Chapter 12

Sunday, December 23, 2029... (continued)

Tam folded the blanket and put it on the seat. Then she opened the backpack and gave the dish to Patty. Patty ran across the grass and put the dish in place.

When she returned, “I said, “Why don’t you sit down, Tam. I’ll help Bart with the birdseed.”

We walked over to the dish and we knelt on the grass beside each other. I said, “I don’t really know how to do this, Bart. You’re going to have to help me.”

Bart said, “It’s easy. First, you open the bag, and then I’ll put the food in the dish.”

“That sounds easy. How much food do we give them?”

“Six scoops.”

I held the bag open and Bart started counting out the scoops. The first of the ducks were walking across the grass toward us when he finished. He ran back to the picnic table and sat down to watch the ducks eat. I followed at a more sedate pace with the scoop and remaining birdseed. I put the scoop and birdseed in the backpack, before sitting down beside Tam.

Bart and Patty watched the ducks eating, while Tam and I watched the fun the two of them were having watching the ducks. At first, there was not too much happening, but then the rest of the ducks made it to shore. That was when the squabbling started. They were climbing on top of each other trying to get to the bowl. Bart and Patty were pointing and laughing at the ducks’ antics.

I asked, “Tam, I thought it was bad to feed ducks and geese?”

“Not exactly, Carl. It’s bad to feed them bread and bread crusts, but people still give bread to ducks and geese. Bread has practically no nutrients and when the bread absorbs water, or gastric fluids, it swells up in the bird’s stomach,. Then the birds feel full and don’t eat any more food. Birds need a variety of foods in their diet, and if they don’t eat because they are full of bread, they can get sick and die. Birdseed has many of the nutrients they need and the small amount we feed them doesn’t make them feel full.”

The ducks had finished the food and returned to the lake. Tam said, “Go get the dish, Bart, and watch out for bird poop.”

Bart carefully walked over to the dish and brought it back. Tam pulled some wipes out of the backpack and cleaned the dish. The dirty wipes went into the nearby trash can. Once she put the dish away, Bart put the backpack on and we continued walking around the lake.

“There is another flock of ducks on the other side of the lake, Carl. We’ll stop there and feed those ducks before heading for the play area.”

Tam and I followed Bart and Patty, and talked about what we should do this afternoon, and decided to take the kids to a movie. We would check the paper when we got home and find a movie suitable for their age group that they hadn’t seen.

After we arrive home, Tam started lunch and I kept her company. Bart and Patty turned TV on and watched their Sunday morning cartoons.

Tam said, “The best way for us to find out what movie they want to go see, is to ask them. Go ask them if they want to go to the movies and what they want to see. So I did.

As I entered their playroom, I called out, “Who wants to go to a movie this afternoon?”

That got their attention and they definitely let me know they liked the idea. So I asked, “What do you want to go see?”

Bart suggested one movie and Patty suggested another. I said, “I’ll check the paper and see if I can find a theater that’s showing those movies.”

I went back to the kitchen and the kids went back to their cartoons. I told Tam what they wanted to see, she said both movies were animated Disney movies and okay for kids. I then checked the paper to find a theater that was showing the movies.

I said, “Tam, the May Theater at the mall is showing both movies. Should we just pick one or have a doubleheader?”

Tam asked, “Are you up for two kid’s movies?”

“I think I can survive. Is there a family restaurant near the mall where we can have dinner after the movies?”

“There is a Denny’s close to the mall. Is that okay with you?”

“Yeah. I like Denny’s.”

Tam called the kids to the table. She said, “Eat all your lunch, and we’ll get popcorn and drinks when we get to the movie.”

I survived the movies. Actually, they were both funny childish adventures. Bart’s choice was about a young boy who got lost in the forest. The plot was about the animals who befriended him and his adventures as the animals guided him to the Ranger Station. Patty’s choice was a takeoff on the Swiss Family Robinson story, but the characters were a family of mice.

Dinner at Denny’s went well. Bart and Patty had started warming up to me, after I told them they could call me Carl, if they wanted to. When we got back to the house, Tam put the kids to bed. A short while later, Tam checked and found the kids were asleep, so we hauled Santa’s presents out of Tam’s closet and wrapped them. Then we went to bed for a bit of adult activity.

Monday, December 24, 2029...

We all went out grocery shopping for Christmas dinner. When we got home, we put the groceries away. Last night, Tam and I decided Bart and Patty had started accepting me. We believed it was time to tell Bart and Patty that we would be getting married and we would all live in my home in San Diego.

We went into the kid’s playroom and told them we had something to tell them. We sat down on the floor with them and Tam told them that she liked me a lot. She then said she and I decided to get married and we all would to go live in my home in California. Bart and Patty just said ‘okay,’ and went back to their cartoons. Tam and I went back to the kitchen.

Tam said, “I wasn’t expecting that reaction.”

We talked about their reaction and came to the decision that they just didn’t understand the changes our getting married and moving would have on their lives. We decided to wait and see how they responded.

Tuesday, December 25, 2029...

The kids woke up early and joined us in bed. It was a good thing we had dressed after our shower last night. We put on our robes and the four of us headed downstairs to see if Santa had left any presents. He had, and we all had fun opening our gifts.

I cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast, while Tam started getting everything ready to go into the oven. At one-thirty, the door chime chimed to let us know someone was at the door. It was Brenda and Trent bearing several bottles of wine and a lovely flower arrangement for Tam. When the turkey was almost ready, Brenda and Tam headed for the kitchen and started putting the final touches on dinner. As the various dishes were ready, they put them on the table, The turkey was the last thing that made it to the table. The kitchen was small, so Trent and I stayed out of their way, other than to get a corkscrew and two bottles of wine out of the refrigerator. We opened the wine and poured it into the wine glasses, which were on the table.

When everyone was at the table holding hands, Tam said grace. When she finished, we started passing the food around the table; Tam fixed plates for Bart and Patty. The food was good and we were enjoying each other’s company.

Then Bart said, “Mama, yesterday you told us that you and Carl were going to get married. Is that why Carl was in your bed this morning?”

Tam and I looked at each other and turned red. Brenda and Trent were trying to not laugh, but when Tam and I looked at them, all four of us started laughing. Bart and Patty just sat there wondering why everyone was laughing.

Tam finally caught her breath and said, “Yes, Bart. When people who are in love decide to get married, they often go to bed together to sleep.”

Bart said, “Oh. Why was everybody laughing?”

Tam said, “That is hard to explain. Carl and I will explain it to you when you are old enough to understand.”

After dinner, Bart and Patty went to their playroom to play with their new toys. Brenda, Trent, Tam, and I took our refilled wine glasses to the living room to talk.

I said, “We planned to keep our getting married a secret until Tam got to San Diego and we could make a joint announcement, but I guess the cat is out of the bag now. I had better let certain ladies know before one of you lets the word out. Excuse me for a few minutes.”

I pulled my phone out and called Karen. When Steve answered, I said Merry Christmas and asked him to put Karen on the phone. When she said hello, I greet her the same way and asked her to hold on while I set up a conference call. I then added Mary, Margie, and Myra to the call giving each of them a Merry Christmas greeting.

Once I confirmed they were all still on the line, I said, “Ladies, I know I will be in trouble with four of you if I say this to any of you without telling it to all of you at the same time ... Tam has agreed to marry me.”

There were numerous screams which died when Karen shouted, “Carl, put Tam on.”

I did and that was the end of the conference call for me.

Tam took her wine with her and switched seats with Brenda, who sat next to me on the couch. I talked with Brenda and Trent about their interviews and how long they thought it would take to finish what they needed to do. We finished our talk and I went to the kitchen to open another bottle of wine. When I returned, Brenda and Tam weren’t there. I refilled all of the wine glasses before sitting down and talking with Trent.

When Tam and Brenda returned, Brenda looked at Trent and in a no-nonsense tone said, “It’s time for us to leave.”

Brent got the message and after they left, Tam said, “Let’s go put Bart and Patty to bed.”

Tam opened the playroom’s door; it was too quiet. When we stepped inside there was no one there. We headed upstairs to check their bedrooms. They were in their beds, fully dressed, but without their shoes. We covered them up. Then Tam hugged me and then led me to our bedroom. The rest of the night was wonderful.

Wednesday, January 6, 2030...

I was sitting at my gate reminiscing about my time in Atlanta. So much had happened in the past two weeks that I didn’t remember everything. I just thought about the high points.

Tam, Bart, Patty, and I spent as much time together as we could. Gradually, Tam taught me how to be a father and Bart and Patty responded. Now they fully accepted me as part of their lives.

I think the turning point was when Bart asked, “Do you want us to call you Daddy?”

“I don’t mind, Bart, but I think the two of you should use Dad and Daddy when you talk about your real father. It will be less confusing that way. I’m fine with you calling me ‘Carl.’”

The best thing that happened was Tam agreeing to marry me. We talked about when we should actually get married and the type of wedding ceremony and reception we wanted. We decided on a small private church wedding and a private reception with our friends. The ‘when’ would be after Bart and Patty were comfortable living with me in their new home.

My engagement may have been the best thing that happened, but Bart and Patty accepting me into their family was a very close second.

Vic caught the redeye flight out of San Diego and arrived early in the morning of the second of January. We had Cora babysit so Brenda, Trent, Tam, and I could meet with Vic to review the interview notes Brenda and Trent had made.

After we had reviewed and talked about the interview information, Vic asked, “Brenda, have you mailed all of your interview tapes to Mary?”

“Yes. I mailed the last of them on the morning after our last interview.”

“Good. This is what I want to do.”

It took almost an hour for Vic to explain what he wanted to do. Basically, he, Brenda, and Trent would go to the local police station and report the crimes they were told about during their interviews.

Trent had interrupted to say, “Mary had Brenda and me prepare a list of the crimes our interviewees told us about with a brief description of what each interviewee said. The details are in the interview notes.”

Vic said, “That will save us a lot of time. Add tomorrow’s date, page numbers in the format of Page X of Z Pages, places for each of you to initial each page, and signature and date blocks for you, Brenda, and the police officer taking the report on the last page of your document. Print it out tonight and I will have you initial all but the last page and sign the last page in front of the police officer taking your statements.”

Vic went on to say he would have the police officer sign the document and allow him to review the interview notes Brenda and Steve had taken. Once that was done he would have the officer make a copy of the document and the interview notes for us. After the officer gave them their copies, they would leave and go straight to the airport.

Things didn’t go exactly as Vic described. The first deviation occurred in the police station’s interview room when Vic pulled a small handheld tape recorder out of his briefcase, placed it on the table, and turned it on. When the officer objected, Vic said he always recorded his interviews while he turned the recorder off and returned it to his briefcase. The second and biggest deviation occurred when the officer took the statements and the interview notes to make copies. He returned to the interview room too quickly.

Vic asked, “Is there a problem?”

“No ... no problem. I gave your document and interview notes to my partner and asked him to make the copies, while I came back here to clarify a few things.”

The officer asked several questions, which Vic, Brenda, and Trent answered. Then the door opened, and a second officer stepped into the interview room.

The second officer said, “I finished shredding those documents you asked me to shred.”

The first officer shouted, “I told you to copy them, not shred them.”

Brenda and Trent turned red and started to say something, but Vic quickly motioned them to remain silent.

The second officer said to his partner in a very apologetic tone, “I’m sorry. I was thinking about the fight I had with my wife this morning and thought you said to shred them.”

The first officer turned back to us and said, “I’m sorry about my partner’s confusion. He and his wife are having marital problems and he is worried about the possibility of a divorce; he is a bit scatter brained after one of their arguments. Sorry.”

Vic said, “I need your names and badge numbers.”

Vic wrote the names and numbers down, and then they left the interview room. They left the police station and went to their car. Vic said, “Let’s sit here for a few minutes.”

Vic opened his briefcase and plugged a set of ear buds into an audio recorder that was built into his briefcase. After listening for several minutes, Vic said, “We can go now. Stop at the Denny’s we passed on our way here.”

When they arrived, Vic told the waitress they needed to sit in a private area, so they could talk business. She took them to a closed area were they wouldn’t be overheard. After they gave her their orders and left, Vic opened his briefcase, rewound the tape several minutes, and played back what the officers said after they left the interview room.

After they ate, they went to the airport so Brenda and Trent could return their rental cars, Vic wasn’t ready to leave. Brenda and Trent were able to get seats on the first flight to San Diego, which left in two hours. Vic’s made a reservation for a flight that would leave the next day. While they waited for Brenda and Trent’s flight, Vic made a copy of his briefcase tape using his handheld recorder and gave the original tape to Brenda to give to Harold. Once Brenda and Trent’s flight left, Vic went to a nearby hotel and stayed the night.

My thoughts were interrupted by the announcement that my flight was now loading. I had a good trip back to San Diego. Jason and Gary met me at the airport and took me home.

Thursday, January 7, 2030...

I was still physically and mentally tired when I woke up, but I felt it was important that I get into the office and catch up with everything that had been happening while I was gone. Yesterday, I called Myra from the airport and asked her to make arrangements for our weekly staff meeting at ten this morning.

I arrived at SIMC later than I normally did and went straight to my office. Myra hadn’t been at her desk, so I set my briefcase on my desk and removed my coat. Then I went directly to my conference room. I walked in and was deafened by a shout of ‘Surprise’. There weren’t many people there, but it was a small room and they were very exuberant.

I was guided to my regular seat and was told to sit down. A paper plate with a large square of cake, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a plastic spoon was placed in front of me and a cup of coffee near the plate. Everyone helped themselves to a similar sized piece of cake and ice cream from the table at the rear of the room. For the next hour, our discussion was about my engagement and what Tam and I had done during my trip. Myra, Margie, Karen, and Mary could have given lessons to the military’s interrogators; I think Myra was the best at wheedling information out of me.

Eventually, Myra returned to her desk and the rest of us got back to the purpose of our meeting.

I said, “I want to thank everyone for the pleasant reception I received. Thank you.

“During the past year, SIMC and our LLCs have grown. Our growth rate continues, but it has slowed. When Tamerlane joins us, we will be adding additional people to our family.

“Now is the time that we need to evaluate our needs. Is there something that we can do to improve the efficiency of our people or improve their work environment? A year ago, this building was adequate for our needs, but we have grown far more than I thought we would. Do we need a second building? Do we need to find a building two or three times as large as this one?

“I’m not asking for suggestions today. Think about what we need. Next month we will assess were we are, and where our growth is taking us.

“Margie, what’s happening with SPI?”

“We are doing very good, Carl. I hired more people, and our client list has grown by close to twelve percent.

I have the costed proposal you requested in our earlier meeting. We can go over it when you are ready.

“Did you decide on Residential or Commercial property or both?”

“I want to handle both types of properties, but I want to do it in a time phased manner starting with Residential properties.”

“Will you be moving your current operation to the same building?”

“That is my intent, Carl. If they are not collocated, it would be very difficult for me to efficiently manage both divisions.”

I asked, “Mary, how is NWG doing?”

“Very good, Carl. Although at the moment, things are chaotic.

“I talked with Steve about the next exposé I can provide to him. Team 2 has been working on The Society Critic Magazine exposé and their research has dug up far more information than we thought would be available. Their list of interviewees was almost twice what we anticipated and it’s grown. Team 1’s exposé on the God’s Spokesman Weekly Newsletter has also evolved into something more than we expected.