Chapter 61: Care and Handling

July 17, 1996, Chicago, Illinois

“A sauna,” I replied. “I need a sauna.”

“All that driving has my legs ready to fall off,” Tom said. “I’m with Steve.”

“Same here!” Kurt said.

“We’ll have pizza and Italian food delivered,” I said. “Kara, would you make the call while we bring in our stuff?”

“Yes!” she replied.

With help from Eduardo, Tom, and Kurt, we unloaded all our stuff and brought it into the house. We started a load of laundry, and then everyone, adults and kids, trooped to the basement and went into the sauna.

“I wish we had room for a sauna in our townhouse, but there’s just no way,” Tom said.

“Or our bungalow,” Kurt added. “Fortunately, Steve is a great friend!”

“Kara, any chance that farmhouse in Iron Mountain has a sauna?” I asked.

She laughed, “It wasn’t on the list of amenities, sorry!”

“What’s ‘a-men-a-tees’, Mom?” Stephie asked.

“Things that are provided when you rent a place. Sometimes it’s things like the little bars of soap in your hotel room. Sometimes it’s other things, like a swimming pool or sauna.”

“Dad, can we dig a swimming pool in the backyard?” Michael asked.

“Our yard is nowhere big enough,” I replied with a grin. “Maybe your mom and Eduardo can buy or build a house with a pool.”

“I think a membership at the Y like we have here is a WAY better idea,” Elyse said.

“Pools can be a lot of work,” I added, remembering my days as a ‘pool boy’ fifteen years earlier! “Grandma and Grandpa Adams used to have a house with a pool, and I needed to check the chemicals in the water every day, run the pool sweeper, and stuff like that. And it was indoors. An outdoor pool needs a cover, or you’ll have to skim leaves and animals.”

“Bunnies?” Stephie asked.

“Maybe,” I grinned. “But more likely frogs.”

“Cool!” Nicholas and Jesse both declared.

“There are your two pool boys,” I chuckled. “Of course, nobody has volunteered to clean up dog poop, and Elyse and Jessica are allergic to cats, so no pets here.”

“Not even an aquarium?” Tom asked.

I shook my head, “My dad always had aquariums, and they were WAY more work than a pool!”

“What about a rabbit?”

“Guess who would have a complete meltdown if I put a rabbit in a cage?”

“Bunnies should be free to run around!” Stephie declared fiercely. “Not in cages!”

“What about penguins?” I asked.

“Drown ‘em!” Jesse declared.

“I think I see why the stuffed penguins are kept safely in your room,” Kathy laughed. “Jesse, have you ever eaten duck?”

“No way!” he affirmed.

“Trying to cause trouble, baldy?” I chuckled, “There are some foods which a wise father does not bring into his house.”

“Baldy?!” she huffed.

I shrugged, “If the shoe fits...”

“Permission to beat him senseless, please!” Kathy said to Jessica.

“Too late!” both my wives AND Bethany chimed in immediately.

“I bet Thumper would taste good,” Jesse teased, bringing that bit of levity to an end.

“No!” Stephie squealed. “You take that back!”

“Jesse,” I cautioned.

“Sorry,” he said, struggling mightily not to roll his eyes.

His brothers did, though Nicholas leaned over and kissed Stephie’s cheek.

“We went a whole vacation without anything like that, and ten minutes at home...” Kara said, shaking her head.

“Welcome back to the circus!” I grinned.

When we got out of the sauna, we all took showers, then gathered in the great room to wait for the food, which arrived about fifteen minutes later. Everyone moved to the dining room to eat, and once we finished, we all went back to the great room. Elyse turned on the TV and flipped to Headline News which was reporting on a plane crash off Long Island. TWA Flight 800 had gone down in a fiery explosion.

“Streaks of light rising up to meet the plane?” Tom asked, shaking his head. “Missile?”

“It sure as hell sounds like it,” I replied. “And not just one witness, but three, from different places.”

“It would have to be from a boat, I think, given where they say it happened.”

I nodded, “I think so. We’d have to ask one of our Navy friends about it.”

“Terrorists?” Kara asked.

“What else could it be?” I asked. “I can’t imagine one of our Navy ships accidentally shooting down a civilian aircraft in US airspace. This isn’t like the USS Vincennes and Iran Air Flight 655. We’re talking Long Island, not the Persian Gulf!”

“Terrorism for sure,” Kurt agreed. “If those reports are right about a missile, that’s a scary development.”

“There have been threats of using Stinger missiles against civilian aircraft for a couple of years,” Elyse said. “Heck, the El Rukns street gang here tried to buy some from the Libyans ten years ago.”

“Not good,” Bethany said shaking her head. “Not good at all.”

July 18, 1996, Chicago, Illinois

There were no further details on TWA Flight 800 in the Chicago Tribune on Thursday morning, though the FBI, NTSB, and others were all investigating. There were, according to the Trib now dozens of witnesses who had seen a streak of light rise from the ocean and strike the plane. That sealed the deal for me, and as we’d discussed the previous night, the implications were frightening.

“Steve!” Kimmy exclaimed when I walked into the office on Thursday morning.

She hurried over, gave me a tight hug, and a peck on the lips.

“Hi, Kimmy! How are things?”

“They’ve been relatively calm. There is a list of calls to return in your ‘To Do’ file on your network drive and a small pile of documents in your ‘In’ box.”

“Nothing pressing?”

“Me against you,” she laughed, giving me another hug. “We missed you.”

“YOU missed me,” I grinned. “The rest of the jokers who work here? I’m not so sure!”

“What can I get you this morning?”

“Tea; Earl Grey; Hot.”

“Right away, Captain!” Kimmy laughed.

I slipped off my street shoes, put on my soft slippers and walked to my desk and sat down. I turned on the computer and grabbed the stack of paperwork to peruse while the computer booted. Ten minutes later, having skimmed all the paperwork and drunk half a cup of tea, I scanned my email, both in MS Mail and in elm on my Unix server, and began responding to things marked urgent.

“Steve!” Penny exclaimed when she came in.

She threw her arms around my neck from behind, then kissed my cheek, before sitting down at her own workstation.

“I see you survived,” she said, “and last I checked, Florida hadn’t declared any disaster areas!”

“I was surprised you didn’t come over last night.”

“You and the kids had to be beat, and I knew I’d see you today. Have fun?”

“We did. I think the kids need a vacation to recover from their vacation, but they just have some lazy days around the house which should do the trick. Anything exciting going on here?”

“Dave assigned me to Tasha’s team so I could work on some custom modules for Moore, Martin & Walker. I think they’re going to need to be installed by a Senior Software Engineer.”

“I pay you MORE than enough to take a vacation to London, Amsterdam, and Munich!” I laughed. “And speaking of which, when is your vacation?”

“Next month when the kids are with Terry. I rented a beach house on the Jersey shore. Do you remember my friend Mary? The one who was ready to attack you at my fifteenth birthday party?”

“Vaguely,” I said.

“She’s coming with. She’s divorced. You could join us!”

“You know the rules, Pretty Penny,” I said gently. “And the deal you and I made when you were sixteen.”

“Forget your stupid rules and you can get your brains fucked out by two horny, twenty-seven-year-old girls with zero inhibitions!”

“Tempting; but no.”

“You’re just no fun!” she groused.

“I’ll buy you a case of batteries,” I teased.

“Asshole!” she growled.

I shrugged, “If that’s what you prefer, go for it!”

I ducked the two nerf balls she threw in my direction, and got up from my desk to go downstairs to Charlie’s office.

“Got a sec?” I asked.

“You took WAY longer than that!” she smirked. “But sure, come on in.”

“Your husband shoots better, and now that he’s taking martial arts, I don’t have any real advantage in a fight! How are things going?”

“Really well. For your ears only, I’m two months pregnant.”

“Congratulations! Clayton said it was under negotiation! Who won?”

Charlie laughed, “Both of us!”

I gave her a quick hug, then sat down in her guest chair.

“So, what can I do for you?” she asked

“Talk to a friend,” I replied. “Dave approached me right before my vacation with a concern about Cindi drinking.”

Charlie’s face clouded, “I’m getting VERY tired of the Jiminy Cricket act. Dave used to be cool; what the fuck happened?”

I shrugged, “That’s something to deal with later, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure. What’s up with Cindi?”

“He’s concerned she’s a functioning alcoholic, and with ten days to think about it, I believe there might, and I mean that, might, be some truth to it. I spoke with Deborah and because it’s not affecting her work in any way, and because our corporate policy allows alcohol on the premises, there isn’t anything official that can be done. Deborah also thought me saying something had the potential to look ‘official’. I’m wondering if you’ll talk to her?”

“And say what? Gee, Tits, we think you’re a lush? Are you?“

“You obviously understand the difficulty we’re facing. And, of course, because Dave mentioned it, I now know about it, which means if something bad were to happen, NIKA could be held responsible.”

“HE couldn’t just go to her? He’s her ex-boyfriend, for Pete’s sake? Or have his wife do it?”

“She was with him when he told me.”

“Of course she was; those two are turning into real sticks in the mud! So Mr. and Mrs. Moral Majority just dumped it in your lap and washed their hands?”

“Charlie, let’s focus on the issue at hand. I agree with you about Dave and Julia on that topic, but they’re entitled to their opinions just as much as you and I are.”

“I know. So what do you want me to say to her?”

“Just talk. I’m pretty sure it started when she and Chris were having trouble and she found out he cheated on her.”

“He’s pond scum. You and I both fucked a lot of people, but we NEVER cheated on a partner.”

“I did,” I said. “Once. I cheated on Kara when I was a Senior in High School. I went right to her and confessed. She forgave me.”

Charlie smirked, “High School boys aren’t exactly known for their ability to keep it in their pants. Willing pussy has a STRONG attraction.”

“For college boys, too,” I grinned.

“We did have our fun,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “Chris got all Moral Majority on her, too. That’s what really pisses me off about him - he started out seemingly cool, then revealed himself to be a jerk. OK, I think I know how to approach her. Give me a few days?”

“Sure. No huge rush, but don’t let it go too long. After all, the two of you are the main sources of revenue for NIKA. And speaking of that, who’s going to handle your job while you’re on maternity leave?”

“K will. I’ve been grooming her, and she’s led a couple of project teams.”

“It’s your team to manage. How are your new people working out?”

“Adding twelve people across the country has been as close to a nightmare as I want to have, but Mario, Barbara, and Zeke have helped out a lot. We’re turning down business right now because we need to settle things down. But as I said to you before your vacation, if we see a fall-off in revenue on the application side, I can bring in a few more bodies.”

“Let’s try to avoid that,” I said. “We’re at 104, and honestly, we need to consider what the future looks like. We’ve had so many opportunities that we’ve kind of let things grow almost willy-nilly. Don’t get me wrong - I’m not complaining. I just think we need to catch our breath.”

“I agree fully, which is why I want to let things settle down a bit; or as you say, catch our breath. Give me until next week?”

“Sure. When are you going to announce the impending arrival of your little sailor?”

“In a month or so. I plan to take full advantage of the maternity leave policy!”

“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t!”

We hugged and I went back upstairs to start returning phone calls.

July 20, 1996, Chicago, Illinois

“How was your vacation?” Sensei Jim asked when I sat down in his office on Saturday morning.

“Fantastic! The kids needed a couple of days to recover, though.”

“Disney can wear you out. We took our boys there in ‘75. Of course, they were in their teens at that point. I don’t know how you did it with all those little kids!”

“I’d say clean living,” I grinned, “but we both know that’s not true!”

“If there’s anyone who is better at maintaining their health than you, I don’t know who it would be,” Jim said. “Diet, exercise, karate, regular medical checkups?”

“A ‘me’ who didn’t smoke cigars or drink,” I grinned. “If Al had his way.”

“I think at THIS point I can safely admit to you that I think doctors are a royal pain in the ass! Well a certain «karateka» who is a doctor excepted, of course.”

I shook my head, “No exceptions there, Sensei! She has my daughters nagging me when they see me with a cigar!”

“The day Birgit nags YOU is the day the sun stands still in the sky!”

“Well, Joshua,” I grinned, referring to the Scripture, “my lovely wife the doctor might have mentioned to my lovely daughter that cigar smoking meant I could die early.”

“Which of course immediately set Birgit on a campaign to get you to stop smoking.”

“She doesn’t have me wrapped COMPLETELY around her little finger!”

“But so close as not to have a meaningful difference!”

“True. Molly and her students will be here today.”

“She called to let me know. She also told me that Mitchell quit on Tuesday.”

I nodded, “She told me on Thursday when I returned her call from Tuesday afternoon. I was pretty sure that would happen once she promoted Ted past him and had Ted lead classes. May I speak freely?”

“She’s your student and you’re a full instructor!”

“And you’re still my «shihan».”

“Go on,” he smiled.

“Mitchell quitting is the best thing that could happen to her dojo. He was distracting, not just to her, but to every student in the dojo. It’s not exactly parallel, but I recall you were happy when that older couple quit because they didn’t like me teaching them.”

“Because they were disruptive and distracting. I can let you in on a secret now, but I was fairly sure they weren’t cut out for martial arts, and by putting them with you, I made them see that right away. Honestly, if you can’t respect the BELT, then you have no business here. We’ve seen a bit of that towards Will, but the other students quickly correct the transgressors.”

“My daughter being the primary disciplinarian!” I chuckled. “At least for Felipe!”

“He’s come along very well, and he’s a perfect example of how a student SHOULD act. Your daughter, as precocious as she is, gets respect from him because of the belt she wears AND because he has a desire to please her.”

“Which she demands from every male on the planet,” I chuckled.

“God help her husband!” Sensei Jim laughed. “Is Ashley going to try to start today?”

“With your permission, yes. She’s not quite five, but Birgit and Stephie already taught her the front stance, side stance, back stance, and how to punch and kick. It’s cute, really.”

“Then get her the extra-small uniform I ordered from the cabinet and have Kara help her dress.”

“Yes, Sensei!” I said standing up.

“One other thing; Marcia is ready for 1st Kyu. We’ll test her next month right before you start prepping her for the Labor Day tournament.”

“Did Jolene sign up?”

“Yes. I have Therese working with her, and hopefully teaching her some discipline. That temper of hers has prevented her advancement; hopefully she can control it enough to do better in the tournament.”

I bowed, got the uniform from the cabinet, and took it out to Kara who led Ashley to the female changing room. Five minutes later, they were back, with Ashley looking very cute in her little uniform.

“Ready for class, Cinderella?” I asked.

“Yes! Birgit and Stephie showed me what to do!”

“Good!”

“Good morning, Sensei Steve!” Molly said, coming up behind me.

“Good morning,” I replied, as we bowed to each other.

“Do you have a sec?”

“Sure.”

We stepped aside.

“May I have permission to switch to a red gi, please?”

I nodded, “Absolutely.”

“Thanks! I have another question for you, too.”

“Ask away.”

“Mitchell is demanding a refund on his pre-paid contract.”

“You use the standard one, right? The one that says if he quits, he forfeits any money he’s paid, though it gives him the right to return at any point?”

“Yes. He’s basically saying that I breached the contract because I refused to promote him and promoted someone over him.”

I shook my head, “Fine; let him go to court. I’ll cover one hundred percent of your costs out of my own pocket. Fuck that entitled little shit!”

Molly laughed, “Wow!”

“Did that black belt of yours, with three white stripes, come out of a Cracker Jack box?”

“No.”

“Then the sentiment stands. If he actually does try to sue you, we’ll convene a board of five full instructors to evaluate his skills. I can talk to Sensei Ichirou about that. Mitchell, and his attorney, won’t like the results of that!”

“What if he finds his own instructors who say he’s OK?”

“Challenge him to enter one of the two major tournaments. I bet he gets ‘no score’ on his kata because he’s so sloppy and he loses in the first round, or maybe the second, if he somehow gets lucky and draws the weakest opponent in the field.”

“The courts would go for that?”

“The examination? Sure. The tournament? I bet we can goad him into it. If he agrees, the court will. For now, just tell him ‘no’ and if he pushes, let me know. I can have my tame mouthpiece have a chat with him.”

“‘Tame mouthpiece’?”

“I hired in-house counsel. It’s actually cheaper than paying my friend Jamie’s firm and an HR consultant. Her name is Deborah and she’s fresh out of law school. She’ll be taking the Bar Exam next month.”