THE REVELATION

"Don't be silly men!" The old man continued, and then he faced Jakes. "Jakes, I know you're surprised at why you were brought here. And you wonder who I am." Jakes looked up at him and was eager to hear the next thing the man would say. "You don't know who you are; that was why I sent my men to bring you here. I think it's high time you know your identity," The man continued. 

"You used to be the young master of a very big and famous family in this City - the family of the Johnsons. Your family was renowned for its wealth and affluence, with several investments in its name, until someone betrayed your family. Within a short while, the whole family was wiped out. Your parents and siblings were killed in a fire, and some of the family's investments were taken over..."

"What?" Jakes interrupted. He was too shocked to hear this. He looked at the old man in bewilderment, as his eyes turned red. He used to be emotionally strong, but he felt weak this time. 

The old man was quiet for a while and moved close to where Jakes was sitting. He patted his back and said: "Jakes, you need to be strong. I still have more to tell you." Jakes looked up at the man who was now very close to him. The old man stood, folded his hands, and looked straight, fixing his eyes on nothing exactly. 

"Your foster parents, who are now your in-laws used to be the followers of the Johnson family, before the cold hands of death took them away." The man paused for a while, as his countenance seemed to change.

"The Allisons saw a chance to step up after that night when your family was destroyed. They took you up pretending to be good at first because they had an ulterior plan. While they did that, they illegally snatched the fortune that should have belonged to you!" The old man continued. His voice was loud this time, and he looked very angry. It was obvious that he felt very bad and bitter against the Allisons. 

Jakes widened his eyes, as he watched the old man in bewilderment. He was surprised at what the man was telling him. "Can all these be true?!" He asked the man.

"They are very true son. Fate has made it possible for us to meet today so that I can tell you these."

"But, why am I just getting to know all these truths?" Jakes asked.

"Son, I never knew that you survived your stay in the Allisons' place until I saw your passport photograph in Kevin's compound when I went to visit him last week. Kevin is a good friend of mine. As I walked a few metres into his compound, I saw what looked like a sheet on the floor, so  I picked it up and noticed that it was a passport photograph..."

"Oh! That photograph must have fallen from my file on Wednesday. I've been searching the house for it. I branched at Kevin's place last week Wednesday, before setting out to look for a job." Jakes explained.

"I believe that happened because fate allowed it. When I saw your photograph, I knew it was you, because you are a total replica of your father. So, I sent my men to make further findings on how they could get you here, and they did." The old man said.

"The Allisons adopted you so that they could have access to your family's wealth, but little do they know that the huge amount of money and property they stole, is only the tip of the iceberg." The old man said as he burst into laughter. The sound of his laughter was resounding in Jake's ears.

Jakes froze in his seat and wondered at the man's story. "Is this a TV drama of some sort?" He thought to himself. 

The old man walked towards Jakes and sat beside him, placing his arms around his neck.  "Jakes, don't feel bad about the past. I'm telling you the truth about your identity; so there's hope for you," the man said, as Jakes sighed and bowed his head. 

"I have good news for you. That was why I asked my men to bring you here. I have kept most of your family fortune safe all these years, and I'll be transferring them to you." 

"What?!" Jakes exclaimed, as he raised his head and jumped up from his seat. Somehow, he had begun to believe what the old man was telling him. He had suffered so much all these years, now someone was telling him of some family fortune that he was yet to claim.

He stooped low to hug the man very tightly for what seemed like a long time. "Oh, how I wish I had known this early enough?" Jakes thought to himself. Then he spoke: "Sir, I find this really unbelievable. And I can't quantify my happiness at this point. I'm very grateful. But, if I may ask, who are you?"

"I am Drakes William, fondly called Pa Drakes. I was your family's Butler. I worked with your family for more than fifteen years and I know a lot about the Johnson family. I was more like a family because your parents never hid anything from me. Your father saw me as his confidant, and he always felt free to walk up to me when he needed my advice. We were truly one big family." The man said, then he sighed. He seemed to be grieved.

After some time, he continued: "You and your family travelled for a vacation out of Fitbuck city to Mellow Kascop City. Your family was so rich that they had properties in Mellow Kascop City as well. You all lodged at one of the family's houses in the city, and one fateful night, the whole house was on fire. 

The family was asleep when the fire started, and when you all woke up, the fire seemed to have engulfed the whole place. Everyone was desperate to get out of the house in order not to be destroyed by the fire. Neighbours came to your family's rescue. You were a little child then, no more than five years old, but no one knows how you squeezed yourself through a small space close to the door entrance amidst the flames.

The flames had not engulfed the entrance through which you escaped, unknown to your parents. Your parents and brother tried so much to escape the fire, but they couldn't. Everyone was amazed when they saw you outside, and concluded that you are not an ordinary child. Nobody could explain how you survived. It was truly unbelievable!" 

"Incredible!"Jakes exclaimed as he stayed glued to a spot. He listened carefully to all that Pa Drakes said, looking very bewildered.

He could not remember any concrete thing about his childhood while he lived with his parents, and everything Pa Drake said was so new to him. He paused for a long while, lost in his thoughts.

"Pa Drakes, you mean my family died in a fire accident?" He asked, as his eyes turned red and wet with tears. He had not seen any of his parents' pictures and he couldn't figure out what they looked like. 

"Yes, up till now, no one knows the source of the fire. But many believe that the house was secretly set on fire by a betrayer." Pa Drakes said.

"Hmm...so unfortunate... I wish... I just wish they lived longer." Jakes said.

"I'm sure you may not remember their faces because you were very young then. I still have some of their pictures with me. Let me go over to get them." Pa Drakes said as he rushed over to the bedroom to get an album. 

Several thoughts crossed Jakes's mind. He remembered a time when Mrs Allison abused him, saying that he was a little wizard and there was something strange about him, for him to have survived what killed normal human beings. He now understood why she said that. 

"Here is an album containing their pictures," Pa Drakes interrupted his thoughts, as he walked back into the sitting room. He opened up the album before Jakes and showed him the picture of a man and a woman holding themselves very closely. The man looked very tall and huge with black curly hair, while the woman was light-skinned with long hair and a shapely figure.

"This is your father and mother," Pa Drakes said, pointing at the picture in his hands. He opened to another picture showing a handsome young teenager in a T-shirt and jeans. "This is your brother."

Pa Drakes closed the album and spoke with a stern look on his face. "You are the last surviving heir of the Johnsons family. And you must claim your place!"