I grab his hand quick, “We don’t pay you enough.”
He releases his hold of the weapon.
Mom asks me, “He didn’t do shit, did he?”
I shake my head no.
Mom is pissed, “Damnit!”
Mom asks the guards, “Who is second in command here.”
The guy looks sick, “Please don’t. You think Rick is an asshole; Jimmy is worse. You want Seth. He doesn’t have the most experience, but people like him, and the kid is smart.”
Mom stares at the guys, “See to it that Rick and Jimmy are assisted in leaving this facility after they see HR. I will put the orders in the system first thing Monday morning. I want you two to make sure they are escorted to HR as they walk into the building. I will have HR contact Seth and let him pick his #2 and their replacements. We are leaving now. I thank you for your time.”
Both men look at me wearily; Jane just can’t help herself, “Had you reached for that weapon, he would have torn your arm off. Was that intelligence or fear that made you stop?”
They both make me laugh when they say, “Fear.”
Mom and Jane are laughing as we leave the facility.
Once we are back in the airplane, mom asks, “You were gone for a while both times. Did you learn anything, or did you find a new girlfriend?”
I laugh as I answer, “The first place needs new equipment. Some poles hold the machinery off the ground. You start high, and gravity helps push things along as you work downhill. On the poles, I could see cracked and broken metal. Behind that, there was a plate that had been welded in place. Some have three plates. Everything is filthy. The rollers are only half working. The mixers have makeshift blades from the old ones breaking.
“I watched the operation, and there are people doing work that should be automated. They had a person with a shovel moving grains from one bin to another. They need modernization, and then some low-paying jobs need to go. They need to add a maintenance schedule for routine maintenance and more maintenance people for the factory machinery. They have nobody dedicated to the machines.
“In the second facility, it’s as you suspected. The guy didn’t do jack shit. I heard from talking to the people that he has twenty years with the company. It might mean that his knowledge tells him some of the suggestions sounded good on paper but would not work. I’m no expert in that stuff. He still may need to be fired; I’m just saying I think it’s worth talking to him first. However, if nothing else, he needs a lesson in communications. He doesn’t make those decisions without talking to you.”
Mom hugs me, “Thank you, honey. I take it you learned to protect all your military equipment?”
I smile; everything must be clean and be properly maintained to operate efficiently. It’s a way of life, whether it’s a pair of shoes or an eight-million-dollar tank. It costs to maintain equipment, but it runs reliably when you need it.”
Before landing, I use my phone and place a thirty-minute meeting for Sandy and me at 10:00 am tomorrow.
Chapter 8 — Work, Work, Work
On Monday at 10:00 am, I walk into Sandy’s office and sit down in the chair across from her. The desk is a mess of reports, notes, and her computer. Still, she drops everything to look at me. She went from frustration to happiness as I walked into the room.
I lighten the mood, “Thinking about your old desk?”
She turns red, “How did you know?”
I humor her, “When you do, there is a particular smile you use; it’s reserved for that memory only. The girls pointed it out to me.” She turns a deeper red.
“You need to replace me,” which startled Sandy. She’s no longer happy.
I look sad myself, “I love this place. I love my job. I love all the special people here, especially the boss.” My head hangs. “They still remind me of that fateful day. It won’t leave me; it haunts me. The day I came back, that eases the pain. What you especially, but all of you did was a porn movie come true. If you allow me, I would like to stay on, maybe two days a week.”
Sandy cuts me off, “Done. Whatever you want.”
I feel the need to explain, “Sunday, we went up to Syracuse to see the plants. Mom had thoughts there were issues, but management covered them up. I walk through the two facilities, and even my untrained eye can spot problems immediately. We found a manager with his feet up on a desk, drinking a beer, and reading an XXX magazine. He got fired on the spot.
“I am now part of the family business. My first official duty will be writing a check for Global. Mom told me about the amazing experience of doing the commercial where they found me. We have never had that type of experience. I want to build a world-class sound stage with all the people needed to run it. That includes lighting, filming, editing, directing, makeup, etc. We will do our own commercials plus assist others to do their own. We can also do training videos for other companies and us. You will need someone like Marcene to head it.”
Sandy laughs, “That’s exactly who I pictured running it as well. Damn, we work so well together. I appreciate the studio; it will help us a lot. That was one area that held us back. You pick the days you want; just mark it on your calendar. Do you still want a paycheck?”
I chuckle, “No, I am a made man now.” She smiled at that. “They are like a hawk around me now. I have no doubt this room has a video feed, and they are monitoring me. I won’t be running off any time soon.”
Sandy is smiling as she says, “They have good reason to. You scared the crap out of us all. We were devastated; I can only imagine what they went through.”
As she is getting up, “I’m supposed to be in a meeting.” We close the distance, so she can hug me. “I love you. Work all you want. Just being you helps the whole company, and you will help your family even more so. I got to run. I will see you around.”
She walks away with tears running down her cheeks. I go back to work.
+++++
Tuesday, I go in to work early. I use my thumb to enter the building. No kidding, it still works. Of course, it does; fingerprints don’t change. I stop at HR to get a badge and my password. They are all shocked to see me. I then steel myself as I open my father’s old office. It’s stunning, just as I remember it as a child. The view from the 100th floor is incredible. There is a brand-new computer on the desk with two giant monitors. A mouse, keyboard, and headset are all standard. There isn’t a phone. The mouse has a mousepad with a racecar on it. To the right is a small box of business cards. Title, President. Interesting.
The desk and chair are the same my dad used. Both are worn and show their age. The two high back chairs in front of the desk are new, as is the couch. There is a bar, refrigerator, and a sink by the wall. The view is absolutely breathtaking. I can see for miles. There is Central Park and, of course, the Hudson River. The keys are in the pencil drawer. Inside is also two of my dad’s pens; his initials are on them.
The office is clean, with no dust. The carpet is lush and doesn’t kick up a plume of dust as I walk into the room. The cleaning service has done well. I sit in the chair, taking in that I have replaced dad. How can I replace dad? I seem so unworthy. Sunday made me realize how bad the family needs me.