Chapter 19

After the Olympics, Patty, Mindy, and Eve all wanted to move to Vegas. Patty was going to take on the job that had been discussed a year earlier with Survival of the Fittest. Mindy and Eve wanted to open their own gym and coach new aspiring Olympians while Mindy continued to train Eve. Mindy had done well but was starting to feel her age at twenty years old. She didn’t want to work for four more years to grab at silvers and bronze medals. She was going out on top and would be back with Eve and other girls who could compete for gold. I had no problem loaning them the money to start up the gym. It was out of town just a bit on the same acreage as the network headquarters and production facilities.

The building, layout and construction were state of the art. They spent the hours designing every aspect to make sure that the building and training areas were laid out for safety and efficiency. There were pads everywhere. They had a Survival of the Fittest gym, trampolines, pits full of foam and many straps and pulleys to support the girls while they learned and perfected new movements.

There was an office and small dorm with a kitchen. At first it was only Eve training there. There was no advertising for any students. Darcy asked if a couple of girls from the UNLV team could stop by and have Mindy help them with some of their routines and she said that she would.

The training methods they used were the same that she used on Eve. They would get spankings after practice based on mistakes. The lack of strength or skill wasn’t a mistake, the part between the ears was and the focus that these girls worked to was what set them apart.

Soon enough the word was out and parents came from all over the world to see if their girls could train at the gym. Eve and Mindy had both seen what their parents had gone through to get them to the level they needed to compete. The cost was high and they didn’t take that lightly. If a new girl wanted to join the gym, it wasn’t about money at all.

They would evaluate the girl on talent, skill, promise and happiness. Both Eve and Mindy loved gymnastics and that’s what got them to the level they were at. If you just wanted to get a scholarship to college, then you could get by on skill. To excel at something, you had to love it and live for it. They were also very up front and open about their unique training methods and that the girls would basically be selling their souls and bodies to their coaches.

There was no arm twisting and they charged ten percent of the parent’s income. If the parent made twenty thousand a year, then they would be charged two grand. If they made a hundred, then they would be charged ten. If they were Britt, then they would pay more than it was worth. By the end of the first year, they had six girls in age from twelve to fourteen who were training to be a part of the 1996 Olympic team in Atlanta.

Tom talked to Mindy about doing a special on gymnastics and she agreed. They put an angle on it to almost dampen the interest in the sport or to change the way that kids and parents approached it. She wanted the girls that had the desire and skills to be set up to succeed but those parents that just pushed their girls to compete and paid excessively in hope of their daughter being the next gold medalist would get a slap in the face of reality.

It was soon after the gym was opened that Darcy asked me to stop by for a meeting. Patty, Eve, and Mindy were all living at my mom’s house with Mary and me. Mary, Darcy, and I sat on some couches around a coffee table instead of around a conference table.

We started to look at all the businesses and discussed what was going right and what was going wrong. There were a few small hiccups here and there but in general most areas were on track or exceeding expectations. She turned to me and said, “Jack, when you went over to start the volleyball tournaments in Europe, it launched our products and the growth has been great. When you started the tournaments in Asia we saw a strong bump in sales but they’ve slowed down or not grown much at all after that. I’d send Mary but the men in that part of the world haven’t really accepted women as equals and you may be a better person to figure out what’s going on and what’s holding us back.”

“Do you want Mary and me to both go or just me?”

“If it was just a meeting or a week away, I’d send you both but I think we made a mistake with something that goes a little deeper. You may be gone a while and I can’t afford to have you both gone for that long.”

“Do I have time to pack or is the jet fueled and waiting on me?”

“Take your time but not more than a couple days. Clean up anything you have on your plate before you go and leave me a list of things you need help with.”

Over the next few days, I spent a lot of time with Patty, Mindy, and Eve. I met with Tom at the network and things were sailing along smoothly and the people we had in place were doing a good job.

I was going alone on a fact-finding mission. I had cash, credit cards and time. Britt laughed at me when I said that I was thinking about how to get there. He said, “Back when I was working to make my money, I flew commercial or drove in a truck. I did fly enough to warrant first class more often but don’t expect any sympathy from me if you can’t justify a chartered international flight.”

I told him to fuck off and then went to book a flight commercial to India. I did fly first class and spent the last leg of my trip sitting next to a professor from a college in Pilkhuwa, a city about 20 miles from New Delhi. It sounded interesting and since it was a college he worked at, I accepted his invitation to see his city and talk to our prime target audience.

Linda, my assistant, had called over to Mom’s travel agency and gotten me a room at the Taj Palace hotel in New Delhi and after the long flight I wanted to kiss her when the doors swung open to the 4500-square foot presidential suite. We all knew it could become a very long trip and this was my sanctuary for the end of the day. I needed a place to unwind and relax, do some work, and get ready for the next day.

I called down to the concierge and arranged for a car to take me to Pilkhuwa the next day. I was dropped off and shown where to find the car when I was ready for my return trip to the hotel. I found professor Chander. He showed me around the campus. The school was nothing like what I was used to in the States.

The many acres of green and a campus so large that sometimes a bicycle wasn’t enough, was replaced by buildings that were closer together and was more about the classroom experience. The professor was very hospitable but eventually we said goodbye. He had classes that he needed to teach and was off to earn his pay. I on the other hand was hungry and went in search of food.

I was walking and heard a girl say goodbye to her friend while speaking English. I went over to her and introduced myself and she said that her name was Sophia Pawan. After explaining that I was new to town and needed some food, she started to tell me where there were some restaurants.

My reply was, “Why don’t you just let me buy you lunch and we can talk? I’m here to learn about India and the people that live here. I’m here on business and would gladly pay you for your time.”

“If you want to buy my lunch then that would be more than enough payment for me to talk with you and hopefully answer any questions that you might have.”

Lunch was interesting. Sophia was trying to explain all the different dishes on the large platter that was brought out to us. The dish was called thali and was made up of all the 6 different flavors of sweet, salt, bitter, sour, astringent, and spicy on one single plate. Thali means ‘plate’ or platter according to Sophia. The different small bowls included, rice, a spicy chicken dish, vegetables, dal (which is like a lentil soup), curd or yogurt, smaller bowls of chutney or pickle, and a sweet desert dish to finish the meal. There were diverse types of bread or crackers (papad) served as well. I liked most of it but tried it all.

Sophia was very animated in the way she explained things to me and normally her answers created more questions. She had a very pretty smile and was very patient as we spoke. Lunch started late and took up much more time than either of us had expected. The waitress only spoke Hindi and Sophia was acting as my interpreter.

When the bill came, Sophia started to apologize for how much it had cost. She felt like I was getting ripped off since we never discussed business. She was starting to get visibly upset. I tried to calm her. “Sophia, don’t worry about the cost of the food. I want to learn about your culture and still want to learn about what living in India includes. What is your schedule for your classes? After just a brief time here, I’ve figure out that I’m going to need an interpreter. Some of the people I’ve met speak English but there have been a few that I’d need help with. Would you be willing to work for me as an interpreter?”

“I was supposed to take my exams this week but they won’t let me. So, I am free to start working whenever you need me.”

“Why won’t they let you take your exams?”

“I still haven’t paid all the fees. They gave me all period to finish paying but I’m still behind. I won’t be allowed to sit for the exams.”

“Do you know the materials? Can you pass the exams if you took them?”

“Yes, I do work as a tutor but that isn’t enough to pay my way.”

“Why don’t you tell me how much you still owe for your classes and maybe we can work something out.”

“I still owe about a hundred US dollars.”

“I was going to offer you a hundred dollars to be my interpreter. Maybe I can pay for your classes then you can work and pay me back. I don’t know how long I’ll be in India but if that price is fair then after you finish your exams, you can start.”

“That’s a lot of money. I do tutor work and only make twenty US dollars. Unless you wanted me to work for a long time, I might not be able to pay it all back.”

I asked how much the lunch was. I still needed to pay the high bill that she was worried about. She told me that it was three hundred and thirty Rupee. I started to do the math and that came out to just under five dollars for both of us. I put four hundred on the table and started to stand. Sophia asked about waiting for the change and she told me that I tipped too much.

“The waitress had to put up with listening to us for too long and she deserves to have a good day sometimes.” The extra fifty cents in tip was not worth me waiting around for. We went to the office and we settled her bill at the school. The woman behind the counter, raised her eyebrow at me and I just shook my head at her.

Sophia was happy and went home to study. She gave me her phone number and her address. I told her that I was staying in New Delhi and she told me that she would take the train into the city and meet me. I told her that my hotel was near the University of Delhi and she said that it was about ten kilometers from the train station and would take about a half hour to get there.

“Sophia, I don’t want to spend all day in the car or on the train and don’t want you to. I can get you a room at the hotel and we can work from after breakfast until we finish for the day. I have a lot to learn and will need your help. I’ll walk around and start to do my research. I’ll meet you at the coffee shop on Officer’s Mess Road near the jewelry store.”

She looked at me with a blank stare.

“Follow me.”

We walked to where my driver was and I asked him to explain the directions to the coffee shop across from the hotel. He started talking in Hindi and went on for a couple of minutes. She asked him questions and she replied. He got a serious look on his face and then said, “She doesn’t have money for the train, taxi or bus.”

“Sophia, when you work for me, I will pay for everything including the coffee and your room. Bring clothes for a few days and I will see you there in three days at ten in the morning.” I was handing her ten thousand rupees or about a hundred and fifty dollars. “Keep your receipts if you can. It will keep my accountant happy.”

The driver said, “Pardon me sir but what that is a lot of money. A train in the best class will cost only a few hundred Rupees. The taxi will be about the same or I can pick her up.”

“Thank you, she may have other expenses. I’m not trying to do anything wrong, I just haven’t been here long enough to know what things cost.”

He took about a third of what I had offered and handed it to her adding something in Hindi. She smiled and waved goodbye as she headed home. I climbed in the car and Arvi started to drive. We drove in silence for a while before he spoke, “Sir, I am one of the people in this country that see both sides of the coin. I grew up poor and still am by some standards but I talk to a lot of the people I drive. What you pay for your room tonight is probably close to what that girl’s family makes in a year. That’s hard to grasp for some people. That girl is afraid of what she got herself into but she wants to take a step out of her shell and have an adventure. When she sees the hotel you’re in, she won’t know how to act. She is just hoping that you didn’t hire her to be a hooker.”

“I hired her for her brain and her language skills. She’s a cute girl though.”

“Yes, sir she is. Let me know if you need anything or want me to stop anywhere.”

It was quiet again as I thought about what Arvi had just told me. There was plenty to think about. I hadn’t been in the country for even a few days and was already stepping on my tongue with my words and actions. Traffic was slow and it was late by the time I got back to my suite. There was a small bottle of cognac and some chocolate with the turn down service but I made it a point not to drink alone, so I set the bottle aside, set the chocolate aside and picked up the phone and made a call to the house.

There was a big-time difference and it was just after five in the evening which meant that it was just after six in the morning in Nevada. Patty answered and I told her to go get her toys. “Yes sir,” was all she said before I heard the phone being put down. The next thing I heard was another connection being picked up and I was on speaker phone. Mary said, “Hello brother, you didn’t call to talk to me but I wanted to say hi before your pets all had a very good morning. We have our workout in fifty minutes so make sure you’re done in time.”

“Hi Mary. You’re welcome to join them if you want.”

“I may watch but have made a vow not to fall under the spell of my brother.”

“Good Morning Sir,” was said in unison by Patty, Mindy, and Eve.

I put them through their paces and assumed that Mary had left when I heard the click of the other line being hung up. I had them all finished by seven with many orgasms had by all. I explained the time difference and they told me to have a nice dinner and they’d talk to me later. I reached for the room service menu.

After scanning the pages, I thought that I was in town to learn about the country and that wasn’t going to happen in my hotel room. The shower was calling me and after a rinse and clean set of clothes including a new sport coat, I made my way to the Blue bar in the hotel. The evening was still young and there was a variety of people at the bar. Most were businessmen back after a day visiting customers or potential customers.

There was an older man and a younger woman at the bar and there was an empty seat next to the lady so I sat and started to look at the drinks they had to offer and there were many. There were so many specialty drinks on the menu that I gave up and ordered a glass of red wine. It was very good. The food menu was next and thankfully much shorter.

The man saw me reading the menu and said, “If you like lamb, you won’t be disappointed with the lamb chops.”

“Thanks, I do, like lamb and was trying to decide between the lamb and the prawns. I can try the prawn dish tomorrow.”

“Are you in town for a while? I’m David Hobbs and this is Debbie Simms. We’re in town for the week, looking at sewing factories. Something they do very well over here.”

“You’re in the garment business? What do you make?”

“We’re with a sports company out of the US northwest. We make mostly shoes but are expanding our apparel business and are looking for some place to manufacture our goods. We’re on a scouting mission.”

“I would think that with the traffic around here and being so far from a major port that this place wouldn’t be a good fit.”

“You’d be right but they do good work here and are happy making fifty-cents a day. Even with the delay in shipping and the added cost of shipping we can do much better by making the goods here.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Turning slightly to look at Debbie, I asked, “So how do you like India so far?”

“I just started with this company a few months ago. I used to work for another clothing line out of New York. India is something a little different than I’m used to. I kind of feel like a piece of meat when I’m out on the street. When we visit the factories, I am treated better but it’s sad to see the women working for so little but still working so hard.”

David jumped right back into the conversation, “Both of those things mean profits back home and after all that’s what makes the world turn and all this worthwhile. What brings you to town, Jack?”

“I’m really here just to try to understand the culture a little bit better. I work for myself and do some consulting for several different companies. The things that you were just mentioning are just a small part of the types of things I wanted to learn about while I’m here. I just flew in last night and will be here or in India for a while.”

It was then that the waiter came over and set the lamb chops in front of me and they looked and smelled great. After taking a bite, I thanked David for the suggestion but then the conversation slowed as I ate my dinner.

While I was eating, David finished his drink and told Debbie that she’d see him in the morning and wished me well on my research. Debbie ordered another glass of wine and when I finished my meal, I ordered one as well. The crowd was thinning out as people finished their dinners and drinks. They wandered back to their rooms to work, sleep or just relax.

Debbie said, “These stools aren’t the most comfortable, would you like to move to a booth?”

“Sure, or we could sit in the lobby on the couches or up in the living room of my suite?”

“My company paid for this nice hotel but didn’t spring for a suite. I wouldn’t mind sitting someplace comfortable.”

We settled our tabs and we went up to my suite. “Wow, your company thinks much more highly of your need for comfort than mine does. Do you mind if I look around?”

“No, I’ll order another bottle of wine.” I was glad that I’d picked up and put away my clothes from the day before I went down to dinner.

I was in the living room sipping my wine when she came back. “You actually have room to work. I’ve never been in the presidential suite before. But then again, I’ve never been in the room of someone on the Forbes richest and Cosmos, most eligible bachelors before either.”