Taking Texas By Storm
by: E Walk
(© 2009 by the Author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 23 

Leaving On a Jet Plane

On Friday when I woke up, Bra was already awake, “Ed, last night was awesome.  Please don’t ever leave us.”

“Bram, you’re stuck with me for life,  You and Allie need to pick me up at the headquarters building at four thirty, so we can make our flight to New York,  I need to get ready for work.  Greg is driving today.”

When I arrived in the kitchen, Allie was waiting, “Dad, I have everything packed, and we’ll be there to pick you up at four thirty on the dot.  So don’t be late.”

When we were traveling to the office, Tom commented, “I’m amazed at the corruption that must have gone on around the headquarters before E.D.  It must have been a real zoo.”

Juan turned around, “Tom, you don’t even know the entire story or you would be laughing your ass off.  When we enter the building today, we need to stick together so there isn’t a reoccurrence of what happened yesterday.  I understand our illustrious boss made some more enemies, yesterday.”

We made it into the building without any problem and I had my latte and Danish and was going through the things that hadn’t gotten taken care of the day before.  I was making piles of do now, can wait and forget, when Tammy came to the open the door, “Mr. Waller, everyone is assembled and President Odom is getting ants in his pants.”

I looked at the clock and it wasn’t even eight o’clock.  I walked to the conference room, or Katie’s office, and all of a sudden, I had a panicky feeling.  If I were to be the President, we couldn’t be having meetings in an employee's office.  I collected my wits and tried to smile, “Ladies and gentleman, President Odom and Marlene, thank you for coming today to the Waller vaudeville show.  I hope you will be entertained.  Since there are some new faces, I guess everyone should introduce him or her self so everyone knows the players.”

After the introductions I looked at the assembled group, “Who would like to go first?”

Rob raised his hand, “Sir, I think I have some information that everyone should hear.  I was working late last evening, filling in for a friend who had a family emergency and Mr. Sampson tried to enter the building with someone else’s identification card.  I recognized him and asked what he was doing here.  He said that your secretary had given him permission to come and get his personal things from his office.”

“He didn’t realize that I was there when President Odom fired him.  I decided to play along with him and had another security guard accompany me when I escorted him to what had been his office.  He tried to get in with the key he had and of course it didn’t work. I pulled out the master key that I had and we went into the division.  He headed straight to his office and came out screaming, ‘Those bastards have robbed me.’”

“We escorted the screaming man out of the building, and he was shouting, ’I’ll get even with these sons of bitches.’”

I looked around, “Rob, what was the name of the badge that Mr. Samson presented?  It wouldn’t possibly have been a Mr. Joseph Wagner, would it?”

Rob nodded yes, “It was Mr. Wagner’s security badge.  How did you know that?  We kept the badge and deleted Mr. Wagner’s name from the list of employees.”

“Thank you, Rob.  Mr. Withem, would you like to say anything?”

“Yes, please, Mr. Waller, I started going through the most recent contracts that this company had awarded after the slave driver’s worked me to death.  Mr. Sampson was indeed awarding the contracts to the highest bidders for personal gain.  He was receiving a substantial kickback from the contractors.  I was finally able to decipher his hieroglyphics about eight thirty last night.  The corporation has every reason to file charges against him and the contractor’s who were involved.  Shell even paid for some things that happened at the Farnum residence.  Mr. Waller, I need to know what you want me to do.”

I looked at President Odom and he shrugged his shoulders.  I looked Mr. Withem, “Todd, we need to discuss what needs to happen, but we need to identify the new head of Contracting Division before we decide how to proceed.”

I looked around, “Who would like to go next?”

Greg raised his hand, “Mr. Waller, I think that Mrs. Farnum is going to cause trouble.  When we took the keys to the company car she was driving, she threw a hissy fit.  She started yelling that she wouldn’t be able to go home.  I told her to take a taxi and she complained that she didn’t have the money to pay the fare.  I drove her to her estate and they were placing a big sign that announced that the property was for sale because of foreclosure.”

“Mrs. Farnum was out of the car so fast and the words coming out of her mouth were unfit for any man, woman or child to hear.  I split the scene as soon as I could.”

Greg added, “The woman is like a wounded leopard and may spring at anytime.  President Odom, she was ranting and raving about how you let her and her ex-husband down.”

“Thank you, Greg.  Tom, do you have anything new to report?”

Tom looked up, “Not really, sir.  When you said the people in the Contracting Division were on furlough, I assume that means that we will treat them as if they just didn’t show up for work?”

I nodded, “I think that I made it abundantly clear that they were on furlough and would not be getting paid.”

“Oz, is everything still on track to open the Fish Bowl on Monday?”

“Yes sir, everyone is excited to be coming into the facility.  I’ve told the owners, including the Wakefields, that we would be determining their rents after they have been in operation for a month.  They know that they are going to need to pay rent, but you told me to make it so they wouldn’t need to struggle to make the payments.”

“Sir, I have one other issue.”

“What’s that Oz?”

“My housekeeping staff wants you to stop finding bathrooms like they had to clean in the Contracting Department last night.

Everyone was laughing and I looked around, “Grant, you’ve been too quiet.  Would you care to explain what’s happening in Human Relations area?”

“Ed, I would rather not discuss what’s happening.  There are several people who have come to me and need the company's help.  Todd or Dr. Rudy, I think you might need to be involved in the cases.  Having said that, I have nothing else.”

I looked at the others, “Does anyone else have anything to add for the good of the company?”

Everyone shook their heads no and I looked at President Odom, “President Odom, do you have anything you would like to say.”

He shook his head no, “Ed, you’re people are doing a great job.  I want them to take time and smell the roses.”

“Thank you, President Odom.  Just so you all know, I will be leaving at four thirty this afternoon.  We have reservations to fly to New York.”

President Odom sat forward in his chair, “By we, I assume you mean you, Brahim and Allie.  I’m guessing that Mrs. Carr has invited you into her lair.”

“Yes, sir.”

President Odom stood, “After the witch gets her hands on Ed and his men, they may never be the same again.”

I stood, “On that note, this meeting is adjourned.  We’ll meet again on Monday morning so I can get caught up on the latest happenings.  Oz, I want you to take some time off.  You’re spending way too many hours here.  I looked at the time sheets and you have been in the building more than anyone else.” 

“Grant and Joe, I know that you’ve spent an inordinate amount of time working on the time data reports.  I know it was your baby, but let Tom worry about it.  He has everything under control.  You both have jobs that will require your full attention, We aren’t finished tearing apart this company, yet.”

“I’d like to meet with Joe, Katie, Todd, Nancy and Rob for a few minutes”

After the others had departed, I shut the door, “Todd, you said you were able to break Mr. Sampson’s hieroglyphics.  Were you able to make any calculations as to how much money he might have made from his position and how much activities might have cost the company?”

Todd shook his head no, “It took me until 8:30 to figure out what his system was.   I decided to call it quits and go home and get something to eat.”

“Todd, it’s none of my business, but I take it you’re not married?”

“I’m not married.  I guess you might call me a mommy and daddy’s boy.  I live with my parents, or I should say, I live in my parents’ home.   I have free access to the house and usually eat with them about three times a week.  Someday I hope to find the right person and move out.  Until that time, I’m trying to save as much money as I can, so I won’t need to struggle to survive.”

“Thanks for sharing, Todd.  Nancy, how long have you worked in the Contracting Division?”

Nancy looked surprised, “I’ve worked in the division since I finished Business College seven years ago.  And no, I’m not married.  I, like Todd, haven’t found the right person.”

“Nancy, that information had nothing to do with what I was going to ask you, but it is nice to know.  My question for you is, how long was the Mr. Sampson individual the division chief?”

“He took over five years ago and changed the entire way the division operated.  He controlled everything with an iron thumb.  It might as well have been a one man operation.  The only thing the rest of us were good for was to make him look good.  Just so you know, the Danny who took my place as the receptionist is the creep’s lover.”

I started to laugh, “People, I think you’re trying to divert my attention, so I’ll forget what I want you to do.”

“Todd, do you have an area where four or five people could work.  I’d have you work here in Katie’s office, but this would probably be one of the places anyone who wanted to make trouble would look for the records.”

Todd nodded yes, “We could work in the legal division’s conference room.”

“Great, I would like for you, Joe, Katie and Nancy to go through the contract records for the last five years and see if you can determine how much money Mr. Sampson cost the company and how much money he received in kickbacks.  Stop and ask Tom to help you if he has time.  I’m sure you won’t be able to go through all five years today, but it would be great if you could have the figures available for the board meeting on Tuesday.”

Joe stood, “We’ll do the best we can, boss.”

“I know you will.  I have something I need to discuss with Nancy, and then I’ll send her your way.”

After the other three had departed, I turned to Rob and Nancy.  “Thank you for being patient, Rob. Nancy, Rob is going to be taking over the Contracting Division as of Monday morning.  You are going to be assigned as his executive assistant.  It will be your responsibility to keep him and me out of trouble.  I’ll make the announcement on Monday morning, after we see how many of the people show up for work.”

Both Nancy and Rob looked like they were shell shocked, “Please don’t tell anyone what I just said.  I need time to look at what you’re compensation packages will be.  I promise to have them by Monday afternoon at the latest.   I want the two of you to do what you can to make the division operate as it should?”

Rob took a deep breath, “Mr. Waller, I know nothing about the contracting business.”

“Rob, I think you will be surprised how similar it is to the retail business.”

Nancy grinned, “Don’t  worry, Rob, we’ll make the division an example of efficiency that will make the other divisions turn green with envy.”

I started to laugh, “With an attitude like that, Nancy, I may have to find another position for you after you get Boy Wonder trained.  Nancy, please tell Joe, Katie and Todd that we need to have a list of the contractors who paid Sampson kickbacks.”

Nancy grinned, “Mr. Waller, I like the way your mind works.”

“Nancy, I need to talk to Rob about another matter.  I’ll talk to you later.”

After Nancy exited, I asked, “Rob, when I arrived at our house last night, Allie informed me that he was going to be the mentor for a kindergarten boy, whose name is Mikey Sheraton.  Is that your son?”

Rob nodded yes.  “The school called us and asked for permission to have an older student work with Mikey.  My wife went and signed the permission the day before yesterday, but they didn’t indicate who the older student would be.  Having met your son, yesterday, I’m relieved to know who Mikey will be working with.  Mike said he was going to be working with Alex.  I never connected the name with your son.”

I chuckled, “Allie’s real name is Alexander.  Allie mentioned that he thought Mikey might have a vision problem.”

“Mikey has several vision problems.   Hopefully now that I’m going to have a decent job, we’ll be able to have his vision problems at least partially corrected.  It has been taking all that my wife and I are making to survive and I’m still paying legal fees even though I was acquitted.”

“Rob, I don’t like what I’m hearing.  Something doesn’t sound right.  I guess I need to let you go to work or Myrabelle will be after me.”

“Ed, I don’t need to go on duty until eleven thirty.  The person, I filled in for last night is paying me back for working for her.”

“Good, come with me.  We’ll take care of some things so you will be able to go right to work on Monday.”

First stop was the Human Relations Division, and Mrs. Lawrence made sure we were taken care of.  Next stop was the Finance Division and Mr. Taylor made sure that someone was helping Rob.  I asked, “Sir, would you have a few minutes to meet with me?”

“Of course, Ed.  Let’s go into my office while Mr. Sheraton takes care of the paperwork.”

“Dwight, how soon will Rob’s insurance benefits kick in?”

“They’ll go into effect today when the paperwork is signed.”

 

“That’s great.  I have another question.  Can you show me what the other Division Chiefs are making?  I know what my people are making, but haven’t a clue what the other people such as you and Mrs. Lawrence are being paid.  I want to make sure that Rob and Mrs. Rudy in the Legal Department are going to be paid commensurate amounts.”

Mr. Taylor pulled up a screen, “Do you want a print out of the information?”

“No, sir, I don’t need other people to see the information.  Sir, I do have another question.  How many people can access that information?”

Mr. Taylor frowned, “After the events of last weekend, there are only four of us here in the office who can access this information.  We have to have a special password to access the information.”

I wrote down a figure. “This is the amount that I would like for Mr. Sheraton and Dr. Rudy to be paid, since they both work or will be working for me, as of Monday.”

I wrote another figure down. “I would also like to have this be the salary of a Ms. Nancy Patterson. How soon can these adjustments be made?”

“I can make them immediately.  When would you like them to become effective?”

“Make them all effective on Monday, since that’s when the Contracting Division will reopen for business.”

I took Rob to the Legal Department and went to talk to Dr. Rudy, “Dr. Rudy, I would like you to listen to Rob’s story to see if there is anything that can be done to help him.   I get the feeling that he’s being shafted.”

I handed her a piece of paper with her new salary, “You might want to look at this in private.  While you’re talking to Mr. Sheraton, I’m going to go on check on my other people who are supposedly here working.”

“Ed, they’ve been busting their butts.  I think the rest of my people are beginning to get the idea that maybe it would pay to do some work instead of sitting on their butts all day.”

When I walked in, the people looked up, Joe spoke for the group, “Boss, you’re not going to believe how corrupt Mr. Sampson was.  It’s too bad the new division chief isn’t here to see what we’re finding. We may not have this job finished until Monday.  If this one division was so corrupt.  Who’s to say what has been happening in the other divisions.”

I handed Nancy a piece of paper, “Nancy, you might want to look at this in private.  I’ll see you all later; I need to go see what’s happening in the office before Tammy sends out the posse.”

I went to see if Rob was still talking to Mrs. Rudy and he was.  I asked Dr. Rudy’s secretary to tell Rob that I had gone back to my office.  When I arrived back at the office, Tammy greeted me, “So nice to have you back where you belong, boss.  It’s probably best that you weren’t here, you’d be blushing from the language that I had to listen to on the phone.”

“The messages are on your desk and Grant wants to talk to you.  I’ll tell him you’re available when he returns.  I’m going to grab some lunch.  Can I get you anything?”

I handed her ten dollars, “Thanks, I need something to keep me going.  I’m sure the time experts will dock my pay if I go someplace to eat.”

I was eating at my desk when Dr. Rudy arrived.  I looked up, “Hi, Grandma Rudy, what’s happening?”

She showed me the paper I had given her, “Ed, this is not funny.  You can’t be serious.”

“Dr. Rudy, what’s the problem.  Isn’t that enough money?  I based the amount on what the other division chief’s are being paid.”

“Ed, you don’t get it.  I had no idea that I would ever be making this much money.  This will probably put my husband and me in a higher tax bracket.  My husband will probably have your hide, now that I’ll be making as much or more than him.”

She hugged me as she left.  Tammy opened the door and announced, “Boss, Nancy Patterson is here to see you.”

Nancy entered, “Mr. Waller, this has to be a mistake.  This isn’t really going to be what I’m making, is it?”

I looked at the paper I had given her.  “Yes it is.  Aren’t you satisfied with the amount?”

“Mr. Waller, I might even be able to afford to buy a car and be able to look for another place to live.”

The afternoon was flying by with people stopping in with questions.  Grant popped in, “Mr. Waller, we have a big problem.  Do you want to be involved or do I have the authority to take the matter directly to the legal beagles?”

“Grant, if it’s a legal problem then I can’t be of much assistance.  Go talk to either Dr. Rudy or Todd Withem since they’re members of our team.”

I was watching the clock closely, and Tammy must have been, also, because she came into the office at 4:20, “Boss, you need to leave if you’re going to meet your ride on time.  I’ll take care of the mess you made.”

When I was checking out through security, Rob was on duty.  He stopped me, “Mr. Waller, I don’t know how to begin to thank you.  For the first time in four years, I feel as if a hundred pound weight has been taken off my back.”

Rob walked me to the Corolla as it was pulling up, “Guys, take good care of my boss and make sure he doesn’t flush himself down the toilet on the airplane.”

When we arrived at the ticket counter, we presented our passports and e tickets.  The young lady at the counter shook her head, “There’s a problem, Mr. Waller, you will need to check at the station at the end of the counter.”

I walked up to the gentleman at the station, “I’m Ed Waller, I was told that my party and I were to report to this station because of a problem.”

The gentleman punched something into the computer, “Oh yes, here it is.  Mr. Edward Waller, Mr. Brahim Safi and Mr. Alexander Safi.  I’m afraid we have had to change your seats; it seems the flight is overbooked.  Do you have your identification available?  You need to move because your aircraft is schedule to depart in forty five minutes.”

We finally cleared security and we heard the announcement, “This is the final call for passengers scheduled on Continental flight thirty departing for Newark.”

We made it to the check in point just as the attendant was about to shut the door to the loading ramp.  When we arrived at the aircraft, the steward looked at our tickets.  “Gentlemen, you have the three empty seats in row one.”

Brahim and I had seats one and two and Allie was in seat number four on the opposite side of the aircraft.  He was seated next to a middle aged lady.  As soon as we were airborne, Brahim pulled a book out of his backpack and started to read.  I was thinking about everything that had been happening and wondered what caused Grant to be so up tight.  I was aware that Allie and the lady he was next to were carrying on a lengthy conversation, but I couldn’t hear what they were talking about.

The lady leaned over to me, “Mr. Waller, Allie tells me that he’s working with a young boy who has vision problems. I’m Doctor Joanne Cochran and I’m an ophthalmologist.  I specialize in eye surgery.  Do you know how to get in touch with the boy’s parents?”

“Yes ma’am, the boy’s father will be working for me, beginning on Monday.  I talked to Mr. Sheraton today and he and his wife are aware that their son probably needs at least one or two surgeries to correct Mikey’s sight.  There have been some extenuating circumstances that have caused them to put off taking care of Mikey’s eyesight.”

Doctor Cochran shook her head, “Mr. Waller, have the father call my office on Monday.  Eyesight is not something that should take a back burner.”

Our conversation was interrupted by the steward announcing, “Ladies and gentlemen, please prepare for landing.  Make sure that your seatbacks are in the upright position and that everything is stowed away.”

We landed and I thought for sure that would be the last time that we would see Doctor Cochran. 

To be continued...

Editor's Notes: Oh ye of little faith, how can you even doubt that you will see her again?  Remember, she is a Doctor.  She is concerned about Mikey's vision.  Luckily, he is still quite young, so it will be easier for him to benefit from the surgery that he will need.  It is amazing how many youngsters are treated as if they were retarded, when they simply lack complete use of one or more of their senses. 

I went to school at a school for the blind and visually handicapped, and there was a young boy there who was both deaf and blind.  He did quite well in school, and knew the manual alphabet, as well as being able to read Braille.  He took some classes in a public high school, and graduated with his classmates. I found out later that shortly after he graduated, his parents were both killed in an auto accident.  He had no other relatives, and was placed in a state institution.  The institution was for the mentally retarded.  He was mute and didn't couldn't communicate with the personnel, there.  They never checked to see why he didn't talk. They assumed that he was totally non verbal and couldn't learn or communicate. He was placed there in the late sixties.  Totally coincidentally, I started working at the institution in 1978.  I was working in the handicapped area, dealing with blind residents.  I had been working there for a month or so, when I happened to notice the name on the man's chart, and I wondered if he could be related to the boy I went to school with.  Little did I know how closely he was related.  He was the same person. It turned out that by the time I found him there, his records had been sealed and no one working at the place knew that he was deaf and blind.  No one there knew the manual alphabet, but only knew American Sign Language, which he didn't know.  As for being retarded, how many people do you know that can win every game of checkers he has ever played?   After we were able to talk to him using Braille, Someone came in and tried to help him get reacquainted with communicating with others.  It was not an easy task, let me tell you. By the way, certain details are not as clear in my mind as they probably should be, but what I said is basically factual.  

That young man spent a large part of his life completely isolated from people, because no one bothered to check out what his problem actually was. Believe me when I tell you that his situation was not an isolated incident.

Sadly, I have not had any contact with him in many years, and I don't even know if he is still alive.  

I want the next chapter, soon, please!

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 04/16/10