Chapter 10 - Brad's funeral

After Brad's funeral ceremony George stood up and offered a toast to Brad's memory.

"I Brad Austin Mercer declare this to be my last will and testament. At my funeral, I decree that everybody is to have a damn good time," said George though Sally, Brad's widow didn't see the funny side of his comment at the sad loss of her husband.

"George there is no need for that disrespectful comment," she seethed.

"Sorry for my brevity but I've at least got your attention," replied George. "Folks we're all gathered here to pay our last respects to Brad Mercer. Now if anybody thinks that this funeral is a little unorthodox you'll know Brad well enough to know that this is exactly what he specified in his will. And I'm honored that he designated me to be his toastmaster. I'll be brief because I think that's the way Brad would've wanted it. You'll know how Brad loved life and how he loved living it. As a matter of fact, just before Brad passed away he was sitting at our piano just playing his heart out. So, here's a toast and a last farewell to our good friend. I'm going to miss him very much. Here's to Brad!"

"To Brad!" they all said in one voice.

After a period talking about Brad's life we all retreated and left. George and I returned to his house where we encountered another unexpected huge problem.

"Helen honey is that you?" George cried when he saw her standing by the locked front door unable to get in.

"Yes, Daddy it's little old me. I'm back home at last," she declared.

"Who is this with you and why does she look just like me?"

Of course, I realized straight away who she was, and it could certainly spell big trouble. Obviously, George's real daughter Helen had just returned home.

"Baby! Baby! Baby! Baby!" he cried happily as they hugged each other hard. "It's so good to have you back home. I've missed you so much."

"Daddy it's good to be back. However, you'll have to introduce me to your little friend here though," she said as I approached the two of them by the front door.

"Oh yeah Helen this is my dear friend Jane. Jane this is my daughter Helen," he said introducing us. We shook hands politely, but it was clear she wondered why I looked like I was her twin sister.

"Jane who?" she asked

"Jane Simpson or she will be when she becomes my wife," he declared.

My jaw dropped at the thought of being his wife.

"All right then both of you must go on into the lounge," he said opening the front door. "Help yourselves to some drinks and I'll be there with you both shortly."

"So, just when are you two planning on getting married?" she asked me when we reached the lounge.

"We haven't set a date yet," I responded. "In fact, he hadn't mentioned marriage before until just now."

"You look just like me if you don't mind me saying. The resemblance is uncanny," Helen said sitting opposite me. "It's like staring into a mirror."

"That's all your father's fault," I replied. "I had to have extensive plastic surgery done on my face and for some reason he used a picture of your face to create my new face."

Then George walked in and sat down after pouring himself a large whisky.

"Do you like my wife to be?" he asked Helen. "It's hard to believe but she was in a major trauma, and I recreated her face to be just like yours."

"So, I see. You're still very talented Daddy," said Helen. "When is your wedding?"

"We haven't set a date yet, but I imagine sometime in the next couple of months," he replied.

"It's a shame I had to come home on such an unhappy occasion," Helen then said referring to Brad's funeral. "What happened to Uncle Brad?"

"He had a massive heart attack right here in this very room," declared George.

"Oh, poor Uncle Brad," she replied.

"Well he didn't suffer much darling. It was instantaneous. There wasn't anything I could do to save him. His heart just suddenly gave out," George replied.

"I know you would have done everything you could to save him Daddy," Helen replied. "Despite the sad news it's so good to be home again."

"God it is so good to have you back," he declared to her though I wasn't sure if he meant it.

"Yeah, we're both back together again," Helen declared.

I stayed silent while she added. "Only it seems that there are going to be three of us now."

"Yeah, I guess I'd better explain the presence of Jane to you," he offered.

"Yes, I wish you would," she replied.

"Brad and I found her lying in the street severely injured earlier this year. She'd been badly beaten up. Her face was very badly damaged. We didn't have any background information on her, and there were no photographs, so I just had to give her the best features I knew and loved," he explained.

"I'm very flattered that you should choose my likeness," Helen replied. "But Daddy it was still quite a shock seeing her at the cemetery today."

"You mean you were there at the funeral? You were at the cemetery?" he asked surprised. "Why didn't you join us?"

"Well, I'm still not quite ready to see all the family just yet," she replied. "Do you know, I bet it's a funny thing about Jane erm... I'm quite sure a lot of people will have mistaken her for me."

"Oh, they do! They do all the time," George admitted.

"Did Uncle Brad think that was funny?" she then asked taking out a cigarette from a packet to smoke it.

"Oh, darling you do know what your Uncle Brad was like, he would do anything for a laugh," he replied then looking at me. "It was good fun deceiving him wasn't it, Jane?"

"Yes, he honestly thought I was you Helen," I said in reply finally breaking my silence.

"Do you care to tell us where you've been all this time?" George asked her in a bid to change the subject.

"No not yet Daddy," she replied. "But I want you to tell me something first. Is grandpa Mercer ill? Now Daddy I know he's not very fond of Uncle Brad, but I did expect to see him at his funeral."

"Oh, baby don't you know about your grandpa?" he asked plainly.

"No what about him?"

"There's no easy way to tell you honey, but he has passed away too," George replied glumly.

"I thought about grandpa a lot while I was away. I should've been here and I'm sorry that I wasn't," Helen replied.

"Darling there wasn't anything you could do if you'd been here," he replied. "Your grandpa was an old man and he died suddenly just like your Uncle Brad, so I guess his time had just come."

"I'm still gonna miss him," she replied with her eyes glistening with tears.

"I miss him too," George replied.

"Did you know him Jane? Did you know my grandpa?" she asked me.

"No. But I sure heard a lot of very good things about him though," I replied. "He was a gentleman."

"Yes, he was. You don't find too many of them anymore," Helen continued. "I suppose he must've left a will?"

"Darling the entire family was shocked about your grandpa's will. I mean he left his entire estate to the University of Atlanta," said George looking at me and I nodded confirming his comment.

"And so, nothing for you or Uncle Brad?" she asked. "How very strange."

"Well yeah. Yes, he... he left his dog to Uncle Brad," replied George laughing. "And you know we never could understand why he did that."

"You look tired Helen," I said. "Why don't you go to bed and get some rest?"

"That sounds like a good idea Jane," she said. "I presume I'll be sleeping in my old bedroom?"

"Yes, you can," said George. "Jane sleeps in my bedroom now."

"I'll be back in an hour or so after my nap," said Helen.

"She knows what we've done doesn't she George?" I asked when she'd finally gone up to her old bedroom.

"Let's worry about that tomorrow," he replied.

But I repeated, "She knows."

"You really can't be sure of that," he cautioned.

"Couldn't you see she was playing a little game with us?" I replied.

"I saw it and I ain't that dumb." He replied. "I'll tell you one thing though and that is she did not know about her grandfather dying."

"She's been gone for a long time," I replied. "But I think she knows or suspects what we've done. I can feel it."

"Like I said we'll worry about it tomorrow," he replied.