CHARACTER SKETCH 3: THE GENERAL

Here's another character from my first novel, 'Redemption - The Ideal Life'. Introducing, Jim 'The General' Jackson, friend and business associate of Michael Wilson.

The General was a highly successful and influential businessman under the previous regime in Sierra Leone who needs to adapt to the change in government to ensure he still maintains his level of success. He made his money in dubious ways in the London housing market in the early 2000s and had made a lot of enemies as a result through conning people out of thousands of pounds and leaving them with mortgages they could ill afford. He was untouchable under the previous regime as he used his ill gotten gains to buy his way to power. The General was one of the main financiers of the presidential candidate of the ruling party in Sierra Leone, who subsequently lost the 2007 general elections.

He is a fantastic entertainer, who loves to be the centre of attention. His parties are the talk of the town. He is well known around the trendy clubs of London’s West End and has properties scattered all over the UK, US and Freetown. Dubiously charming, he knows how to get what he wants. Once he gets what he wants and has no further need for a person, he then shows his true colours. He loves a gossip and to mock a person’s downfall.

The fortune he had accumulated under the previous regime was under serious threat from his political enemies who are making moves to indict him on corruption charges. He spends money as fast as he makes it. Loud and brash, people argue he is like that because he has to make up for his 5ft 5 ins and plump appearance. Under the new regime he is struggling to make an impact. Worse still for him, the London housing market has crashed. He consequently struggles to earn forcing him to sell off a lot of his assets just to generate cash flow for his future projects.

He and Michael have come a long way. Michael had introduced him to the housing business in London. However, as he became successful, he treated Michael more as a hired help rather than a friend, using him to do his mediocre chores and risky jobs. He is arrogant and has little regard for people he considers as poor. He initially honours his promise of establishing an oil business with Michael but soon sacks him when he realises that Michael was snitching to his enemies about him.


As his funds dry up he resorts to petty crime as his skills as a professional fraudster are the only skills he knows how to utilise to make money. His enemies succeed in implicating him on corruption charges which he has to defend.

I hope you liked it. By the end of this week, I will reveal another of the major characters, so keep posted.