Come-Uppance

By Frances Aitken

‘Almost twenty years ago, I did something really bad and now it’s come back to haunt me. I made a false accusation that cost a man his job.’

‘How come it’s taken you so long to regret what you did, Fred?’

‘Because I now know my days are numbered. Yesterday, I saw the quack to get the results of a brain scan. The funny thing is that the reason they did the scan turns out not to be a problem but it showed a large aneurism in my brain that could burst at any time. It’s probably been there since birth. The really scary part is that I won’t get any notice; this thing will burst and a minute later I’ll be dead.’

‘Good God! My dear fellow, I’m so sorry. So, you’ve been reviewing your life in expectation of the Final Judgement. Is that it?’

‘It is. I wish I was a Catholic, then I’d confess and get absolution. But I’m not, so I’m stewing in guilt and there’s no way I can escape the inevitable retribution.’

‘What happened to the guy?’

‘That’s a large part of the problem; I never bothered to find out. He left town, no doubt to escape the trouble I’d made for him, and I never heard another word; I never discovered what he did or where he went.’

‘It seems to me you’d better do some detecting, mate. Find him and say sorry. I’m sure that would put your mind at rest.’

*****

It was good advice so I asked around; it took a while but eventually I located the fellow and we arranged to meet. I said I was genuinely sorry for what I’d done and asked him to forgive me, both for what I’d done and for waiting so long before I owned up. I hoped he didn’t feel resentment for the things I’d done to ruin his life.

‘My dear fellow, I didn’t feel resentment; I got even. In any case, that company was a dead-beat outfit; I set up on my own and I’ve made a packet. You did me a favour, so needn’t feel guilty.’

‘You say you got even. How?’

‘Ever looked closely at your son, Fred? Ever wondered where he got his nose? Look at mine; it’s a family characteristic. How long had you and Brenda been trying for a family? Five years? Ever had another child after I left?’

‘What do you mean? Are you saying you had an affair with my wife?’

‘It wasn’t an affair; it was a one-night stand, well three actually, my way of getting even because I knew you’d made that accusation. No need to have it out with you – pistols at dawn – I knew you’d be rearing a cuckoo in your nest and that cuckoo was mine. I’ve kept an eye on Jim’s progress, initially through friends but recently I’ve seen a lot of him.

‘He’s inherited my nous for business and will join my firm when he finishes Uni later this year. He knows what happened and doesn’t think much of the man who brought him up. No need to feel guilty. If anyone’s at fault, it’s me. You got your come-uppance so we’re even; let’s leave it at that, shall we?’ 7^th February, 2024