Chapter 2

Wearing western garb, William sat on a bench soaking up the sun in front of the Morgenstern building housing the Department of Economics within the School of Business. Classes would be starting in three days and the current crop of undergraduates were busy moving into their dorms.

He watched the parents and their children wandering around the campus with a frown. The sons and daughters wanted to declare their independence despite fears of the great unknown. The parents wanted to keep their sons and daughters from growing any faster than necessary. The resulting conflict was demonstrated with sharp words, sullen gestures, and foul language. He hated the damage they were doing to each other, but he was just one person.

His thoughts were interrupted when a young man stopped in front of him and asked, "Hey, kid. Did you lose your parents?"

The young man was clad in a yellow T-shirt with 'Student Aide' printed across it. Pasted to the chest was a paper with his name and the logo of the university. The nametag identified him as Doug, with no last name given. William answered, "No, Doug."

"They shouldn't leave you out here like this," Doug said initially wondering how the kid knew his name and then recalling his nametag. He was worried about a kid sitting alone like that. He knew that folks got lost while going to the bathroom and it could take an hour before they found their way back to the bench. There was no telling what could happen during an hour.

Holding up a sheet of paper, William said, "I'm a student here. Just finished paying my tuition for the semester."

"Oh, sorry. You look kind of young for your age," Doug said revising his impression of the situation. He thought that it must be tough for the guy to get a date looking that young. He couldn't imagine any of the women on campus wanting to go out with someone who looked fifteen.

Smiling at statement, William replied, "I look my age."

"Sorry dude, I hate to tell you this, but you look like you're fifteen."

Chuckling at the comment, William said, "I am fifteen. Like I said, I look my age."

"Wow. So you're like a child prodigy or something?"

"I'm probably the or something," answered William.

Doug laughed at the joke and shook his head in appreciation of the sense of humor displayed by the kid. He figured the guy probably had it pretty rough from other kids his age. Deciding that even a prodigy could get lost on campus, he asked, "So have you found your dorm?"

"I have a place off campus," answered William.

"So you're all settled. That's great," Doug said satisfied that he didn't have to make a detour to take care of the kid.

A limousine pulled up to the curb near where William was seated. Seeing it, William said, "My ride is here. It's been a pleasure meeting you."

"Right," said Doug staring at the black car. He watched as the kid entered the back and the car drove away. Shaking his head, he said, "Seemed like a nice enough guy for a rich kid."

Settled into the back of the limousine, William considered what he was to do next. Leaning forward, he told the driver, "Take me somewhere that I can get something to eat."

The driver turned around and looked at William. He'd been driving the kid to and from the college for a week. It seemed strange to him that a kid who wasn't old enough to drive was going to college. He asked, "What would you like?"

"Someplace with a variety of food," answered William thinking about how Daddy Ed would have answered the question. His father would have asked for a restaurant that served good food.

"There's a Chinese buffet not too far from here," suggested the driver.

"That's fine," William said looking out the window at the students. Here were so many young men and women about to have their first experiences with unsupervised life. He knew that some would fail the test and live lives of quiet desperation. Others would rise to the challenge and become leaders. Most would plug along and learn from their experiences.

The sight of the limousine passing through the campus gave rise to a wide number of reactions from those who observed it. Some of the women wondered if it contained a worthwhile catch. Some of the men wondered if the individual within represented a competitor for the women on campus. Students from poor families stared at it in envy at the easy life that the limousine represented. Rich kids figured Daddy was new rich and didn't have any class.

It was a five-minute drive to the restaurant. Upon arriving, the driver opened the door for him. Stepping out of the car, William asked, "Henry, would you like to come in and eat?"

"No. The wife will have dinner ready for me," answered the driver with a smile. Every evening the kid had invited him to have dinner with him and each time he had refused. Although he appreciated the offer, he felt it wasn't right for the hired help to dine with the boss.

"I'll be about forty-five minutes. I can take longer if you want to go somewhere," William said.

"No problem. I've got my book," said Henry as he pointed to a paperback on the front seat.

"Okay," said William. He headed towards the door of the restaurant taking his time. A man, about thirty years old, and his wife, a few years younger, entered the buffet restaurant a few steps in front of him. The man looked angry and the wife looked worried.

When the hostess had finished seating the first couple, she turned to William and asked, "One?"

Answering in Mandarin, William answered, "Yes. I would like a seat where I can watch people."

Surprised, the hostess continued the conversation in Mandarin. "You speak Mandarin well. You have a good accent, too."

"One of my mothers taught me Mandarin," William answered. He knew that it might look to some like he was showing off, but the fact of the matter was that he was pleased to have a chance to practice his Chinese.

The hostess asked, "Would that corner table be good?"

"Very good," answered William seeing that he would be able to observe everyone in the room. He followed her to the table she had pointed out.

The hostess, wanting to make a special effort for a young man who spoke her language, asked, "Would you like me to ask the chef to prepare something special for you?"

"No thank you. What you have out should be fine," answered William with a slight bow in recognition of the honor she had done him.

The waitress approached and stood next to the hostess. Hearing the exchange in Mandarin, the waitress continued the conversation in Mandarin when she asked, "What can I get you to drink?"

"Tea, thank you."

"I shall bring your tea. Why don't you help yourself to the buffet?"

"Thank you," William said. As he headed to the buffet, he overheard the hostess say that he spoke like someone whose first language was Chinese. The waitress expressed surprise that an occidental could speak so well and did so in such a polite manner. William smiled at the comments and started loading his plate with food.

While he ate, William watched the other customers eat their meals. The couple who had entered the restaurant in front of him captured the majority of his attention. The man continued to look angry, but it was clear that the subject of his anger wasn't the woman who accompanied him. The woman looked worried, although it wasn't the kind of worry associated with fearing the man.

The couple was having a very serious discussion. The gestures of the man suggested that he was frustrated and didn't know what to do, but was afraid to let his fears be known. The woman acted in an understanding manner, but her gestures undermined the man's confidence. After some time, the man stood up and marched to the restroom.

William rose and went to the table where the man had been seated. He examined the woman for half a minute. She was an attractive woman, but not in a fashion model sense. Lines of worry had already begun to etch themselves in her face.

Noticing the attention, the woman looked at him confused by his behavior. Finally, William declared, "You have children."

Off balance by his comment, she cautiously said, "Yes."

"How many?"

"One. An eight year old boy."

"Do you own your house?"

"No, we rent an apartment. Why are you asking?" Worried by the unusual questions, she examined the young man wondering what he was asking the questions. She glanced in the direction of the bathroom wishing her husband would return.

William nodded and then turned away. He marched to the rest room. Upon entering it, he stood in front of the door and waited while the man washed his face. Seeing that his temporary refuge had been invaded, the man dried his face with a paper towel. Going to the door, he expected the young man to get out of his way. He was surprised when the kid didn't

In a voice that suggested the man was acting like a jerk, William asked, "What is your problem?"

"What?" asked the man confused by the question and the tone of voice used.

"I asked you - what is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem," said the man finding that his anger was returning. He tried to push William out of the way and found the kid didn't move. It was like pushing against a stone statue. He backed up in surprise.

Ignoring the attempt to move him, William said, "I've been watching you. You're so upset that you left an attractive woman sitting alone at a table. Where do you go? You hide in the bathroom. So I ask again, what is your problem?"

Irritated, the man answered, "My boss died a couple of weeks ago and his son, the fucking little bastard, is shutting down the station where I work."

"So find another job."

"Kid, getting a job is not that easy," answered the man. He didn't know what he was going to do about finding a job. There were now specialty shops that fixed brakes, windows, and replaced Fusion Cells. Most of them were staffed with part-time kids who worked for nothing. With a wife and child depending on him bringing in a paycheck, he needed to make a good wage. The last thing he needed was some smart-ass kid telling him how to run his life.

"Why?"

"This is a college town. Good paying jobs aren't that easy to find when you've got thousands of kids that will work cheap," retorted the man. That was the crux of his problem.

William said, "You are wrong. I have two job openings. I need a handyman who can also drive me around. I need a housekeeper who can take care of the house and cook."

The idea that a kid was interviewing him for a job in a bathroom was too surreal to be believed. The man looked around as if expecting to find a camera recording the encounter. Not finding one, he looked at William. Shaking his head, he said, "Look kid. This is a serious matter."

"I've very serious," said William. He pulled out his wallet and took out a card. Turning it over, he wrote his address on the back. The man watched William curious as to what he was doing.

William handed him the card and said, "I expect you to come to this address at eight tonight to discuss working for me. Bring your wife and child."

Without further comment, William turned and left the restroom leaving behind a stunned man. Returning to the table, William decided that his appetite had been sated. Grabbing the check, he went to the counter. In Mandarin, he said, "Everything was perfect."

"I am glad you enjoyed it," said the hostess as she rang up the sale.

William paid the check and left the restaurant hoping that the man was smart enough to come by the house later that evening. The couple at the table watched as he entered the limousine. Once the limousine had driven off, the woman said, "Strange kid."

"He offered me a job. I think maybe he offered both of us jobs," said the man staring out the window of the buffet restaurant. He looked down at the card and read the name aloud, "William Redman Carter."

"He's a strange kid."

The man flipped over the card and looked at the address on the back. It was in an expensive part of town. It was out where the houses were big and the lots were even bigger. He frowned while he thought about it. He didn't have anything to lose. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, "It wouldn't hurt to check it out."

It was approaching eight and William was seated in his favorite red leather chair reading a book on game theory. Looking up from the book, he gave voice to his thoughts, "The problem with the idea of a theory of decision making that assumes rationality is that people are not rational."