The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (33 page)

William was to meet that very afternoon to present his proposal for the computer contract but cancelled at the last minute. Disregarding Davenport’s advice completely, William telephoned the Secretary of Commerce, Mr. Olu-wola to offer his apologies for the cancellation.

“Is there anything wrong, Mr. Stanton?” he asked.

“I’m not sure, sir. I’m sure it’s just a mix up. You see I’ve spent the better part of my day trying to locate the little boy I set up the trust fund for on my last visit to your beautiful country. Now, I’m quite distressed. So far, I’ve had no luck in trying to locate him. I’ve heard such far-fetched stories that he may have been incarcerated. I assured those that told these wild tables that my friends in government would never allow a nine year old boy, and a friend of mine, to be jailed. Perhaps you can help me locate him, Mr. Oluwola.”

“I will certainly do all that I can do help you locate your friend. I can assure you that my government would never lock up a child so young. But first, let us discuss your proposal. Shall we say tomorrow at ten o’clock in the morning?”

“That will be fine, sir.” William hung up the phone and called Melinda at home.”Hey, sweetheart, how are you?” It was the first time he’d spoken to Melinda in two days and as much as he hated to admit it, he really wished she had come along.

“William? William, is it really you? It’s about time you called. You think you would have at least had the decency to call and let me know you arrived safely. Boy, do I miss you.”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I should have called but it’s been hectic. It’s been one thing right after another. Melinda, you wouldn’t believe the accommodations. It makes the Hilton we stayed at look like Motel 6. Davenport arranged the whole thing. Talk about rolling out the red carpet, it would have made the perfect honeymoon suite. Now, all I need to do is find a bride,” he joked.

“You might want to think about taking out an ad in the personals. I’m sure you’ll find something,” she snapped back.

“Or catch something,” he quipped. “No, I’ve got a little filly in mind. She just needs a little training. Gotta break her in right, you know. She’s pretty spirited but with the right trainer and handler she’s gonna do fine over the long run.”

Melinda laughed. “You are so corny, William. But I do miss you. Tell me, did you get a chance to visit Alex?”

“It’s a long story that hasn’t completely finished unfolding. I’ll tell you more about it when I see you.”

“And your presentation? I know you knocked ‘em dead.”

“I had to postpone my presentation until tomorrow,” William said rather nonchalantly as not to arouse her suspicions. It did little good, though.

“William are you okay?” It was evident that she was concerned, if not a tad worried.

William did his best to console her.

“I’m fine, sweetheart. Look, I’ll be home on Saturday, if all goes well and I won’t be taking no for an answer this time.”

“The way I’ve been missing you the past two days, you may not have to by the time Saturday rolls around. I may just jump your bones,” she said, adding: “Do you need anything?”

“Come to think of it, I need you to do a couple of things for me, babe. First of all, I need you to redo the proposal. Raise the bid to four and a half percent above cost instead of the original two per-cent. Morris has given me complete authorization, his signature isn’t required but don’t fax it from the office. He doesn’t need to know. I need the new figures by eight a.m. tomorrow morning. My meeting’s at nine. Can you handle it?”

“There’s nothing you have that I can’t handle, William. Expect the revised copy somewhere between eight and eight thirty. By the way, William, I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not but I think I’m falling for you so you be safe and hurry home.” Melinda hung up the phone before he had a chance to tell her he loved her but he was guessing she already knew.

He hung up the phone and leaned back on the bed. He reread the proposal for what seemed like the millionth time only to find himself still making changes here and there, as he saw fit. And when he got to the point where there was absolutely no way to improve it any further, he’d find something else that required revision until he finally drifted off to sleep.

The next thing William heard was the phone ringing and the steady drone and click of the fax machine. Checking his watch, he noticed that it was already eight thirty and he had yet to shower and he still had to rehearse his presentation and grab some breakfast. He checked the fax for errors and rechecked Melinda’s calculations. Everything was in perfect order. Five to ten percent was the usual mark up over cost but in actuality, there was no limit. William knew the next closest bid was somewhere around five per-cent. If he could supply the technology along with training at four per-cent no one would come close. He knew it. The government knew it. What they didn’t know was that William’s original proposal promised a mark up of only two percent. Why then the sudden change, which could result in several millions more in revenue for Hill and Morris?

At ten o’clock sharp, William Stanton walked into the conference room wearing his olive green suit, white shirt, green and burgundy paisley tie and burgundy penny loafers. The Secretary of Commerce, Mr. Oluwola, who William had spoken to only yesterday, was there with a bevy of system analysts and other computer consultants.

“Gentlemen, my name is William Stanton and I represent the Hill and Morris Agency of Boston Massachusetts. I am sure that you have all been familiarized with our computer hardware, which just so happens to be the most current and innovative in the world today. Since you have all been familiarized with the product, let’s cut to the chase and get down to the meat and potatoes of the package. I’m talking cost. The normal cost for a package of this size and magnitude would run somewhere in the neighborhood of one hundred and seventy-five to two hundred million per year, depending on the agency marketing the product. That does not include software or training. What I am offering is one year of free computer training for you programmers and analysts as well as one year of software free. We can send representatives or you have the option of training abroad The cost to your country, Mr. Secretary, will be one hundred and eighty six million dollars. This represents a four percent mark up over cost. It is a package with a figure you will find difficult to beat Now, Mr. Secretary, gentlemen, please excuse me I have some rather pressing business to attend to.”

And with that, William Stanton rose, shook each gentleman’s hand and left the conference room,

William had difficulty sleeping that night. He thought of Alex and the old woman in the village, and wondered if they weren’t better off living as they always had. He wondered about the risk he was taking. He thought that Morris and Davenport who seemed to know everything as soon as it happened. Did Davenport know that he had not followed his advice and was using the Apple proposal as leverage to free Alex? He wondered if they knew of the sting operation, he and Shannon had put in place. William tossed and turned most of the night. He was used to having Melinda around to talk to. He now wished he hadn’t insisted on her staying home, despite the danger.

He awoke at around eleven the next day, bathed in a cold sweat. Hard pressed to reach the Office of Commerce where he was to meet him Secretary Oluwola, William skipped breakfast and ordered a bottle of
Chivas Regal
in its stead The trip he had so looked forward to was fast becoming as stressful as any he’d made in his tenure with Hill and Morris. What was he thinking? Risking a two hundred million dollar contract on a little African boy he hardly knew. This was something Sill would do. He was playing a dangerous game. No one made demands on a military regime. If the gamble didn’t pay off, he wouldn’t even know where the hit was coming from. Morris would never excuse him for losing this one or the reason behind it. And the Nigerian government could not allow an American to just waltz right in and embarrass them by forcing them to release Alex. William prayed that the economic side would soften the blow. More than that, he wished he had contacted Melinda before giving the Secretary an ultimatum. One thing was for sure. It was too late to worry about it now.

The more William thought about the brash move he’d made the more he became convinced that he’d made another blatant blunder in judgment. Too late for that now he turned the shower on and heard the slow steady drone of the water beating against the shower wall. An error in judgment was certainly something he could hardly afford at this point. Yet, knowing there was little to do at this point but wait he showered quickly and promised himself to be a little less brash and a little more congenial in his meeting with Secretary Olu-wola.

Stepping from the shower, William heard the phone ring and a steady knock at the door. Choosing to answer the door, William was surprised to see Mr. Oluwola’s driver standing before him.

“Afternoon, Mr. Stanton. Secretary Oluwola awaits you downstairs and requests your presence promptly sir,” the young man stated rather matter-of-factly.

“But our meeting isn’t for another hour,” William replied checking his watch to make sure.

“That is true sir but I believe Mr. Oluwola has some very pressing news that he would like to share with you and is requesting your attention at this time sir.”

William, shaken and apprehensive dressed quickly and followed the limousine driver downstairs and out to the Mercedes limo where he half expected to be shot upon sight. Instead he found a rather jovial, Secretary Oluwola smiling from ear-to-ear.

William bent his large frame into the backseat of the car, exchanged pleasantries and waited patiently for the Secretary to make known his intentions. The secretary recognizing William’s uneasiness seemed content to let him agonize in apparent discomfort before speaking.

“That was quite a ballsy play you instituted yesterday, Mr. Stanton. Quite a coup if I must say so myself. I don’t know that I would have attempted such a nervy display as to not only double the original bid you put on the table but to walk out of the meeting with a take it or leave it offer for the sake of principle. You certainly dispelled my idea of money hungry Americans. So tell me Mr. Stanton. You would risk a six figure commission for the Sake of one little Nigerian boy and his family that you hardly know,” the secretary inquired. William, sweating profusely now, nodded affirmatively.

“Then I am afraid that you are not truly cognizant of the way things work here, my good man. This is not a democracy, as you know it. And many a good man has been dealt a severe hand for far less. Murder is a common solution for many problems and is most definitely more than just a consideration when we are talking of usurping the government of millions of dollars simply because you can. Diplomatic immunity means little here. And it means even less when one believes he can hold the government at ransom and dictate to them appropriate means of governing. That is out of the question.

Yet, I believe you have done something that I have yet to see happen since our government has come to power. You have raised a consciousness where I believed there was none. When you so naively placed your own life at-risk to come to the aid of one of our very own at an enormous financial cost to yourself as well, I believe you endeared yourself to a great many people in and out of government circles. I, for one am extremely grateful to you and must say that I applaud your efforts on behalf of the boy and his family.

Still, I would suggest that when you are finished conducting your business you make haste in returning to America. Our government works from a position of strength and cannot show any weakness and maintain a strong face when it is made to acquiesce to a single individual and a foreigner at that. I reiterate that I would not have made the same play but then I know things that you could not even conceive. Still, I applaud your efforts and you will be glad to know that your offer was accepted and that both the boy and his father have been located.

I am glad to say that Alex is in fine health and is being transported as we speak. I apologize, however, for the grief and the tragedy that the family has had to endure. I, am aware of many of the cruelties and inhumanities that have been imposed on many of our own but we are a new government and as in every new government there are a certain amount of growing pains associated with maintaining order. You have only to look at the plight of African-Americans in your own country to realize the struggles one must endure in the birthing of a nation. We too have our problems and although I don’t condone all of the methods and techniques; some are quite necessary in restoring order and creating a society where everyone can have a suitable quality of life over the long haul. Would you not agree?”

William was so relieved by this time he would have agreed to anything short of being drawn and quartered and nodded in agreement.

The secretary continued.

“Again I apologize for the hardships the family has suffered at the expense of our military which sometimes becomes a bit extreme in its dealings with our people. I have, however, been up the greater part of the night placing calls and doing my best to arrange a reunion of sorts and to make sure that everyone involved is somehow compensated for their pain and suffering. I am not sure how can you can compensate for the tragedies these poor people have endured but I have thanks to you been made aware of this atrocity and done my able bodied best. Before you are reunited with your friends I must confess that although Alex is in extremely good health and spirits and is dying to see you and Melinda, his poor father has lost both an eye and his right arm, but is otherwise in fairly good health overall.

I’ve sent a truck to the mother’s village to pick the rest of the family up. They will be reunited tonight at your villa if that is all right with you, my friend. We will sign the contract then, if all is in order. On behalf of my country, and myself, I thank you, Mr. Stanton.”

William was so relieved, he dismissed the limo driver for the day, choosing to walk the twenty or so blocks back to the villa. Yet, despite the morning’s success, William knew that his ordeal was no closer to being over than when he arrived. Making his way through the crowded streets of downtown Lagos, he noticed a familiar structure towering above the rest. He entered the Hilton and headed straight to the bar. Before he could reach the lobby, he could hear a voice summoning him.”Mr. Stanton. Mr. Stanton.” It was the bartender from his previous visit “How did it go, my friend?”