Chapter 6

One day I was looking along the Eastern Grove. I noticed several of the trees were dead, more were withered or dying. I had to assume the other groves were in a similar state. I needed more trees or more land with trees preferably. I began my search.

I had tree farmers inspect the farm. Their opinion was about 10-12% of the groves held dead or trees beyond saving. Another 5-7% would need treatment: the rest trimming and minor nutrients added. For $1.8 million and in 11 years I could be where the farm was 10 years ago. What a deal! Not! Shows what can happen in a few years of neglect.

A quick search on the Internet showed Olives grown in Spain, Italy, Sicily, Greece, Morocco, Tunisia were pressed and sold as olive oil. It was cold pressed, cooked, mixed and a dozen other ways including sold as feed for animals.

I think I needed a new business to do. Fishing along the Med I thought was a quick way to go bankrupt, at least as a commercial business. Tourism, Hotels, B & B and transportation were no longer viable revenue generators in Northern Italy. In Milan, fashion and art seemed good choices to be in. Then I recalled Mona and her grapes. I did not care to open a winery but thought grapes might be a good alternative to planting new Olive trees. Staying in character, I wanted to walk away and would make her ‘such a deal, she could not refuse’.

I was not going to invest any large sums in Italy. In my view there were few if any new opportunities in Europe or the Middle East worth investing in. A casino might be a good investment. Jessica was really smart about that. Even though she would sell low to Dad, she had a clause that allowed her to buy it back at the same price.

The smart move would have been to crawl back to Jessica, body parts in hand and beg forgiveness. Unfortunately I could never go back, to anything or anyone.

I wish I could. I began to doubt myself. I knew this was not the time for me to be making decisions. I made a deal with Mona anyway. I kept the house and about 100 acres around it. The rest would be hers after 10 years of payments based on 45% of Net revenues of my land only. In our discussion we agreed to $350,000 of improvements consisting of some tree removal and the replanting of grape vines in their place.

Now to find something else to do. The only trouble was I did not know, ‘What to do?’

Reset now, Playing Football was out, same with the fine art of being a fashion plate. Right up there in the top three was ‘Selling Seashells by the Seashore’. It was inconceivable to me that in my early 20’s that my business life was over.

Maybe I was a bit hard headed. “Don’t agree all at once gang!” This is not as easy as it looked.

Some things are made of dreams. Dreams are good. Quite often your subconscious mind mashes through the myriad of options available then comes up with something. I guess that happened here.

I had been blind to how focused on The Superbowl that I had been. When I woke one morning wondering if the search I was doing for myself was, in-itself, not a business. I could imagine that I was not alone in this.

I went to see a couple I had gone to school with in Phili. Sheila and Ashley were a year or two behind me and home in Nashville. We met in the Library, I thought they both were pretty cool, cool and pretty, pretty, pretty. They played for the wrong team and laughed when I asked if they were having tryouts. “You’re too big to fit in ‘what we wear, or don’t’.”

We became friends. Not certain that what they were studying was applicable to this idea but I knew they were smart and I trusted them. Both were trying to stay in the Med School, money, money, money, it was the bane of many struggling students.

Ashley, always the bit outspoken one said: “So you finally decided to stop playing games and to get serious. Just think in 8 or 9 years you could be a Doctor and be earning...”

From Sheila: “Nice to see you again Slim, You going back there?

“Nice to see you two too. Nope just thought the rules changed on tryouts or I could get you two to help me out?”

“You still won’t fit, Ash you think panties come in ‘gigantic or outrageous sizes’ that he could fit into?”

“Gee, I’d be willing to see. Come into my parlor so I see if...”

“OK, OK! Ash! God you are such a slut!”

“Seriously guys, I think the world of you and would appreciate your opinion on something.”

“Easy, No, Yes or Maybe is my answer!” said Ashley.