Chapter 3

Several things had happened in Kevin’s life during the years that had gone by from when he received the first check from the automobile manufacturers, all of which he thought were for the better. The number of new vehicles that were being built with his idea of adding the additional alternators had increased every year over the prior year. Steve’s estimate of it being ten percent of the cars being built in the States with his patent was light as now it was close to fourteen percent and increasing. That percentage was a close match to the number of cars that the foreign car manufacturers were producing with Kevin’s idea. Kevin was a multi-millionaire many times over.

He relished hearing Steve tell him the news that China had bitten the bullet and approached Steve about licensing the patent as they wanted to sell their vehicles in the States. Steve agreed for them to do that but he charged them double what the other manufacturers were paying.

The first thing Kevin did with his newfound wealth was to leave the nest. He purchased a fifty-two hundred square foot home consisting of four bedrooms in an upscale gated community. Kevin had an eight-foot-tall fence surrounding this house built along with tall evergreens planted to obscure the vision of looking inside the fence. In addition to that, there was a coach house on his property where people could live who would take care of his home doing the cleaning, cooking, and other duties along with providing for his security.

It was just after purchasing the house that Kevin stopped by his dad’s body shop which was now being managed by Jim Dalton. Jim was a personable guy who said business was good and he enjoyed the challenge of managing this shop. He did mention that Kevin’s father stops by when he isn’t traveling to check on the shop.

In the course of the conversation, Kevin mentioned that he was looking for a couple to help him manage a house he had purchased. Besides the salary Kevin said, he was also offering free housing for this couple. Jim said that sounded like a good deal and he was aware of some friends of his parents that could be interested. They were empty nesters and the man had just been laid off from his company because of downsizing. The lady was a clerk at a store and was looking for a better job.

Kevin secured the information from Jim and contacted this couple to set up an interview with them.

He interviewed Walter and Marsha Kwiatkowski. Walter was told that he would be responsible for the upkeep of the grounds and the security. He could hire a landscaping service along with buying a trained guard dog which would mean an electronic fence needed to be installed. Some outside video cameras would need to be installed and monitored, but with a dog and wind, motion-activated cameras would be counterproductive. There was a security system already installed in Kevin’s home.

It was the interview Kevin had with Marsha that was thought-provoking. That was because Kevin explained that he wanted her to be his housekeeper. He wanted her to do the shopping, see that there was food in the pantry and the refrigerator, and do the laundry. Furthermore, the house needed to be kept clean which could be done by her hiring and overseeing a cleaning service. He would give her a charge card to use to pay for the food and these services.

Marsha’s reaction to this was to say, “So you want me to do for you what your mother did for you when you were growing up.”

He chuckled a little at hearing her say that but he had to agree that she was right. He asked them what they wanted to be paid for the both of them did this. He reminded them that they would be living rent-free in the coach house. They talked with each other and gave Kevin a figure.

Kevin momentarily surprised them when he said, “I am not going to pay you that amount,” and he paused. He continued after seeing the disappointed look on their faces and said, “I am going to pay you double that amount.” He saw the looks on their faces change to smiles.

There was a meeting he had with Grace Humpier who was an interior decorator. He looked at some books she had pointing out items he liked. With her taking notes he told her to have at it in completely furnishing his home. Kevin could see she was a little stunned that he was giving her a blank check to do this.

Kevin’s security needs were supplemented by the two handguns and a shotgun he purchased along with ammunition that were strategically placed and hidden in his home. He didn’t want to make that kind of a purchase but the way things were going in society nowadays, he thought it was a necessary thing to do. He debated with himself if he should be carrying a hand gun since all that was required for him to do that in Texas was that he be twenty-one years of age.

Kevin had offered to purchase a home for his parents but they refused the offer saying they were satisfied where they presently lived and didn’t want to move away from their friends. With that being the case, on their wedding anniversary, he gave them an envelope. Contained in this envelope was an anniversary card along with two credit cards, one for each of his parents. He told his parents that it was unlimited as to the amount that could be charged on those cards. He said they should use these cards for every purchase they make or bills that need to be paid as well as funds to live on. Kevin encouraged his parents to travel and see the world.

His parents had taken him up on his travel offer and were doing that. Trips to Europe and cruises were what they had done. They told Kevin they planned on traveling to the Far East for their next trip.

Kevin could never say that this new wealth of his had not changed him because it had. He did, however, try to reduce the changes to his lifestyle. He purchased an SUV-EV which had his invention that he would use if for some reason he needed to drive a larger vehicle other than his old EV, which he continues to drive. If he needs to fly somewhere, he doesn’t do it by chartering a private plane, but he will do it by flying commercially, albeit in the first or the business class section.

He has been able to keep a low profile because of his reluctance to have photos of himself published or for him to do interviews. The requests for interviews that he receives are given to Steve Casey to handle.

Kevin’s facial identity not being published enabled him to maintain a semblance of a reasonable social lifestyle. He still is young enough to fit in with the college crowd that frequents the local watering spots. O’Hara’s lounge is one place he visits and mingles with the patrons, who are primarily UT students. He was able to have some short-term affairs with a few of the females who were there. When they asked him what he did, he told them he was in the automobile business, which technically was true. If they wanted a more specific answer, he told him he worked in an automobile body shop his father owned which was not true. His saying that usually ended any further inquiries as to what he did.

Kevin knew he couldn’t take these ladies to his home for any extracurricular activities because if he did, they would see what he was saying as to his work wasn’t true. That problem he solved by saying he was still living at home with his parents.