Chapter 22

Tuesday

I woke up still tired next morning. Helen and Laura slept on each side of me and they had kept me up much of the night. When one woke up horny, the other woke up, too. With all the activity in the bed, the others had to have their turn, too.

Natalie was sleeping in the crease between the beds but closer to us. She and the rest must have been awoken many times. Aron was on the far side of the combined beds with his arms around Linda like he usually had them around me.

All my lovelies were in the bed and if I didn't have to hurry I would sample them all again. I tried to get out of bed but instead woke up Helen.

"Hmmm, good morning Alex. It feels great to be Mrs. Kramer even if I can't admit to it. I can't wait for our children."

"They will come in time but you have lots to learn first and we have many things to do before our lives irrevocably change with children."

"Yea, I know but it is just nice to think of it for a while."

"Me too. Now get up. We have to get going."

Helen did get up first and also got to the toilet first. My recollection and then my former resolve re-emerged and I knew I would have to have more than one bathroom per family. A large communal shower would be another improvement.

The other beds in the apartment were messed up and the two king-sized beds were again separated.

Just before we left the suite Laura, Helen and even Natalie had to take their rings off and move them to their right hands. This made all of us a bit upset but it was necessary. Even a blind man could see that I loved each and every one of my family.

We had a nice breakfast downstairs and even ordered a lunch for each of us in individual paper bags.

A bellhop came into the dining room, then to our table. He put a silver tray down and on it sat a slip of paper. The boy bowed and left us. It was a note from Silva. He had tried to reach me at home and failed. He was coming to North Bay tomorrow with his father. I could well imagine what the talk would be about. A problem might arise because Martin was coming the same day and so was the meeting with my lawyers. On the way out I stooped at the desk and reserved the other two penthouse suites for my guests. I assumed that engineers would be attending and tried to reserve the entire floor below the penthouses. Only one guest was there and would remain so till the weekend.

We went in two cars and Helen and I said bye to the girls while sitting. Aron was driven to his school by Natalie, which he seemed to like a lot.

During the first three periods I just worked on more drawings or the list of things to get for some of my businesses. Half way through Geography, I saw Mr Armstrong drink his water and he now nibbled a sandwich while still teaching. What made me really take notice was when he had to get close to the chalkboard to see. On the back of his hand were two sores that had been there for at least a month.

This could be a number of problems but because his coat seemed to be much looser, I had my idea. I made a list on a separate sheet of paper and just observed till the end of class.

When the bell rang, I told Rita to go ahead as I wanted a moment with Mr Armstrong. The man did hear and wondered what was up.

"What did you want Mr Kramer?"

"I have been reading a number of medical books. In my opinion you may have a problem and I was just going to suggest that you go and see your doctor."

"What would you know? Are you a doctor now? Last I saw you were one of my grade nine students."

"Does it take a doctor to see that a person has a broken arm or a cut forehead? This is obvious to me. I would just like you to enjoy your retirement."

"You are only a lucky boy and know next to nothing about the adult world."

"Then answer me this: do you have blurred vision and increased fatigue?"

"I need new glasses and I am getting older."

"I see that your jacket is loose on you and you are now eating and drinking in class. I also see the same two sores on the back of your hands that were there a month ago. Young people heal fast but even at your age the sores would have healed by now."

I handed him the paper, which listed:

• increased thirst

• increased hunger

• fatigue

• increased urination, especially at night

• weight loss

• blurred vision

• sores that do not heal

Nothing else was put down and I gave no diagnosis to get some doctors mad at me.

He looked at it and then had to try to focus in to read the short list. "What do you think it is?"

"If I give even my opinion, then some doctor gets huffy and will demand to see my licence. If these symptoms are true, just give them to the doctor and he can make his own diagnosis. Add your own problems to the list and scratch out ones that don't apply. He would have to be pretty careless to miss what I think it is."

As I left the room, I saw the man looking again at the note and trying to make some sense of it.

During lunch I tried to get our group more interested in the fair. At the moment they wanted to enjoy it as patrons but I wanted them to be vendors.

Mike was very proud of his crew and of course of himself, after making the delivery. They got a small tour of the mine site and even got to use the sluice and saw the gold dust being collected. The truck was now stored at Mike's house and the boys were going over to clean it up after school. They had some vague plans of painting the racks and the wooden bed.

Mike said, "Your dad and another guy hooked up the stove and had it running before we left. Your mom didn't like it. I showed them how to start it. The model is not like ours, but it is close enough."

"Thanks Mike."

During Phys Ed Mr Richardson came in while I was working out. "Well Kramer it looks like you are developing a bit. You aren't as bony as you were after your accident. You do seem to have a determination to get in shape."

I stopped the exercise and said, "The determination is there all right but I just have so many things that command my time. The fair is simple but takes a lot of time. The businesses only function because I have some good people looking out for my interests. People would live longer and be healthier if they just got off their asses and did a half hour of exercise a day."

I looked at the man now with an idea, "What if I started a league? You guys like football or hockey but you really have to be in shape for soccer. There is less need for expensive equipment that parents have to pay for."

"Nobody likes soccer Kramer. This isn't Europe or South America."

"I am well aware of that but I have no time for this now. I just know that people are going to get fatter and lazier as time goes on. I am just trying to find a way around this trend."

Mr. Richardson said, "That is why we have Phys Ed in the first place. And the only games are at the end of school for our track and field or in sporting events throughout the year. You have a way of getting more people to participate?"

"Not yet but I am working on it."

During shop I was able to talk to a ceramic company and order some material including some zirconia glaze. Mr Creighton had to help next.

"Mr Creighton, I need to start another industry and I need your help again."

"What is it this time Alex? Are you going to build some atomic weapons?"

"I want to save some lives, not take them. Besides, it wouldn't look good on my list of lifetime accomplishments and that sort of thing."

"What would you like me to do?"

"Figure out a cost and see how you can get the figures down for future models. This one is going to be patented, all you have to do is build it the way the print says."

"What is the thing you want built?"

"An artificial hip."

He looked at me very formidably. "You're serious?"

"Do I usually joke about money, business, or people's lives?"

"Ok then, where is it?

I pulled out the diagram and said, "This is for a dog. In a week or so I will show some people how to do the replacement, then I will begin making human models. For those units I will only assist, since I have no valid licence."

Again I got the formidable look. "You going to operate on the dog yourself?"

"It is no big deal if you have the equipment and some unsophisticated help that will do what they are told. I do expect a vet to assist and a few doctors too."

"What other miracles have you got?"

"Quite a few, which you may find out in time. I have a drug company and prosthetics is a good sideline. When the electronics industry takes off, I will have ultra miniature hearing aids and both hands and arms for children that need them. Mine will actually move the way the mind wants."

We talked a bit more and I explained what was going to happen and basically gave him a rundown on what the patent was covering. "You also have to make a special spherical reamer that will remove bone to form a bed for the ball. If the base is rough, the bone will grow into the crevices. Epoxy can be used too. Each can have some pins for strength. The ball for the dog's hip has to be sized for the animal and at the present I do not even know if it is one hip or both I will be replacing. These diagrams just allow you to gather some material for a half dozen joints, which I will need in the next few weeks. For a while we will have to make all custom models. Later we can cast or forge the metal and have a supply like a shoe store does."

"How many of these do you expect to sell in a year?"

"Like everything, it will start off small and grow. I should get two or three thousand units a year after they are accepted. The hands, feet, complete arms and legs are going to be expensive but I am going to try to keep the cost down. The things I am going to have to develop will make them far beyond what a machinist could do. Here we need electronic, mechanical and metallurgical engineers by the dozens."

"I'll work with the hip first. Later, we can talk."

"Sure. Do you think Mr Froom in grade nine science would give me an extra credit?"

Mr Creighton laughed and slapped me on the back. "You mean there is a class you are not getting a hundred percent in?"

I got close to him and talked low. "You have seen that I know how to machine and all the things a grade nine has to know to pass this year. You give me some freedom to pursue some studies that further research in metallurgy, metal fabrication and all the other things your class teaches. Mr Froom is, shall we say, very conservative. I want him onboard for next year because it is important."

"What is happening next year? More of the same as this year?"

"That is for sure but confidentially I want to force the board to change its rules. As a punishment for its intransigence, I want to get a chance of taking the exams for all the subjects for all grades. Next year, I want to graduate."

"I have never even heard of that. I remember how some people skipped a year."

"That doesn't give me the total number of credits I want. I don't even know if I should get my medical or engineering degree now. I am much too busy doing things for which I would have gone to school to learn how to do. As the owner of the company I can't very well be kicked out for not having some paper on the wall, or a roll of sheepskin."

"Alex, the only advice I can give is: get all the education you can get. It won't help you find a job but it might help you find a workaround for one of your problems.

"Anyway, Alex, the machines are running and are capable of making the parts you want. We had to do a bit of tinkering but it looks fine. I brought some of the pieces. Want to see them?"

From a box he brought out the full casting with all the runners. I had insisted on a device that would shear this off when it was actually pushed from the mould. The pieces looked good and I put some adjacent pieces together and they had a good fit. They slid with only a bit of friction that would multiply when the unit was all put together.

Only the central hub was missing, as well as springs, washers and rivets.

Mr Creighton smiled and brought out two completed units. One had the colours still in order and the other was hopelessly jumbled. "I can't see too many people buying this game. I tried till late last night and all I got was frustrated. I put screws in instead and even took it all apart and reassembled it four times. I suppose you can just whizz through this," he said as he handed it to me.

I studied the faces for a minute or two and the moves that were necessary came to me. In my previous life I had played with this but was never any good. I moved the parts back and forth and found they moved easily. I decided to try the puzzle and I surprised even myself but putting it back in its original state in thirty two seconds after twenty-six moves.

Mr Creighton just gave me the look with the mouth open. "I guess you can." In a moment he came to himself and looked at me. "We have the two salesmen for a week but we need all the trades and people to assemble the parts. We have compressed air but no riveters. In fact we don't have the rivets yet."

"Are the ads in the paper?"

"Yes but our paper only comes out three times a week. Some people may be reading the ads now. My wife is handling the calls but I think you should talk to them about what you want."

"You are wrong, Mr Creighton. This is your company to run. You will get compensated accordingly. I do have a thought, though."

"What is that?"

"Women do tedious work much better than men. Women are also going to enter the workforce more and more. I will look into making the hours such that the women may have time to get to work after getting their children off to school. We set up a early childhood education program that will take care of the children that are too young for school. I believe that if a child is stimulated early enough, they will grow up to be much more productive.

"This opens another problem about the cost of this enterprise. It will be substantially higher than other businesses. We can give fair wages and the women will not need a babysitter now. What do you think about going into the baby-tending business as well?"

"Shit! Sorry, Alex. Kids that young are a pain in the posterior. I can't see running a business very well with crying brats all over the place."

"Well, talk to some other people but watch out for the liberals or we will be swamped by everything they want done. They will be like the socialist party and think I can just divert more profit to this and to every other endeavour they think of. My social consciousness is already strong enough and maybe I need a good talking into as well."

Typing was the last class today, due to some teachers' needing to be someplace else. The reasons given were not that, of course but we were expected to swallow the white lies and smile.

My fingers were doing better now and I was up to sixty five words a minute on the mechanical but I would have got a fifty percent increase with the brand new antique electric typewriter at home. It always took a bit to change typing modes and by the time a small test started I was ready.

The people around me just ignored the speed I was now able to do. It was also important to strike at about the same intensity to make the text look nice. Maybe it would not be long before 'keyboarding' became what the class would be called.

After school, Natalie was going to take Linda and Valerie to clean out their refrigerator of perishables because I wanted them with me for the rest of the week, if possible. Later, they were going to get Aron and bring him to the hotel.

Laura, Helen and I had some errands to run. With the bike at the hotel I was dependant on them or a taxi. The first stop was Doctor Smiles' office. I picked up the mail and put it neatly on a table but looked through it for the lab results for Linda, Valerie and, of course, Laura.

Strangely, only Laura's had arrived and I looked at the contents. Laura, as I surmised was healthy. If last night didn't give me proof, the paper now in my hand did.

Steadman's was my next goal and I found some casual clothes for me. I knew what a good suit was worth and I also knew that I would not find one in the city. It helped in negotiations but I was still growing and an expensive suit seemed such a waste at the moment. Some black shoes, belt and some good shirts were all I got.

The girls were admiring the dresses as we passed them and I said, "We are going to Chicago later this summer. We can pick out some nice clothes then." I got two very happy and beautiful girls scream and mug me right in the store. Many of the patrons and staff looked around at us wondering what was happening. I thought it much easier to calm the girls down than to try for the explanation.

We went back to the hotel and the girls took my clothes upstairs. I phoned Mr Stife but I got his wife Margarete instead, "Hello Mrs. Stife. This is Alex Kramer. How are you feeling today?"

"Fine Alex. Did you want to talk to my husband?"

"I would like to but it is also very nice to talk to you."

"Why thank you Mr Kramer. It is kind of you to say so."

"I have brought my team of ruffians back to the hotel and we are currently in the third suite. If you and your husband are not too busy tonight, I would like to hear of any new developments."

"Come right up, Mr Kramer. Bring your team with you if you will."

I went upstairs and changed before giving marching orders to the troops. We all went down the short hallway but this time we had notebooks, pencils and pens with us.

After a short greeting I said to Mr Stife, "I mentioned recently a proposition concerning your continued overseeing of this establishment and perhaps other properties that I have purchased. I would like to impose on some of your generosity and ask you to explain some of the intricacies of running this particular hotel." Jason looked a bit upset, probably thinking that I had changed my mind.