Final Grains of Sand

by David Harder

  Joe looked back at the credenza. “Well, I don’t mind if I do.”

  He grabbed a monogrammed china dinner plate and began filling it up. He helped himself to ample portions of everything, including two juices and a cup of coffee. At each end of a long conference table were two larger leather chairs with arm rests. Joe selected the end farthest from the door and plopped his substantial body down into one of the larger chairs, causing the leather to squeak under protest.

  When the glass door opened again, two men walked in and froze, staring at Joe, who had a forkful midway to his open mouth. “Hey, come on in—the food is delicious.”

  Betty glared at Joe and then said, “You gentlemen take a seat. The others will be joining you soon. My name is Betty Thurgood. Please help yourself to coffee and juice only.” Betty emphasized the words coffee and juice when she spoke. As she walked out, she narrowed her eyes at Joe.

  “The name’s Joe Langley.” Joe stood and stuck out his hand.

  “Pastor Michael Richards. Pleased to meet you.”

  “I’m Dr. Nolan.” Tom could not help but notice the telltale signs of obesity and high blood pressure on Joe. “Tell me, Joe, how often do you visit your doctor?”

  “Me? Nah, I’m healthy as a horse.” Joe patted his fat tummy with one hand. “I come from a family with big bones.” Joe’s plate was almost empty, so he reloaded it, since he was close to the food.

  Dr. Nolan was a slender man, remarkably fit and healthy. His smile always involved pursed lips—almost as if he were grimacing. Although his hair was as white as snow, Dr. Nolan had no less than his youth. He sat in the nearest chair, which blocked half of the credenza containing food. This forced Joe to end his feeding frenzy and retreat to the end of the conference table.

  Dr. Nolan was wearing dark pants, a white, short-sleeved shirt, and a tie. Sitting next to the doctor, Pastor Richards was dressed in a nice, tan suit with a crisp white shirt and dark brown tie. He was in his middle-to-late sixties, clean cut, with unusually large receding hairlines that curved on either side of his widow’s peak. His face was slightly rigid, and Pastor Richards kept his chin held high. Carrying a few extra pounds, he appeared to be someone who ate well but lacked the exercise to maintain his physique. Pastor Richards got up and poured himself a cup of coffee.

  “Would you like a cup, Doctor?”

  “No, thank you.”

  The door opened again, and a tall, distinguished gentleman walked in. With coal-black hair that was turning white at the temples and a permanent tan from his Eastern European heritage, the gentleman was handsome and fit. Standing six-foot-two, his lean frame gave him a healthy appearance. He looked as if he worked out in a gym several times a week. He wore a six hundred dollar, dark blue, tailored suit, and his hand-tailored white shirt with French cuffs was silk. The initials N.D.M. were embroidered in blue on the left cuff, which barely covered an expensive Rolex watch that the gentleman regularly checked.

  His blue eyes scanned the room to size up the others. A perfectly-folded handkerchief of white silk was nestled in his jacket pocket. The silk, red, printed tie he wore starkly contrasted the white shirt. When he saw Joe, the gentleman made a face. Clearly, this was a man of importance, with an impatient and commanding demeanor.

  “My name is Betty Thurgood. Please have a seat, sir. Two others will be joining you soon. Please help yourself to coffee and juice only.” Betty again emphasized the words coffee and juice. As she walked out, she also narrowed her eyes at Joe, who was still stuffing his face.

  Quickly wiping his face with a napkin, Joe, with a full mouth, introduced himself.

  “Hey there, the name’s Joe Langley.”

  He stuck out his hand, but the gentleman ignored Joe, who then shrugged and went back to attacking his plate.

  “I’m Pastor Richards, and you are?”

  “Nathanial Martin” was his firm and direct response.

  The pastor nodded.

  “I’m Dr. Tom Nolan.”

  “Doctor” was Nate’s brief summation regarding introductions.

  Everyone sat back down, except Nate. He paced in front of the frosted glass wall and kept checking his watch.

  Pastor Richards asked, “Does someone have a clue as to why we were called here?”

  “No, and I don’t care. I haven’t got time for this, and, quite frankly, in my business, time is money!”

  “I’m sure you feel the importance of your responsibilities, Mr. Martin; but I assure you, as a doctor, my duties are no less important. I’m certain the explanation is forthcoming.”

  “Well, it better be because I’m about to—”

  The conference room door opened. “Gentlemen, please have a seat. I’m sorry for the delay, but we are waiting for one more individual.”

  The man set a pile of oversized, white envelopes on the table and ensured a single piece of white paper covered the stack. He was dressed in a dark business suit with faint pinstripes, indicating the man’s intention to dress well, but not in an overstated fashion.

  “And who are you, and why have we been summoned like this?” demanded Nate.

  “Mr. Martin, please be patient. There will be answers. My name is Tony Toncetti, and I am one of the principals with this law firm. I represent a client of personal interest to each of you.” Tony looked at Joe, who was finally finishing his third plate of food. “I see you found the food reserved for lunch this afternoon; please help yourself to juice and coffee.” He enunciated the last three words.

  “This was lunch?” asked Joe. “Oops.” He shrugged.

  “Why don’t we all take a seat, please? Our last guest will be arriving any moment and can join us.”

  Nate resisted and continued to pace, while the others sat in their chairs. Ten minutes of grueling silence elapsed with Nate clearing his throat several times. Tony stood and poured Nate a glass of water from the pitcher, setting it on a coaster in front of Nate. Nate bent over and took a sip, then set the glass back down. He refused to sit. Nate’s patience was at its limit.

  “Look, Mr. Toncetti, I’m afraid I can’t wait here any longer. I have a busy day, and I’m afraid I need to leave.”

  The glass door opened again, and a tall woman with strawberry blonde hair walked into the room. Nothing was out of place. The woman captured everyone’s attention. The woman was perfect elegance on display, and she appeared as if she were cut out of a fashion magazine. Her matching, large brim hat complemented her outfit, giving her an air of European influence. Her age was perhaps fifty, but she looked to be in her thirties. Tony offered her the first chair on his right, and then he sat at the head of the table with Pastor Richards to his left. Dr. Nolan sat next to the pastor, and the next six chairs were empty. Joe sat on the opposite end of the conference table, and finally, Nate took a middle seat, leaving two empty seats on either side.

  “Excellent. Thank you all for coming today. We will begin with Mr. Richards and introduce ourselves. Please state the name by which you would like to be addressed during this meeting and your nature of business. And please indicate your relationship to James Kreider.”

  Just the mention of this name caused immediate and varied reactions around the room.

  “Minister?”

  Tony held out an open palm in the direction of Mr. Richards. Immediately, Dr. Nolan felt a lump swell in his throat. He felt sick.

  “Hello, my name is Pastor Michael Richards. I am the lead pastor of the downtown First Baptist Church—the oldest church in this city, I might add. I have been the pastor for thirty-eight years and met Jim Kreider a few years after I moved into the pulpit. Jim is a member of our congregation.” He then turned and faced Dr. Nolan.

  Racked with guilt, Dr. Nolan took a long minute to gather his thoughts. He spoke slowly and deliberately.

  “Good morning. My name is Dr. Thomas Nolan, and I am comfortable being called ‘Tom’ or ‘Doctor.’ I think we can dispense with the formalities today. I was present when James’ mother gave birth and delivered him, a
s well as his three brothers.”

  Nate interrupted. “Excuse me, Doctor, did you just say you delivered Jim when he was born?”

  “That is correct.”

  “But you can’t be more than seventy years old. What were you—a doctor at the age of ten?”

  Dr. Nolan smiled. “No, sir, I’m actually eighty-seven.”

  “No way!” blurted Joe.

  “Well, Doctor, you look fantastic for your age. I would have never guessed.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Martin.”

  “Nate. Call me Nate, please. I have too many employees that address me as Mr. Martin already.”

  “Okay, Nate, nice to meet you. Anyway, as I was saying, I’ve known James since he was born and have continued to be his personal physician all these years.” Tom paused and looked at Joe.

  “Hey, everybody. I’m Joe Langley, but everyone calls me Joe. I’m a retired sixth-grade teacher and a neighbor to Jim. He and I have been buds for thirty-some years. Is that why we’re here? Because of Jim Kreider?”

  “Mr. Martin, I mean Nate, you’re next,” said Tony.

  Nate leaned forward, making his shoulders seem even larger. Folding his hands on the table, the gleaming Rolex peeked out from under his shirt cuff.

  “You’ve just heard my name. I work for Tynedex Corporation, and I’m the vice president of sales and marketing. Jim is my best sales executive, and I’ve known him now for almost forty years. He’s on a personal leave of absence from the company at the moment.”

  “Excellent, Nate. Thank you. And now, I guess we saved the best for last, Miss.”

  When she spoke, her voice was soft, eloquent, with a hint of a French accent. “Good morning, gentlemen. My name is Arleen Chenair, and I am an executive with Chanel S.A. of France. I have known James for less than thirty years. Please, call me Arleen.”

  “You work for Chanel? Nate interrupted. “You’re one of our clients?”

  Arleen nodded.

  “Excellent, folks. Now, before we get started—”

  “Okay, okay, since everyone is being informal, you can call me Michael. No, that’s still too formal. Oh, fiddlesticks, Mike will be just fine. I guess for the purposes of this meeting, I’m okay being called Mike.”

  “That’s excellent, Mike. Thank you. I introduced myself earlier, but please address me as Tony. I am meeting with each of you for the first time. In fact, I suspect all of you are meeting each other for the first time as well. I was given instructions to contact each of you and invite you here today. Unfortunately, I have some unpleasant news to share this morning. This past Friday, the fourteenth, I’m sad to report that Mr. James Kreider passed away.”

  Immediately, the room erupted in soft chatter.

  “Tony, did you just say that Jim is dead?”

  “Yes, Nate.”

  “But how? I know I haven’t seen him around his house lately, but I figured he was on one of his business trips,” Joe interjected.

  “He sold his house, Joe.”

  Nate stood up and slammed his fist on the table, making everyone jump. “Why wasn’t I informed about this?”

  “You’re being told right now, Nate, along with everyone else. Other than me, you folks are the first to know.”

  “This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of. Who in their right mind dies but doesn’t tell anyone?” Nate started to pace the room.

  “Please have a seat, Nate. We have a lot of business to address.”

  Tony waited for the room to calm down. As everyone composed themselves, Tom cleared his throat, raising his hands slightly off the table.

  “I’m afraid James was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago. I’m the bearer of the unfortunate information.” Tom looked down at his lap. “I called his house several times, and then, eventually, his number was disconnected. I stopped by his house numerous times but received no answer, and he never returned my calls.” Dr. Nolan slowly shook his head in disbelief as his voice trailed off.

  “I don’t understand, Tony. I’m Jim’s pastor, and he never said a thing to me. Why?” Pastor Michael rubbed his head in concern.

  “I’m afraid I only discovered his condition two days before he passed away. He summoned me to the hospice, where he spent the last month of his life.”

  Everyone expressed varied emotions, including anger and frustration. Suddenly, the room went quiet. Arleen’s gaze was fixed on the opposite teak wall. Unhindered, tears streamed down Arleen’s cheeks, splashing on the teak conference tabletop. She was fighting her emotions, but the tears flowed like rivers.

  Tony reached behind his chair and obtained a box of tissues from the cabinet. He slowly slid the box on the table, gently placing it near Arleen. The woman looked down and gingerly plucked three successive tissues from the box and softly patted her cheeks and chin. She looked at Tony and gave him a small nod. No one spoke. The tears continued to flow, so Tony stood up.

  “Gentlemen, I’m sure all of you must need to use the facilities. Will you please follow me?”

  Tony opened the glass door and ushered all the men from the room. As Dr. Nolan passed Arleen, he gently patted her shoulder.

  * * *

  For well over thirty minutes, everyone waited in Tony’s office. Despite their pleading, Tony refused to discuss the nature of the meeting without Arleen. When Betty entered the room, the men immediately jumped to their feet.

  “I think she’s ready, Mr. Toncetti.”

  “Thank you, Betty. Gentlemen, this way please.”

  The group filed into the conference room and sat in their respective chairs. Arleen was now wearing rose-colored sunglasses. Clutched in her hand were crumpled tissues. Tony waited until he had everyone’s attention before he continued to talk.

  “Over the years, as Jim’s attorney, I have prepared various documents for Mr. Kreider. When I was called by the hospice, I was thoroughly caught off guard. Jim requested my presence, and since it was a hospice, I felt there was some urgency. I immediately rushed to their address, which was on the other side of town. What I witnessed that day was incredibly horrific. Jim was barely sixty pounds; and if the man had not spoken, I wouldn’t have recognized him. We met for an hour, and he gave me a key to a safe deposit box at the downtown savings and loan. He asked me to remove the contents and close the box, which I did. Inside the box was a notarized letter addressed to me with instructions for the people sitting in this room.”

  “Is this some sort of joke?” demanded Mike.

  “Who plans their demise in this fashion?” asked Nate.

  “I don’t understand why Jim didn’t think he could tell me,” said Joe.

  “I only wish I had called the man, but, out of respect, I didn’t,” said Dr. Nolan.

  “Look, I went there several times and even banged on his door. How did I miss the fact that he sold his home?” bemoaned Joe.

  “Miss? You? I worked with the man every day and had no idea of this crazy plan,” said Nate with regret.

  “Gentlemen, gentlemen, please settle down. Please. Thank you.” After the room quieted down and everyone took a seat, Tony cleared his throat. “I will now read the letter Jim prepared for us.”

  Tony pulled a letter from his inside jacket pocket and unfolded it.

  My dear friends,

  If this letter is being read to you by my attorney, Tony Toncetti, then I am no longer among the living on this earth. This news will be shocking to all of you because I chose not to involve anyone during my unpleasant death.

  Tony, thanks for being the caretaker of this mess I’ve created. No one deserves to clean up after me, but I paid you handsomely, so that should count for something.

  First off, Dr. Nolan, do not feel guilty about how this came about. Obviously, you were only the messenger, and I appreciate you telling me the truth.

  Joe, my buddy, I pulled another fast one on you, pal, and all because I didn’t want you to own my problems. Thanks for everything you did for me. I really mean that. You’ve been a terrific fr
iend.

  Nate, what can I say? You’re going to be very upset about all this. But please check out Dean Thompson; he’s got enormous potential! I’m sorry I dropped the ball on you, but, hey, this was kind of serious.

  Pastor Mike, I have felt lost in your church for some time, and I honestly appreciate all the lunches and walks you and I took together, but nobody in the church even noticed I was gone. Wow!

  My dear, sweet Arleen, of all the people sitting in the room, I wish I could hold you and tell you what you mean to me. My love for you is deeper than anything I’ve ever experienced. You are my best friend, my true love, and the only person who actually understood me. I’m so sorry we cannot be together, but perhaps in another time and place. That is my hope. Your voice, your words, your soft kisses, and being able to hold you will be terribly missed. Please know I have gone to my grave with the knowledge that I have found my soulmate and that I count the sweet times we shared together as immense joy. With you, I’ve received the greatest blessings God could ever give a man. Please remember, I have not, and never will, stop loving you.

  Now, the five of you have been selected to tell the story of my life at my funeral. You are the speakers chosen to represent me. Do not fail me, my friends, for you know who I am. Celebrate my short life, and remember me. I know I will dearly miss each of you.

  Sincerely,

  Jim Kreider

  Before Tony had finished reading, Arleen quickly rose from her chair and darted from the room. She was mopping tears as fast as possible and hiding her face. No one spoke, for they were each processing Jim’s words just spoken from the grave. Tony jumped from his chair and rushed to check on Arleen. He returned a few minutes later.

  “I’m sorry, gentlemen, but we must adjourn until eleven o’clock tomorrow. Everyone needs to be present for us to proceed to the next step. I will see you at eleven tomorrow.

  “Are you kidding me? This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. I’ve got better things to do with my time than sit around in some funeral meetings all day,” Nate fumed.

  In a matter of seconds, Dr. Nolan rounded the conference table. Although he was at least eighteen inches shorter, Tom pressed into Nate’s personal space and pointed a finger up at the man’s face.