You Are the Hope

By Giorgio Aldo Maccaroni

Ever since he separated from his wife twenty years before, George Sandford, an important New York attorney, has deeply missed his son's presence in his life.
In the meantime, Jonathan has become a brilliant doctor who has discovered the cure for cancer, but his invention is then stolen by professor Ryder, head physician at the hospital where they both work. Will George be able to regain the trust of his son, defending the Jonathan's lawsuit in court?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AIDIF
• Release date: Mar 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9788890633256

Book preview

Giorgio Aldo Maccaroni

You are the Hope

AIDIF

Copyright 2012 by Pro Aidif S.A.S.

Via Salaria, 53 - 00198 Roma

[e-mail] - www.aidif-editore.it

ISBN 978-88-906332-5-6

Graphic design and layout of this eBook Gabriele Giagnoli

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For my daughter Vania

light of my life

Biography

Giorgio Aldo Maccaroni, born in Rome in 1969, is a lawyer and President of Italian advocacy for the rights of families. Formerly an Honorary Magistrate, he is actively involved as defending counsel in problems concerning minors and their families.

He acted as coordinator of the prescriptive section of the committee for the drafting of a self-regulation code regarding minors and internet, set up within the Ministry of Communications. As a member of the commission for the protection of children in television, he was involved in the drafting of the respective self-regulation code.

Teacher at the master's degree for lawyers in family law and juvenile. He is journalist, author of several publications on legal, has published the books entitled Little Mattia and his journey in the time machine and As brothers - the story of an adoption special. He has appeared as guest in television and radio programs, he has been involved in parliamentary legislative initiatives.

Introduction

Ever since he separated from his wife twenty years before, George Sandford, an important New York attorney, has deeply missed his son's presence in his life.

In the meantime Jonathan has become a brilliant doctor who has discovered the cure for cancer, but his invention is then stolen by professor Ryder, head physician at the hospital where they both work, who is claiming credit for the discovery. Jonathan, who had fortunately patented his cure, decides to take professor Ryder to court, who in turn addresses George's law office for assistance.

George, who had then also left his second wife and was recovering from a severe bout of depression that had led to alcohol abuse, decides to try and regain control of himself and return to work. As soon as he reaches the office he discovers Jonathan's case file on his desk and he sees his opportunity to reestablish a relationship with his son. He therefore decides to leave the law firm for good and offer his son his legal assistance.

Jonathan, initially wary at seeing his father again, accepts his help in what turns out for George to be the most important case of his life. After many vicissitudes the case reaches the court where George, during his final defense, pronounces the words You are the hope.

Summary

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Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

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Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Chapter XI

Chapter XII

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Chapter XIII

Chapter XIV

Chapter XV

Chapter XVI

Chapter XVII

Chapter XVIII

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Chapter XIX

Chapter XX

Chapter XXI

Chapter XXII

Chapter XXIII

Chapter XXIV

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Chapter XXV

Chapter XXVI

Chapter XXVII

Chapter XXVIII

Chapter XXIX

Chapter XXX

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Chapter XXXI

Chapter XXXII

Chapter XXXIII

Chapter XXXIV

Chapter XXXV

Chapter XXXVI

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I

Tell me more about this recurring thought of yours. said Doctor Foster as he continued to take notes in his familiar little brown leather notebook.

It happens often. Too often. explained George as he sat back, almost reclining, and went over the episode from his childhood. I don't know why it had to happen to me that day and why fate decided I should be saved. All I know is... He stopped for a moment. But I don't see what this has to do with my son and with...

Don't worry. Go ahead and tell me what happened to you. encouraged Doctor Foster.

"Of course. Well, while I was on my way to meet my friends there was this woman, she asked me to help her catch her chickens that had escaped from the hen-house. I was seven years old and my friends were waiting for me not far away. There's a big field near there, or rather there was a long time ago, it was surrounded by the houses at the bottom of a slope. We'd found a metal ball the day before. We didn't know what it was exactly but we thought we'd wrap some rags around it to make it into a ball we could play with. We were young, too young then. The war had only just ended and the atmosphere surrounding us was still one of neglect among all those piles of rubble.

The woman, who lived nearby and whose name I don't even remember, shouted George! George! Help me with the chicken please! I was already late meeting my friends and I reluctantly started trying to help her as fast as I could so I wouldn't arrive even later. Then, minutes afterwards, as we were still intent on gathering up the missing chicken we heard that explosion. An enormous explosion! All the windows in the building shook. Then there was screaming and everyone around us was in a frenzy. I went outside with the woman. Within minutes the narrow road was crowded with people. Soon afterwards I discovered that my two friends had been blown up and had died torn to pieces because of that ball that was in fact an unexploded bomb. I should have been with them! Do you see what I mean doctor? Some strange fate saved me, wanted me alive, and I don't know why.

I see. said Doctor Foster. After a brief pause he continued: What is it that torments you? The fact that you are alive and that you didn't perish with your friends? Don't you think a miracle saved you and you can be happy for that?

Yes, it's not that I don't thank my lucky stars... it's that... I feel guilty because of my friends. I could have dissuaded them from playing that dangerous game... I...

But you were a child! And just like your friends you didn't think about the consequences, how could you? Why should you feel so guilty?

Following that confession, the conversation continued for another hour. George carried on trying to get the psychiatrist to understand how the experience had built up a sense of unease in his mind because he hadn't been with his friends, and unlike them he had survived. Then, when he'd finished explaining, he wanted to draw the doctor's attention to another more important feeling of guilt that assailed him; the fact that he had left home and walked out on his son and his wife.

It had got progressively darker inside the surgery, and the dull light from the lamp on the doctor's desk could no longer sufficiently illuminate the surroundings. Whenever George found himself in that room he always lost count of the minutes passing and had no idea what the time was. Yet he still managed to feel better at the end of his therapy sessions.

He turned his attention, as he often did, to the bookcase in front of him. Some of the books were kept in an orderly manner behind glass, whereas others were piled up untidily in front of the glass. There was a mix of order and disorder in that room.

Twenty years had gone by since George had walked out and left home and those years weighed heavily on him.

II

Hey! I'm talking to you! Can you hear me when I speak? said Anne, looking at him.

Yes, sorry Anne. I was concentrating on this camera. explained Jonathan. And anyway, I've told you already, it's not exactly the end of the world if you don't manage to specialize in pediatrics!

But it's important for me to be able to help children.. and anyway a different specialization is not what I want.

Jonathan's hands caressed her neck as he looked into her eyes. They were sat on the edge of a wall on Ellis Island. They had decided to take a few days' holiday and as part of their plan had chosen to visit the little island in New York Bay. They had got the ferry from Battery Park and in no time at all reached their chosen destination. During the crossing Jonathan enjoyed reminding Anne how important the tiny island was historically as it had marked the point of arrival in the past for many immigrants from all over the world wanting to enter America.

Anne was always eager to listen to Jonathan's historical explanations. He particularly loved both history and art, and was pleased to share what he knew with his fiancee. As he gazed at her for a moment, he went back in his mind through their life together. Four years had gone by since they had met and fallen in love. Jonathan had often told her that by meeting her he had found everything he could desire in a woman; he would acquaint her with the details, telling her he was in love with her intelligence, her love of life, her loyal character... humble yet at the same time sincere. Another point that Jonathan considered important, having not been blessed himself with similar good luck, was that she was part of a close-knit, normal family.

His own father had walked out on the family when he was just ten years old and his mother had been forced to make enormous sacrifices to bring him