NB - A New Chapter - 1. ANC Chapter 1

Twins POV

Sebastian was standing in the crowd of relatives and friends, as we received our degrees in Business Management and Economics, from the Dean of Business at the University that we had been attending over the past 4 years, after completing our high school education in Bern, Switzerland. We are now 21 years old, and although we were very wealthy, our experiences in Australia, had kept us fully aware of the real life that surrounds us.

Sebastian and us twins, lived in a modern 4-bedroom apartment in the town of Belp, just south of Bern, after selling the estate, which we felt was not suited to our style of living any more, and we both owned a second-hand Volkswagen Tiguan, petrol SUV car, while Sebastian owns a VW Passat, petrol car, more suited for his work as the head of the Family company.

Once the graduation ceremony was over, Sebastian took us to the familyrestaurant, that we bought as an investment, to celebrate, where we received the usual VIP treatment from the staff. Sebastian was still single which worried us a lot, as he seemed constantly lonely, ever since we had returned to Switzerland.

Sebastian’s POV

“Right my clever brothers, what would you like as a graduation present, just name it and I will get it for you” I said to my twin brothers, who had grown up to be very handsome young men, but it worries me that they still didn’t have a girlfriend each, although they always had a girl with them when they attended any business functions. I watched my brothers, as they looked at each other for a few moments, noticing that they must have been reading each other’s minds.

“You are not going to like what we want, but this is definitely what we want” Louis started, “Ok, you two just tell me what it is” I said to the twins in a frustrated frown, as we continued to talk in English, which has been our main language, when it is just us around.

“We would like to go back to Australia” Joachim announced, and my stomach immediately began to go in knots at this announcement, as I began to feel quite ill. “We know that we all have fond and sad memories, but we would like to go back for a short while at least” Louis added. I remained silent for a while, thinking it through in my head, and eventually decided that we could not put it off any longer.

“Ok, I reluctantly agree to a short trip back to Australia, but remember that Switzerland is our home, and where our company is based, so we will be returning, so you two can start working full time within the company” I replied “Thank you brother, we know that it is very hard on you, but we do really want to see Australia again, and if possible to go to the Falklands to visit Huon’s grave” Joachim said.

“Yes, I guess we should do that too, I have been sending flowers there every year, and Eric and Mary have been kind enough to deliver them to his grave, it would be nice to go back and see the island again. The Southern Explorer is about to end its supply contract with all the islands, I notified the different Research Bases, that we would not be renewing the contract after it ends next month.

If we time it right, we can meet up with the Southern Explorer at Cape Town, and travel with her back to Europe as a bit of an extended holiday” I announced to my brothers, “Yes, that sounds good” Louis answered. “What is happening with everything else in the area?” Joachim asked me.

“Well after a lot of negotiations, the Australian Federal Government bought Deepdale Island off us, and they have turned it into a “A Class Reserve”, to protect it from any possible mining. The reserve includes a 20 kilometres area surrounding the Island, as a Marine Reserve, and there is a permanent Army and Naval presence on the island, and visitors can only come to the island by sea, and must live onboard their yachts, but are permitted to be on the island during daylight hours” I responded.

“What about everyone that we know in Australia?” Louis asked, “Well the Chakma Patwary’s have returned to Bangladesh, I gave them a good-sized pension, so they can live very comfortably there. I gave Mrs Cooper a big pension also, and she is happily enjoying retirement in Claremont, and I have been keeping in regular contact with her every month for the past 5 ½ years.

We are silent partners in Eric and Mary’s B&B business in Stanley, I helped to finance the construction of three cottages along the front east side boundary of their place, and to renovate the whole main building, with extensions to their living quarters.

Tom and Margaret have sold their farm, and are retired, living in a house just up the road from Eric and Mary, while Jose has returned home to Chile to be with his family, and we bought back his shares in the company” I said to my brothers, who nodded their understanding.

“As for Reverend Annette and Kyle, they still live at the Deepdale house on the Avon River, Annette has gone back to being the minister for the Anglican Church in Toodyay, and Kyle is attending University to study medicine, having won a scholarship to pay all of his university fees, books, and a small stipend to cover his living costs” I continued.

“Oh, and what is the name of this scholarship that he won?” Louis asked with a frown, “The H.A Devonport Memorial Scholarship of course” I said with a smile, and the twins chuckled, on hearing this. “Let me guess, Kyle has no idea of the name of the scholarship?” Joachim asked me, “That’s right, only his mother – Reverend Annette knows about it, and he is not to know, ok” I replied, and the twins nodded their heads yes, that they understood.

“Good to hear you agree with me, Kyle is also using my vehicle as his transport from home to University each day. I have also made a sizable donation last year, to help with restoration of that church and the church hall in Toodyay, as it was looking a little tired and rundown, when we last saw it.

In regards to the Retail and Exhibition buildings and property near the Showgrounds, we still own them and they are managed by a real estate agency on our behalf, sadly the independent primary school had to close down, due to lack of student numbers, and we still own those properties, which we now lease out to the nearby Grammar school, with their entire prepatory school now located there” I informed my brothers.

After dinner, we headed back home to our home, and since it is the middle of the night over in Western Australia, I had to wait until a decent time, to make a call to Mrs Cooper, but it was a good time to call Stanley in the Falklands, so I dialled the number for Eric and Mary’s place. “Good Morning, Laphone B&B, how may I help you?” I heard Mary say when she answered the call.

“Good morning, I was wanting to make a booking for one single and one twin rooms, please” I said, waiting to see if Mary recognised my voice, “Certainly Mr Wagner, when will that be for” Mary replied, and I laughed. “Hello Mary, how are you and Eric going” I said eventually, “We are both very well thanks Sebastian, how are you and the twins?” she replied, with a happy voice. “We are fine thank you” I responded.

“That is good, we were just talking about you the other day, you know that Huon’s, grave gets covered in flowers every year on the anniversary of his death, it seems that there are a lot of people here in the Falklands, who appreciated his beautiful singing voice. The year after I received your first order for flowers, which Tom and Margaret and Eric and I added to, there has been at least 3 dozen bunches of flowers added each year” Mary informed me.

“The boys and I still miss him very dearly, and I have had Annette put flowers on his parent’s grave in Toodyay, each year since his passing too” I replied. “Sebastian, the reason we were discussing you the other day, is that we had unexpected visitor the other day, and we were not sure how to approach the situation, we were going to call Annette thisweek to ask for her point of view” Mary said to me.

“This sounds serious, well out with it, just tell me” I replied, “Well it appears that a bit over 10 ½ years ago, Huon had one-night fling with a temporary worker, on his first visit to the island when he was 18 years old. Well, the girl, a 21-year old backpacker, by the name of Kathleen O’Malley was killed in a car accident recently, in her home city of Douglas, on the Isle of Mann, and it appears that she has a 10-year old son, which his birth certificate, names Huon as the father” Mary announced.

I was so stunned at his news, I had no idea what to say. “Sebastian, are you still there?” Mary asked me, “Yes Mary, I’m just a bit shocked that is all. So, what has happened to this boy, and what is his name?” I asked, “He is here on the island with his maternal grandmother, his only living relative. His name is Alexander Hugh Devonport. They are staying at the hotel at the moment, and they were informed of Huon’s death a few days ago” Mary replied.

“I see, were they told that Huon has three 1st cousins?” I asked, “No not yet, that is what I was going to discuss with Annette” Mary replied. “Ok, can you please ask them to arrange for the boy to have a DNA test taken, and have the results sent here to Switzerland, so they can be checked with my DNA, to see if there is any family match or not?” I asked, “Sure, I will get Eric to pass on that request to the local authorities to arrange, and do I let them know that there is another possible relative” Mary replied.

“Yes, but no specific details until we have the DNA results, thanks for letting us know, I will send you some money to help cover their accommodation and living costs while they are there, and can you please inform them, that they are requested to stay there on the island for another 3 more weeks.

I will talk to you again soon, oh and the twins and I, will be there in twoweeks’ time, on the 3rd of next month, for just one week, if you can manage to accommodate us please” I answered. “Ok, see you then, bye for now” Mary said and the phone connection ended.

The twins had gone to their rooms to relax, so I headed to my bathroom, and had a long shower, thinking and crying about what I had learn just moments ago, feeling sad that Huon never had the chance to meet his son. The following morning, I went to the lounge room, so as to make a call to Western Australia, without disturbing the twins. “Rectory, Kyle speaking” came a familiar voice on the other end of the call.

“Is this the Rectory Nightclub? I would like to make a booking please” I said, deciding to have a little fun, “Err, no, this is the Anglican Rectory of Toodyay, you have the wrong number… Wait a minute, Sebastian is that you?” Kyle replied and I couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out laughing.

“Sebastian Wagner, stop that laughing this instant” I heard Annette say to me in a serious tone, and I instantly stopped laughing, “Oops, sorry Rev” I said to her. “Now tell me why you are calling us this afternoon?” Annette asked me. “My brothers and I are planning a trip to the Falklands in two weeks’ time, to visit Huon’s grave, and I wondered if you and Kyle, would like to join us, all expenses paid of course” I replied.

There was a long silence, and I wondered if the call had been disconnected, “I’m still here, Kyle heard what you said and he is very keen to go, but I am a little reluctant to go, as it is quite busy here” Annette eventually said, “Ok, well I will make travel arrangements for two, and if you can’t go, they can easily be cancelled.

The flight will be on Wednesday week from Perth, so you can catch the flight to the Falklands on the Saturday morning, and because we are in Switzerland we will be coming a different way, we will see you there, bye” I said to Annette. A few moments later, I received a text message, and it was from Kyle.

“Very funny Sebastian, you are lucky my mum didn’t hear what you said to me at the start, good to hear from you again mate, say hello to the twins for me, and see you in two weeks, goodnight. Kyle”, I smiled when I read this, and I showered and dressed before heading to the kitchen to make some breakfast.

Once I had eaten, I sent an email to Eric and Mary, “Hello folks, can I adjust the booking for the 3rd of next month, to include ReverendAnnette and Mr Kyle Davies please, as they will be joining us for this pilgrimage, Regards Sebastian Wagner”. Once the email was sent, I went to wake up my brothers, to let them know that I was heading into the office, before leaving the apartment.

When I arrived at work, I headed straight to my executive work lounge, a space adjoining my office, which is out of bounds to everyone, except my brothers. It is a space where I can work in a relaxed environment and comes with a full-size bathroom with shower included, a walk-in wardrobe, with extra clothes, plus a kitchenette, and a small meeting room area.

This is where I had been spending a lot of my time in the past one year, working on a surprise project, that was just about ready to be announced to my brothers. While the Southern Explorer was continuing with its supply runs, a team of marine builders have been busy doing some remodelling of parts of the ship.

On B deck, the Owners suite and the VIP dining room opposite, have been transformed into 1 new Royal Suite, and two Executive suites, plus the aft deck has fold away doors, to make it indoors or outdoors, while on the main and A deck, the boat and toys cargo hold has been turned into two separate decks, instead of one double size deck.

On the new section of A deck, 6 more guest cabins have been added, plus some additional storage rooms, and crew utility rooms, while on the main deck below, there is one large multi-purpose recreation lounge deck, which includes a shallow heated swimming pool and spa pool, plus a new and much larger medical centre. On the lower deck, the tropical shower and massage rooms, made way for a much bigger guest gymnasium, while the became a conference room.

This meant that the Southern Explorer, now has a total of a total 19 guest cabins, as I was planning to change the use of the ship from cargo supply ship to a boutique cruise ship, for a total of 40 guests, with the 1 Royal suite and two Executive suites on B deck, 10 queen suites on the main deck, and the 4 double cabins, and 2 triple cabins on A deck.

When the ship was in port in Cape Town, while the crew were on holidays, I had arranged fort he ship’s engines to overhauled and upgraded, so as to be a few knots faster. The days passed quickly, and before we knew it, the twins and I were on the RAF flight from the UK to the Falkland Islands, via the Ascension Islands, which is the most direct route for us, arriving on the Friday afternoon, a day ahead of Kyle and Annette.