Kate Educates Jacob #56
A Crisis To Fix
Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55
Jacob’s Point Of View.
I loved the high altitude of our new home. An early morning chilly breeze, azure skies, my mountain fleece jacket, and a hot cup of tea started my day while Kate ticked off her early conference calls to distant time zones.
“I think you’re being antagonistic, Catherine.”
“I’ll admit to being mildly vexed but nothing more.”
“What’s really bothering you?”
“I’m not sure what use I can be here, Jacob. Kate has pretty much taken over everything Richard and I ever did, and with you supporting her, there seems little point in me sticking around.”
“I don’t think that that’s true, Catherine. Your advice is invaluable.”
“That works when you sit behind my husband’s desk at Granger Hall, and I throw anecdotes at you from my time-honored throne.”
“I think our partnership goes far beyond that, Mom. I don’t think that’s fair at all.”
“Lizzie is the queen of this palace, Jacob. I’m just an old codger living rent-free.”
“That’s what I mean by being antagonistic. You’re deliberately goading me.”
“Well, maybe a little bit. I could use a dust-up.”
Kate’s and my empire was growing. Catherine found it hard to watch her daughter reach both arms around everything she’d built with Richard. The success my fiancee generated through great leadership and positivity made my mother-in-law proud, but she also felt redundant.
“There is a looming crisis that only you can solve, Catherine.”
“What is it, Jacob? Please don’t flannel me.”
“Have I ever done that?”
“No.”
“Don’t be so surly.”
I caught the rarest apologetic smile and expression. Catherine was bored, feeling usurped, and all while nurturing a fledgling lesbian love in my sister, who preferred our new home to Granger Hall. I had an unwelcome crisis to manage, one that was as timely and fortunate for Catherine as it was unpleasant for me.
“What’s the problem, Jacob?”
“Let’s visit town and discuss the whole thing with Henry.”
“Okay, I’m intrigued.”
I drove my BMW sedately because Catherine abhorred speeding while sitting in any car unless she drove it, in which case recklessness was the minimum descriptor for her bad driving.
We met at the orphanage amid chaotic scenes of kids racing around, getting dressed, and preparing for the school bus arriving soon. Henry ushered us to a small meeting room where a woman Catherine’s age sat drinking coffee so overpowering that I could smell it from the door.
My mother-in-law sniffed the air and squinted disapprovingly at the woman.
“You look like someone who had a bad week, and it’s still only 9 a.m. on Monday.”
“I’m not feeling great.”
“Have you been drinking alcohol?”
“So what if I have? I didn’t drive here.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the governess for the orphanage.”
“You are fucking joking, right? You’re drunk!”
“I’m hungover.”
“I’m shocked. You are absolutely rat-arsed and desperately trying to sober up.”
Catherine shuffled closer, stared at her, and sniffed, wafting her hand in front of a contorted face expressing disdain. She looked at me, then pointed at the orphanage governess, rolling her eyes.
“Is she the crisis, Jacob?”
“No. This is Julie. She runs the orphanage.”
“She’s drunk… oh please, before you defend the woman, let’s not get into the technicalities of sobriety after having drunk a skinfull. Julie here is in no state to manage an orphanage.”
“I agree, Catherine. I wasn’t expecting things to be so bad, especially considering the crisis landing here today.”
I stared at Henry, who held out a chair beside Julie for Catherine to sit while I settled into another, sitting opposite our hapless CEO. The crisis was best explained by our most esteemed local guide, so I waited for Henry to kick things off.
“It’s not what it seems, Catherine. Julie has been a fine, upstanding CEO for this group home, but events overtook her a few months ago.”
“Is that when she started drinking?”
“Yes.”
“What happened to provoke that?”
“The orphanage is closed.”
“Why would anyone shut down an orphanage, Henry?”
“Because it’s bankrupt.”
“When is this all happening?”
“Today. Child protection service officers are on their way to remove Julie and install an interim manager who will gradually move the kids to new homes.”
“Oh fuck, that’s a disaster for the children.”
“I’m glad you agree, Catherine.”
My mother-in-law stared at Julie, judging the woman who sobbed, with one hand holding her brow and tears rolling down her cheeks. When I looked at her eyes, I saw she must have been crying for days on top of the alcohol problem. I reached over the table and placed a hand gently on hers.
“Are you an alcoholic?”
“I don’t think so, but I will be soon if they take the kids away, Jacob.”
“You look wretched, Julie.”
“I’m a total fucking mess.”
Catherine eased off, never one to bully or kick someone when they were down. She placed a reassuring hand on Julia’s and mine.
“Why has the orphanage gone bankrupt?”
“Food and utility prices have gone up massively. I tried to make cuts, but every week, the financial black hole got deeper. For months, I staved off suppliers and delayed rent payments, but eventually, the auditors noticed we weren’t solvent and began asking questions.”
“Why are the kids running amok outside?”
“I can’t face them. They are all friends, have more friends in the local school, and love this community.”
A knock at the door interrupted our conversation. Henry let one grim-looking man and three equally dour women into the meeting room. I recognized the man immediately as being the same one Kate had crossed swords with over Alicia.
He didn’t recognize me, quickly profiled everyone in the room, and reached out a hand to Julie.
“Miss Greene?“
“Hello, Rodger.”
“I’m sorry, but you know why we are here today. You’ll hand over all responsibilities and clear out your desk by the end of business today.”
“Why?”
The child services team leader shot Catherine an irksome look. He sighed as though preparing to enter a conversation that had eviscerated him far too many times.
“I’m Rodger Chambers… who would you be, madam?”
“Catherine, a concerned local citizen.”
“This group home is untenable.”
“Calling it a group home is no real difference from an orphanage, right?”
“Not really. It was rebranding and a means to define the care system under our Federal budget.”
“Why has this group home failed where others didn’t?”
“We never owned the building, pay far too much rent to its owners, and there aren’t enough children here to reduce the unit cost of care low enough.”
“Are you saying the kids go hungry?”
“Julie would tell you they do.”
“And what do you say, Rodger?”
He shrugged and winced, not wanting to accept the system had failed the children. I thought about that and considered how much of Rodger’s job must be filled with unpleasant moments like this one.
“The children receive fewer calories per day than they expend.”
“That sounds as close a description to starvation as I’ve ever heard.”
“The solution, Catherine, is to close this group home and reallocate the children.”
“Fucking reallocate them? They aren’t library books to be stamped in and out like lending transactions.”
“Sorry… concerned citizen, what would you propose we do?”
He looked exhausted, and I felt a measure of sympathy for him when he sat down heavily. I’d seen the best and worst of the man, and right now, he might go either way. His assistant whispered something to him, Rodger nodded, and two of the three women left the room.
“Is there anything you can do, Rodger?”
“Catherine, I’ve tried getting more funding in to cover costs. The debt has reached one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The group home is insolvent.”
“What if I step in?”
“I can’t imagine how. You’re being vague about who you are. Obfuscate no longer, madam, please. Rescue me from my miserable existence.”
He waved an arm wide around the room, grinning inanely, partly mocking but mostly miserable. Catherine regarded him carefully before she spoke.
“You don’t want to close this group home down, do you, Rodger?”
“Of course not. I despise my job because of its red tape and inflexibility.”
“What if we could save this home? That might put a smile on that handsome face of yours.”
Rodger squinted at Catherine. He glanced at me, and I saw a vague sense of recognition. When he looked at Henry, our local guide and friend smiled. When the child services officer stared at Catherine, he sighed and chuckled.
“Would you be Kate Granger’s mother, concerned citizen?”
“I would.”
“Okay… I’ll grant you that your family made my day with Alicia, but how would you save an entire home?”
“I’m surprised you remembered her name.”
“Catherine, I could name every child in this home and tell you their ages. Would you like me to prove that to you?”
My mother-in-law was stumped, and I enjoyed watching her mouth open and close like a goldfish. Catherine looked at Rodger’s assistant, who nodded, confirming her boss wasn’t lying.
“I am the primary signatory for a wealthy foundation. It could run a hundred homes like this one.”
“Would you make a charitable donation to offset running costs?”
“Yes. I’ll also buy the building and place that in trust at my foundation with a rent of one dollar per annum for so long as the group home continues.”
“That’s a ten-million-dollar price tag, Catherine.”
“Am I flinching?”
“Okay. How soon could you do this?”
“Who owns the building?”
“The local municipality.”
“Jesus Christ. The local town has put their own group home out of business?”
“Welcome to my world. Fascinating, isn’t it?”
Henry coughed, and everyone in the room turned their attention to him. I was still reeling from the irony of our situation.
“They will sell the building in a heartbeat, especially if tomorrow’s local newspaper runs a story about what’s happening here today.”
“Elections coming soon, are they?”
“Elections are always coming, Catherine.”
“Okay. You leave now; tell the municipality leaders to draw up a lease I can finance for three months while we arrange for a full valuation. I’ll pay fair market value to avoid being accused of profiteering.”
Henry gathered his moleskin notebook and pen, leaving the room wearing a beaming smile. Rodger looked halfway pleased and sat up straight in his chair.
“What about the financial shortfall?”
“I’ll cover that and put an accountant in place here within a couple of days. You’ll add back a fair sum for rent, giving that to the orphanage?”
“I can do that.”
“It seems we have a solution, Rodger.”
He was having another Alicia day when the gods of orphaned children had delivered a savior in the form of my victorious mother-in-law.
“Okay, that’s all great, folks. The only thing left is to remove Miss Greene from the CEO post.”
“Why?”
“Oh, come on, Catherine, look at the state of her.”
“What about her?”
“She’s drunk.”
“No, she’s just not feeling well, and Jacob’s about to drive her to the doctor.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, Rodger, really,”
He sat back, rubbing his chin, eyeing Catherine as though a game of chicken were being played out.
“So everyone gets saved today, Catherine?”
“Isn’t that what you want?”
He nodded, smiled, but looked exhausted. The guy had aged badly since the last time I’d seen him, and the fun was sucked out of his face long before that. I’d seen similar fatigue in the army when soldiers returned from deployment, jaded, tired, and unable to comprehend what they’d just been through.
“It is what I want. If you can close the deal here, adequately fill up the financial hole, and have an oversight committee in place by Friday, I’ll back the Federal government off.”
“And you’ll all come for dinner on Friday evening, Rodger?”
“Here?”
“No, come to Kate and Jacob’s home, A Walk In The Clouds. We’ll have cause to celebrate by then.”
“I think this whole town has cause to celebrate with your family being here.”
Rodger enthusiastically shook hands, becoming the newest member of our Catherine Granger fan club. I left them to mop up the final details, taking Julie with me.
I met Henry at the doctor’s surgery, handing over Julie to his care and accepting all costs to our account. A few helpers came to the group home on the promise they would receive back pay and be compensated for their time by the end of the week.
When I got home, Kate tracked me down, dragged me onto a couch, and kissed me relentlessly. I felt elated when she pressed me deep into the seat cushions, mounting me and enveloping my face in a cocoon of her hair while welcoming me home.
“You’ve been gone for hours, Jacob.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I missed you all day, Alicia was at school; now she’s doing homework, and I worked endlessly, getting nowhere. It’s been lonely.”
“I had a great day, Kate.”
“I told you parachuting Mom into a crisis would snap her out of this self-pity malaise she was in.”
“She was brilliant.”
“Yeah, Jacob, but you made it happen. If you hadn’t been on hand to take the problem off Henry, that orphanage would be dead by now.”
“I think we’re supposed to call it a group home.”
“Well, it’s saved because of your lightning reactions.”
“And your father’s gold.”
“Wow. I hadn’t thought about that. Dad would be so happy.”
“It was the same guy that dealt with you over Alicia. Mom invited his team to dinner on Friday.”
“She wants to build support for the orphanage to make it unassailable. That’s how Mom operates. She’s like a dog with a bone. I tell you, Jacob, she’ll be running the whole town before the year ends.”
“I know. It makes life here so much more fun, Kate.”
“Most importantly, as you say, Daddy’s off-the-reservation gold is making a difference.”
Next Chapter:
I love how a story about a woman spanking her boyfriend has transitioned into this whole world full of characters and storylines. They just saved an orphanage!
Keeps improving. More threads in the weave.