Chapter 41

It was the week before our Spring break, Nigel tried to hang himself in his bedroom. It was on Tuesday night, after we were all in our bedrooms. I heard a loud thumping sound, followed by the light in my bedroom going off. The sound had come from Nigel's room, and when I opened my door to get some light, I discovered that all the lights in the building had been knocked out. We found Nigel slumped on the floor with torn sheets wrapped around his neck, and the lighting fixture pulled from his ceiling. He had wrapped the sheet around the light fixture and kicked his desk chair over. The weight of Nigel's body had pulled the fixture right out of the ceiling, and this had shorted out all of the electrical in the building. The night counselors from 'search' came over and took Nigel to the school infirmary, where he stayed until an ambulance came and transported him to the hospital in Bolling. He had been unconscious, but alive, when we found him, but he had bad neck bruises and was cut on his face in several places, probably from where the light fixture had landed on him.

On Thursday, someone came to our apartment and packed up all of Nigel's personal belongings. The school officials wouldn't answer any of our questions, and rumors started to circulate that Nigel had succeeded in his suicide attempt. Thursday night, at supper, Dr. Cleary, one of the administrators, announced that Nigel was doing well, and that his parents were bringing him home to England. On Friday morning, the pay phone on our side of the floor rang, and it was Nigel, calling us from the hospital to say his goodbyes. He said his throat and neck were really sore, but he was glad he was going back home. His mother had flown back over from England, to get him, and accompany him back home.

Jerry was the one who missed Nigel the most. They had been close friends, and Nigel had been the only one who helped Jerry out financially. I spoke with Terry about that before I went home for Spring break. We decided that we would help Jerry with the magazines and snacks that he always liked. It wasn't a lot of money, and Jerry didn't really have much else that he could look forward to.

By the time my parents got back from New York, several important things had changed. Dad had presented Uncle Bunny and Mama with an analysis he had been working on. It contained all the details from his original division management plan. This plan called for integrating the three companies into a single coordinated division. The report was very complete, including sales and income projections for the next five years. According to those projections, most of the cost savings were made possible by the elimination of duplicated services. The sharp sales increase would be a result of the three companies sharing their individual market penetration. According to dad, by combining these three separate entities into one dynamic company, the combined sales, and, more importantly, the resultant profits, would increase by double digits each year in the near term. He estimated the near term to be at least the next ten years.

The figures he showed were with and without Consolidated's greater marketing capabilities. Without Consolidated's West Coast and Southern market penetration, they wouldn't be a national presence like they would have been before, but, by staying in the Midwest and Northeast, their combined shared area coverage would generate a sufficient volume of sales to allow them to remain competitive, with all their competitor's. They would be able to compete on price and value.

Dad's report concluded that, without the two new acquisitions, our old company would still be vulnerable to a squeeze out attempt by one or more of several of the larger national competitors. Based on this information, plans to spin off the two acquisitions were immediately put on hold. Dad was told to look into the possibility of getting long term financing for their repurchase. Until that financing could be put in place, Uncle Bunny and Mama each agreed to pay forty six million to the M&A company that had financed the original buyout for them.

When I got home Friday night, I asked dad, at dinner, whether the new set up was going to require him to travel more, or less, than he had been.

"Considerably less, I believe, Kenny. I won't be going to New York all the time to report to the board, and we'll be based in Bolling, instead of having regional operations. Of course, all of that presupposes that we decide to retain the acquisitions, rather than sell them off. No final decision has yet been reached."

"Of course we're going to keep them, Thomas. Why would we want to sell off assets that you were planning on growing so nicely?" Mama was thrilled to be back connected with the company again. One of the things that made her the happiest was that the new contract she and Uncle Bunny had worked out with dad didn't call for her ownership percentage to erode every year. He had an equity ownership equal to hers, and would serve the new company without any other compensation, other than his normal business expenses.

The weather was starting to get warmer, and while the golf course was only open on weekends now, the practice range was open daily. I had a whole week off from school, and was planning on spending a lot of time at the club. Mama had checked with Dave, and we were going to resume my daily lessons, beginning Monday. Dad would be tied up with his business, and Mama would be busy with the revised plans for the golf learning center. They had decided on which architect and design plans to use, and building and course construction would get underway sometime in early May. Mama was excited with her final design, and dad and Uncle Bunny were excited that she had agreed to no further changes or additions to the plans.

I had been talking with either Emily or Brenda every day on the phone. Their school vacation started a week after mine, and, on Friday, there was a dance at their school that both were attending. We had talked about what they could do with other boys, and I told them both that it was for them to decide, not me. I felt a little jealous, but I wasn't expecting them to do much more than dance with other boys. I had invited both of them to come out to the club and have lunch with me on Saturday.

I left with Hans at about nine A.M. on Saturday. Mama and Uncle Bunny were in a meeting with the architect, and dad was going into Bolling to have a strategy meeting with the other two heads of the acquired companies. Things had been happening so quickly that none of the employees at any of the three companies had any idea of where things stood. None of them knew who had bought up their company. Dad wanted to give these men information on where things stood, and discuss some of his plans for making changes. When I got to the club, I had my clubs, and a large bucket of balls brought up for me. Because of the chill, I stayed mostly with my wedges and nine iron, working on my accuracy, and trying to figure out how much distance I lost when I choked two inches down on each club. At eleven, I went over to the putting green and practiced longer lag putts. I had gotten to the point where I understood how many strokes it was costing me to leave five and six footers instead of two or three foot putts. I wanted to get to the point where I almost never three putted. I was determined that I'd break eighty over the summer, from the white tees. I was counting on improved first putts, and added distance and accuracy with my driver.

The girls showed up at twelve thirty. Emily's father had driven them out, and I was going to get Hans to drive all of us home. Lunch was going well, both Emily and Brenda had the fried shrimp, and I went with the steak sandwich. All of us ate French fries and had Cokes to drink. Brenda told me about the dance, detailing what she and Emily had worn, which was another of those matching outfits from the closeout purchases we made at the mall. They had danced a few dances with several boys, but they said most of the dances had been slow dances, and they didn't dance with any one boy more than three times. After lunch, I asked the girls if they wanted to watch me hit more golf balls, or if they'd rather go to my house, to watch some television there.

"In your bedroom?" Brenda was looking excited when she asked that.

"We can watch in the library if you'd rather." Both girls shook their heads no and said "Bedroom!", at the same time. I left them sitting at our table, and went to call Hans, letting him know we were ready for a ride home. I told Gerta that we'd be having company, but that we'd all eaten already. In the limo, we didn't fool around at all, but there was an air of anticipation from all of us. Over the past week, we had talked further about what kind of friendship we all expected to have together. To me, being friends was the most important part. Us doing stuff was kind of expected, by me at least. I wasn't really able to put into words to Brenda the difference between what she said she wanted, and what I wanted. I wanted us to be friends, and she wanted us to be more than simply friends. Emily fell somewhere in the middle between us. Emily seemed concerned that Brenda not be the one who got to make all of the decisions though.

When we got to the house, all three of us went up to my bedroom, and Brenda took the grand tour. She and Emily both talked about how my room was just wasted because I was a boy. They mostly meant the closet, and the big bathtub I never used. Before ten minutes had passed by, I was sitting in front of the television, watching a golf tournament, and Brenda and Emily were sitting on my bed, whispering together and giggling about something. When they asked me where my parents were, and what time they'd be back, I told them that my dad was in Bolling at a meeting, and my mother was out somewhere with Uncle Bunny. I told them I had no idea when they would return.

"If we knew when they were coming back, Kenny we could do some stuff." Brenda was looking at me, but she was also speaking to Emily, making sure that she was willing too. Emily looked over at my bedroom door, which I'd closed but hadn't locked. I went to the door and threw the dead bolt closed, then went over to my phone, dialing a one, and then holding the button down for two or three seconds before letting it back up. Gerta answered it.

"Gerta, if Mama or dad comes in, please call me in my bedroom. Thank you." I put the phone back on its cradle, turning to both girls as I did so. "What did you guys have in mind?" Brenda had that look she gets when she's excited. I knew what she was going to say, even before she opened her mouth to speak the words.

"We want you to do it to me, while Emily watches us." Brenda watched me closely to see how I reacted to her saying this. I'd been telling her I didn't want her to keep after me to do that with her. Emily was watching both of us, but I could tell that she and Brenda had been discussing it together.

"Only if Emily goes first. I already told you that, so I don't know why you thought my answer would be different this time."

"Tell him, Emily!" Brenda gave Emily an encouraging little push on her side.

"I'll let you do it to me too, but only after you do Brenda." Emily and Brenda were both staring at me now. I guess they thought I'd just believe them without any proof.

"No, you have to go first, Emily. I know Brenda is really willing already. It's you I'm doubting. You go first, then I'll do it with Brenda, after."

"Do it, Emily. You'll like it. He's not going to change his mind. I already told you he wouldn't." Brenda was already pleading with Emily. She sounded like someone who knew it was unlikely that she'd get what she was asking for. It was more her going through the motions than her having any expectation of getting her way.

"I can't Brenda. I already told you why."

"He's in Italy, Emily. You'll probably never even see him again. You told me that you really liked Kenny. Here's your chance to prove it. We talked about this, and you promised."

"Brenda, Emily doesn't want to. Don't try to force her."

"Why doesn't she want to? I don't understand why."

"She just doesn't. Maybe she isn't sure she's ready yet. You should be asking yourself why you're in such a hurry."

"It hasn't been a hurry. I've known you a lot longer than she has. Why do you want to do it first with her, anyway? I should be first."

I knew that we were going to need to find some way to get it settled, or else spend the rest of their visit with me arguing about this. The problem was I couldn't think of any way to do it. Brenda was already sure about what she wanted, and so was Emily, at least about what she didn't want. I wanted to do it too, but I knew if I gave in, Emily would become the outsider, to both Brenda and me. This would put me right back in the same position I'd been in with Brenda before. Brenda would see this as a victory, and she'd have even less reason to make any changes in the way she operated with me. I was starting to feel like Emily would welcome becoming an outsider. I think she was a little bit afraid of where all of this might be leading her.

"Emily first, Brenda. Emily, you just take your time. We'll wait until you're ready, I promise." Emily was still watching Brenda, waiting to take her cue from Brenda. I went back over to the door and undid the dead bolt. After that, I went back and sat back down, watching as Hale Irwin hit an iron about four feet from the flag. Behind me, I could hear the hissing as Brenda read the riot act to Emily about her messing up their plans for the afternoon. I turned off the television, before turning and heading back out of my room and down the staircase. I was sitting in the library, still watching golf, fifteen minutes later when Brenda and Emily came in to tell me they were leaving. I offered to get Hans to take them to Emily's, but they both said they'd rather walk. I remember thinking that I wasn't getting the benefits I'd hoped for when I'd first thought about setting up this three way alliance. Instead of Emily helping to keep Brenda in check by her presence, Brenda was trying to get Emily's help in achieving her ends. I was going to have to try something different. I had no idea what.

At four thirty, Mama and Uncle Bunny got back and asked me if I wanted to go back out to the club and hit some balls with them. This was news, Uncle Bunny willing to practice? I didn't want to miss it. We were in the car before Mama told us that she and Uncle Bunny had each been given new drivers by an equipment representative from a company called Taylor Made. Instead of persimmon wood heads, the driver they each had been given had an all metal head, and the representative claimed the club went straighter and was much more forgiving. Uncle Bunny let me use his, but I didn't notice that it went any straighter for me, and it didn't travel as far as my MacGregor Eye-O-Matic persimmon two wood did. I had given up on the woods we'd got with my set of clubs, trading them in for a two wood and a three wood, both were used Eye-O-Matic's. I could hit the two wood off of the tee farther than I'd ever hit my old one wood. Dave told me that I should stick with the one I had the most confidence in.

Uncle Bunny was convinced that he'd play better now that he had an all metal driver. All I knew was that the club face on my two wood was a lot bigger than the one on his Taylor Made. Also, I knew I hit mine a lot farther than he hit anything he owned. Mama hit hers well, but she said she didn't like the noise it made when she struck the ball. After she put her club down, Uncle Bunny came over and got it. After taking a few practice swings, he asked Mama if he could try her ladies club. In a matter of four or five hits, Uncle Bunny had found a club that really worked well for him. He had always been able to hit a ball pretty far, just never straight. With Mama's club, he hit it straight too. It wasn't just a lucky coincidence either, because he hit them like that, one after another for the next fifteen minutes. After the first two or three times Uncle Bunny smacked it, Mama and I stopped hitting our own balls, and just watched him hitting.

"Not one word of this to Tommy, Bertie. You too, Kenny. This is going to really change my game. I'll probably save ten strokes a side, hitting them like this. I'm really going to take him to the cleaners." Mama and I both knew that Uncle Bunny was being too optimistic. Even is he was right about saving the twenty strokes, and he probably wasn't, that would still have him playing at around one hundred, and dad usually scored in the low eighties, eighty to eighty five when he wasn't self destructing. Dad usually gave Uncle Bunny five or six a side. Mama and I both smiled, and told Uncle Bunny we wouldn't say anything to spoil his surprise.

The next morning, at eleven thirty, the four of us teed off, but not before Uncle Bunny convinced dad to give him eight shots a side for a five hundred dollar Nassau. I gave him eight a side too, for a hundred dollar Nassau, and Mama gave him eleven a side, for another five hundred. It was a massacre. Uncle Bunny had set all of us up. He'd been taking secret lessons from Dave for the past three months. He was also able to hit Mama's driver on the fairways, just as straight, and almost as far as his drives. He shot a forty six on the front and a forty four on the back, taking the three of us for thirty three hundred dollars. Thanks to how well he played, I won three hundred from dad, who shot a fifty one on the back, and a forty five on the front. Mama made a thirty nine on the front, and a forty one on the back, earning me another three hundred dollars. I played only so so, shooting an overall eighty six, but my forty two on the opening nine, and the forty four coming back in, was more than enough, with my stroke holes, to beat both of my parents.

The funniest part was how impressed both my parents were with Uncle Bunny's improvement. We had a late lunch at the club and dad joked that Uncle Bunny had to pay the check. I knew the bill was all sent to the same account, so it didn't matter who signed for it. I was glad Uncle Bunny was coming back to our house, because I wanted to ride with him and ask him about my problems with Brenda. I figured he would have some ideas for what I could do, and he was someone I could speak honestly to, without getting embarrassed, or worried that it would somehow get back to Mama.

"Uncle Bunny, Brenda wants me to do it with her." We had both just gotten into his car, and he hadn't even had a chance yet to turn the key in his ignition. Instead of doing that, he took his hand away from his keys, and looked over at me. "She's been trying to talk me into it for two weeks already."