The Money Is Green

by Mr Owen Sullivan

  “I hope his train wrecks on the way and he’s crushed by a herd of water buffalo as he tries to get away from it,” she snarled. “The sooner he goes, the better it will be for all of China.”

  Ho stood up and grabbed her arm. “Do not speak such blasphemy about our leader,” he hissed. He looked around the room cautiously. “Did you forget there are twelve servants running around this house? If any of them were to tell the authorities of this talk, we could be ruined!”

  She wrestled her arm out of his grasp and pulled away, her face contorted in anger. “No one in this house will speak ill of me because they know what will happen to them if I find out. That is the difference between you and me. I command respect from my people because they fear me. They know I will destroy them.” She almost spat out her words in contempt. “You, they walk all over. The only reason you are where you are in the Party is because of me and my family. My grandparents marched with Mao, and my parents toiled at the bottom of the Party during the Cultural Revolution. Do not forget your place!”

  Ho’s face grew red and his eyes narrowed. “Do not think, woman, that you are above reproach. There are a lot of people in the Party watching you. They see all the jewelry and the Mercedes Benz limousines. They see the lavish parties you throw and hear about your properties in Hong Kong. They, as am I, are aware of your scandalous affairs.” He waved a finger in her face. “When you find yourself on the outside of the Party, do not look to me to help you!”

  Mei stared at him for a long moment, her anger growing. She was about to let him have it when she noticed the music had stopped and the house was silent. She turned and cocked her head and yelled, “Get to practicing! Pin, why are you letting her slouch off? Add another hour to her practice time.”

  She turned back to Ho, who had moved across the room and was standing near the room’s entrance. “Do not concern yourself with my business, husband. Those petty minds in the Party who criticize me are of no concern. There have always been people who are jealous of my success. It hasn’t stopped me in the past, and it won’t stop me now. I see a great future for China and I’m going to be part of it!”

  Ho studied her. “You won’t be a part of anything if you’re languishing in jail. You won’t be part of anything if you’re dead.”

  EIGHT

  The seatbelt sign went off and the lights in the cabin lit up the whole plane as it came to a full stop. Passengers jumped to their feet and reached up to the overhead bins to retrieve their carry-on baggage. Cellphones started ringing and twenty-five conversations started at once. Jason sat patiently and let the majority of passengers debark the plane before he stood up.

  As the plane slowly emptied, Jason grabbed his briefcase and followed the few remaining people off the plane. The pilot stood by the cockpit and said goodbye to every passenger.

  Jason headed up the ramp to the terminal, studying the emails on his phone. As he exited the ramp, he glanced around to see any familiar faces. He made his way through the terminal and ended up standing in front of the baggage claim. Although he knew Crystal was in school, he had hoped Janine might pull her out to come greet him. He stopped and set his carry-on next to the baggage carousel. When I phoned her a few days ago from Shanghai, everything seemed to be going okay. I wish I had told her when we talked how much I missed her this last weekend and how anxious I am to see her again. Oh well, he thought, I guess I’ll see her outside.

  As he stepped up and grabbed his baggage, his cellphone rang. He recognized the number of Debbie, his ex-wife. He immediately felt anxious and scolded himself. Why do you do this to yourself? Get over her. She’s not calling to beg you to take her back. Nor do you want her to.

  “Hello?” Jason answered in a croaky voice. His throat had gone unusually dry.

  “Hi, Jason, it’s Debbie. We need to talk.”

  He cleared his throat and kept walking. “Okay, go ahead, I’m listening.”

  She immediately started screaming and he had to hold the phone away from his ear. “Crystal has called me nearly in tears every day since you’ve been gone. She’s so miserable she can barely stand it. You left her with that slut girlfriend of yours. That was your first bad idea.”

  Jason spoke calmly into the phone. “Whoa, whoa, wait a moment. You don’t know a thing about Janine or what kind of a person she is. I had no choice but to ask Janine to watch her because I had to leave on short notice and she was kind enough to help me out. I’m sure I’ll hear that this wasn’t a great vacation for her either.”

  “I don’t need to meet the woman to know her kind,” Debbie said, sniffing indignantly. “Why didn’t you call my mother or the Johnsons? They could have taken Crystal. She’s a fifteen-year-old, for god’s sake, she doesn’t need a babysitter. And she doesn’t need your girlfriend, whom she loathes, to be her babysitter.”

  “Look, Debbie, I’m doing the best I can. It doesn’t help when you tell Crystal that Janine was the reason our marriage fell apart. I’ve spared her the real reason for the breakup. I wasn’t the one who had an affair and decided to pack up and move three thousand miles away to live with the man. Don’t try to use Crystal to ease your guilty conscience.”

  “Don’t give me that BS, Jason. You were seeing that bitch the whole time we were married. You and I both know it!”

  Oh no, here we go again, he thought. The fact that I hadn’t even met Janine until Debbie was in North Dakota won’t matter because she’d just justify her actions with fantasies. “Is there anything else, Debbie?” he sighed as if he had just lost a seven-round boxing match.

  “As a matter of fact, there is,” she answered. “I need you to send me more money. I think five thousand will do for now.”

  Jason raised his hands in frustration. “Five thousand? What is that for? I’ve sent you your three-thousand-a-month alimony religiously even though I’m raising Crystal and pay all her expenses. Why should I send you five thousand more? I thought Dave was killing it in the oil business there. What happened?”

  “Dave’s business is none of yours. If you don’t send the money, I’ll take you back to court. I know you’re making more money than when we split up, and either way you’ll have to hire an attorney and it will cost you more than five thousand dollars to fight me.”

  Jason pulled the retractable handle out of his suitcase and headed toward the exit. “We’ve already settled everything in our divorce, and at this point, going back to court would be a waste of time and money, but if that’s what you’re determined to do, I’m warning you, I won’t roll over.”

  She snarled at him through the phone. “We’ll just see about that!”

  “Debbie, while we’re on the phone, I need to know what you’ve decided for this summer,” he said in a determined voice. “Crystal gets out of school in six weeks and wants to come stay with you. Are you going to let her?”

  Her whole tone changed and she lowered her voice, speaking in a condescending manner. “I’ve discussed that with Dave and he doesn’t feel comfortable around children, so no, she won’t be coming to stay with me. I’ll fly out there in a couple of months and visit with her.”

  Jason stopped and adjusted his grip on his suitcase, shifting it to his left hand. “Oh, that’s really big of you to find the time to visit your daughter. And since when is a fifteen-year-old a child?”

  “Quit trying to guilt me out, Jason. I do everything for Crystal. Good try changing the subject. You better send me the money or you’ll hear from my lawyer.”

  Click.

  Pulling his suitcase, Jason stuck the phone in his pocket and continued heading for the airport exit. Why do I let her keep pushing my buttons? If she keeps demanding this, I’m going to tell her to go stick that five grand where the sun doesn’t shine. I’m tired of her trying to play the victim and extorting money from me.

  As he exited the San Jose Airport into the bright sunlight, Janine pulled up to the curb in her white BMW sports coup. She popped open the trunk and pushed opened the passenger door.

&n
bsp; Throwing the suitcase into the trunk, Jason got in the car, leaned over, and gave Janine a long kiss. “Thank you for picking me up. I appreciate it.”

  Putting the car in gear, Janine looked into her side mirror as she merged into the airport traffic. “You’re welcome. How was your flight?”

  Jason sighed as he fastened his seatbelt. “Long but uneventful,” he answered. “So, how did it go with Crystal since we last talked? Did things improve any between you two?”

  She turned and looked at Jason with sad eyes. “I’m sorry, Jason. I need to tell you about some things.”

  She steered the car down the street and headed towards a Starbucks on her left. She parked the car in front of the coffee shop and they both walked in silence through the entrance. They found a small table by a window and sat down. Janine set her purse on the chair next to hers, put her elbows on the table, and put her chin in her folded hands. She stared straight ahead for a long moment and took a deep breath.

  “Jason, I honestly tried and I tried hard, but it’s no use. I don’t think anyone has given me the silent treatment for three days like she has. I’ve tried, I really have, to engage her and to interact with her, but she refuses to give me the time of day. As long as Crystal is going to be in your life, which she should be, I don’t see a future for us.”

  Jason reached across the table and placed his hands over hers. “Please, Janine, don’t give up on me. I know things will get better. Crystal just needs some time to adjust to you being in my life. She’ll come around. I really appreciate you staying with her and I know she can be tough, but give me a day or two and I’ll have a chat with Crystal and explain to her what happened between me and her mother. I was hoping to avoid this talk to spare her feelings, but it no longer can be ignored.”

  She threw her hands up in exasperation. “We’ve been dating for almost a year. How much longer do I put up with this? As long as your ex-wife keeps poisoning that young girl’s mind, I have no chance.”

  Jason sighed. “Just give me a chance to talk to Crystal.”

  Janine nodded. “Okay.”

  They got back in the car and headed home. Jason stared ahead at the road in silence.

  ♦

  Papers were spread out all over the kitchen table as Jason poured over the stack of documents. Cost breakdowns, solar panel cut sheets, cash flow projections, along with the latest bid proposal to Inter-Power for the Copper Mountain job were laid out in order of priority. Jason had his laptop open and was finishing up an email when the front door opened and Crystal walked in. Her green soccer uniform had a few grass stains across her chest, and her cleats made squeaking noises as she walked over the linoleum floor. Jason got up and gave her a hug, holding her for a minute. “How’re you doing, pumpkin? I missed you terribly.”

  Crystal leaned away from him like he had just come from a gym workout and stunk. “I missed you too, Dad,” she said flatly.

  He cleared some of his papers from the table and pointed to the seat next to him. “Come sit down and tell me about your week. How was school? Did you win your soccer game yesterday? What did I miss?”

  She tossed her backpack at her feet and slid into the chair. She stared at him for a minute before answering in a monotone, “School was fine. We won the game yesterday and I had a goal, and Janine is a bitch and I can’t stand her.”

  Jason sat back. “What’s wrong, Crystal? Why won’t you give her a chance? She’s a wonderful lady with a big heart and she cares about you very much. If you would take the time to get to know her, you two would get along famously.”

  “Dad,” she said sternly, “I don’t need another mother, nor do I want one. Have you booked my flight to North Dakota? I really miss Mom and want to visit her.”

  Jason tapped his fingers on the table and took a deep breath. “You’re not going to North Dakota. Your mom wants to fly out here and visit you in California instead.”

  Crystal leapt up from her chair, her arms pressed firmly on her thighs. “What do you mean I’m not going to North Dakota? Mom said you’d try this because you’re too cheap to buy me a ticket. If I have to rob a 7-11 I’m going to find the money to get out of here.” She grabbed her backpack and stormed out of the kitchen.

  Jason sat in stunned silence. Okay, time for me to tell her the truth. Janine is right, we can’t continue on like this. It’s time she understands what really happened between me and her mother. Jason got up and knocked softly on Crystal’s bedroom door. “Sweetie, can I come in? There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

  NINE

  The white golf ball rolled slowly toward the putting machine sitting on the carpeted floor, hit the lip, and bounced into the indentation the size of the ball. A small piston, engaged once the ball rested in the slot, punched the ball fifteen feet back, and it came to rest where it started at the face of Brian Thompson’s putter. Brian was the same height as Jason, six foot two, but a few years older. His wavy dark hair had streaks of grey in it and was thinning at the top. His tanned face and arms gave him a healthy look, as if he spent a lot of time outdoors, which he did on the golf course, when he wasn’t working. He was the type of person who could light up a room with his smile, but when he was serious, people listened.

  Brian was still leaning over the putter when the ball returned, and with an unlit cigar in his mouth, he gave a tug to his light grey slacks and struck the ball back toward the plastic device.

  Jason, sitting at an overstuffed chair in front of Brian’s desk, watched the ball roll straight into the plastic cup. “You should be on tour, Brian,” he teased. “Those are money putts.”

  Brian straightened up and rested the putter against the wall as the ball shot back. He sat down behind his expansive walnut desk. He winked at Jason and chomped down on his cigar. “In my dreams, I could be on tour. So, let’s see what you’ve brought me.”

  Scooting his chair up closer to the desk, Jason reached into the briefcase and pulled out a stack of bound documents. He handed one set to Brian and kept the other for himself. Leafing through it, he stopped and looked up. “If you go to page eight, Brian, that’s the amount of the bid. Behind that page are the corresponding documentation and back-up data to support the bid. If you look on page twenty-seven, I’ve done an analysis that shows you the price of the system and the corresponding tax credits you get from the federal government and the effective reduction in cost to the system.”

  He paused to let Brian catch up to where he was in the bid packet.

  Jason continued. “When all the tax breaks and credits are taken into consideration, the system will pay for itself in five point three years. Your internal rate of return is close to ten percent.”

  Brian studied the numbers, picked up a pencil, and wrote some notes on a legal pad. He reached out and started punching numbers on the calculator sitting on the desk. After about ten minutes, he looked up and smiled. “I’m impressed, Jason. I think your numbers are very accurate and competitive. I also like the way you’ve shown me how the project will pencil out for my investors. I’ll have to take your word that the internal rate of return is what you say it is, as this calculator doesn’t do that calculation, but I’m sure you’re close.”

  Jason smiled and closed the document. “Have you secured the lease from BLM for the land yet? I heard the Power Purchase Agreement was almost ready for a signature.”

  Leaning back in his chair, Brian nodded. “The lease was signed a few weeks ago. Dealing with the Department of the Interior is a pain in the ass. Even though we’ve got Congressman Waters pushing for us, it was like pulling teeth. I’ve warned Mei to make sure everything she does is legitimate and aboveboard. I don’t know Congressman Waters very well, so I want to be sure we do everything according to the law.”

  “I’ve met the congressman myself,” Jason said as he nodded in agreement. “He’s an interesting guy.”

  Brian raised his eyebrows. “I’ll say he’s an interesting guy. He’s the biggest proponent of the renewable energy mov
ement and even runs around in one of those hybrid Priuses. But then he hops on Mei Chen’s jets and flies all over the world spewing tons of carbon monoxide all over the atmosphere.” He grunted. “I think his carbon footprint is as large as Bigfoot’s. So much for a being an advocate for clean air.”

  “Yeah, I find that kind of ironic,” Jason said, stifling a laugh. “There are a lot of politicians on the green bandwagon that do the exact opposite in their personal lives.” He held up his document. “Back to this. Does this mean we’ve won the bid?”

  “Not exactly,” Brian answered. “I know you’re aware of my relationship with Mei Chen and her involvement with Inter-Power. But I have other investors that I have a fiduciary duty to protect. I have to make sure I can get the best deal for everyone. The proposal you’ve put together for Soltech is impressive, but I still have to look at what the other companies bid for the job.”

  He got up and walked to the window overlooking the parking lot. A man was pushing a mower across a vast green lawn in the front of the building. “I need to warn you about Mei Chen. She’s a very aggressive woman and will do anything to get her way.” He turned and gave Jason a look full of unspoken implications. “Anything.”

  Jason shifted in the chair. “Why are you telling me this, Brian? Is there something she’s doing that’s unethical or illegal? I’m not interested in ruining my reputation or going to jail.”

  “Soltech’s solar panels are some of the most cheaply made panels in the world, primarily because of the Chinese government subsidies. But they aren’t the best solar panels out in the market, so I have to weigh that into the equation. The reason they’re not the best is because Mei cuts corners in the manufacturing process.”