“How much money are we talking about?” Tom asked.
“They think they can raise over $50,000 at the event in Portland. Your speaking fees alone are $35,000. Add that $85,000 to the $720,000 you’ve brought in so far this quarter from your personal appearances and we are well on our way to the $1.25 million we need to start building the new center,” Banks answered.
“I’ll go. I have to check with Jonas though. He may want to come with me; might be a good chance to sneak some time in with his mom.”
“Good enough. I promise you after the second quarter of the year the speaking circuit is over. You’ve done your duty and then some, Tom.”
“Well, I hope you hired me for more than just my whale stories. I’d like to think that -.”
“We did. We’re damn lucky to have you on staff. Even at half time you’re a boon to this Institute. You know, once you finish your Ph.D. program in a couple of years you can have your pick of jobs anywhere on the planet.”
“I like it here, Jim. Not goin’ anywhere… Hey, I forgot to tell you. The book comes out in six months. I proofed the final manuscript yesterday. Henry and Tom – catchy name, don’t you think?”
“You gave the whale top billing. Such humility,” James joked.
“Well, what can I say? He’s made all my dreams come true. Did my agent -.”
“Yes, we got a check for $200,000. Add that to your total too. There was no need to give us ten percent of your book advance, Tom. Twenty percent of the royalties was far too generous to begin with.”
“The money is for Henry. We’re going to build a cetacean research facility here that is second to none. His name goes on the building too, don’t forget that.”
“Does Henry have a last name? Seems only proper.”
“He’s a whale, Jim. Whales don’t have last names, everybody knows that.”
“Alright traveling man,” Jim said, laughing. “I’ll get out of your hair. You’re gone for ten days this time, right? The gigs in Japan?”
“Back before you know it,” Tom said.
“Be sure to check in once in a while. As silly as it is, technically you’re an employee here; an employee who pays almost a quarter of everyone’s salary these days, but still an employee.”
James shut the door behind him. Tom spent a few minutes organizing his desk and loading the files onto his i Pad that he would need in Japan. He had not been to Asia yet; there simply had not been time. He was looking forward to seeing Tokyo and touring the country’s finest marine research facilities.
Tom’s office overlooked Kane’ohe Bay and looked back towards the island of Oahu. It was a million dollar view and then some. Across the bay and up on the mountain was Tom’s new house. It was understated given his dramatically increased net worth, but Tom was beyond happy with his three bedroom home. He loved the fact that he could look out his office window and see where he lived.
Starting next month Tom would be both the Director of Fundraising and Public Relations for the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) and a doctoral student in marine biology at the University of Hawaii. Add to that bestselling author and in demand public speaker and his life was very full.
It had been almost eight months since Tom’s experience with Henry. Most nights, when he was home, he spent hanging out with Jonas who was thriving at his new private high school. His son’s grades had vastly improved along with his general attitude. Almost every day after school Jonas went sailing or diving, the two new passions in his life. Jessica visited her father every few weeks, but she was happier living with Syd and Harold in California, who were now husband and wife.
The last thing Tom wanted to be was a celebrity, but he chose to use his fame to help create a new world class research facility at HIMB that would study all aspects of marine mammal biology. When he got his doctorate, he was promised a faculty position from which, in twenty years or so, he planned to retire.
On Tom’s desk were pictures of his children, Gabriel and his family and his father and mother. On the wall behind his desk was another photo, blown up to portrait size and framed.
In the picture was an older man, he looked to be over sixty and weathered, and a young boy, maybe twelve or thirteen. They were standing on a pier by a skiff which was tied to cleat on the dock. In handwriting on the bottom corner of the picture was written, “Love ya, kid. Grandpa.”
“Keep an eye on the place while I’m gone, Grandpa Henry,” Tom said as he switched off his office lights and left.
Henry was the man who taught Tom how to sail. His father was too busy earning a living to spend every afternoon on the water with his son, but Henry Campbell was a retired Naval Officer who had nothing but time on his hands. He loved to be with both of his grandsons, but especially with Tom because Tom was the one who most shared his passion not only for sailing, but for the sea and everything about it.
Tom was sixteen when Grandpa Henry died of a stroke. Young Tom Campbell was devastated and not only because he’d lost a dear and sweet grandfather, but because he’d lost his best friend. Whatever Tom needed, Henry provided. He gave love and attention in abundance – these things and so much more flowed freely from Henry to Tom Campbell.
The day when Tom met the juvenile sperm whale stranded on the beach he had been thinking about his grandfather. He was thinking mostly that he would have loved for his grandpa to have met Syd and how thrilled Henry would be that his grandson was working at a prestigious marine center like Scripps.
Right from the start there was something about the whale that reminded Tom of his grandfather, but he wasn’t sure exactly what it was. Perhaps more than anything else it was the connection, the bond that formed between Tom and the whale. While that bond developed rapidly, it was as meaningful and lasting as the tie between Tom and his grandfather.
The whale’s name was Henry. No other name fit or made any sense at all.
Authors’ Biographies
Author Michael Atkins
Michael Atkins has been exploring the world’s oceans as a sailor, scuba and deep submersible diver, marine biologist, oceanographer, and conservationist since 1986. He received his PhD in biological oceanography from MIT and has logged over 200K miles at sea. He considers sustainable stewardship of marine ecosystems to be his life long calling and passion.
Author Wid Bastian
Wid Bastian is a novelist and screenwriter. His screen- play work includes the upcoming feature film, Themi, scheduled for release in 2016. As a ghostwriter, Wid has penned numerous novels and memoirs that have been published both in America and abroad. An avid scuba diver since the late 1980s, Wid loves the ocean in general and whales in particular. When he’s not working in Los Angeles, Wid enjoys being home in Logan, Utah with his fiancee Elaine, her two kids, four cats, a dog and other assorted critters.
Social Media
www .henryandtom.com
www .facebook.com/henryandtom
www.twitter.com/henryandtom
Henry and Tom: Ocean Adventure Series Book 1: Rescue (Ocean Adventures Series) Page 16