Short Story: Should we go our own way, or be pushed along by someone else?

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The wealthy businessman, who run a successful truck company, was thinking about his retirement, and about what would happen to his company. Ideally, he thought to himself, he would like one of his two sons to take over from him, but which one was more suitable, he thought to himself. He would test them both, to see who proved the most worthy, he thought to himself. He asked the older young man, of twenty years of age, to go to the truck exhibition in town, to check out the new types of trucks now on offer. He asked his younger son, of eighteen years of age, to go to the truck yard, up the road a bit, to check on the latest used trucks on sale there. Later that day, both of his sons came home to report on their findings. The younger lad, knowing that his father's trucks were getting old, and ready for retirement, like his father was too, had put down on a deposit on a much newer truck, a used one of only two years of age. The older son had spent a day in town, but he had not gone to the truck exhibition at all, he had spent the day, drinking with his mates in a local bar. The father was disappointed in his elder son, but thinking that the responsibility of running his company might snap him out of his malaise, he handed over his company to him anyway, in six months time, when he retired. Also, he had felt from traditional views, that the older son should not be overlooked, as it might unduly discourage him, if the younger son was given the nod, over him. The younger son, did not want to work for his lazy brother, and so he went off, overseas to get experience there, in any way he could, but to also distance himself from the company, that he knew was headed for ruin. The younger son was right. The company went from bad to worse, and the father had to step back in again to rescue it. Unfortunately, the stress killed him, and he died from a heart attack, in another six months time. The company situation had improved, a bit by then, but not by much, as it had been in a very bad state, before the old man finally stepped back up to the plate. The trucking company was closed down then, and its assets liquified. The younger son, still overseas, got none of the small amount of money left after debts were all paid. The older son soon spent this money in his favourite watering hole too. Now the question is, would things have been different if the father had given his business to his younger son to run for him, rather than to his older brother? Who knows? Destiny is a funny thing. Perhaps, all of this was destined to happen anyway. The youngest son, might still have decided not to take on the company, and have this useless brother working for him too. Life weaves its own threads that connect in mysterious ways to each one of us, either to run with, or to run away from. Photo Credit: The photo used in this article was sourced from the free media site, pixabay.com The previously successful trucking company was ruined, in one short year.