger man. “As I told you before, you are the sole inheritor of this particular house.”

“It’s a house?!”

“A furnished house and of course a sum of money attributed to it, for its care I suppose.” Aldo said before he pushed the document towards Tom.

The young man read it carefully and with every paragraph his eyes shifted over to the lawyer.

“This is a lot for just a simple care of a house.” Thomas said suspicious of the lawyer. “Why does my father not know about this?”

“This will has been left by your grandfather to my father, especially for this day. It marks 80 years since he died. He wanted you to receive it once your grandmother passed.”

“But why me?”

“Because you need it. The will says it too. It needs to go to the person that hit the lowest point of his life. If there is too much greed then the house shall not be used but sold. This house is very important Toma. If you accept it, you have to move there.”

“There where?”

“Aberdeen.”

“Scotland?! It’s in Scotland?”

“You decide, Tom. It is a good opportunity but it’s also a big responsibility.”

It took a few minutes for Toma to make up his mind. Only looking at the huge amount of money allocated to the house was overwhelming. He really needed money and it seemed like he could use this rare chance in order to pull himself out of the artistic pit he was in.

“I understand.”

A content smile formed on Aldo’s face.

“Good luck, son.”

Tom left that day feeling like a huge rock has been shoved off his back. The pressure of having the responsibility of a whole mansion was nothing compared to surviving a mediocre life while living in the apartment above his workplace. He still had many questions, some to which he knew nobody could answer but his grandparents and they were gone. Charles Bennington was a honorary personality in the Bennington house and not even his son dared stain his image. But Toma couldn’t recall a time when his father ever told him about his grandfather.

As Tom passed the entrance and walked into the streets of London, he couldn’t help but be expectant. Money and a house were enough to plant a smile on his face and he couldn’t wait to see what was waiting for him in Aberdeen.

Thoughts abouy life in his new house filled his mind for the whole way home. Once he unlocked his front door and entered the shabby little place that he resided in for a year, he started to wonder. Was it alright? Was it really so easy? The old man wouldn’t play him for a fool after so long, he was too strict for that.

With sloppy movements as if he had gone through many hardships in his life, the tall and lanky man strolled through his apartment with a look of melancholy. He had to say goodbye to his stacked corners, not by magazines or clothing but by little figurines of different superheroes. Most of his pocket money went into manga, which he had set up nicely in order in the servant that seemed to fall apart under his eyes. There were only two shelves and the base bottom, but they were probably the cleanest because Tom was wiping the dust more often than his mother did for her trinkets. His eyes then turned to the smart TV he had won at his own shop raffle. Or maybe they let him win since they knew he did not have one. The bed was full of memories, and not dirty ones but quite childish; he had more friends come over in that small square space than he had in his younger days back at his parents’ house. Probably that was the main reason he loved it so much, it was so different from what he had been offered before and he was paying the price of being independent.

“And now I have to move...” he sighed and plopped on his Avengers pillow, one he bought at a retail after having to hackle for it for 15 minutes.

He didn’t know when he stopped gathering his belongings but sometime while cleaning up he fell asleep. The loud phone alarm woke him up before his shift and he wiped his drool off before he got up and tamed his hair with his hand and saliva. He only checked his appearance on the way before he walked in the book store looking like he had been in the middle of a playground the whole morning.

His supervisor was a woman who liked to prepare herself to the smallest detail so when someone so messy passed her on the way to the backroom, she flinched.

“Don’t dare come out of there, Tom. Not like...this,” she said with a tinge of disgust as she pointed at his attire.

His friend was already there, placing the magnetic stickers on the back of the books so they won’t get stolen. He waved at Tom and patted the seat next to him before handing the messy man his share of work.

“So?” He asked, knowing something happened.

“I may have to take a leave of absence.” He started making the other laugh loudly.

“Yeah right, as if Florence would ever agree with that! You live upstairs because she vouched for you and in exchange you have to work your arse off in this place.”

“It’s alright. I’m moving.” He said with such nonchalance.

His friend, Ruddy, was the man that had followed him through thick and thin ever since Tom decided to be an editor, the same one that sheltered him after Tom’s fall with his parents and his girlfriend. He had seen his friend go through terrible times, fall so hard that it hurt even him-- that same friend who had seen it all was now left speechless.

“Excuse me?” Was the only line he could muster.

“I inherited a mansion in Aberdeen and I have to move and live in it in order to get some pocket money too.”

“Who left you a mansion? Isn’t your father against you inheriting anything related to the family?”

“It’s from grandad. I don’t know much either but I agreed with the conditions. If it doesn’t work out then...too bad. I’ll come back and take it from the bottom.”

He was speaking about his own life with so much ease and with such an optimistic tone that it baffled Ruddy.

“Mate, if you leave you won’t have anything to return to. Lewis won’t let you back in the apartment and you will have to beg on your knees to allow you to work here. He is very strict, you know that.”

Tom shrugged, seemingly fine with that idea, but his heart felt heavy. Reality was harsher when spoken out loud by another beggar such as his friend.

Since he had nothing to lose anyway, Tom packed only his clothes and took the train to Aberdeen early the next day.

Standing in silence and watching the passing scenery, he couldn’t help but feel like he was going from busy and sweaty London to the more picturesque countryside. He was a bit worried, he wasn’t going to just live some place else but also have to care for a house and everything connected to it. But it didn’t dishearten him, not after he checked his bank account and saw how many zeroes were added to his few pounds.

For seven hours and a half, Tom made several scenarios in his mind. If he were to find someone already there, cleaning or whatever else, he had to introduce himself as the new owner. That sounded quite nice to his ears, the owner. If people in Aberdeen were to approach him about the house or for any other reason such as welcoming him in the neighborhood, he needed to come up with a more decent background than he had. He couldn’t arrive there and say Oh, yes, I was abandoned by my father when I decided to do whatever I want with my life and now I am an unemployed, single man in his thirties. But thank you for popping by! He scrunched his nose in dislike. He could say that he worked at a famous publishing company and now he’s on a break in order to finish his book. Yeah, that sounded a lot better, it made him look more like an intellectual and mysterious figure.

There were so many ideas and very creative ways in which he could introduce himself to these unknown people that when he actually arrived on the front porch of the house he was a bit disappointed.

Nobody was there and it looked like nobody wanted to be there. It wasn’t even placed in a lively part of the city but just outside with the next house about 20 minutes away. 

The whole house seemed to be taken out of a history book, at least on the outside. The key to the house looked as intriguing and elegant as the front door. Once inside, the smell of old wood and dust made him sneeze and cough. When he calmed down, he realized that everything was vintage, expensive and yet tasteful. Looking through the living room and kitchen he realized that he needed to bring a little of the 21st century in it, especially to the water pipes, sockets (which did not exist) and much more. He went up to the first floor (and the only one) on a staircase that didn’t inspire much confidence. Upstairs it was even more dusty and the three rooms and two bathrooms could not be used.

Tom sighed a little worried about the level of work the house needed. He returned to the ground floor and went to the living room. He wanted to sit on the couch but decided not to. From the corner of his eye he saw that there was another round staircase that most likely went into the cellar. With small steps, because he was afraid of falling down, he descended at most two meters in a kind of hall. The first thing that caught his eye was a portiere, a curtain door that led into an even smaller hall where he only found an old, incredibly tall door. It made him feel like he was in a horror movie.

When Tom touched the knob, he felt as if something amazing will happen to him.