"No, it is very serious. He has liver and kidney damage. He has asked to see you immediately."
"I will come as quickly as I can. I will call you from the airport and let you know when I will arrive in Riyadh."
Kamal got up and dressed. Then he packed a small bag and then grabbed a cab to Logan Airport.
He found a connection to Riyadh via Frankfurt, and called his mother with his flight details.
He was grateful that he was able to get a final fill of lobster at the airport before the flight.
Whilst the business class seat was more than comfortable, as usual sleep just would not come to Kamal.
He loved his father and he was terrified at the thought that Reza was not immortal. But in truth, he embarrassed himself by spending most of the flight considering how he would spend the fortune he may soon inherit.
Before the aircraft began the descent into Riyadh, Kamal went into the bathroom and changed into his traditional Arabian white flowing robes and head ware. His beard would have to wait to grow back.
Chapter 20
The limo was waiting at the foot of the aircraft stairs for Kamal when his United Airlines flight taxied to a stop. There was no need for customs or immigration formalities. These had been pre-arranged for him.
As usual the Riyadh morning traffic was heavy, so the trip seemed to go on forever. When they finally arrived at the hospital, the driver double parked in the Ambulance bay and opened the door for Kamal.
Kamal was greeted by his cousin Farouk and taken to a private room in the Intensive Care Unit. Outside the room, there seemed to be hundreds of relatives all crying.
Inside Reza’s room there was only Thoraya sitting in a chair beside the bed holding her husband’s hand.
She rose and threw her arms around Kamal, burying her face in her son’s chest.
"Your father is asleep now. Whenever he wakes, he asks for you."
"Will he be ok?"
"Let us go outside to talk."
Thoraya led Kamal outside and past the throng of relatives waiting in the wings. They were already starting to calculate how much they would each inherit. Since Reza had three wives, there were quite a few in the mob. Thoraya was the first wife, and Kamal was the first son, so both had an honored position.
When they were out of earshot Thoraya began. "Kamal, your father is gravely ill. The doctor told me that he is connected to a number of machines to help him stay alive, but they will only prolong his life for so long. The doctor thinks that he is fighting just so he can see you. He is in a great deal of pain. There is no hope."
Kamal’s eyes began to mist over, and his tears began to flow.
"Surely there must be something the doctor can do. Let me speak to him."
"Kamal, go and sit with your father. He wishes to speak with you alone. Hopefully he will wake so he can see you. Talk to him, the doctor says this can help. I will wait outside, I need to eat anyway."
He slowly padded back to the room and took his mothers position beside his ailing father. Kamal grabbed Reza’s soft snow white hand with his own. It was hard to believe that this was the man that he had most admired all his life. His father seemed so feeble lying there in the bed attached to monitors and electrical machines when he should be at home ruling the Pashwari business empire.
"Father, it is Kamal, I am here with you now."
Reza’s eyes fluttered open almost immediately.
"Kamal, I am glad you arrived in time, I fear my time is short."
"Nonsense father, keep fighting, you will be fine."
"I never believed that I would want to die, but I know this is my time. I can feel my body shutting down. I do not have much time left."
Reza was speaking in barely a whisper, it was taking all of his strength just to stay awake.
"Listen carefully my son. When you return to the Palace, you will find a letter addressed to you in the top drawer of my desk. It is for your eyes only. Go alone."
Kamal had never been permitted entrance to Reza’s office, this was his private domain. Reza coughed and his whole body shivered.
"To gain entrance to the office, just enter your birth date on the keypad."
"Yes father, I understand."
"Please stay with me Kamal, your presence comforts me."
"Of course father."
The wait for the inevitable was short. Barely twenty minutes later Reza, Sheikh of the Pashwari clan just stopped breathing. Alarms and sirens began to sound, and nurses arrived and began resuscitation. The doctor arrived a few moments later and ordered the nurses from the room.
"I must honor the wishes of your father. He made me promise that his life would not be prolonged after he had spoken with you. Did you speak with him?" asked the grim doctor.
"Yes doctor, he told me what he needed to say."
The doctor switched off the alarms and pulled the sheet up to cover the face.
Chapter 21
Kamal was not quite certain of the protocol.
He was also not quite sure why he was here.
As ordered, Kamal had gone alone to Razak’s office. As promised by his father, his birth date opened the numeric lock. In the top drawer was the letter addressed to him.
Inside the envelope was the key to a safety deposit box. Also inside was a card for the Balances Bank in Lucerne Switzerland.
Kamal took a deep breath and decided to walk in. He pushed on the door, but it was securely locked. There was no door bell or door knocker. Beside the door however, was a keyhole.
Remembering the key his father had given him, he opened his briefcase and removed the key. It was easy to locate because the key and the letter from his father were the only contents. Kamal was hoping he would be leaving with the briefcase full.
He tried the key in the lock and it opened silently.
Then he walked inside the small bank building. The outside of the bank did not do justice to the marble and gold fittings to be seen inside. However, the room was completely empty.
A few seconds later there was a buzz and a marble panel in the wall opened and a middle aged man walked over. He was immaculately dressed in a dark Christian Lacroix pin stripe suit with a bright pink tie. On his feet were shiny black, hand stitched loafers.
"I am very sorry for your loss Mr. Pashwari. My name is Juergen Miltser. I am the manager of this bank."
"How do you know my name?" asked a surprised Kamal.
"You father got a message to me after his accident."
"My father gave me this key to a safety deposit box before he died" explained Kamal showing the key.
"Off course Sir, I understand. But before I take you to the private boxes, I need to explain a few things about our bank."
"Please go ahead" said Kamal enquiringly.
"Do you know much about the banking industry in Switzerland Mr. Pashwari?" queried Juergen.
"Not a bit, I have been at school in the U.S. I need to get right back to sit my final exams."
"Well, the history of banking in Switzerland is a long one. Security has always been of paramount importance. Your father began an account with us in 1956. My father ran the bank in those days. Your father opened his account with our minimum deposit of ten million dollars."
Kamal asked "What is the balance now?"
"I will get to that. Since then your father made very large deposits. It is of course none of our concern where the funds came from, and soon he was our largest depositor. We are a private bank, and we were owned by my family."