Aaron 5

When Aaron was eighteen a voice came to him, and it said “Remember’.

Aaron said “I remember. And I’m ready.”

And the voice said “Good. Now let’s get to work.”

Alice understood Aaron wanting to take a year off before going to college. A lot of kids do that. What she didn’t understand was why he blew off that basketball scholarship. Or the baseball scholarship. Even the math scholarship. He even blew off being valedictorian. While he excelled in many different things, it was weird that he chose to do none of it. And now here they were, in San Francisco, in one of the largest banks in the country, surrounded by security, sitting across from a banker who looked at them like they were bank robbers. The suddenness of it, the expense of plane tickets and a hotel, had her head swimming.

“Why are we here again?” said Alice. Her voice betrayed her confusion and her nervousness as to the sudden trip and by being surrounded by so many tall, well built men that looked like they were here for dinner, and she and Aaron were the main course. They spent little time talking about it, and his only answer was the same every time.

“We’re here to collect my inheritance.” He looked at her and took her hand. “Mom, it’s from an old friend who’s no longer with us. You never met him, he lived in that house down the street. Where we used to live, the one with the busted roof.”

She never knew him to lie, in fact his honesty was the one thing she could count on, for good and for bad. Like when he told her she could do better than the job she had. She had gotten passed over for a promotion, but rather than look for another job she remained there, lacking the courage to do just what he suggested. He still held her tight, consoling her through that tough time.

But that house he mentioned. A rundown wreck of a house that she thought was condemned by the city so long ago. When his father was still alive. No one actually lived there, right? Maybe when that house was in better condition. But when did he have a chance to know this person? He was still a toddler when they moved.

The banker cleared his throat to get their attention. Aaron gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, and turned to the banker.

“Are the account numbers in order?” said Aaron. The look on his face was one she had seen before, but this time there was more to it. It was too calm, too unnerving. It reminded her of the many teachers he had stared down when he knew he was right.

“Yes” he drawled. “And the passcodes are correct. I will just need your signature here and here.” He handed Aaron a couple of forms but held one back. “Lovely weather we’re having” he said.

Aaron replied “Yes it is. It’s our first time in San…” He stopped mid-signature and looked directly at the banker. The banker sat there with that last form in front of him, waiting expectantly. Alice looked at Aaron and saw his eyes narrow. She didn’t know what was going on between the two of them as Aaron tilted his head slightly, lost in thought.

A moment passed, then Aaron looked back at the banker. “Unless you’re in Borneo” he said.

The banker produced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He passed Aaron the last form and said “Congratulations. You are now the owner of three hundred ninety two million, five hundred eighty six thousand, four hundred thirty three dollars and seventy one cents.

Alice was struck dumb. “Wha…wha…wha…” was all she could muster. She looked at Aaron who was calmly signing the last form, neither smiling nor reacting to the news at all, like this was just another day. She felt her heart race, as the shock decided to settle in for awhile.

“Mom, let me see your checkbook.” That’s what he said, but her brain wasn’t processing it. Her face remained frozen, her mouth wide open. She barely felt Aaron take her purse from her, barely registered him taking out her checkbook, numbly seeing him remove one of her checks and write VOID across it. Barely understood what he was telling the banker.

“I will need to create an account of course, and a line of credit. And the first thing to do is transfer ten million to my mother’s account. You can find her account, bank, and routing number from this voided check. I can of course retain your services.”

He was saying things and so was the banker and her heart raced and she felt warm and she passed out…