by David Allen
When Steve arrived at the awards banquet, he was given a seat assignment when he entered. He wondered around for a few minutes and then found the table that matched his seating ticket. Steve was the first to be seated at his table. All of the other attendees were still milling about and conversing with each other.
Steve occupied himself by doing some people watching and then by reading over the pamphlet that listed all of the award recipients. He was busy reading when he became aware that the seats around him were starting to fill up. Steve glanced up from his reading to find the most stunning girl he had ever seen in his life. She was taking the seat next to him.
Of all the rotten luck, Steve thought. This is going to be horrible.
The woman noticed Steve look up. She took her seat and introduced herself.
“Hi. I’m Kim Parks,” she said with a bubbly sparkle.
Steve was speechless. His mouth hung open. He tried to say something, anything, but it was useless. He was speechless; his brain had turned to mush. There was nothing that could help him now. His only thought was to pretend to get a phone call and then get up and leave before he made a jerk out of himself.
Kim attempted to fill the awkward silence. “I feel kind of odd being here without my husband,” she said. “He had to go on a business trip out of town and left me here to come to this alone.”
Kim turned toward Steve. He noticed a look of concern on her face. “I feel kind of awkward being here alone,” she said.
The pressure was immediately taken off of Steve. It was like the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders.
“Hi Kim, I am Steve Peterson. It is very nice to meet you.” Steve lowered his voice a bit. “To tell you the truth I feel a little awkward myself. I never liked these things.”
Kim laughed. “Maybe they knew about us. That’s why they seated us together.”
Steve had found himself a friend for the evening. Once he learned that she was married all of his fears immediately vanished. He didn’t have to worry about any uncomfortable situations arising.
“So why are you here tonight Steve? Are you receiving or presenting?” asked Kim.
“I will be receiving,” said Steve. “If you check your pamphlet you will find me listed as number five.”
“Oh, so you are the infamous number five,” said Kim as she picked up her pamphlet. She started to skim through the pages.
“It looks like I am number three. I think that makes me the winner,” responded Kim lightheartedly.
Steve picked up his pamphlet and read the entry under number three. “Wow Kim, Charitable Organization of the Year. That is very impressive and very commendable.”
“I see here that you are Businessman of the Year. So you are the Mr. Peterson Software I have been reading about in all the papers.”
Steve and Kim hit it off. Steve was interested in hearing more about Kim’s work with the local charities and Kim was more than happy to share. Steve discovered that Kim was the director of a Tampa based organization that raised funds for many of the local children’s organizations.
Steve was amazed to hear about all of the needy children right in his own community. He wanted to help. Kim explained that he could send in a donation and he could be assured that it would be put to very good use.
“I will be happy to send out an information brochure that explains how the money is utilized. I’ll send it out first thing on Monday morning to your office.”
Steve explained that he would like to do more. “I was thinking more of setting up a corporate fund for your organization. Maybe I could even get a little involved with it,” said Steve. “You know, get my hands dirty. I would love to be able to help out with the kids.”
The conversation between Steve and Kim was interrupted as the award presentations were being made. Before the presentations were over Steve had already decided that he would be staying for the dinner. He was actually starting to enjoy himself.
The conversation over dinner focused on the details of the children in need. Steve had to know more about Kim’s work and the charities she helped to fund. He was very disheartened to hear about all of the children without family’s right in Tampa. It was a topic that was near and dear to him.
“I always heard that people were waiting to adopt children. How can there be so many children without families?” he asked.
Kim explained that families were waiting to adopt newborns or infants, but not older children. “Once a child is no longer an infant nobody wants them,” she explained.
“And then we get a lot of children whose parents abandon them later in life. There are some real sad cases. Kids come in addicted to drugs and with emotional issues. Nobody wants to hear about them. The media doesn’t even want to touch it.”
The more Steve heard from Kim the more he wanted to help. “Would you be able to show me around the different sites that your organization helps out?” he asked.
Kim agreed.
The two met the following Saturday. Kim took him on an all day tour into the hidden world of throwaway children. Steve could not believe the extent of the situation. That was it for Steve. Following the trip, Steve set up a meeting with the Peterson Software legal department and created the Peterson fund. Within three weeks of their chance meeting at the awards dinner, Steve called Kim Parks to notify her that the Peterson Fund was ready to make its first contribution. Kim’s organization would be receiving two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for the children.
Steve’s work in charitable trusts and charitable aid had just begun. He started to feel as if the work was his calling. He finally found something that helped to fill the void in his life.
* * *
Several months after Steve moved his company to its current location near the Port of Tampa, Joe arrived at Steve’s office looking quite somber. It was one of Joe’s normal days off. Steve knew right away that something was wrong.
“I have something I need to tell you Steve. I am not sure if you are going to want to hear this or not,” Joe said, as he entered Steve’s office.
Steve could see the look of concern on Joe’s face. He knew Joe was serious. “What is it Joe?” Steve asked.
“Well Steve, yesterday I was speaking to some people in the neighborhood and they told me that Jack has come back to Clearwater.”
“Jack? You mean my Uncle Jack?” asked Steve. He turned his full attention to Joe.
“Yeah, your Uncle Jack.”
“Where is he Joe? Is he living in Clearwater?”
“Steve, if what I heard is correct, your uncle is currently residing at the Clearwater homeless shelter.”
Steve’s eyes widened. “The Clearwater homeless shelter?”
“Yeah, that’s what they said.”
Steve slid his hand down the back of his head and stopped at his neck. “Oh damn. Did they say how he was?”
“They just said that he wasn’t doing very well. They didn’t go into any more detail,” said Joe.
“Are you doing anything right now Joe? You want to take a ride over to Clearwater with me?” asked Steve.
“Sure Steve, I have some spare time. Let’s go. I’ll drive.”
Steve had always wondered what happened to his only living relative. He assumed he would never see him again, and even thought he might have died. But in the back of his mind he always wondered what would happen if they ever did meet again. Steve wondered if he was going to get the chance to find out.
When Steve and Joe arrived at the Clearwater shelter they found the information about Jack was indeed correct. Jack was listed as a current resident of the shelter. It turned out he had been there on and off for almost five months before someone recognized his name and realized he was Steve Peterson’s uncle.
The years of being on the streets had not been kind to Jack. Although he had not had a drink in over three months, the years of prior abuse had already done its damage. Steve barely recognized the frail man as his Uncle.
Jack had several years with l
ittle more to do than to rethink the choices he made in his life. He was not proud of his life or his choices. Jack felt true remorse for what he had done to Steve and the memory of his parents. Steve finally got the heart-felt apology that he needed.
Jack moved in with Steve for several days until Steve was able to set him up in an apartment. Steve bought him a new wardrobe and provided some spending money. Unlike his early days, Jack was somewhat reluctant to take the offerings. Steve offered him the chance to repay some of the loan by working with the maintenance crew at Peterson Software. Jack agreed.
Joe was not convinced of Jack’s change of heart. He still needed some proof of Jack’s newfound repentance. He was waiting for the next scam.
For a little over three months Jack showed up for work on a daily basis. He did the best he could. At the start of the forth month, Steve got a call informing him that Jack had called in sick for several days in a row. Steve went to check up on him and found that Jack was indeed sick.
Jack was diagnosed with advance stomach cancer. Steve got him the best treatment available but the cancer had already spread to several other major organs. There was nothing the doctors could do. Jack died less than two months later at the age of fifty-nine. Steve was at his side when he died.
Chapter 39 - The End
Steve Peterson was pleased with the outcome of the boardroom meeting that occurred earlier in the day. He came to the realization that the departure of Tim Burke would work out to be a long term benefit to the corporation. Even though Tim had brought in a lot of business for the company, Steve now realized that he had always been a bothersome thorn in his side and he was a major disruption to the staff. Steve was sure the company would end up stronger and more profitable without him.
Steve grabbed up a heap of papers from his desk and shuffled them into a neat pile. The pages had been faxed over from a local recruiting firm specializing in placement of executive personnel. Several potential candidates for Tim’s position had already been identified; two of them looked very promising.
The company will be just fine, Steve thought. He slid the resumes into his briefcase and picked up a last minute project he was working on from his desk. Steve’s excitement started to grow. The workday was done, and soon he would be on his way over to Clearwater to meet Laura.
Steve hurried out the main entrance with a broad smile spread across his face. His mind was free from the dread and the pain of the last few days. Steve nearly sprinted over to Joe Jackson’s car. His only thoughts were of seeing Laura.
Joe looked over as Steve climbed into the car. “Where the hell have you been?” Joe asked half-jokingly.
“Hey, I have been busy,” said Steve. “I have a lot of important things to do. I’m the boss you know.”
Joe tapped his watch. “Well, I want you to know that you’re fifteen minutes late. You told me you wanted to get over to the clinic by seven o’clock. We’ll never make it by seven with the traffic. Now you’re going to be late to meet her. She is not going to like that.”
Joe looked over at Steve and flashed an exaggerated frown. “Steve, I think I need to finally explain the way things are with women. Rule one is that women don’t like it when you are late. They especially don’t like it when you’re late for a date,” said Joe.
“This is not a date Joe. Laura and I are just getting together to discuss the needs for the clinic space at the shelter. This meeting is strictly business, nothing more. Don’t go making it sound like it is more than it is.”
“I do not think I am adding anything to it Steve. You were the one who was making it sound like a date yesterday. I still think it is a date,” said Joe. He lightheartedly bobbed his head up and down. “Yeah, I’m sure it’s a date.”
Steve took out a large roll of paper from under his arm. It was his latest project. He unfurled it in front of Joe.
“Joe, take a look at this,” he said. “It’s a design I came up with. It’s for a sign for Laura’s new clinic.”
“This is what you were working on up there?” asked Joe. “Is this why you were late?”
Steve ignored the question. He waved the paper in front of Joe. “Just look at it. This is pretty good isn’t it?” asked Steve. “Don’t you think she is going to love this?”
“I can’t believe that this is what you were doing up there. One of the biggest events in the company’s history just goes down this morning and you’re locked in your office drawing up designs for a sign,” said Joe.
“Yeah, but it’s good. Come on and look at it,” said Steve. “Don’t you think this is pretty good?”
“Yeah Steve, it’s a pretty good sign. And now I am also sure that this is a date,” said Joe affirmatively.
Joe put the car into gear and started out of the parking lot. “Now, put that away so I can see to drive.”
“Sure Joe,” said Steve, as he rolled the paper back into a protective tube. “I know Laura is going to love it. I can’t wait to show it to her.”
Joe pulled the car out onto the main road and glanced over at Steve. “You have a crush on her don’t you?” asked Joe. “You are really taken with this girl. What has it been, three days? Three days and you already got it bad. You got it real bad.”
Steve stared out the windshield. “I’m just really excited for Laura and for her new clinic,” he said.
“You should see yourself. You can’t even look at me,” said Joe. “This must be real serious. I think it may be worse than I thought.”
“OK, fine,” said Steve. “So I like her. I like her a lot. But it isn’t a big deal.”
Joe reached over and gave a slap to Steve’s leg. “Well you better not let her get away Steve. I really like her too.”
“Ok, so we got that settled. Now let’s change the subject,” said Steve.
Joe turned the Honda onto Route 60 and headed toward Clearwater. “We never got to talk after the big meeting. How did the conversation with Tim go?” asked Joe.
“Oh it went OK,” Steve said. “He immediately turned on Christy and implicated her in the entire plot. That was a little bit of a surprise.”
“But he left willingly? No problems?” asked Joe.
“Yeah, he is gone. He knew we had him, especially after Kevin came over to my side.”
“Did you know Kevin was going to do that?”
“I thought he would, but I couldn’t be sure. He saved the day. The legal department said that if he had voted with them, the group could have still drawn out the whole company split in a court battle even with the new wording in the documents. It could have gone on for years.
“I am glad that Tim is gone, I never liked that guy. I think the company will be much better without him,” said Joe. “He was good at his job but think of all the problems he caused by always stirring up trouble. I mean this was by no means the first time.”
“I certainly won’t miss that aspect of him,” said Steve. “I placed a call with several placement firms and one of them faxed over information on six possible candidates already. I have them in my briefcase to review tonight. They look like strong candidates.”
“Well, I would be willing to come back full time and help out until you get a replacement,” said Joe.
Steve smiled at the offer. “I may have to take you up on that Joe.”
“How did Frank and Mike handle it?” asked Joe.
“They both apologized for their roles. I don’t know if they all meant it. From what they told me, Tim had promised them the world. I think they now realize they did the wrong thing. At least I feel that I can still trust them to do their job.”
“And how did everything go with Christy last night?” asked Joe.
“It went as well as I could have hoped. Christy is out of my life for good.” Steve paused, and then glanced over at Joe with a strange look on his face. “I never dropped the charges against her. I was supposed to call the police this morning after the meeting and drop the charges against her. Damn, I better do that first thing tomorrow morning.”<
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“Serves her right if you forget and they go out and arrest her,” said Joe. “She would deserve it all.”
“No, I couldn’t do that. I made her a promise and I will keep it. Besides, as crazy as it may sound Joe, I think that I am a better person for having gone through all of her crap. I feel a lot stronger after having been through it.”
“Well, you certainly are acting differently. Especially the last few days,” said Joe.
* * *
Joe turned the car into the parking lot behind the Clearwater medical clinic and pulled up alongside Steve’s car. He was as excited as Steve. It was all Joe could do to hold himself back from giving Steve his last minute words of advice. But he knew Steve was ready. He knew ne did not need any more advice.
“You are only about ten minutes late Steve. If she is running late she won’t even know,” said Joe.
The passenger door swung open. Steve hopped out. Joe sat in his car and watched Steve put his briefcase and rolled up plan for the sign in the back seat of his car. Steve came back around Joe’s car. He shrugged at Joe through the window.
“What are you waiting for?” asked Steve.
Joe rolled down the window. “I Just wanted to make sure everything was OK with your car.”
“Yeah Joe, everything is fine. You can go now.”
Joe started to back up. “Call me when you get home Steve,” Joe instructed as he pulled alongside Steve.
Steve laughed and shook his head. “I am not a child Joe.”
“I know, but could you please give me and Karen a call?”
“I’ll call with all the gruesome details Dad,” said Steve.
Joe gave a wave and slowly pulled out of the lot. Steve stood and watched as the taillights faded into the darkness. He was on his own.
All of the nervousness was gone. There was no apprehension and no feelings of doubt. Steve could feel that this was right with every fiber of his being. He could not wait to see Laura. So much had happened, there was much to discuss.