PLAYING THE ‘SON’ CARD:
A BOY FINDS HIS WAY TO A NEW LIFE
by Wilson James
At age 9, Troy Evanson lost his father in an accident. Ever since then, he’s been steadily losing confidence in himself and his ability to make his way in the world. He’s stopped doing all the extra things he did with his Dad and he’s just barely hanging on. The kids at his school have started to pick on him, and Troy has become the victim of bullies. He hates school, and he hates being around people. Any kind of socializing has become torture.
Now, at age 12, he has a one-time chance to change his life and start new. Will he meet the challenge, or will remain the victim he has become? Will he be able to pull himself together and become the man that his Dad was trying to help him be, or will he forever be the lost little boy whose life ended when his father died?
Find out if this is the uplifting story we all hope for. Find out what choices Troy makes in PLAYING THE ‘SON’ CARD.
SECOND SMASHWORDS EDITION
© Wilson James 2011
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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Cover Photo Credit: Wilson James
Work of Fiction
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, public or private places, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to those who are trying to find the courage to attempt something new and to those who have met the challenge and succeeded. This book
CHAPTER
1
It was to be a move across the state, but it became much more than that. With my widowed mother, I was going to move from Spokane to Bellingham, and I had real hopes that this move would give me a chance to really start fresh, and escape the loner life that I’d come to live back home.
I was twelve that spring, heading for the end of 8th grade, and the move was to be two weeks before the end of school. With our plans, I was going to miss a graduation ceremony from my middle school and a school dance, and I was really happy about missing both.
Like most things in my life after the death of my father in an accident when I was nine, activities that involved socializing were real torture for me.
For some reason, I’d become a bit of an outcast in the last two or three years. I had no real friends at school, and only a couple of neighbor boys that I had played less and less with. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, only that I felt different, and that drastically affected my self-confidence. I guess my peers could see that, and I increasingly became the object of teasing and a bit of outright physical roughness in the playground and during gym class.
I didn’t really know how to deal with the bullying, except to try and avoid contact with the worst of the bullies as much as possible. I kept my head down, and just did what I had to do at school. I got there as late as I could in the morning, and left as quickly as I could at the end of each day.
Of course I could not escape the unwanted attention completely. The teasing and increasingly aggressive behavior towards me was getting worse. The words were bad enough, and I found I reacted in spite of my firm resolution to tough it out. The hateful and humiliating words were always spoken out of earshot of any teacher or adult, so it was impossible to report anything, particularly as I knew they’d all gang up to call me a liar.
I found it much more difficult to put up with the physical aggression towards me. I found doors ‘accidentally’ slammed in my face, and I got tripped in the hallways, or on the stairs. When we were in gym class, lots of bad shots with balls ended up hitting me somehow, and the labels of clumsy and uncoordinated seemed to follow me in spite of the fact I knew the other boys were setting me up for falls.
When my father was alive things were different. He’d taken me lots of places and did lots of things with me. He’d started taking me to the pool when I was a baby, and by the time I was four, I could swim a couple lengths of the pool without stopping. By age five, I had started learning some springboard diving, and knew all of the swimming strokes, including butterfly.
My father continually praised my efforts at trying things, and told me that I was really advanced for my age. He told me that I had a really muscular body for a young kid, and when I look at photos of me at the pool or at the lake at age five, I see that he was right.
I started school a year early, thanks to my father. He knew I was smart, and had helped me learn to read and do basic math even before I was five. He knew I needed more of a challenge, so he convinced my mother that they should start me in first grade in the fall just before I turned five.
With a December birthday, I would have been younger than most of my peers anyway, but now I was quite a bit younger. As far as the school was concerned, my father ‘fudged’ the year of my birth, so they didn’t know.
We did other things like going for bike rides, canoeing, sailing, or skating in the winter. He got me going early on the computer, too, and taught me things around the house and some basic care and maintenance.
My mother was nice, too, but it was my father who was the real driving force in my life. After his death, she was dealing with her own grief. Between that and her work, she had little time for me beyond the basic care. As a result, I stopped doing all the extra activity. I went to school, and came home to an empty house. I often had to fix my own supper and look after myself if my mother was staying late at work.
Sometimes she even had to travel for work, and I was home on my own for up to three days. I managed okay, as far as looking after things and getting to school and stuff. I still got good grades and did well academically, but the spark was missing from my life.
As I headed towards puberty, I started to feel even more different and alone. I was as tall as many of my peers, but I was skinny and underdeveloped. I seemed to have less interest in their preferred topics for conversations: sports, girls and sex. That made we wonder a lot about myself. With the increasing lack of confidence brought about by the absence of my father, I was not a very happy kid.
So, when my mother approached me about moving to a new city, I was quite ready to make a break from my miserable life, and think about starting fresh.
It was in January of my 8th grade year when she first talked to me about moving. It was a Saturday morning, and I was in the kitchen making french toast for breakfast when she came into the kitchen. She thanked me for making breakfast, and set about getting her coffee.
I could tell she was excited and happy about something, and I figured she’d tell me soon enough. I was just pleased to see her looking so happy, and whatever it was had to be good.
I served our breakfast, and sat down across the table from her. I said straight out what I observed.
“You look happy about something, Mom.”
“Well, yes, I am, Troy. I hope you’ll think it’s good news, too... or at least that you’re okay with it.”
She told me she had an opportunity to take a transfer and a promotion at work, and she was excited about it. In fact, it the first thing that she’d been really excited about since my father’s death.
She told me that it was something that she’d been hoping for and working towards, but it was coming earlier than expected.
“This is such a great chance for me, Troy, and I really need to do it. I have been working very hard with the hope that they might see my potential. I really hope you’re okay with this.”
Mom was working as a real estate agent, and had done very well. They were going to open an office in Bellingham and they wanted her to run it. From the way she talked, it appeared that she’d already accepted, and I was fine with that. She had been angling for a transfer to an office out on the coast, but when they offered her a transfer and a promotion at the same time, it was just too good to pass up.
For her, it was not just about the job. It was a chance to go live in the same city as her best friend from college, and near the support that she could get there. Her life had been pretty quiet socially, and I knew she still really missed my dad.
I surprised her by agreeing that it was a great opportunity for her, and I was behind her all the way on this.
There were a couple of other things that we worked out, such as her needing to get out to the new office as soon as she could. That meant within two weeks, or even a week if she could manage it.
We talked about the option of us moving right away, but there was the issue of selling out present house, and the smaller issue of moving in the middle of a school year.
After a bit of discussion, and a lot of convincing on my part, we agreed that she would go the next week, and I would stay behind on my own. I assured her that I was mature enough to handle everything.
“After all,” I said, “I’m in 8th grade, with kids who are 13 and 14, and kids that age can handle things on their own. Besides, I’ve been pretty much looking after myself for three years after school and when you’ve been away. It will be just like that.”
She nodded her understanding as I went on to explain that I could make sure the house was in perfect shape for showing and would also do the necessary clean up and pre-packing to move.
“I feel guilty about leaving you like this, Troy, and for leaving you on your own so much, but, well, I just...” Her voice trailed off as she thought of dad.
I knew that she still had a lot of difficulty with that, and still had not come to terms with his death.
“I know, Mom, and I understand. Don’t worry. This move will be good for you, and I will look after things here with no problem.”
She responded by giving me a hug. “Thanks, Troy. I love you.”
With that, the move to a new life started.
CHAPTER
2
Mom was gone within a week, before the end of January. As planned, I stayed behind and got to work. By the end of February, I’d done some repair work and basic clean up around the house, and it was ready to go on the market.
I still had some other projects to do, like repairing the concrete back steps and deck, and then doing a lot of painting, but those would need to wait a bit for better weather. Mom had talked about re-building the back fence as well, so I wanted to do that.
I could handle the work. I’d learned from watching and helping Dad a few years previously, and now I was getting big enough to actually to most of this work on my own. Still only 12 and beanpole thin, at least I was getting taller and now stood just under 5’4” even if I was still an underdeveloped 95 pounds.
As I got to work on the projects around the house after school and on weekends, I frequently thought about my Dad, and hoped that he would be proud of my skills and new abilities, if only he could see me.
Other than a bit a melancholy and my continuing aversion to anything at school beside academic work, overall I did fine on my own after mom left.
I became used to getting groceries from time to time, stopping in on the way home to pick up a few things to take home on my bike.
As far as the kids at school were concerned, I got a little worried when some of them found out that my mom had moved. I suppose they must have found out from their parents or something. Anyway, I figured they might actually try something if they thought I was on my own, so when they said something to me, I invented an aunt who had come to look after me.
Mom headed to Bellingham to get going with her new position. She was going to stay with her friend in their home. I’d actually met the friend a few times, especially since Dad died. They’d come to help us out right after he died, and we’d gone out there quite a few times for holidays and a bit in the summer.
Her friend was a nice lady, married with two boys. I’d gotten along okay with them, and they were nice enough for little kids. They were actually only one and three years younger than me, but with the timing of birthdays and my being ahead in school, they were three and four grades behind me.
Their father was nice enough, too, and included me in all the boys’ activities when we were out there visiting. I was quite jealous of them still having a father, and that colored my ability to really make friends with them, but I still got along okay. I went camping with them once and to the pool with them a few times.
As March rolled around, I was about to meet the family again.
My mom wanted me to come out to the coast and visit with her for the long Easter weekend, which that year was in mid-March.
Mom wanted me to come and stay with all of them, and even look around at potential new homes for us. As a real estate agent and head of the office, she had a good idea what was available, and wanted me to see different parts of the town.
We talked about my traveling, and agreed that I would take the bus on my own.
I was a little nervous, as it involved a transfer in downtown Seattle. Even though this was out of my comfort zone, I talked myself into it, thinking that I’d boasted to my mother that I could handle myself as well as any teenager aged 13 or 14.
I was going to leave Spokane on Wednesday night. I told the school I would not be back until the following Wednesday. Whatever social problems I had at school, I was still an excellent student, and my teachers had no problem with me missing three days of classes, especially when I told them in advance.
I didn’t bother to tell my mom about the extra days, figuring if she sent me back early, I’d just stay home for a couple of days.
As the departure date arrived, I was both frightened and happy. I was frightened because this was something I’d never done before, and happy because I’d get away from my tormentors for a few days.
My only luggage was a backpack as I took the city bus to downtown Spokane and the small bus terminal. I wondered if they would give me a bad time for being a kid traveling on my own, but I guess I was tall enough not to be thought a young kid. With my newly deepening voice, it was easier to talk in a lower pitch as well, so I think that helped.
I was excited and apprehensive as the bus pulled out of the terminal and made it’s way a few streets to the freeway. As the bus rolled westward on I-90 through the dark night, I thought about how I wanted to shape my new life, and how the move would give me a chance to make a fresh start on life.
I thought about how I’d copy the good social skills of my peers, and how I’d get myself involved in things. I’d get back into those things that I had done in my earlier life, and make an effort to become a new boy. I could leave behind the sorry little boy who had lost his father and become a loner, and start living the life of a teenager who was outgoing, friendly, and more aware.
I was determined to make this work, and this long weekend was going to be the start.
CHAPTER
3
I fell asleep after the bus’ first rest break in Moses Lake. I woke briefly in Ellensburg and promptly went back to sleep, only to wake as the bus pulled into the restaurant at the summit of Snoqualmie Pass for a 45 minute stop.
I followed the rest of the passengers out into the cold night air. There was still snow around at this elevation of over three thousand feet. As I trailed the group into the sit-down restaurant, I looked around at the ski lifts and the facilities present. As I observed the signs for ski and snowboard rentals, I had the thought that this might be something else I could do in the future.
I took a seat at the counter, thinking that was the best place for a single person. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries, making sure to keep my voice low. With my heavy sweater on, I looked much bulkier than I really was, and I hoped that I could pass for a kid in my mid-teens.
No one bothered me, or spoke to me, except for the waitress who took my order in a tired and bored manner. There was a recent copy of the Seattle Times on the counter, so I read through that a bit as I waited and while I ate.
The bus driver called the departure a few minutes after I finished, so I left my money on the counter and headed back out to the bus, feeling pretty grown up. After all, I’d gotten myself on an inter-city bus, then ordered my first solo meal in a restaurant, and things were going pretty well.
It was just before six o’clock in the morning when the bus pulled in to the terminal in downtown Seattle. I grabbed my pack and followed the crowd into the building, looking for information about my northbound departure.
I knew, from my checking out the schedule before I left home that I would have a two-hour wait, so I also kept my eye out for a place to sit and relax. I found the departure bay number seven, and found a seat to relax in after buying the current day’s edition of the Times.
I had a brief panic when the new bus pulled in to load, and it said ‘Vancouver, B.C.’ on the front. I went back to the main board, and checked again to make sure I had the right place to wait. Finally, a little confused, I went and asked the bus driver, and he confirmed that it was the right bus to Bellingham. I hadn’t realized that this bus went all the way to Canada.
I learned this was not an express bus. It stopped at Everett and Mount Vernon and one other place before taking the back road into Bellingham and stopping at the Alaska Ferry terminal before going downtown. It was just before noon when the bus reached the stop downtown.
I took my pack, thanked the driver, and got off. It was a nice day, for mid-April, and quite comfortable out. I certainly didn’t need my jacket, and my heavy sweater would have to come off before long.
My mother had said that she’d meet me, but had given me her cell number in case she was not there. I gave her fifteen minutes, and then took out my cell phone.
“Troy! You’re here. Sorry, but I lost all track of time,” she said breathlessly.
“Ah, hi, Mom. I hope it’s not a bad time.” I had almost suspected that this might happen. It was not unexpected from her.
I heard her talking in the background. Then she said, “Ah, listen, Troy. Do you think you could grab a cab, and come up to the office? It’s only about 15 minutes or so by car, up by Bellis Fair Mall, on Northwest Avenue.” She gave me the address. “I just have a meeting right now, but I’ll be available in about, um, 45 minutes, I think.”
Two days before, this might have been a major problem for me, but not any more. After all, this was the new me. I’d made a major journey on my own, and I was soon to become a high school freshman. I could handle a simple thing like this.
“Sure, Mom. No problem. I’ll get there. You just do your meeting, and I’ll see you when you’re free.”
It was a very relieved voice that replied, “Thanks, Troy, that’s super. I’ll see you soon.”
I pushed the end button on my phone. This was something else I’d done on my own after she left and when I heard about my upcoming trip. I had gone and bought a prepaid phone. Mom had put five thousand into my bank account to buy things for the house. I was careful with the money and figured just over a hundred for the phone was an okay expense.
I looked around. I was standing on a street corner, and I looked up to see a directional sign that indicated ‘Northwest Avenue’ and ‘I-5 Business’ not more than a block away. I thought about walking, because it was a nice day, and if it was 15 minutes by car I could walk it in about 45 minutes or so.
I took off my sweater, and put it and my jacket across my backpack and started walking. About a block along, I saw the sign for a local bus stop. One of the routes listed was for Bellis Fair. I took out my phone, and called the number to see when the next bus was. The automated system told me that it would be along in less then five minutes, so I was in luck.
Less then 25 minutes later, the bus pulled into Bellis Fair Mall. The driver was not busy, so I asked her where the address for my Mom’s office was. She was very friendly, and gave me directions. It was only three block away.
About 40 minutes after I’d spoken to Mom, I arrived at her office. I paused outside, looking it over with a critical eye. It was a stand-alone building with her company’s name in large letters on a neon sign. The location was a prime one, in a busy commercial area of town, with lots of stores and restaurants as neighbors. It looked pretty good.
The inside looked really nice, too, as I entered. I walked up to the receptionist, ready to identify myself and ask for my Mom, but the young women spoke to me first.
“You must be Troy,” she said, looking up at me with a very friendly smile. “I recognize you from the photos on your Mom’s desk.”
I was a little taken aback, but recovered to say, “Yes, I am. Hello.”
“Troy,” she said, “I’m Melanie. It’s very nice to meet you. Your Mom is always saying so many nice things about you.”
I returned her smile. She was a very nice looking women, and looked quite young to be doing the job. I took in the surroundings. The office entrance area was large, and modern looking with a high ceiling. The company had spent money here.
“Thanks, Melanie,” I said. “Um, any idea how long she’s going to be?”
“Sorry, Troy,” she apologized, “But I don’t.”
“Okay,” I said, still keeping a smile on my face. It was easy to do when looking at her. “I’m used to that.”
She brightened up. “But, Troy, I can show you to your office, and show you where you can wash up.”
“My office?” I had a puzzled look on my face.
“Oh, yes,” she explained. “When we got this place set up, we had a bit of spare space, so your Mom set up an office for you, for when you need it. She said that you have spent and likely will spend a lot of time waiting for her, so you might as well have an office where you can use the time productively.”
“Oh.” I wasn’t quite stunned yet, but I was really surprised. “Okay.”
I followed her down one of the corridors. She pointed out the bathroom on the way, and then I found myself in a beautiful office with a full-length window. A big desk and modern furniture were my first impressions. There was a nice chair, and a couch with a table. This was almost a living room, I thought.
“So, Troy, I’ll just leave you here to get organized, and I’ll tell your Mom that you’re here when she gets out of her meeting.”
Now I was stunned and literally speechless. I could say nothing as she left the room to return to her desk at the entrance.
After a couple of minutes just standing, I put my pack on the couch and went and sat at the desk. A large computer screen was slightly off to one side. I looked around the room, still unbelieving at where I found myself. For a moment, I just sat, trying to get used to the situation.
A moment later, I pushed the button to start the computer. It looked very new, and a top of the line model, too. There was certainly no expense spared here. I wondered if all the offices were like this. I looked up at the still-open door, and did another double take. My name was on the door. ‘Mr. Troy Evanson.’ It was like I was working for the company. This was all so incredible.
After a few more minutes, I got my mind working again. I’d just arrived after a long bus trip and I needed to wash up and clean up. I had things to do.
CHAPTER
4
I pulled a clean t-shirt out of my pack, along with some deodorant and toothbrush, and headed down the hall to the men’s room. It appeared that this was staff men’s room, and it was designed for busy real estate agents who needed to wash up and put on a clean shirt occasionally. In fact, there was a shower, and a stack of towels set out.
There was even a row of lockers, all labeled with names. One of them had ‘Troy Evanson’ written on it. I was almost in shock at all of this.
I looked around, and decided that a shower would go really nicely right about now. I did feel a little grungy from the travel, and a shower would help.
I made my shower a quick one, and less then ten minutes later, I stood at the bathroom counter looking in the mirror. With my t-shirt and jeans, I looked quite young, in spite of my newly increased height. My fair hair, and smooth skin completed the look of a young boy.
I brushed my dark blonde still-wet hair with a part down the left side, and that helped make me look more presentable. My hair was not long, and I usually just let it hang around my head and face, but this time I made an effort. I suppose it was the nice surroundings that made me think about it, but I was predisposed to make changes in my life.
All done, I made my way back to my office, now refreshed and dressed in a clean shirt. Not a minute later, Melanie was at my door.
“Troy,” she started, “If you’ll check your email, there’s one from your Mom about going over to the men’s store across the way, to get some clothes. She’s still in some heavy negotiations right now, and it’s going to take a bit longer than she thought. I’ve ordered in some food, and it’ll be here in about half an hour, so you have time to get over there and back.”
I was having trouble taking this all in, but managed a simple, “Okay. Thanks.”
She answered my next question before I asked it. “Your login and password for the company email are on a paper in the top right drawer.”
“Thanks,” I repeated, and she turned and left.
I opened the drawer, wondering about all of this. Then, another surprise. There was a stack of business cards with my name, and the title ‘Broker’s Representative.’ I was starting to get really confused now. Did my mother expect that I was going to go into the business with her? After all, I was still in school, and I’d never even talked to her about going into the real estate business.
I knew a little bit, sure, from just listening and being around my mom, but I had no detailed knowledge of the business.
I sat and looked at the cards for a moment. At least they didn’t say ‘agent’ or anything like that. I knew that Mom was the broker for the office, and I supposed that I could be her ‘representative’ but I really was just a 12-year-old kid.
Looking down, I glanced at the paper to get my user name and start the login process. A moment later, I read that Mom wanted me to go over to the men’s store nearby, and have them fit me for at least two suits, or jacket and slacks, along with some shirts and a couple of ties.
I thought for a moment about what nice clothes I had that still fit me and I came up with nothing. I’d grown a lot in the last year.
‘You’ll need these clothes for a few times around the office when we’re having a function, or if you’re going somewhere with me. After all, we have to dress the part, Troy,’ it read.
Okay, then, at least she didn’t expect me to go out and sell houses. I certainly could see that she’d want her teenage son to be able to look respectable on occasion.
A moment later, I was headed out of my office. Stopping briefly at the front desk, I told Melanie where I was going, and headed out across the strip mall parking lot. As I had been directed, I could see the men’s store from Mom’s office, and it took all of four minutes to walk.
I opened the front door, and walked in, now once again more than a little nervous. I’d never been in a place like this. It was pretty much all suits and stuff, and certainly I’d never had to buy clothes like this before. The only other times I’d worn a jacket and tie, my mother had bought them for me at Sears, or something.
At least they were pleasant in the store.
A salesman looked at me as I walked in, and I wondered how I must look to him in t-shirt and jeans. I hadn’t even put a sweater or jacket on for the short walk.
“How can I help you?” he asked, quite nicely.
I was really nervous as I answered his question. “Ah, hello,” I squeaked in my old high voice.
I tried again. This time I managed to lower my voice, and speak like a more mature teenager. “Ah, I’m Troy Evanson. Apparently, my mother made arrangements...”
The salesmen took me off the hook by gently interrupting. “Quite so, Mr. Evanson. We were expecting you. Welcome.”
“Thank you.”
“I think we’ve got some things we can fit you with, Mr. Evanson,” the salesman continued. “We fit a number of men in the real estate business here in town, and two of them from your office.”
I was about to say that I was not really in the business, but he had more to say.
“Can we get you a coffee, Mr. Evanson? This will likely take a few minutes.”
I thought about the lunch that would soon be waiting for me, but I hadn’t had anything since the mountain pass restaurant. “Ah, yes, please. Cream and sugar, if you can, please.”
I didn’t really drink coffee, but I thought it might make me seem older if I did, but I definitely needed cream and sugar to make it palatable.
With a nod, one of the other salesmen went to get me the coffee, while the first man got busy with the task at hand. He showed me a few suits and made some suggestions about slacks with jacket and tie.
He did a lot of measuring and fitting. I figured I’d be a tough fit, being so skinny and tall, but he took all of that in stride. I supposed in a specialty shop like this, they had all shapes and sizes.
About 25 minutes after I walked in the door, I was wearing an off the rack dark blue jacket, tan slacks, a pale yellow shirt with a darker pattern tie. I’d also been fitted with some really comfortable new shoes that looked a lot dressier than they felt.
I’d also selected one really nice suit that they were going to alter for me, and picked out two other pairs of slacks along with four shirts and one more tie.
In addition, I got six pairs of dark dress socks, and even added some underwear. That was the only time I was a little embarrassed, but everything was matter of fact as I added four extra small grownup cotton briefs to the pile on the counter.
I was a little nervous about getting all this stuff, but I knew that Mom would expect me to have enough good clothes to wear.
My only concern was that I was still growing, and whatever I bought might not fit me for too long. My helpful salesman knew of my concern without me expressing it. He indicated that they’d leave a little material in the suit so that it could be let out, and he’d deliberately fitted me with a jacket that had a little room to grow without looking too large.
Even the shirts had a little room. The only thing that I wasn’t worried about too much was my shoes, and my feet had pretty much stopped growing.
I found that I actually enjoyed the process of shopping, and I was treated really well by the salesman. I had even enjoyed the coffee and their efforts to make me feel comfortable in the surroundings. It was not very busy in the store, so they were able to give me a lot of attention.
At the salesman’s suggestion, I kept my new outfit on, and carried my old clothes in a bag along with the shirts, ties, socks and slacks.
I pulled out my bank card, preparing to pay for everything. I still had most of that money in my account, so I was not worried. The salesman told me that it had been arranged that they would bill Mom’s office for everything. I acquiesced, not about to argue.
As I prepared to go, the salesman even told me that he’d drop the suit off at the office before the end of the day.
“That fast?” I asked, quite surprised.
“Certainly, Mr. Evanson. Our seamstress will have it done in a couple of hours.”
“Well, thank you very much, and thank you for all of your help this afternoon. I really appreciate it. This turned out to be a much easier task than I thought it might be.” I was polite, but I really did feel that way.
I got a genuine smile now. “Mr. Evanson, it was a real pleasure helping you this afternoon, and I look forward to seeing you again.”
Carrying my purchases, I made my back across the parking lot to the office.
Melanie had her usual smile. “Hi, there, Troy. Welcome back.”
“Thanks, Melanie.” Her smile was contagious, and I gave her one of my best.
She gave me an update. “Your Mom is still in that meeting. Your lunch is on your desk. I hope you like a sub and salad lunch, but if you have requests in the future, just let me know. We order in a lot around here.”
Melanie paused as I took this all in. “Now, your Mom has a showing in just over an hour, so she better finish that meeting. She did say that she wanted you to go along with her, so it’s great that you’re all dressed for that already.” A slight pause. “So, if you need anything, just let me know.”
“Ah, thanks, Melanie. Thank you very much.” I was still quite overwhelmed at the way I was being treated. I was being made to feel like... well, an adult... or at least definitely not a kid.
I turned to head down the corridor to my office, still carrying my newly purchased clothing.
“Oh, sorry, Mr. Evanson,” Melanie called, “I forgot to tell you.”
I turned back to look at her.
Still wearing her smile, but looking a little apologetic, she explained, “The kitchen is just down the hall past your office, and there’s coffee going along with lots of different sodas in the fridge. Just help yourself at any time. If there’s any special kind of juice or soda that you need, just let me know and we’ll get it in.”
I managed to reply, “Thanks again, Melanie,” as I turned again to head down the hall.
This was all so incredible, and I was only going to be here for a few days, right now. All of a sudden, I was being treated like one of the staff of the office.
As I sat down at my desk a few moments later, I looked at the salad and sub sandwich that had been left for me. I’d had the forethought to take my new jacket off, and hang it up in the cupboard, so that I didn’t mess up my new clothes.
I looked at the time, to keep track of what time I had to go out with my Mom, and then turned my attention back to my lunch. I thought about how much my life had changed in the last 24 hours. The last lunch I had eaten was in the school cafeteria, along with a few hundred other kids.
They were still there today, while I was sitting in my own office being treated like an important adult and wearing new grownup clothes. I’d wanted a new start on life, and I was certainly getting it.
Of course, I still had to go back to my old life for a few more months, and I didn’t know what school would be like in Bellingham, but at least now I had something really good to look forward to.
I looked around again, still feeling a sense of wonder at how things were working out, and hoping that the end of my story would be as good as I hoped.
CHAPTER
5
I was hungry now, and I pulled open the wrapping on the sub sandwich and opened the container with the salad. For a boy used to eating on his own and looking over his shoulder to see who might appear to bother him, it was amazing to sit at my own desk and eat with some privacy and comfort.
It took me a moment to realize that all the details had been looked after. Melanie had provided utensils and napkins along with extra mayo and mustard.
As I ate, pulled at the mouse on my computer to get the screen back on, and started to look through my inbox. Pretty much everything was group mail sent to the whole office, but I went through them all just to see what they were about. The mail dated back four days, so I guessed that was when they’d set up my account.
I was hungry and I ate everything, stopping only to go down the hall to the kitchen and grab two regular colas. By the time I was done eating, I had only a few minutes to go brush my teeth before I figured I’d better be ready to go as soon as my Mom was ready. That was another new thing. Being able to take my time to eat, and then go brush my teeth in a very nice staff washroom. I was really getting to like this office.
Just before three o’clock, my phone buzzed and I picked it up.
I was going to say hello, but I remembered how Mom had answered the phone in her old office back in Spokane. I’d been there enough to see it.
“Troy Evanson.” I put on my deepest and most mature voice, feeling almost foolish, but grown up in a way.
It was Melanie.
“Mr. Evanson,” she said, “Your Mom will be leaving in five minutes. She’ll be in a hurry, so I was going to suggest that you might want to wait out front for her. She’ll be taking the green SUV close to the front door. That’s hers.”
“Oh, okay.” I stammered a bit. “Right, of course, Melanie. Thank you.”
I put the phone down, and went to get my jacket off the hanger. I was fully ready to go. As I walked down the corridor to the front, I thought about how to suggest that Melanie call me Troy, instead of the ‘Mr. Evanson’ that she was using. However, that kind of adult conversational skill was a bit beyond me at present, and I figured that I would just go with the flow for now.
I smiled at Melanie, and thanked her again as I headed out the door. The green SUV was sitting in the first spot, obviously for the head of the office. It was a new model, and upper end, too. I thought about the car that Mom had left at home when she flew out to the coast. This new SUV was certainly a step up.
I’d only waited a minute when my Mom came rushing out the door. For a moment, it was almost as if she didn’t recognize me standing by the car.
I saw a big surprised look on her face as recognition hit home. For a moment, she slowed her rush, and took me in from head to toe.
“Oh my God! Troy! I can’t believe it’s you.” She walked right up and kissed me right on the mouth, and gave me a quick hug. “Someone took my boy away and replaced him with a man.”
My wide smile was the best greeting she could have seen. I didn’t have time to say anything before she spoke again.
“Look, sorry, but we’ve got to go. We’re in a rush. We’ll talk on the way, okay.”
She clicked the button to unlock the car, and we each got in. I got buckled up and stayed quiet as she started the car and backed out of her parking spot. I was about to say something as she pulled out into traffic, but my comment was stalled by her grabbing her cell phone.
She punched in a number and in a moment I hear her telling someone that she was running five minutes late and she’d be there in a couple of minutes. She was very polite and apologetic as she spoke, and I gathered that it was the people we were to meet at the house she was showing.
She hung up, and again before I could say a word, she spoke. “I’m glad you’re here with me, Troy. Maybe the only way we can spend time together is for you to tag along with me.”
She went on to explain all about the house. I heard that she’d had it listed for just over three months, that the sellers were still living in the house but were away for the long weekend. She told me the features of the house, and a little about the neighborhood, and finished up by telling me the price history. It had been reduced in price once, after two months on the market, and if it did not sell within the next week or two, she was going to try and get the sellers to agree to lower the price further.
By the time she finished all that background, we were pulling up at the house.
There was another real estate agent already there, standing beside his car talking to a couple. I guessed they were the potential buyers.
Mom introduced herself. She knew the other agent, but of course she didn’t know the couple.
“Hi. I’m Liz Evanson. It’s very nice to meet you.” Then she added, “This is my son, Troy Evanson.”
I’d wondered how she was going to play the ‘son’ card. We all shook hands. Mom handed out her card, and then she glanced at me. I’d put some in my new jacket pocket, so I pulled out two cards, handing one to the other agent and one to the couple. Mom smiled, and I knew that was what she’d wanted.
I was a little confused. I didn’t think I was supposed to take any kind of active part in all this, but here I was all dressed up, and meeting people and handing out a business card. Well, if this was what Mom wanted, I could go along with it. A small price to pay for a nice office and the promise of a nice new life.
They all headed for the front door of the house, and I trailed along behind everyone. I was close enough, however, to hear my Mom start into her selling mode. She described the work that had been done on the front of the house, and pointed out the new roof, and the freshly painted front porch area.
Inside the house, we did the tour with Mom talking pretty much the whole time, trying to sell the couple on everything they saw. She told them about all the new or nearly new stuff, and pointed out all the nice features, as if they could not see for themselves. I’d never seen her fully in action like this before, and I just supposed that this was the way she did it.
Finally, the tour was done. Mom finished with, “Troy and I will be outside if you have any questions, and we’ll give you as much time as you need to look around a little more and talk among yourselves.”
I gathered that this was so that the buyers agent and the buyers could talk about the house, and possibly discuss prices and purchase options. If they liked what they saw, they might even ask Mom to come back inside to talk about an offer.
I followed Mom outside, and we stood in the driveway. She put her arm around me.
“Troy, I just cant’ believe you’re here. This is so wonderful.”
“I’m glad I’m here, Mom. It’s really good to see you.” I wanted to take her in my arms and hug her tightly, but figured that might be a little unprofessional in the circumstances.
She looked at me, up and down. “You’re as tall as me now, Troy. You must be eating okay back at home.”
I smiled. “Well, not too bad, Mom. It’s not as much fun when you’re cooking for yourself.”
“Don’t I know it. If Melanie didn’t make sure I eat at the office, and if Sally didn’t make sure I eat at her place, I don’t know what I’d do.”
“So, Mom,” I started, “I really like my office and everything.” I was going to go on, and ask her what exactly my role was supposed to be at the office.
“Good, Troy, good,” she replied. “You know, when I came out of the office I thought for a moment that you were your dad. You look so tall and grownup, and so much like him. It really is just wonderful to look at you.”
I didn’t really know how to reply to that, so I just said, “Thank you.”
Just at that moment, our time along was interrupted as the couple and the agent came back outside.
I knew right away there was going to be no offer, as the agent looked at us and said, “Thank you for your time this afternoon.”
He and Mom spoke for a moment, and then we all shook hands again, and they headed for their car to leave. Mom and I walked back into the house to do a check and make sure it was left as we found it, and all locked up.
We got back into Mom’s car, and she showed me a couple of things that I acknowledged were pretty cool.
“This is what I would use, if they were going to write an offer,” she explained, pulling out her laptop, and a small bag with a portable printer.
“I’ve got this stuff rigged up with a small power supply, and the laptop is hooked up to a statewide wireless connection that works over a cell phone link.”
She opened it all up to show me, and brought up the house we’d just seen. I watched as she clicked on the folder and file icons, and brought up the listing for the house.
“I can then click on this link on my own listing file, and bring up the state real estate board site, and it automatically brings up the form for doing offers. I only have to type in the name of the potential buyers, and the price they want to offer, along with any subject clauses they want to put in, and it prints right here.”
“Wow,” I acknowledged. “That’s pretty cool, Mom. I thought I was pretty good on computer stuff, but you’re way ahead of me on this one.”
She smiled in response to my praise. “I thought you’d appreciate this setup. I was thinking of you when I did it.”
She went on to explain that she’d heard about it at one her company’s ‘head of office’ meetings, and decided to pioneer it in her office.
“It’s already made a difference in one sale, so I’m about to expand it to the rest of the agents.”
I was curious. “When was the time you used it and it made a difference, Mom?”
I think she was pleased with my expressed interest. “Well, I’d had a listing, and an agent from another company wanted to show it. The buyers liked it, and he told me they were going to go back to his office and write an offer. I explained that I could do it right in my car, and I’d be happy to help him do it right then, if he wanted.”
“He was a little reluctant, but agreed after consulting his clients. They all sat in the car, and I brought out the stuff I you see right now. They agreed on the price, and added a couple of conditions about inspection and stuff, and in ten minutes I had an offer signed, and ready to present to my sellers.”
She finished up her explanation. “Later on, after the deal was done, the buyer’s agent told me that having the offer written right then had made a difference, and that the buyers might not have gone ahead with the offer if they hadn’t done it right then.”
I really was impressed. “Wow, that’s really good, Mom.”
Her cheerfulness now disappeared. “It’s just too bad I didn’t need to use this today.”
She was a little quieter on the way back to the office. I think, however, that I was more disappointed than she was that she had not made a sale. I’d really hoped for something for her.
Mom put a good spin on it, though. She pointed out that most showings do not turn into offers, and that it was all part of the business.
“We just have to show our best, both about the house, and about ourselves. They are also buying us, as well as the house. You can have the best house, but if you have a bad agent, they won’t want to work with you and that can break the sale. You can have a less than perfect house, but if you’re a great agent, they will feel like they can work with you, and that might just make a sale.”
I liked her point of view.
We’d still not really talked about my role, but she invited me to sit with her for a few minutes when we got back to the office. She had a bit of time to eat something, and she took a few minutes to explain that she just wanted me to feel at home at the office.
“You’ll be going to school of course, but there’s after school, and weekends, and sometimes even lunch, maybe. I’ll be spending a lot of time at the office, and I thought if I made it easy for you to be here, we might see more of each other.”
“Okay, Mom, I get that part, and I think that’s great. Thank you,” I acknowledged. “But, what about the business cards, and going to show houses, and stuff?”
“Well, you are my son, so you make a good ‘broker’s representative.’ There is normally no such thing, so it’s a title I’ve just made for you. You can do as much or as little as you want around the office. If you want to get more involved, I’ll welcome it. You can learn it if you want. If you don’t want to get involved, that’s okay, too. As for today, well, it doesn’t hurt to see what I do, and how some of this works, okay?”
“Sure, Mom,” I agreed. “Sounds good.”
She then explained that she had a meeting, and when she finished, we’d head over to Sally and Jack’s. She got up and kissed me on the cheek and I left to head back to my own office to wait.
My new suit was already there, hanging up in my cupboard, along with a note from the salesman, thanking me for my business.
I sat down behind my desk, thinking about what had happened so far on this day, and how different things were already.
So far, so good, I thought. Let’s just see where things go from here.
CHAPTER
6
The plans for the late afternoon changed a bit not long after I’d returned to my office. The phone buzzed and I answered it again with my name.
“Troy,” a mature male voice said, “It’s Jack.”
“Oh, hello, Uncle Jack,” I answered. I’d been calling them Uncle Jack and Aunt Sally for as long as I could remember. I had no natural aunts or uncles, and they made for really good ‘pretend’ ones.
“Listen,” he said, “I was just talking to your mom, and she said that she might be a while. I’m going to be passing nearby, and I wondered if you wanted me to stop and pick you up. You might as well come back to the house now, and we can get you some supper. Then we have to go out tonight. The boys have their diving class tonight, and I made arrangements with their instructor for you to attend as a guest student.”
“Oh, okay,” I replied. That was a little unexpected, and I was not certain my own diving skills were up to any kind of public scrutiny. It had been a long time since I’d done any diving. Pretty much since my Dad had died.
“Anyway, Troy, I’ll be there in a bit. See you then, okay?”
“Okay, Uncle Jack,” I said. “Thanks.”
I hung up, and little disquieted by the thought of diving again, but at least the boys were younger and hopefully not too good as divers.
Less than five minutes later Jack knocked on my office door. “Can you spare a moment for your old Uncle?” he asked in a playful voice.
I jumped up, and rushed at him. “Uncle Jack! It’s great to see you.”
He returned the hug I gave him.
“Ah, I’ve got a bit of a problem here.” He was trying to act serious.
“What is it, Uncle Jack?”
He had a wide smile on his face now. “I’m supposed to pick up this boy named Troy, but all I can find is a man who goes by Mr. Evanson. Do you know where I can find Troy?”
I laughed. “Oh, Uncle Jack!”
“Well, look at you, Troy. You look like you’ve grown six inches since I saw you last, and you’re dressed like some businessman or something. You are most definitely not a kid anymore.”
I liked what he said about being more grown up, and I recalled what the man in the men’s store had said about ‘the clothes making the man.’
“Well, I have grown a bit, but it’s not six inches. I saw you at Christmas, and I know I haven’t grown six inches since then.”
“Well, then, maybe not six, but you sure look a whole lot older all of a sudden, Mr. Evanson.”
I smiled again, and he suggested that we get my stuff and get going. Two minutes later, I had left a ‘goodbye’ message with Melanie, and we were in his truck on the way home.
As we drove the short distance to their place, I expressed a little concern about the current status of my own diving skills, and my worry that I might be out of place.
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