The Gilgal Passage

by Bob Brown

  “I admit the thought had crossed my mind.” Jason smiled. “But I still think my proposal makes sense. In the end, you save time and resources, Sam and Alex are out of business, the reason for your investigation goes away, and I get my company.”

  Ed Sampson rose from his seat and walked out from behind his desk.

  “I like you, Mr. Matthews. And I think your proposal makes sense. I’ll keep the investigation open for now, but I’ll advise my agents to back off for the time being. You give me a call when you finalize the sale.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Sampson. I’ll do that.”

  As Jason punched the 'down' button for the elevator outside the FTC Regional office, he mentally checked off another item from his 'to do' list.

  Chapter 63

  Jason picked up Kyle at the hospital on Friday morning.

  As he parked beneath the overhang of the hospital entrance and assisted his friend make a slow shuffle across the sidewalk to the car, Jason was struck by how frail Kyle had become. Hidden by sheets and blankets and artificially propped up beneath the fluorescent lights in the hospital bed, Kyle appeared almost normal. But now, struggling to put one foot in front of the other in the unforgiving light of the real world, it was clear that Kyle was a different person than he had been even three days ago.

  Just as he had done the last time he left the hospital, Kyle insisted on going directly to Garrett Motors. This time, however, Jason convinced his friend to go home for a shower and a fresh set of clothes.

  As he listened to the sound of the shower and flipped channels on the TV in the living room of Kyle’s condo, Jason’s cell phone rang. He looked for a number. Not listed.

  “This is Jason.”

  “Jason, this is Sam. At Jagged Edge.”

  “Hello, Sam.”

  With the sound of Sam’s voice, Jason suddenly realized that today was the deadline for acceptance of the offer he had made to buy Jagged Edge. He had been so preoccupied with Kyle’s illness and the events of the past two days that he had completely forgotten about the deadline.

  “Jason, Alex and I have carefully considered your offer. I want you to know that, personally, I have nothing against you, and I appreciate how hard you worked to help Jagged Edge succeed. I even respect your approach to business, though it differs significantly from the one which Alex and I have used with some success over the years.”

  “Thanks,” replied Jason, grateful for the compliment but unsure exactly where Sam was going.

  “It’s been a difficult couple of days trying to reconcile what we had hoped to achieve with the reality of where we are. If it were left to Alex, we’d probably keep fighting until the clients all left and the bankruptcy court auctioned off the last piece of furniture.”

  “So what exactly are you saying?” asked Jason.

  “Jason, Alex and I accept your offer and conditions. Alex isn’t particularly happy about it. But under the circumstances, I think it’s fair . Once Alex gets past her anger and resentment, I suspect she’ll think so, too.”

  “So how would you like to proceed?” Jason knew what he wanted to do, but he didn’t see any point in kicking Sam while she was down. He was willing to let her recommend the next steps.

  “If it’s acceptable to you, I’ll have our attorney draw up the formal agreement and courier it to you. If possible, I’d like to complete the sale before the end of next week.”

  “That sounds fine,” said Jason. “Please have the documents sent to me at Garrett Motors in Pacific Beach. I’ll be spending most of my time there until the sale is complete.”

  Jason was about to hang up when he remembered one more thing. “By the way, I’ll fax you the letter which I would like you and Alex to reproduce, sign, and forward to every Jagged Edge customer. As agreed, I’d also like to see the letter posted to the Jagged Edge web site not later than tomorrow morning.”

  “No problem. I’ll see that it’s done.” Then almost as an afterthought Sam added, “Jason, I really do wish that things had turned out differently. You have a lot of talent, and I’m certain you’ll do well with the business. I wish you every success.”

  “Thank you, Sam. I wish the best for you and Alex, as well.”

  That was it. Part one of his plan was a done deal. Part two -- his arrangement with the FTC -- would also be complete as soon as the Jagged Edge contract was signed. It was time to move forward to the next part of the plan.

  *****

  Back at the dealership, Jason approached Kyle after having allowed him several hours of alone-time to sift through his inbox and return three days worth of phone calls.

  Jason knew that Kyle’s accountants had completed their evaluation of Garrett Motors and that Kyle had settled on a price for his company. He also knew that Kyle had yet to work very hard at finding a buyer. Jason suspected that Kyle’s heart just wasn’t into bartering for the Garrett family legacy. Jason was actually counting on it.

  “Kyle, have you got some time when we can talk?” Jason asked.

  “How about right now?”

  “This might take awhile.”

  “Time is not something I have a lot of,” Kyle said matter-of-factly.

  “Mind if we go to the conference room?” asked Jason.

  “What for?”

  “I need the space.”

  Jason and Kyle walked to the conference room, where Jason motioned for Kyle to take the seat at the far end of the table. Kyle then turned on his laptop, hooked it to the projector on the table, and clicked open the presentation he had been working on the day Kyle went into the hospital.

  “What’s this all about?” asked Kyle.

  “What I have to say might get a little complicated. It’ll be easier to explain if I can use a few slides.”

  “Sounds ominous.”

  “It’s not,” replied Jason, as the first image projected onto the screen.

  Jason took a deep breath, then jumped in. “Kyle, it’s taken me a long time to appreciate what you’ve been trying to teach me all these years about God’s plan. Only recently have I finally come to appreciate what it is that God wants me to do with my life.”

  “And that is?”

  “I believe that God has plans for me to help the people of this community. I believe that He has provided me with a particular set of skills that I can use to make that happen. And I believe that He has brought you and me together in this place, at this time, to make His plan a reality.”

  Jason paused. Then he just let it go. “Kyle, I think selling Garrett Motors would be a big mistake.”

  “We’ve been over this,” replied Kyle. “I thought you supported that decision.”

  “I did. At least initially. But I’d like you to listen to what I have to say.”

  Then, as Kyle sat listening intently, Jason began to describe what he understood God’s plan to be.

  “Kyle, let me begin by saying that I no longer believe life to be a random set of events. As recently as the day you were diagnosed with your illness I attributed things that happened in life to fate, luck, or timing. Things were either good or bad because that’s just the way they happened to be. I refused to accept that God might actually have a plan because I either couldn’t connect the dots or because I didn’t like what I saw when I made the connections.”

  Jason pointed to the slide on the screen, which contained a list of bullet points with the heading ‘God’s Plan’.

  “I’m now convinced that everything in my life to this point has been part of God’s grand plan: My childhood in Oklahoma, the University of San Diego, meeting you, Garrett Motors, WADP, Jagged Edge, the death of my parents, the insurance money, my relationship with Karen, the rezoning decision by the city of San Diego, my exposure to the Inner City Coalition, even the death of your father and your illness. Everything has played a part. I don’t claim to understand all of it, and I still don’t like the parts that are painful, but I no longer doubt the existence of the plan.” />
  Kyle was giving Jason a blank look. “Forgive me for interrupting, but I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m glad that you’re finding merit in God’s plan, but I have no idea what the Inner City Coalition is or what it has to do with anything. And you still haven’t told me why selling Garrett Motors is a bad idea.”

  Being a businessman himself, Jason understood Kyle’s frustration. Kyle didn’t want background. He wanted the bottom line.

  “Hopefully it will all become clear in a minute.”

  Jason reached for the Bible he had brought with him. “As you know, I’ve struggled with my faith for years. But recently, I’ve begun again to pray in earnest and have started listening to what God has been trying to tell me.”

  Jason opened his Bible. “Kyle, in Isaiah 6:1-8 is the story of Isaiah’s vision and his commission as a prophet of God. Verse 8 reads:

  ‘Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”’

  “Kyle, in many ways I feel like Isaiah in this passage. I’ve seen the vision, and now I want to make others understand. Despite my failings and my rejection of God following the death of my parents, God has given me a second chance. He has called me for a particular purpose. I’m ready to answer the call.”

  Jason clicked to his second slide, a detailed diagram of organizations and cash flows. He was anxious that Kyle understand what he was about to say, and he said a quick prayer, asking God to bless him with the right words. Pointing to the diagram projected on the screen, he began again.

  “Kyle, if you sell Garrett Motors, you’ll receive a large payout that you can use to fund future capital requirements of the Garrett Charitable Foundation. However, once the sale is complete, the source of revenue for the Foundation is gone. Absent donations, there won’t be any new source of funds, and the Foundation will be limited by the returns available from the monies invested.”

  “We’ve already discussed this. Do you have something else in mind?” asked Kyle.

  “I’m glad you asked.”

  “I think you should liquidate your inventory, sell everything that somebody will pay you something for, and move in a whole different direction.”

  “Such as?”

  “How about the Garrett Christian Center? Picture a multi-level building providing facilities for the homeless, day care services, a Christian library and bookstore, classrooms for Christian learning, and a drug and alcohol education program.”

  “Are you kidding?”

  “Nope. Dead serious. You recently received the necessary zoning reclassification to support the facility, and I’ve already made preliminary inquiries of several architectural firms. I’ve been assured that you would be wholly within the zoning regulations to expand your current building footprint for necessary add-ons and an additional level. You’ve got plenty of space to build what you need. And you already have more than enough paved parking.

  “The Center would be the complement to the Foundation.”

  “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Suddenly Kyle was excited.

  “I hope so,” Jason said smiling. “Historically the Garrett Charitable Foundation has pushed funding to a large number of organizations in the San Diego area. Although these organizations are all deserving, the giving has never been targeted to a specific purpose.”

  Jason put the third slide on the screen. This one depicted historical funding by the Foundation.

  “I’ve looked at the records from the Foundation’s charitable programs. Different organizations receive funds each year. Unfortunately, in many years the funds provided to specific organizations were insufficient to adequately support the mission of those organizations. Consequently, in those years the Foundation did not receive a very good return on its charitable investment.

  “Under this proposal, the Garrett Charitable Foundation’s annual funding would be directed entirely to the support of the Garrett Christian Center. You design the programs, you fund them, and you run them. And in case I forgot to mention it, each of the programs I have included are currently targeted by the Inner City Coalition as under-funded by the city of San Diego. There is a very real need for improvement in these areas.”

  “Sounds like you’ve given this some serious thought. But how exactly are you planning to pay for the development of this Center and sustain its operation?”

  “I was just coming to that.” Jason clicked back to the second slide.

  “The initial investment in development of the Center would come from the proceeds of the liquidation. As required, additional development funding would come either from a bank line of credit or through arrangement with the Foundation.

  “Now here’s the really cool part,” Jason continued. As of thirty minutes ago, I am the new owner of Jagged Edge Marketing. Sam and Alex have accepted my offer to buy the company.”

  “Outstanding,” exclaimed Kyle. “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks. As part of the mission of my new company, I’ll be taking a lesson from Garrett Motors.”

  “How so?”

  “Every advertising contract written will include a provision that ten percent of the contract value be donated directly to the Garrett Charitable Foundation. In that way, the Foundation will once again have a regular source of income to support the ongoing obligations of the Garrett Christian Center or to repay credit obligations from the development of the Center.”

  Jason took a seat next to Kyle. “So what do you think?”

  “Well, I think we might need to look closely at the numbers. But since I know you to be painstakingly thorough, I suspect we’ll find that you are right.”

  “Right about what?”

  “Selling Garrett Motors would be a big mistake.”

  Chapter 64

  By Wednesday of the following week, the Jagged Edge contracts had been signed, and Jason became the official owner of his own advertising agency. Sam and Alex were gone. More importantly, Jack Barrett was nowhere to be found when Jason arrived on Wednesday afternoon to take up residence in the office previously occupied by Alexandra Kent.

  As his first order of business, Jason held a meeting for all employees and reassured them that there would be no immediate personnel changes. He did, however, offer that changes in key positions were planned. These changes, Jason explained, would both enhance the competitive position of Jagged Edge and demonstrate a new commitment to integrity and Christian values.

  Jason’s second order of business was to call Ed Sampson at the FTC office in Los Angeles. Ed wasn’t the least bit surprised with the news, and somehow Jason suspected that the long arm of the government was accompanied by an equally big set of ears. Ed Sampson always seemed to be one step ahead.

  In the end, Ed Sampson agreed to make good on his promise and cancel the investigation at Jagged Edge. Jason thanked Ed and assured him that his new company would never be cause for concern at the FTC.

  By Friday morning Jason had also made a personal phone call to every owner of a company under contract with Jagged Edge. Jason wanted to assure them that their business would continue to be valued and respected.

  Although Jason knew that many of the owners would have already received the letter mailed by Sam and Alex or seen the letter posted on the Jagged Edge website, he felt strongly that his customers deserved to hear from him personally that the integrity he had tried to instill as the Director of Accounts would now be standard for everyday operations at the new Jagged Edge.

  *****

  Jason’s final act following contract closure was also the most important. Once again he called his friend Merle.

  This time when he called, Jason suggested to Merle that the two meet for a drink at the corner bar in Pacific Beach. Jason knew that the beach scene wasn’t especially Merle’s style, but he figured if Merle was going to be part of the plan, then he would just have to adapt.

  “Interesting place
,” offered Merle, as he joined Jason near the seawall on a sunny Friday afternoon. “I don’t suppose they have anything other than beer?”

  Jason just laughed and took a sip of his Pacifico. “Relax, Merle. I’ve already ordered you a scotch and soda.”

  “Then I guess I’ll be OK,” replied Merle. “As long as they wash the glass before they pour my drink.”

  Jason laughed again. He was thoroughly enjoying the sight of Merle so obviously out of his element, and he could hardly wait for what he had planned next.

  “Well, once again you have me at a disadvantage,” remarked Merle. “Your phone call this morning didn’t give me much to go on. I suppose I really should start requiring more information from you before I commit to your meetings. Especially the ones you call on such short notice.”

  “Are you implying that my meetings are a waste of your valuable time?” Jason asked in mock disgust.

  This time it was Merle who laughed. “Let’s just say that your meetings are typically full of surprises and I come when you call mostly because I’m curious. Is it safe to assume that once again you have something to share that will reward my curiosity?”

  “I’m hoping you’ll find yourself adequately compensated for your curiosity,” Jason replied, having fun with the double meaning that was obviously lost on Merle.

  Jason turned serious. He looked across the table at Merle and caught his eye, just to make sure that Merle understood that play time was over.

  “As I said on the phone,” Jason began, “I closed the deal earlier this week on Jagged Edge. I now own the company. It’s a dream come true, something in my wildest dreams I would never have thought possible. I feel both blessed and humbled by the opportunity that has been presented to me.”

  “To be sure, you’re very fortunate,” said Merle. “But you have worked extremely hard and are entirely deserving of everything you have achieved. God, in His infinite wisdom, doesn’t make mistakes.”

  “God is good,” Jason replied with just a touch of sadness, recalling the mantra he and Kyle had recited over the years as a way of acknowledging the blessings they shared but most often could never explain.