Dying with peace of mind

                                Dying with peace of mind

       Daniel Summerfield to Harold Ffinch……14 june 2024

My dear Harold, 

I am writing this letter from a small isolated village a few miles from the Salange National park in the Republic of Congo. You find me on my deathbed with a severe attack of yellow fever. Although before leaving England a month ago I took the precautionary measure to take a vaccine against this life threatening disease the vaccine is not proving strong enough. The local medicine man attending me is trying his best with various herbs that seem to have no effect. Slowly my livers are giving way. I came out here to see the great gorillas in their natural habitat.

Harold, you have been a good friend and as our family solicitor you have been an excellent guardian of our family affairs. I think I have little chance to recover from my present illness so I wish to add a codicil to my latest will.

First I have a confession to make. Two months after the birth of our first child I was invited to give a talk in New York with a panel of other international experts on radioactivity. On the panel was a very attractive American woman. At a cocktail party after our discussions lead to the American and I spending the night together. It was an irresponsible and foolish act. I suppose it might have been the result of being starved of any sexual activity with my wife for over six months. Three months later I received a letter from this American woman, her name was Elisabeth Hunter. She told me our night of love making had resulted in her becoming pregnant. I immediately wrote back saying I was extremely surprised by this news and given our complicated lives I suggest she seek an abortion. The next letter between us was that of a woman’s scorn. She was determined to give birth to the child and at birth she had organized an adoption process. She was adamant the adoption was at birth before she had time to get emotionally involved. I did not reply and never heard from her again.

Over the years I have had several nightmares about my behavior and my complete detachment to the birth. So Harold, I ask you to try and find the child. I don’t even know if it is a boy or a girl. I use the word child but in fact their age will be in the early thirties. Naturally I will pay you for your time and any expenses.  The mothers name  is Elizabeth Hunter,  She is quite well known in scientific circles but I am not sure she will be of any help. Maybe you should start with the clinic or hospital where the child was born or the adoption organization employed. As I think I have only a short period to live so time is of the essence. Once you have found him or her I wish you add a codicil to my will allocating one million pounds to this individual. 

As you already know, three years after my wife died from cancer I had an affair with a young South African girl called Liyane. She became pregnant and delivered a daughter. This time I took full responsibility for my act and mandated you to pay a half yearly sum of money to the mother. I am now asking you to set up a trust of one million pounds in my daughter’s name which at the age of eighteen she will be entitled to. In the meantime please continue paying Liyane. 

My two children in England are unaware of my follies. I will write to them

For you to get in touch with me will be complicated as there is no possibility of the telephone or an internet connection. At present the country is in chaos with many warring factions travelling through the lands. I would be ill advised to attempt any traveling to a hospital.The nearest reputable hospital is a few hundred miles away. Before arriving in this small village I did open a mailbox at the post office located in a nearby village called Monkoto. There is a boy that goes there from here three times a week and picks up, among other things, any mail I have received. So please address any mail under my name to the post office in Monkoto. As always, my thanks. I can only hope I hear from you. I am making a signed copy of this letter in the event you never receive it. I count on you to add these last donations to my will.  This is my dying wish concerning my estate.

Bless you dear friend.

                     Democratic Republic of the Congo

                       Post office box 231 Summerfield

                                        Monkoto

                                                       14th June 2024

My dearest Emma and Thomas

No doubt your first surprise will be the above address. Yes, as I am now semi-retired on the spare of the moment, with telling anybody, I decided to fulfill one of my dreams of seeing the great gorillas in their natural habitat. I decided to take my faithful assistant, Samuel, with me. This has been a blessing as I have fallen seriously ill with yellow fever. The precautionary vaccine I took in London was not strong enough. I have to rely on the local village doctor in a small village about 10 miles from Monkoto. This is totally unsatisfactory. He gives me certain potions and is always throwing up his hands saying this is a very bad attack. The country is in chaos with various warring tribes disturbing all government services. The chance of getting me to a hospital would be impossible. We have no form of communication with the country or to the outside world other than the written word and a boy running to the post office three times a week in Monkoto. My youthful dream of seeing the gorillas has turned into a nightmare. I am dictating this letter to Samuel as I am too weak to write it myself. My maker is calling me. 

Before the lights finally go out I just wanted to say how proud and loving I feel for you both. 

We were not very close to you both as parents as our careers always took center stage. I am so pleased to find that this lack of parent presence has allowed you both to have a special relationship with each other that enriches your lives. Both your mother and I were full of admiration. 

Emma I realized your first love turnout to be an unpleasant period. I am thankful your mother was still alive to steer you through those troubled waters. Somewhere your prince in shining armour is waiting for you. In the meantime allow the world to enjoy your work as a talented artist. 

Thomas deep inside me I always hoped you would continue my life's work in the scientific world. But no, you chose to be a banker with the priority of creating a family and enjoying family life. You have married a wonderful woman and have four splendid children. 

It would be true to say I am slightly envious.

Now I come to a part of my life I have kept very personal and secret. The day I first met your mother I knew she was the woman I wanted to love and spend the rest of my life with. That deep feeling held true throughout our lives together. 

When your mother was pregnant with you Thomas I had a strange feeling of loneliness and was now playing second fiddle to my wife's priorities. This feeling was more pronounced after your birth. At that time I was asked to join a panel discussion in New York. On the panel was a very attractive American woman. After cocktails at the conclusion of the seminar we had a brief affair. Two months later she contacted me with the news she was pregnant. I suggested an abortion. She disagreed and said she would have the baby and have it adopted at birth. I never heard from her again. My attitude and dealing with this matter was despicable. Somewhere in this world there is a child I feel responsible for. I have asked our family solicitor( Harold) to find him. If he or she is eventually found I have mandated Harold to put aside one million pounds for his or her benefit. This would represent only 5% of my estate, a poultry sum when you consider my despicable behavior.  

After your mother's death I buried myself in my work, both of you complained you hardly ever saw me. It must have been about three years later that I went to South Africa to explore the finding of a laboratory there. I met a charming young African woman, we had a delightful brief affair. The result was I received a letter saying she was pregnant with a small girl. Contrary to years ago I wrote back and said I was delighted and I would hold myself responsible for all costs related to the child’s upbring. I added that within the next two years I would come to South Africa. I  immediately instructed Harold, our solicitor, to send the child’s.mother a regular six month payment of 12,500 $ until our daughter is eighteen when a trust of one million dollars would be transferred to her name. 

My beloved children, I make no excuses. I just ask you to accept that your father had the temporary failings of many men. In both these affairs never for one minute did my life long love and respect for your mother diminish. 

Be well and happy, our life on this earth is just a short period in the evolution of the universe.

Your loving father.  

                       Emma and Thomas Summerfield    

                                   14 Addison Road

                                    London W 11 4RJ  

                                                                20th July 2024

Dearest Father 

 After travelling around the postal system your tragic and sad letter reached us. Our first reaction was that it was irresponsible of you to go on a trip of this nature without telling us. We are left feeling distressed and helpless. Our second reaction was that we were devastated by the  news. Our local doctor tells us that an important dose of yellow fever without proper medical attention and care will result in clasping your livers and death. You can imagine our reaction. Our third reaction concerns your secret life. It would be true to say we were not totally surprised, but maybe a little disappointed. We agree with your reaction to try and right a wrong with your generous gifts. It will be sometime before we welcome our sister in law and possibly another brother or sister in law into our family, but we will.

We can only hope and pray for you that by some miracle you will come through this ordeal.   

You have been a wonderful father, someone to admire and look up to regardless of the many times it was from a distance. In an odd way this created a lifetime bond between us two. Not having our parents' constant presence with us forced us to rely on each other when addressing the many little problems of growing up. With your news the bond between us has taken a gigantic turn of sorrow and love.

This afternoon we are both going to the local church to light a candle and  pray for you.

On a more practical note we have been on to the Foreign office. They said they would look into the matter but given the chaotic condition at present in the country they caution us their efforts might not bear fruit. 

We can't wait to welcome you home. 

Love Thomas and Emm  Daniel Summerfield

                                Daniel Summerfield

                                                      14 June 202

My dear Liyane

I am writing this from my bed. I am suffering from a life threatening disease. I won’t bore you with all the details.  

But I feel it is necessary to put my affairs in order. As I lie there watching the hours pass I think of all the most pleasurable periods of my life. The moments I felt happy and at peace with myself and the world. You and the period we spent together often creeps into my mind. Your decision to allow your pregnancy to terminate in the birth of a beautiful daughter touched my heart with joy. Unfortunately I am not sure I will ever meet her. But I want to assure you that the bi-yearly payments will continue until she is eighteen. At that point a trust funded with a million dollars will be paid over to her. Make sure she uses the money wisely. 

Stay well and also guard that beautiful smile and laughter.

My love 

Daniel

                           Ffinch, Barnes and Walton

                                   41 Eaton square 

                                      London SW1. 

                                                             September 20th 2024

Dear Daniel 

In late July I heard from the children that at the end of June you died of kidney failure due to the yellow fever. I understand they are having considerable difficulties in extracting your body from the Congo.I am told the latest news is that the body will be released in October. We then will be able to have a proper funeral and wind up your estate. 

I am writing you this letter for two reasons 1) To express my deep sadness. Your presence will be missed by many in the scientific world. I am sure your funeral will demonstrate the admiration and love people had for you. 2) In my professional role. In June you asked me to try and locate your adopted child living in the USA. According to the hospital and adoption records he was a boy. Rather than informing your two children I thought it was my duty to send this letter to your London address. The children can read it there. 

It took me much longer than I originally thought to track bown your son. I did not even contact his mother as I heard after the adoption she had no interest in having anything to do with the child. She is married with three children. Through the adoption service and the hospital I learnt that the baby had been adopted by a professor from Harvard and his wife who was unable to have a child. You will be proud to know that your son has just completed his studies at MIT and is at present working for the government on secret assignment. He is not married.

I end this letter confirming all your instructions regarding your estate are in order. 

It was pleasure and honour to have known you

Your good friend Harold.

David Nutt                                                  March 2025