Chapter 58: Knowing More Won't Change a Thing

June 12, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

"You look stunned!" Keiko said about fifteen seconds later.

"Sorry," I replied. "You just surprised me because I didn't expect you to say that."

"I didn't expect to say it, either! It just seemed like the right thing to say. It's OK if you don't say it back right now."

I smiled, "I love you, Keiko."

"That has been obvious for weeks," she replied with a smile. "Thank you for saying it. And now I do need my nap. See you tomorrow?"

"Absolutely."

I squeezed her hand in lieu of a kiss, then left the room, feeling things with Keiko had just moved to the next level. Of course, given I intended to ask her to marry me, it was a logical progression. I left the hospital and headed to Violet's house for dinner.

During the short drive, I contemplated the changes that had occurred in my life in the two years I'd been in Chicago. Of all the things that had happened, the one that surprised me most was how things had developed with Keiko. I certainly hadn't expected to get engaged before my twenty-first birthday, but it just felt right.

The most fascinating thing for me was the way I felt about Keiko, which was different from how I had felt about anyone in the past, including Bev. Bev had always been in my life, and I liked it, but I had never needed her in my life the way I needed Keiko. That realization was what had led me, after fifteen seconds of stunned silence, to say 'I love you' back to Keiko and to mean it in a way I had never meant it before.

I had certainly said 'I love you' to other girls, including Bev and, most recently, Violet, but this was different; significantly different. Jeri had, when she had convinced me to take her to bed, given me a theory of love which was purely logical and transactional, and while her view had some merit, my feelings for Keiko did not conform to Jeri's theory.

With Keiko, it was not a 'game of give and take', as the song said, but of 'give and receive'. We each gave, and we each received, and neither of us 'took'. As I evaluated my other relationships, there were only two others I could place in that same category — my mom, of course, and more recently, Bianca. The three relationships — Keiko, my mom, and Bianca, were all based on partnerships in a way that Jeri's transactional theory could never explain.

Those three women, plus Jack, were the people I'd want by my side in the face of any challenge. I had other friends, but I wouldn't put them in the same category, and that included Violet, whom I dearly loved as a friend and with whom I enjoyed spending time. I wasn't sure how she'd react to my news about Keiko, but in the end, despite tentative steps toward a relationship beyond friendship, she hadn't been able to overcome the evil done to her by her parents.

I parked just around the corner from Violet's house and, having completed my analysis, was positive I was on exactly the right track. When I rang the bell, Violet opened the door, and I stepped into the house. She closed the door, then gave me the usual hug and kiss on the cheek, and we went to her front room. We had a nice afternoon and evening together, along with a delicious dinner, and when I left, I once again received the usual hug and kiss on the cheek. Twenty-five minutes later, I walked into the house.

"I just want to check to make sure you'll be here tomorrow morning," I said to Deanna when I popped my head into what Deanna called her 'loft studio'.

"Yes. You'll be here when they arrive, though, right?"

"No, actually, I can't be because I need to go in early so I can be with Keiko when she receives her test results. But everything should be OK, given I approved the plans. If they have any questions you can't answer or you aren't sure, just call me."

"What time will they arrive?"

"Around 6:30am. The utility companies marked all the lines and pipes on Friday, and I don't see any problems, so it should go smoothly."

"What time are you leaving?"

"Around 5:00am, so I can be at my desk at 5:30am and leave around 2:00pm for the hospital."

"How is Keiko? I last saw her on Wednesday before work."

"According to the doctors and nurses, her recovery from the chemo is fairly typical for someone her age, and so far, she's still on track to come home by the end of the month. Then, of course, a new cycle starts, but supposedly, it's not as bad and can be done outpatient. We'll find out more tomorrow afternoon."

"CeCi called, and she plans to be here around 1:00pm on Wednesday. I need to leave for work before then, so I arranged with Kristy to be here to give CeCi her keys."

"OK," I replied. "I think we're set, then. It's bedtime, given I'm going to have to be up at 4:30am."

We both said 'good night', and I went to my room, completed my bedtime routine, undressed, and got into bed.

June 13, 1983, Chicago, Illinois

I was up early on Monday morning and in the office by 5:30am as I'd planned. Just after 6:30am, Deanna called to let me know that Brown Construction had arrived and had begun work. She relayed a reminder from Marcus that the cement steps would be removed, so the only entrance to the house would be through the front door, though the back door could be used to leave the house in an emergency. I thanked her, then returned to work.

Just after 11:00am, Bianca was ushered into the offices by Trish from Personnel. After Mr. Matheson introduced her to everyone, I sat down with her to familiarize her with the systems, and at noon, we ate lunch together in the break room.

"You went with the maximum contribution to your retirement fund, right?" I asked.

"Yes. What do I need to do for your fund?"

"Because you work for Spurgeon, you can invest in any fund through direct deposit. I have a form for you, just fill it out and turn it in to Personnel. In the blank for 'Deposit to', write in 'Cincinnatus Fund', then designate the amount. It'll come out of your paycheck before you even see it, just as the 401(k) plan does."

"What about bonuses?"

"The retained part of the bonus always goes into, or rather stays in, the Spurgeon Select Fund. That's the whole 'skin in the game' idea that every employee has money in that fund, so we have a vested interest in what we do, over and above our fiduciary duty to our clients."

"The money is just crazy," she said. "I mean, I could make $45,000 this year, and I don't even have a degree! That's like twice the median household income in the country! You'll make more than twice that without a degree! I'll most likely make a bit more than my dad, who has a degree in mechanical engineering!"

"In a sense, it's similar to the situation with athletes — we're compensated based on the revenues we generate. And we'll pay the taxes that come along with that!"

"Let's just say you and I have different views on the validity of taxes," Bianca declared.

"Well, my token Republican friend, somebody has to pay!"

"I believe I'm in the majority here, even if I'm the lone Republican in the house!"

"True."

"That said, all of you in the house except Deanna are 'Reagan Democrats', not wild-eyed liberals. And Deanna is basically a libertarian, though leaning left, rather than right."

"I don't know much about the Libertarian Party except they seem hung up on pot, speed limits, and privatizing government services. I can get behind the first two, but the third one? I'm not sure how that could ever work."

"I haven't really spoken to anyone else at Spurgeon beyond my interviews, but how do they feel about regulations?"

"Believe it or not, they're very much for them. Everything Spurgeon does conforms to them on account of his theory of always making money for his partners, which is what keeps him in business. The regulations are nearly all about not cheating and ensuring relatively transparent markets. Cheating is always a losing proposition, and transparency helps us."

"Didn't you conclude that guy who wanted you to invest with him is cheating?"

"Bernie Madoff. No, we concluded that what he was telling us couldn't be confirmed. Mr. Matheson and I suspect he's cheating in some way, but we have no proof. The thing is, cheaters always get caught, so maybe he isn't because it would be foolish. That said, sending order flow through him is a done deal because he basically is NASDAQ."

"How long could you get away with it?"

"Depending on what you were doing, a long time if the markets didn't move the wrong way, leaving you holding the bag. You know about Ponzi schemes, right?"

"Sure. Current investors are paid with money from new investors."

"Right. Those 'work', so to speak, until you can't find new investors, then they collapse, and the most recent investors are left holding the bag. They sue or complain to the government, and the scammer is caught and punished. The thing with Madoff is that the kind of money he'd have to bring in to pay those returns and keep a Ponzi scheme afloat is mind-boggling.

"The only way it might work is to issue fake monthly statements with fake trades, where it's all on paper, and there is nothing to back it other than the cash flowing into the fund. In other words, he uses all the cash to pay gains to those who redeem their investment and fakes all the trades. Doing that, assuming he didn't have too many redemptions or could get additional investments in an emergency, might allow him to run the scam for years. But that's speculation on my part and shouldn't be repeated outside this office."

"Could he be telling the truth? I mean, the returns here regularly beat the market."

"It's possible, but his returns seem too good. Spurgeon has had poor quarters; Madoff claims never to have had one. That's what caused Mr. Matheson and Mr. Spurgeon to raise their eyebrows. As I've said, we can't prove anything, and what I proposed with regard to fake trades was the only idea I've come up with in the weeks since we finished that project. Granted, I'm not that experienced, but I do understand how the markets work and how they're regulated."

"Slightly switching topics, do you know my first assignment?"

"Yes. To develop a model that looks for the relationship between major currency prices, gold prices, interest rates, and inflation, taking into account trading volume and market velocity."

"Nothing like diving into the deep end right off the bat! A complex model using regression analysis!"

"Which will be extremely valuable," I replied. "There will be similar things for equities and fixed-income products, but for now, it's FX."

"That'll keep me busy for some time!"

"No doubt! You also get to maintain all my spreadsheets and get them into shape so that others can use them. I'm predicting personal computers on every desk by this time next year."

"I wouldn't doubt that at all."

We finished lunch, and I let Bianca know I was going to the gym. She decided to tag along and chat with Tim Anderson about developing a workout routine that approximated mine so we could work out together. After my workout, I made sure Bianca had what she needed to get started on her assignment, and when she confirmed she did, I went back to my desk and placed a call to Keiko's grandfather.

"Keiko let me know that you have everything for the Spirit Shelf," I said. "I'd like to get it all set up, please, but delay the blessing by the priest until after Keiko comes home a week from Friday."

"She mentioned that to me when I visited this morning before I came to the dōjō. Would tomorrow evening work for you? I could be at your house about 8:30pm, after our evening training session at the dōjō."

"That would be perfect. Then, once we're sure Keiko will be coming home, we can get in touch with the priest."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow evening," Ichirō said.

"I do have an important request for which I need your help."

"Yes, of course. What is it you need?"

I consulted the notes I'd made while Keiko and I had spoken.

"A pair of tri-color «mokume-gane» rings, one size 5, the other size 11. Keiko said you could direct me to a jeweler in San Francisco who could provide them."

"Absolutely!" he said, sounding very happy. "A friend from my youth is a jeweler who imports from Japan, and I am sure he will have what you need, or he can acquire it. Do you have a pen and paper?"

"I do," I replied.

He gave me the name, address, and phone number of the jeweler, which I repeated back to him.

"There are ceremonies which are normal for such events," Ichirō said.

"Keiko informed me, and we'll follow the usual traditions. I haven't formally asked her as yet."

"Well, if you're buying rings, and she suggested speaking to me about it, it would appear you've agreed, even if not formally."

"Yes. Do you have any idea how long it might take to get the rings?"

"If he has something in stock, however long it takes for Registered Mail to come from San Francisco. If he has to order them from Japan, then I would say at least a fortnight, perhaps even a month."

"That actually fits the timeline we discussed. Thank you. And I'll see you tomorrow evening."

We said 'goodbye', and I hung up, then went back to work. At 2:00pm, I let Mia know I was leaving, then headed to the hospital to see Keiko and meet with Doctor Morrison.

"How are you feeling today?" I asked.

"A little better each day," Keiko replied. "The nurse said my progress with recovering from chemo is within the normal range, so still on target for coming home on the 24th."

"OK. I'll request that day off. I spoke to your grandfather, and he's bringing the things to our house tomorrow evening. Also, I have the contact information for the jeweler in San Francisco. I think it's best we call from here, using my calling card, so you can speak to the jeweler to describe exactly what you want. I can put a deposit on them with either my American Express Card or my Visa Card."

"I think we have enough time before Doctor Morrison comes if you want to do that now."

I nodded, then picked up the handset on the phone. I read the directions for making long-distance calls with a calling card, followed them, and the call went through and was answered on the second ring.

"Kazuya Japanese Designs! Odenwa arigatou gozaimasu." a male voice said.

"Good afternoon," I said. "My name is Jonathan Kane, and I'm calling from Chicago. I received a referral from Suzuki Ichirō and wish to purchase a pair of «mokume-gane» rings."

"Yes, Sir! We can certainly help you."

"Allow me to put my girlfriend, Suzuki Keiko, on the line to describe them."

"Yes, of course!"

I handed Keiko the phone and then sat quietly while she had a conversation in Japanese with the clerk, and about five minutes later, she put her hand over the mouthpiece.

"How much are you willing to spend?" she asked.

"Whatever it takes to make you happy," I replied.

She laughed softly, "A safe answer because you know I am not extravagant! The two rings, in the style I want, would be shipped from Japan, and clear customs in San Francisco. He would then ship them to us via Registered Mail. The total cost, including shipping, import duties, and other fees, would be just under $1100. There is no sales tax, as the sale is across state lines."

"Will he accept a deposit via credit card?"

"Yes. He said he would prefer your VISA card, as the fees are lower, but he will accept American Express if you prefer."

"I'm OK with VISA," I said, taking my wallet from my pocket. "How much?"

She spoke briefly in Japanese, then said, "$400 now, the remainder when he is ready to ship."

"OK. He can simply charge the rest to my card as soon as he's ready to ship the rings."

Keiko smiled, had a further brief conversation, then provided the credit card number and my full name. She gave my address, spoke briefly, then replaced the handset.

"He will send the order to Tokyo by Telex and should have an answer within twenty-four hours as to when they will ship the rings, which will go by air from Tokyo to San Francisco. He will call you to confirm once he has a proposed shipping date. He asked me to tell you that it can take a week, sometimes more, for items to clear Customs, but he will do his best to get them through as quickly as possible and ship them to you as soon as he confirms they are undamaged."

"Great!"

"I was a bit worried when he named the price, but then I remembered just how much money you made already this year and was sure it would be OK."

"So long as we're not profligate, we'll have plenty of money. And this is a once-in-a-lifetime purchase. Not to mention, I can't even imagine what a nice diamond would cost!"

"Quite a bit more, I'm sure," Keiko suggested.

"When the clerk answered the phone, he said something in Japanese. Do you have any idea what he might have said?"

"First of all, that was the owner! Second, for a business call, I'm sure that he said 'thank you for calling' which would be «お電話ありがとうございます» (Odenwa arigatou gozaimasu). If it had been informal, the typical way to answer is «もしもし» (moshi moshi)."

"Good afternoon," Doctor Morrison said, walking into the room.

I greeted him, stood up, and shook hands, and Keiko greeted him as well.

"Once again, we find ourselves in what is a middle ground — neither the best nor the worst situation. After induction therapy, we hope to see no meaningful increase in blasts, which would be the best outcome. When we see a significant increase, that's the worst outcome. In your case, Keiko, we saw a small increase.

"That means, for the moment, we stay the course. Your recovery from chemo is within the typical range, and I expect to be able to discharge you a week from Friday, as we discussed. Your white count isn't recovering as quickly as we would like, but I'm not going to base my discharge decision solely on that.

"We'll check your blast levels once per week, and so long as they don't increase rapidly, we'll continue with the treatment plan of outpatient consolidation therapy lasting five days each time, beginning on the 18th. Your blast count at that point will determine what we do next."