When Freddy came home from work later on the first day of Michael’s father’s visit, he spotted Michael lying next to his father on the couch.
“Is he serious?” Freddy thought to himself, as he closed the door behind him.
Freddy walked over to shake his boyfriend awake. Michael stirred, taking in his surroundings as he woke up.
“Huh?” Michael groggily asked, as he rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”
“6 o clock” Freddy replied, as he pulled him up from the couch. “I didn’t realize you got home so early today.”
“I didn’t. I took the day off.”
“Oh.”
Michael went in for a kiss and Freddy reciprocated it.
“You think we can try again with making love tonight?” Freddy asked, as he grabbed Michael’s ass and pulled it closer to him.
“Huh?” Michael’s father stuttered out, as he yawned and woke up from his nap. “Man, that was a good nap right there. What time is it?”
“Ugh” Freddy replied, as he let go of Michael.
“6 o clock, dad” Michael answered, as he looked at his father lying on the sofa bed.
“Man, that long?” his father asked.
“Yes, dad. That long.”
“Maybe we should order a pizza or something” Freddy suggested. “It’s getting late and I don’t feel like cooking tonight.”
“I don’t either.”
“Sounds good to me, boys” Michael’s father added.
“Michael, can I have a word with you?” Freddy asked, as he pulled Michael into their bedroom. “Privately?”
“Sure?” Michael answered reluctantly. “Dad, are you picky about toppings?”
“Plain is good. Mushroom is better.”
“Ok.”
Freddy and Michael went into their bedroom to engage in a private conversation.
“Why is he still here?” Freddy asked, with an annoyed tone in his voice.
“Well” Michael replied “I took the day off today because he looks sick and I didn’t want to leave him alone.”
“If he looks sick, then maybe you should consider bringing him to a doctor.”
“His doctors are all the way back in our hometown. If he needs medical care, then he either has to go to an urgent care clinic or the emergency room.”
“Then why didn’t you do that?”
“Because he’s more sick in the head than sick in the body at the moment.”
“Tell me about it.”
Michael glared, as Freddy looked at his husband apologetically.
“I’m just nervous to leave him alone right now” Michael continued. “I’m nervous he might drink too much or attempt to commit suicide if someone isn't watching him.”
“Maybe what he needs is to receive treatment in a mental health facility” Freddy suggested. “Perhaps he needs to be put on the right kind of medication to treat his depression.”
“He can’t be forcibly committed, Freddy. I’d have to work on convincing him to go and I’d need proof that he really needs treatment right now. Resources are a bit scarce at the moment.”
“Say he’s being a bum and not leaving our couch.”
“Being a bum isn’t a reason to have someone checked in for treatment, Freddy, and you know that.”
“Michael, can you please get rid of your father now? I feel we’ve kept him here with us long enough. The longer he stays here, the longer our relationship is going to feel a strain. He’s only going to further aggravate things between us.”
“Freddy, I’ve been trying to reconcile with him and I feel I’ve been making some progress on that front.”
“How so?”
“Well, he told me about some psychological issues that he says he’s never told anyone else about before.”
“Such as?”
“He was sexually assaulted in college.”
Freddy looked at Michael silently, showing a look of concern on his face.
“Wow. I had no idea, Michael.”
“It’s true, Freddy. My father was sexually abused by a man in college. He was living with this dude for free during his first year or so of college and he was sexually assaulted practically every night he slept there.”
“Why didn’t he leave?”
“The rent was free, he was low on money and had no other place else to go. He eventually moved in with my mother, but it made him have a negative perception of gay people, hence why he took it out on me. On us.”
“Wow. I really had no idea.”
“No one did until he told me this today, but you’ve got to promise that you won’t let him know I told you this and that you won’t tell anyone else either.”
“Get him out of the apartment first.”
“Freddy.”
“Michael, I want him gone.”
“Boys!” Michael’s father yelled out from the living room. “Did you order the pizza yet?”
“Just a second!” Michael called out.
“I can order it, Michael! Just tell me where to call and I’ll do it!”
“Franky’s Pizza!” Freddy yelled back.
“I’ll handle it!” Michael’s father yelled in response. “You guys just enjoy your time together! I don’t want to interrupt!”
Freddy moved to the bed and patted it when he sat.
“Sit with me” Freddy said, as Michael slowly sat down beside him.
“That takes care of that, I guess” Michael replied nervously.
“He’s good for something, at least.”
“He’s more than ‘good for something’, Freddy. He’s—“
“Hey, relax, ok. I’m just on edge about this, that’s all. I’m glad you told me about what he dealt with in college, but I think he needs to get professional help. You can’t be his social worker.”
“He feels comfortable telling me these things, Freddy. If it’ll help him to let out his anger and pain, then I want to be the ears he can trust to talk to about his issues. That’s why you absolutely cannot let him know that I told you about him being sexually assaulted in college. You have to promise me and swear that you will say absolutely nothing about it to my father or anyone else.”
Freddy sighed, as Michael looked at him with a serious expression on his face.
“Fine, Michael. I’ll keep it to myself. Just try to work on getting him out of here, please. I can’t take him being here anymore.”
“I can ask him to leave tonight after dinner, if you want.”
Freddy thought for a moment, while Michael got up from the bed.
“He can stay one more night” Freddy replied reluctantly “but after that, he has to go.”
“You sure? It’s not too late. I can ask him to go home now if you’re that bothered by him here.”
“I’m positive.”
Freddy got up and made out with Michael. After a few passionate kisses, they settled into the bed and lied down together. A half an hour later, the door bell to their apartment rang.
“I’ll get it!” Michael’s father yelled.
“The pizza’s here, I guess” Michael said, as he got up and went into the living room.
At the door, Michael’s father paid for the pizza and brought the box inside.
“I got it already, Michael” his father said, as he placed the box on the table in the makeshift dining room.
“You didn’t have to do that, dad” Michael replied, as his father went into the kitchen and pulled out some plates.
“It’s the least I can do as a way to thank you for putting me up while your mother is away. I really appreciate you guys letting me stay here.”
“About that” Freddy said, as he came in from the bedroom. “You can stay the night if you want, but after that you have to go.”
“Sure thing, Freddy. I can make my way back tonight, if you need me out of your hair sooner.”
“It’s getting late, so you can stay one more night. But after this, you have to go.”
“I’ll be out of your hair by tomorrow afternoon, I promise.”
Michael’s father gave his son and Freddy plates and served them a slice of pizza from the box. Putting the box away, the three of them sat at the makeshift dining room table, eating in silence for a couple of minutes. Michael faced his father, while Freddy sat facing out into the living room. A few minutes after he finished his pizza, Michael’s father spoke up.
“You guys want another slice?”
“Sure” Michael replied, as his father got up from the table.
“No thank you, Ralph” Freddy replied, as he got up from the table as well. “I’m not hungry anymore. I’m full, but thank you.”
“Suit yourself” Michael’s father replied. “One more slice for me and one more slice for my boy.”
Freddy walked into his bedroom, before Michael’s father laid down the slices of pizza on their plates.
“I really don’t want to overstay my welcome, Michael” his father said to him, as he sat back down and continued to eat. “I see how it’s driving Freddy absolutely nuts.”
“He’d probably be less stir crazy about it if you were wearing some actual clothes” Michael replied.
Michael’s father looked down at his robe, Freddy’s robe in actuality. He saw his hairy chest and underwear exposed out in the open.
“I guess I’m not that decent, huh?”
“Not really, dad. Especially since you answered the door looking like that. The delivery guy got quite a show.”
Michael’s father blushed a bit, before he spoke up again.
“Eh, as you get older, you care less about what other people think about you.”
Michael shrugged while he finished devouring his pizza. When they were done, Michael got up and put all the plates into the sink to wash them.
“What do you want me to do with the rest of this?” Michael’s father asked, as he looked at the remaining slices in the box.
“You can put them in the fridge and save them for tomorrow” Michael suggested in response.
“Ick. Cold pizza. Not my favorite. I like it fresh out of the oven.”
“I kind of like cold pizza, to be honest.”
Michael’s father shrugged, as he found a freezer bag and placed the remaining slices into it. He placed it in the fridge and walked towards the bathroom.
“Do you have a fresh pair of underwear? his father asked.
“Sure” Michael replied, as he finished washing the dishes and walked towards his bedroom. “Give me one second.”
Michael ran into his bedroom to see Freddy sitting on the bed, reading from a tablet.
“So?” Freddy asked, looking up from his tablet. “Is he leaving tomorrow?”
“He says he will” Michael replied, as he found a pair of underwear in their dresser. “I’ll hold him to it.”
“Please do. I could really use my robe back. It’s gross seeing him wearing it like that.”
“I agree. I’ve tried talking to him about it, but he refuses to listen to me.”
“Plus, he has to change out his underwear more. His briefs have a piss stain on the front and a big shit stain on the back.”
“Ugh, you don’t have to tell me.”
Michael left his bedroom and went back towards the other bathroom. The door was closed, so Michael knocked on it three times.
“Just a second!” his father yelled out. “I’m taking a shit!”
“TMI, dad!” Michael yelled back.
After the toilet flushed and the sink could be heard, Michael’s father opened the door, butt naked in his appearance.
“Ack!” Michael shrieked, as he closed his eyes and handed his father the underwear in his hand. “Stop doing that.”
“Michael” his father replied, as he took the underwear from his son’s hand “it’s not big deal. As I’ve said before, it’s not something you haven’t seen before. Plus, we’re all born like this. Well, maybe not like this.”
Michael’s father rubbed his furry chest and belly and then stroked his three days of scruff on his face.
“But we're are born without any clothes on. Besides, it’s not a sexual thing between us. You’re my son and I’m your dad. I’ve seen you naked countless times before and I don’t get embarrassed about it.”
“Just take a shower, please?”
Michael closed the door so his father would get the hint to clean himself off. After a relaxing, warm shower, where Michael’s father spent extra time rubbing his incoming beard and ample hairy chest, he dried off, put on the new pair of underwear and slipped the robe back over his beefy frame.
Stepping out of the bathroom, Michael’s father saw that no one was in the living room.
“I’m going to bed, guys!” Michael’s father yelled out.
Michael came out from his bedroom and looked at his father.
“Night dad” Michael replied, before he shut the bedroom door again.
Sleep that night was relatively peaceful. Michael’s father managed to get a light amount, while Freddy and Michael’s was heavier and deeper. In the morning, as the couple got ready for the day, Michael pulled Freddy to the side.
“You don’t have classes today, right?” Michael asked.
“Correct” Freddy replied “but I have to catch up on my homework. I really would like your father not to be here so I can study in peace.”
“Would you mind watching him for the day?”
“Michael, come on. He’s gotta get out of here, now.”
“Freddy, I’m just worried about him and I’d like to know that someone is watching him at all times. I have to go into work today and I’d like you to keep an eye on him, at least until I get back.”
“I really, really don’t want him staying another night here.”
“Well I’m worried about him going back home alone, so I determined that I want to wait until Saturday to drive him back myself.”
“Ugh! Three more days of this shit?”
“Freddy, it’s only a few more days and then you and I can drive him back.”
“You and I?”
“Yes. I’ll drive his car and you’ll follow behind me in ours. That way, when I’ve gotten him home safely, I can drive us back afterwards.”
“Ugh, come on. I don’t think I can handle this anymore. I don’t want to be your father’s baby sitter.”
“Please, Freddy. Please just humor me on this one. I’m really worried about him driving and being alone at this time.”
“Dropping him off at his house is still going to mean he’s alone.”
“But maybe I can convince one of his friends to stay with him so he’s not alone in the house. Perhaps Tony can help me find someone who wouldn’t mind bunking with him until mom gets back.”
“If you’re thinking about doing that, then why not start working on that today?”
“I have to get ready for work. Besides, If I’m going to do that, I need a couple of days to arrange that. Please help me out here. I want to get him out of our hair too, but I don’t want to leave him alone in such a vulnerable state. Someone has to watch him.”
“Fine. I’ll go along with this, as long as you work on getting someone to stay with him at his house. If you can get someone sooner, then he goes right then on the spot. Otherwise, Saturday is the absolute final deadline for his removal from our apartment.”
Michael kissed Freddy and smiled at him brightly.
“Thank you, Freddy. This means a lot to me.”
“I know that. That’s why I’m trying to be flexible here.”
Michael nodded, as he went to grab his things and head out the door.
“Gotta go to work dad” Michael said to his father, as he left his apartment. “Freddy will be here today, but please don’t bother him too much. He has a lot of school work to catch up on.”
“Got it” his father replied. “See you later, Michael.”
When Michael left the apartment, Freddy addressed Michael’s father.
“Alright, Ralph, here’s the deal. I’m going to get some work done while I’m here. Please don’t interrupt me, as I need all the concentration I can get. I have a lot to catch up on and not a lot of time to do it. You are a guest in our home and that means blending in, not being a burden on to us. Understand?”
“Oh, I don’t want to be a burden on you, Freddy” Michael’s father replied, as he got up from the sofa bed. “I was just about to get ready to leave, anyway.”
“Don’t!”
Freddy stood in front of Michael’s father, as he placed his hand on the hairy chest in front of him. Making direct eye contact, Freddy felt a heat rush over his body.
“Da, da don’t leave” Freddy stuttered out. “Michael asked me to keep you here until he can find someone to watch you in your home.”
“Oh for fuh—“ Michael’s father spat out.
He paused for a moment, before he spoke up again.
“Fudge sake" he corrected himself. "I don’t need a baby sitter. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I’m only 43, not 73 or a 3 year old.”
“Michael is just worried about you and wants to make sure you’re ok, that's all. You’re not taking his mother being away very well and he wants to make sure someone is around to keep you company.”
“I can handle being alone, Freddy. I’m a big boy, Now move out of the way.”
“If you leave now, Michael will kill me.”
“What does he care? I’ve been a terrible father to him anyway.”
“He loves you, Ralph. He wouldn’t have let you stay here if he didn’t.”
Michael’s father sighed, as he sat back down on the sofa bed.
“I really don’t want to get in the way of your lives. I know my being here is driving you nuts. It really would be better if I left now.”
“I don’t disagree, but this is what Michael wants. Humor me until he gets back, at least.”
Michael’s father sighed, as Freddy sat at the table and began to work on his studies. A silence fell over the room for an hour, as Freddy cracked down on his homework and Michael’s father quietly dozed off. A little while later, Michael’s father woke up and spoke up again.
“Hey Freddy?”
“What?” Freddy replied curtly, looking up from his tablet with an annoyed expression on his face.
“Come sit with me.”
“No.”
“Come on, man. I know you want to.”
“I have to catch up on my homework, now. Please stop interrupting me.”
“Come do your homework while you sit next to me.”
“I can’t. I have to be able to concentrate. I can’t do that with you sitting next to me.”
“Sure you can. Come here, I’ll show you how.”
“No.”
Michael’s father got up and stood over Freddy at the table.
“Look, I know you want to. You know you want to. Let’s stop playing hard to get and just come sit next to me on the couch.”
“No.”
“Freddy, look, I get it. I know you’re angry with me and you have every right to be. But I want to try to make things right with you. Can you please sit next to me so we can talk, man to man?”
“I have homework to do, Ralph. I don’t have time for this right now.”
“It would make me feel better.”
“Go get a drink of water or something.”
Michael’s father went into the kitchen and found an unmarked bottle of vodka in the fridge. Getting out a glass, he poured himself an ample serving and put the bottle back inside. He chugged the vodka from the glass, before spitting it out on the floor.
“Ack!” Michael’s father shrieked, as he put the cup down on the table where Freddy sat. “That’s not water.”
“Oh” Freddy replied sheepishly, as he looked at the now empty glass on the table. “That may have been vodka.”
“Oh man, I don’t feel so good.”
Michael’s father ran into the bathroom and proceeded to vomit into the toilet.
“Uh oh” Freddy thought to himself. “That’s not good.”
Freddy got up from the table and ran into the bathroom. He spotted Michael’s father holding on to the toilet, moaning as he leaned over it.
“Are you ok?” Freddy asked, as he walked over to Michael’s father.
“Oh” Michael’s father moaned. “I’m not feeling so good. I really shouldn’t have taken that drink. My doctor says I need to be avoiding alcohol consumption.”
“Come here.”
Michael’s father slung his hairy arm around Freddy’s neck, as he was led back to the sofa bed in the living room. Being laid down, Michael’s father continued to moan, as Freddy looked at him sympathetically.
“Do you need some water?” Freddy asked, trying to be helpful.
“Yes please” Michael’s father replied.
Freddy went into the kitchen and poured a cup of water from the sink. He ran back into the living room and handed it to Michael’s father.
“Thank you” Michael’s father said, as he took the cup and drank from it quickly.
“You’re welcome” Freddy replied, as he took the cup back and put it in the kitchen sink, along with the glass that was filled with vodka.
When he was done cleaning them, Freddy went back to sitting at the table and attempted to continue his homework. A few minutes later, Michael’s father called to him again.
“Freddy. I really need you to sit next to me, man. I need someone to keep me company. I’m very lonely and I need someone to hold. Please, Freddy. Please sit with me.”
Freddy groaned, as he ignored Michael’s father’s pleas. Trying to do his homework, Michael’s father interrupted him again a few minutes later.
“Please Freddy. I need you here. Please Freddy. Please sit with me.”
After a few more minutes of pleading, Freddy resigned himself to his inability to get his homework done. Slowly, he made his way from the table to hover over Michael’s father lying on the sofa bed.
“Ralph” Freddy said, with a stern tone in his voice. “I can’t take this anymore. I’ve been trying to do my homework all morning and you’re making it impossible for me to do so. I can’t let you leave now because you got drunk, but you need to be quiet. I have mid term exams coming up and I have to get this homework out of the way so I can study for them. This is my home and I need your cooperation if you’re going to stay here as our guest. Now kindly stop talking so I can get things accomplished today.”
“Freddy, man” Michael’s father replied, sounding woozy. “I don’t want to be a bother, man. I just need to let things off my chest. I don’t know how much longer I have to live—“
“You keep saying that and yet that means nothing without a medical diagnosis. If you think you’re feeling sick, then we should take you to the hospital.”
“Sit with me, first. Let’s talk.”
“Let’s go to the doctor, then. If you’re not feeling good, then you should go see the doctor. I’ll take you there as I have the car today. Get up and get ready to go.”
“I’m not ready to go, yet. Just sit with me and talk. That’s all I’m asking.”
“I think you should see a doctor now.”
“Freddy, for fuck sake, will you just get down here, please. I really need to talk to you.”
“If I sit down next to you, first of all no funny business and afterwards I’m getting you up and taking you to the doctor’s. Is that clear?”
“We’ll discuss it when you sit down here. Now sit.”
“Promise me I can take you to the doctor today.”
“If I don’t feel any better in an hour, then you can take me. Now sit.”
Michael’s father patted a spot next to him on the now slightly soiled sofa bed. Freddy groaned and bent down to sit next to him. Michael’s father thought to put his arm around Freddy’s shoulder, but resisted the urge. He looked at Freddy and saw that he hadn’t shaved that morning.
“You didn’t shave this morning” Michael’s father noted, as he ran his fingers through the now four days of scruff on his face. “Joining the no shave club today, I see.”
“Yeah well, I don’t usually shave when Michael isn’t here” Freddy responded, as he played with the bristly hairs on his face “but I’ve never grown it out longer than a day or two. I always feel pressured to get rid of it. I’ve never grown it out longer than this when Michael is home. He always insists that I shave it.”
“Heh, tell me about it. He and his mother both have similar feelings on beards. They think it looks grungy. Your mother in law says it makes me look like an animal. Michael said one time that I look like a hairy ape when I have it.”
Michael’s father playfully patted his hairy chest, making an ooping sound, as Freddy let out a slight chuckle.
“I saw you with a beard one time” Freddy reminded him. “I thought it looked pretty great on you.”
“I thought so too” Michael’s father replied proudly, as he stroked the scruff on his face. “Mine is showing some age now, though. The last time I grew it, it was all black, but now it has more gray and white hairs in it. I’m curious to see how it looks after thirty days. I think it’ll make me look distinguished. Plus, all the guys on the crew think it looks good too. If it wasn’t for your mother in law, I’d have kept it for years now.”
Michael’s father paused, as he carefully looked at Freddy. He could tell that his son in law was fidgety and wanted to ease his anxiety.
“Say, Freddy. You want to touch my beard?”
“Uh, I don’t know. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Come on, man. I know you want to. You did the last time I had one.”
“Yeah, but that didn’t exactly go so well, if you remember. Hence, the ‘funny business’ stuff.”
“Come on, it’s not like we’re going to fuck or anything. Guys touch each other’s beards all the time.”
“Uh, well, you kind of freaked out the last time I did it.”
“That was because—“
Michael’s father paused, before he noticed an erection growing in Freddy’s pants.
“Never mind” Michael’s father continued. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“I mean, I would like to” Freddy corrected him. “I just don’t want you freaking out on me, that’s all.”
“As long as you keep your hands off your junk while you do it, then we should be good. Now come on. Have a feel.”
Slowly, Freddy reached out and felt Michael’s father’s four days of facial hair growth on his face. It was scragglier and not as soft as it was the time he felt his full beard, but it was impressive nonetheless. Pulling his hand away, Freddy smiled.
“How was it?” Michael’s father asked curiously.
“Not as good as your last one” Freddy replied honestly.
“That’s because this is only four days of growth, whereas the other one was thirty days. In a week or so, it’ll be much softer than it is now. This is usually the stage where your mother in law goes all nuts on me, but once you ride this out, it gets better from there. Plus, this is the stage where it gets all itchy and shit. It drives me nuts.”
Michael’s father scratched his facial hair, noticing that Freddy was staring at him intensely.
“I think you should try growing your beard out too, Freddy.”
“You think so?” Freddy asked, as he scratched his prickly chin.
“Yeah, I do. College is the time to do it, really. Once you get your law degree and pass the bar, all those firms will expect you to be clean shaven when you’re going in to work. Once you start your professional career, the time for a beard is over. I think you should grow it out for thirty days and see how it looks. Maybe Michael will like it after all.”
“I doubt it.”
“Worth a shot.”
“I don’t think he’s going to let me do it.”
“Let me talk to him and try to win him over. I’m very persuasive in that way.”
Freddy shrugged, as they sat in silence for a few minutes. After a while, Michael’s father spoke up again.
“You know, I always thought you should be a politician.”
“Oh?” Freddy asked, with a curious tone in his voice. “Why’s that?”
“You’re such a diplomatic guy and a real people person. A man’s man, despite, well, you know.”
Freddy raised an eyebrow at this comment.
“Never mind” Michael’s father said, trying to move on to his main point. “So you have a real way of dealing with people. You’re a natural at it. You should really consider a career in public service.”
“I just don’t know, Ralph. I don’t think I can deal with all the aggravation and stress involved. Plus, all these people tend to be total bottom of the barrel scum and I consider myself to be a person of integrity. I know Michael’s going to try to put the kibosh on this, but what I really want to be is a public defender when I graduate from law school. I really want to help people and it’s the best way I know how to do it. It just doesn’t pay well and Michael is all about making the most money we can.”
“Follow your dreams, Freddy. That’s all I’ve got to say about that. If that’s what you want to do, then do it. Michael will come around to it eventually.”
“I don’t know, Ralph. You know how he is better than anyone.”
“Freddy, call me dad.”
“Huh?”
“Call me dad. I am your father in law, so you might as well call me dad.”
“Uh, no. You may be my father in law, but you certainly don’t act like one.”
“Look, I know I shouldn’t have blown off going to your wedding, but—“
“It’s more than that, Ralph. It’s the fact that you’ve never accepted my relationship with your son. You think we’re a bunch of deviants who are going to hell because we fuck and love each other. I can’t call someone who thinks so poorly of who I am and what I do with my husband a father.”
“Freddy, I love you.”
“What?”
A silence fell over the room for a moment, before Michael’s father continued.
“I love you, Freddy.”
“You, you what?” Freddy stuttered out.
“You heard me. I love you. You’re my son. Sure, you’re not my biological flesh and blood like Michael is, but you’re my son in law and for all intents and purposes, you’re my son. You’re Michael’s life partner and that isn’t going to change. I realize that now. I’ve known you since you were fifteen and watched you grow up into the upstanding young man you are today. I may have blown it by refusing to go to your wedding this year, but I want you to know that I love you as my son. Sure, you’re my son in law, but that doesn’t really matter. You’re my son, Freddy, and I love you very much.”
Freddy sat silently, as he watched his father in law shed in a tear in his eye. He began to shed tears as well.
“Freddy, I know I’ve blown it for you and Michael multiple times. I had a heart to heart chat with him yesterday and I know he’s upset about the fact that I don’t treat you the way you ought to be treated. He loves you very much and as his husband, you’re my family too. I’ve always liked you, Freddy. You’re a good guy. I just have my upbringing that kind of gets in the way of everything. I’ve had to work long and hard to put all of that aside, but it’s really, really tough, man, especially with it being as ingrained as it is.
“I want to work towards making things right with the people I love for the time I have remaining here on Earth. I want to try to make things right with my son. I want to make things right with you, my other son. Please give me the chance to try to patch things up with you, Freddy. You’re my boy. By marriage, granted, but you are my son. I want you to know that I love you and support you.”
Freddy began to weep, as Michael’s father let out a few more tears.
“Come here” Michael’s father said, as he motioned Freddy into his lap.
Freddy began to sob in to his father in law’s hairy chest. He would normally be turned on by the feel of silky hairs on his face and the masculine musk emanating off of his father in law’s body. For the moment, though, he was lost in the release of letting his emotions go.
“There there” Michael’s father said, as he put his hand on Freddy’s head and pat it gently. “Let it all out. Don’t hold this all in on account of silly old me.”
Freddy continued to cry for a few minutes, before he sat up and wiped his nose.
“Sorry for leaving a mess in your chest hair” Freddy apologized, as he sniffled and looked at the snot stuck between the black and white hairs. “I just didn’t expect to hear you say all of that. Michael says you have no ability to lie, so it really touched me that you meant all of what you said just now.”
“Of course I do, Freddy” Michael’s father replied sincerely, as he went with his instinct and put his arm around his son in law's shoulder. “I meant every word of it. It’s not because I’m trying to overstay my welcome here or get something from you guys. I want to try to make things right with you because I feel I need to. I need to be able to live with myself and sleep well at night. Let me try to make things right with you, somehow. I don’t know how I can, considering what I’ve done to you and Michael in the past, but if there’s anything I can do to try to patch things up, I’m willing to do it. If you need something from me, just tell me and I’ll make it happen.”
Freddy continued to blink tears away from his eyes, as he looked at Michael’s father, staring at him with a smile on his face. His hand made it way into his father in law’s chest hair, which he noticed in that moment. Feeling slightly embarrassed, he attempted to pull it away, before Michael’s father placed his hand on Freddy’s.
“Don’t move it” he insisted. “It’s fine. You can keep it there.”
“You sure?” Freddy asked, unsure of this was a good idea.
“Positive. Besides, I kind of like it when you do that.”
“Uh…”
“In a platonic sort of way, Freddy. Not like that. It’s kind of like…you know how a dog likes it when you rub its belly and scratch it behind the ears.”
Freddy thought for a moment, as he remembered his time as the German Shepherd, Fido. Smiling, Freddy nodded, not wanting to reveal his previous canine experiences to his father in law.
“So” Michael’s father continued “it’s like that. It’s like how when a dog is happy to see you…I mean, I don’t really know this from personal experience because, as you know, I’m allergic to dogs. However, I’ve seen it on TV enough times to know what it’s like. A dog sees its owner come home, it jumps up and down and then pants and wags its tail happily as they are scratched behind the ears and pet all over.”
Freddy became lost in his memories of his time as Fido. Though the experience left him with him psychological scars and he nearly died, he felt happy that he got to find out what life was like on all fours. It was simpler in some ways. No work, no chores, no responsibility. Just being alive, eating and running around. The only purpose in life was to make your owner happy. Freddy cherished the memories, but knew he couldn’t share them with his father in law.
Smiling as he pretended to listen, Michael’s father continued speaking.
“So that’s what it’s like. I know I kind of freaked out on you the last time you did this, but…I’m a little tipsy right now and we’re not…well, you know.”
“I know” Freddy replied, as he continued to rub his hand through his father in law’s salt and pepper chest hair.
“So have at it, is what I’m trying to say, I guess.”
Freddy nodded, as he rubbed his hand through the thick chest hair for a few minutes. He enjoyed the feel of his father in law's fur and relished the pointy feeling of his nipples. The occasional flick of Freddy's hand over his father in law's nipple caused the hairy man to moan quietly in appreciation. At a certain point, Freddy noticed that Michael’s father had dozed off. Getting up from the sofa bed, Freddy went back to the tablet and continued working on his homework.
An hour later, Freddy could hear Michael’s father yawning from the couch.
“How long was I out for?” Michael’s father asked, as he got up from the sofa bed.
“Only about an hour or so” Freddy answered, as he continued working from his tablet.
“I guess I’m not getting enough sleep at night.”
“You might get better sleep in your own bed.”
Michael’s father nodded, as he stepped into the bathroom. After urinating, he went to wash his hands, before he slipped and fell in the bathroom.
“Ow!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.
“Are you ok?” Freddy replied nervously, as he got up from the table and ran into the bathroom.
Freddy opened the door to find his father in law lying on the floor. Michael’s father rubbed his head, as he struggled to get back up again.
“What happened?” Freddy asked, as he leaned down and helped Michael’s father up from off the floor.
“I just fell” Michael’s father replied, with a harsh sound of pain in his voice. “I’m ok now.”
Freddy noticed that Michael’s father hobbled as he walked.
“You’re not walking right” Freddy said. “We should go see a doctor.”
“We don’t have to do that” Michael’s father replied. “I’m fine. Just let me go lie down.”
“You’re bleeding from your knee. We should have that checked out. Now come on. Let’s get you dressed so we can take you to see a doctor.”
“Freddy, come on. We don’t have to do this.”
“We have to do this, Ralph, unless you want me to call 911.”
“Don’t do that. I’m fine, I swear.”
“Then get dressed into the clothes you came here in and let’s go.”
“But they stink, Freddy, and I stink.”
“They’ll check you out and then you can take a shower when we get back. Now come on. Get dressed.”
Michael’s father sighed, as he found his clothes on the bathroom floor and struggled to put them back on again.
“Need help, Ralph?” Freddy asked.
“I’m good, Freddy” he replied. “Thank you though.”
After getting dressed, Freddy helped his father in law go down to the parking garage to get into his car. While Freddy normally would have just gone to an urgent care center, he suspected that Michael’s father had underlying ailments that needed more pressing medical attention. Making a determination on the spot, he drove out of the lot and headed in the direction of the nearest hospital.
A short drive later, Freddy pulled up to the patient admission center at Mercy General hospital.
“Why are we here?” Michael’s father asked. “I thought you said we were going to the urgent care center.”
Freddy ignored him, as he drove up to a security guard.
“Patient drop off?” the guard asked.
“I need to have my father in law, Ralph Scavolini, checked out. He may have damaged his knee and I suspect he has some underlying health problems.”
“One second.”
A nurse came out of the hospital with a wheelchair. Putting the flashing lights on in his car, Freddy got out and helped the nurse put his father in law into the wheelchair.
“Where are we going?” Michael’s father asked the nurse.
“To get you better” the nurse replied, as he wheeled him into the hospital.
Finding a spot in the visitor lot, Freddy made his way inside and went through the security procedures. Once this was done, he was told to go to the ER unit and wait for a doctor to speak with him. An hour or so passed in the waiting room, before a doctor came out to see him.
“Freddy Benson?” the doctor called out, which caused Freddy to get up and go over to him. “You’re Ralph’s son in law, correct?”
“Yes doctor” Freddy replied.
“Might I ask if he has any immediate family in the area?”
“My husband, his son Michael, is at work and his wife, Irene, is in Europe on a cruise.”
“I see. Any uncles, aunts, parents, brothers or sisters maybe?”
“Parents died twenty five years ago or so and he doesn’t have any brothers or sisters. Not sure of any aunts and uncles. He never mentioned them.”
“I see. So let me give you the initial diagnosis. The knee was bruised up, but it was not broken. Maybe a sprain, but that just requires some rest. What we’re really concerned with his are vital signs. His liver numbers are at dangerous levels and we suspect he may have kidney failure. If further tests and scans show any severe damage or signs of organ failure, then we’re going to have to keep Mr. Scavolini over night for further evaluation.”
“Ok.”
“If you wouldn’t mind getting in contact with both his wife and his son, your husband, I would really appreciate it. I need authorization from his immediate family if we are to perform surgery or engage in other forms of high risk treatment.”
“Sure, let me get right on that.”
“If your husband comes here tonight, please let the secretary know so I can speak with him privately.”
“Yes doctor.”
“We’re going to do the best we can for your father in law. I’ll try to come out again later to give you an update.”
Freddy nodded, as the doctor went back into the emergency room hall. After a brief moment passed where he processed the seriousness of the situation, Freddy stepped out into the lobby and made a few phone calls. His first one was to Michael.
At the iThink office in downtown Sacramento, Michael sat in a plain looking conference room with Diya and a bunch of members of the company board. By this point in the development process, the website had attracted serious interest from investors and major firms alike. To try to make decisions without personal bias or the lack of dissenting voices, Diya set up a board of advisors that would serve to counter her instincts on professional matters.
While Diya was satisfied with the people she hired, Michael was not. He felt very wary of these wall street investor types, who were predatory and looking to make a quick buck. He had a bad feeling about them, one that would quickly prove right on the money.
During this afternoon meeting, one of the advisors spoke about the plans for the big iThink showcase at the end of the week.
“This may be the single most important day in the company’s history so far” the advisor said passionately. “Every potential investor from around the world will be there. We’ve worked hard to build up the buzz that we have for our social network. The time has finally come to see our years of effort bear fruit. Once we get the funding we need, we’re ready to make this website fully operational.”
The board applauded enthusiastically, as Diya beamed with pride. Michael let out a weaker smile, but clapped along with them.
“Very good” Diya spoke up. “We have waited so long for this moment and the time has finally arrived. What started as a crazy idea of mine in my Harvard dorm room six years ago now has the potential to change the world forever. I couldn’t have gotten here without all of your guidance and support throughout this often tiring and stressful process.”
The board members applauded at the praise given to them by Diya.
“I especially would like to acknowledge the co-founder of our company, Michael. He is my best friend and his contributions helped to make iThink take off like a rocket in our beta testing phase. The tweaks to the design and interface may have seen small, but when we looked at the focus group reactions to the alterations, it made all the difference.”
Michael smiled with pride, as the board members applauded. He knew that he hadn’t put in the blood, sweat and tears that Diya had to make the social network rise in position for the global domination that was to come. However, his contributions over the years, both in their Harvard days and more recently, did make iThink as attractive to investors as it was. Sometimes, small contributions can make a very big difference.
When the applause subsided, Diya continued speaking.
“The next two days are critical. We need everyone on board at all hours of the day and night. It would be best if we all hunkered down and prepared for the showcase. If this company is to get the critical funding we need to continue on, then our presentation and the final iteration of our website need to be 100% perfect. We cannot afford for anything to go amiss. That means all hands have to be on deck.”
The members of the board yelled out in agreement.
“Starting tonight, I need all the employees who work under us to commit to being here for the duration of the week. No going home and only eat meals in the office. Time is running out and we need to make sure everything is as ready as it can be for the showcase.”
Just as Diya finished this sentence, Michael’s cell phone rang.
“Michael!” she hissed. “What did I tell you about having your phone on during meetings?”
“Sorry” Michael replied, feeling incredibly embarrassed.
Michael ignored the call and turned his phone over to vibrate mode.
“As I was saying” Diya continued “there are two areas of work we need to clean up in these next 45 or so hours. For our presentation team, parse every word of my speech and analyze it again and again. Make sure we mean what we say and say what we mean. Go through with a fine comb and evaluate each word in every sentence. Timing, diction, alliteration. Every syllable needs to perfectly convey our message. As for our website team…”
As Diya continued speaking, Michael’s phone buzzed. Briefly glancing down at it, he could see a message from Freddy.
“Freddy: Come to the hospital ASAP! I took your father here after he fell in our bathroom. He has severe liver damage and signs of kidney failure. Prognosis is not good. Doctors need to consult with you. Get down here as soon as you can.”
Letting out a gasp, Michael hid his phone away and fidgeted in his seat.
“So for the after party planners” Diya continued “we need…”
Diya paused for a moment, as she noticed Michael fidgeting in his seat.
“Michael?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”
“Uh, well, I—“ he stuttered out in reply.
“I know this is a big day for our company, but getting nervous is not helpful here. We have to stay calm.”
“Diya, I’ve got to go. I have an emergency.”
“Michael, what the fuck are you doing?”
Michael got up and made his way to the door of the conference room.
“Diya, it’s an emergency. My father is in the hospital and the doctor needs to go over with me options about what kind of treatments they can be approved to use.”
“Michael, can’t Freddy take care of that? We need all hands on deck right now. These next few days are make or break for the entire company.”
“Diya, my dad is in the hospital. He’s—“
“Who the fuck cares?! That man didn’t show up to your wedding and has prevented you from being more involved at this company during critical times. Don’t let him fuck up your professional life more than he already has.”
“Diya, the only other person who can grant authorization right now is my mother and she’s out at sea at the moment. I have to go down there.”
“No. You do not have permission to leave. Everybody has to be here for the next 45 or so hours until the presentation is over. I can’t afford to have you leave right now.”
“I have to, Diya. You know this.”
“I know no such thing. Now sit down and let’s get on with this meeting. Time is of the essence, here.”
Ignoring Diya’s commands, Michael stormed out of the room.
“Unbelievable” Diya said, as she slouched down in her seat. “Un-fucking-believable.”
The board members looked at Diya nervously, waiting for her response. After she took a brief pause to compose herself, she sat back up and continued on with the strategy session.
Running down the stairs of the building, Michael was filled with a sense of panic. He knew that the meeting he left was critically important, but his father’s health really seemed to be on the line here. He hoped that he didn’t bail on Diya for a big nothing burger, but seeing how his father had been acting, Michael suspected that it was serious.
Outside the office building, Michael hailed a taxi.
“Mercy General hospital” Michael said to the cab driver, who nodded as he got in the car.
Michael was filled with a sense of fear and panic on the drive over to the hospital. Pulling into the entrance, Michael got out of the cab and ran as fast as he could inside. Impatiently tapping his feet as he made his way through the security procedures, he immediately bolted to the emergency room waiting room when it was done. Seeing Freddy sitting in a chair by the door, Michael sat down next to him and gave him a hug.
“I got here as fast as I could” Michael said. “I really shouldn’t have left the meeting, but this was too important for me to stay behind.”
“I didn’t think you even received my message" Freddy replied "as you didn’t respond to it. I wouldn’t have even thought to call you during an important meeting like that, but this was an absolute emergency. It doesn’t sound good, Michael.”
Michael felt a sinking feeling in his chest, as Freddy pointed to the secretary at the desk.
“Go tell her you’re here” Freddy insisted. “The doctor said to let him know as soon as you got here.”
Michael nodded, as he went over to let the secretary know he had arrived. She paged the doctor, as Michael sat back down next to Freddy. A few minutes later, the doctor came back into the waiting room.
“Michael Scavolini” the doctor called out.
“That’s me” Michael replied, as he got up and went over to talk to the doctor. “How is he holding up?”
“Not good, I’m afraid. He has a bit of jaundice, but the main issues are his kidneys and liver. He came in with a sprained knee, but when we performed some other tests, we found his liver numbers were at dangerous levels and the scans we performed found severe damage to his kidneys. We suspect it may be a result of potential alcoholism and an abuse of prescription pain medications.”
“Oh my god.”
“We need to talk to you later about what kind of treatments and procedures we’re authorized to use in case it is necessary. For now, would you like to see your father?”
“Yes, of course. Can my husband join us?”
“Certainly.”
Michael motioned to Freddy to come over, which his husband did willingly. The two of them followed the doctor to a screened off section of the floor. Once there, the doctor opened the curtain and motioned them inside.
“Ralph Scavolini” the doctor said, as he entered the makeshift room. “Your son and your son in law are here to see you.”
“Michael?” his father eked out quietly, as he looked up from his hospital bed.
Michael’s father was wearing a medical gown, which hid the hairy chest he displayed earlier. He looked weak and tired, with pain evident in his face. He was hooked up to various machines and other devices to keep his blood flow moving and to monitor his vital signs.
“I’ll leave them alone with you for a little bit” the doctor said, as he made his way out of the screened off area. “A nurse should be coming by in a little while to get some more blood drawn.”
“Oh great” Michael’s father grumbled. “More blood work.”
“It’s for the best. You enjoy your son and your son in law’s company.”
When the doctor left, Michael turned to look at his father.
“Dad?” he asked. “Dad? What happened today?”
“Nothing” his father replied. “This is all a big nothing burger. Freddy overreacted and sent me here. We were supposed to go to the urgent care clinic and he takes me here instead. I hate hospitals. I’m totally fine, really. Just a little sprain in my knee, that’s all. No reason to get all hooked up like this.”
“That’s not true” Freddy replied. “The doctor said you have damaged kidneys and high liver numbers. If your organs start to fail, you’re going to die.”
“Ah, what does he know?”
“A lot, actually” Michael replied, as he went to hold his father’s hand. “That’s why he has a doctorate in medicine.”
Michael’s father grumbled, while his son held his hand. Freddy decided to leave the two of them alone, as he made his way out of the screened off area.
“I’ve had my fair share of him for a lifetime” Freddy thought to himself, as he made his way back to the waiting room.
Once he was there, he spotted his parents sitting in some chairs.
“Mom! Dad!” Freddy exclaimed, as he hurried over to greet his parents.
Freddy had called them after reaching out to Michael. His husband wasn’t the only one needing some comfort at this time. Freddy could use his parents support. Fortunately, they were happy to come into the city to lend it.
“Oh Freddy” his mother said, as she went in for a hug. “It’s so good to see you. We came up here as soon as we got the message. Traffic was a bit of a pain, but we managed.”
“How is he holding up, son?” his father asked, as he went in to hug him.
“Not great” Freddy replied honestly. “His kidneys are failing and his liver numbers at dangerous levels.”
“Oh no” his mother gasped.
“I’m sure the doctors will do everything in their power to help him” his father replied, with an assuring tone in his voice. “So can we go back there to see him?”
“Immediate family only” the secretary replied from her desk, in a curt tone.
“You’ll have to wait until he gets a room to pay him a visit” Freddy said, as he sat his parents down in some chairs in the waiting room. “For now, let’s catch up.”
“We booked a hotel room for a few nights” his father said “so we can be here while this is all going on.”
“I’m sure you could use the moral support” his mother added “and any advice about medical treatment Michael may need.”
“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it” Freddy replied, as he saw Michael entering the waiting room. “Speaking of which, here he is now.”
Freddy got up to give Michael a big hug. Freddy’s parents got up and did the same.
“I’m so sorry this is happening to you, Michael” Freddy’s mother said sympathetically, as she embraced Michael tightly. “I wouldn’t wish this upon anyone.”
“Thank you, Linda” Michael replied, as he let go of her.
“We’re here to help if you need anything” Freddy’s father added, as he went in for a hug.
“I appreciate that, Doug. Thank you both for coming. Speaking of help, Freddy, can you watch my father for a little while? I have to call my mother.”
“Sure thing” Freddy replied, as he made his way back into the emergency room.
“I’ll just be a few minutes” Michael said, as he left for the lobby.
“Sure thing” Freddy’s mother replied.
“We’ll be right here waiting for you when you get back” Freddy’s father added.
Michael made his way into the hospital lobby and pulled up his email on his phone. His mother had said not to call her cabin unless it was an emergency. He had determined that this justified interrupting her trip. Pulling up the emergency info from his mother’s cruise itinerary, Michael pushed the number and it dialed on his phone. After a few rings, an operator answered on the other end of the line.
“King and Queen cruise line, this is Maria speaking. How can I help you today?”
“I need to reach an Irene Scavolini, room 1217, aboard the Queen Helen.”
“One moment, sir.”
The operator patched the call through to room 1217 aboard the Queen Helen cruise ship. The ship was just a short distance off the coast of Norway. Inside the cabin, Michael’s mother slept peacefully in a double bed next to her friend, Ann. In that moment, their peaceful rest was interrupted by the phone ringing loudly.
“Huh?” Michael’s mother said, as she yawned. “Ann, did you set an early morning wake up call yesterday?”
“No” Ann grumbled in reply, sounding groggy as well “I didn’t.”
Dragging herself to the phone, Michael’s mother picked it up and coughed before she spoke.
“Hello?” she asked, sounding a bit hoarse.
“Mom, it’s Michael. I have an emergency situation on my hands.”
“What is it, dear? Can’t it wait a few hours? It’s only 5 AM here in Norway.”
“Mom, dad is in the hospital.”
Michael’s mother's eyes immediately lit up, as she felt a sense of panic wash over her.
“Are you serious?” she asked nervously. “This isn’t some sort of prank, right Michael?”
“I’m afraid not, mom.”
“Oh my lord, no!”
“What’s going on?” Ann asked, as she got up from her bed.
“Ralph is in the hospital!”
“Oh no.”
“Michael, what happened?” his mother asked over the phone.
“Dad’s been staying over here the last two nights because he’s lonely and misses you. This morning, Freddy said he hurt his knee in the bathroom, so he took him to the hospital to get it checked out. When the doctors performed some tests, they found he had damaged kidneys and signs of liver failure. It sounds really bad, mom.”
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. I knew I shouldn’t have come on this trip. I knew I shouldn’t have left him alone by himself.”
“Mom, calm down. You needed to take a vacation.”
“I shouldn’t have left your father alone for thirty days. This was a big mistake. If I couldn’t convince him to come with us, then I should have just stayed home. Oh man, I need to get off this ship right now.”
“Irene, what’s going on?” Ann asked, sounding concerned, as she put a supportive hand on her friend’s shoulder.
“Ralph’s in the hospital for kidney damage and liver failure. I’ve got to get off this ship right now and get back home as soon as possible.”
“Irene, I’m sure Michael can handle it on his own. It’ll be fine.”
“Mom” Michael said. “You don’t have to come home. I just needed to let you know in case the doctor has to call you.”
“No, Michael” his mother replied, as she began to gather her things together. “You don’t understand. Your father has been drinking too much and mixing it with these Vicodin’s he’s been taking from a friend of his. It’s pretty much caught up with him now, so it’s only a matter of time before his organs start to shut down.”
“Wait, what?!?! When were you going to tell me all of this?”
“You didn’t want to know. You were mad at your father for abandoning you on your wedding day, so I assumed you didn’t care to know anything about how he was doing.”
“Oh my god, mom. You should have told me this sooner.”
“I have to get off this ship right now. Ann, pull up the computer and get me information about flights home from Bergen.”
“Ok” Ann replied, as she made her way over to her computer.
“Michael, our ship arrives in port in about two hours. Once we’ve been approved to dock by customs, I’m getting my luggage and heading off to the airport. I should be home in a little more than 24 hours from now. If your father falls into a coma, please keep him alive until I get back, ok?”
“Yes, mom, but hopefully it doesn’t come to that.”
“I love you, Michael. I’ll see you in a day or so.”
“Love you too, mom. Safe travels home.”
Michael hung up the phone and noticed there was a message from Diya.
“Diya: 10 AM private meeting tomorrow. We need to talk.”
“Oh no” Michael thought to himself, as he made his way back to the waiting room.
During his time at the hospital, the board members had a frank discussion with Diya about Michael’s disappearance from their all important meeting.
“This is the last straw” one of the board members said bluntly. “After all the years he’s been the co-head of this company, this was the final straw. He spent years avoiding his responsibilities during our development phase, missed multiple important investor and strategy meetings and now is likely to bail on the company to care for his ailing father. This is the limit. We cannot take it anymore.”
The board members mumbled in approval.
“Diya” another board member said “the time has come. We need to oust Michael from the company leadership. He should not be allowed to rake in big profits off of little work if this company becomes a success. It’s not fair to the investors, it’s not fair to our employees and it’s not fair to you. We are ready to take a vote on this. All those in favor of ousting Michael from the company, raise your hand.”
All of the board members raised their hands, making the vote unanimous.
“I don’t think this is such a good idea” Diya replied “not on the verge of Friday’s presentation. Can’t this wait until afterwards before we discuss it with him?”
“No, Diya” a board member replied. “The investors and major firms at the company are going to want a definitive answer on the chain of leadership command at this company. If Michael is still listed as co-head and then we oust him so soon after the presentation, it’ll cause problems and raise concerns about the stability of our organization. We need to get rid of him now before the investor showcase on Friday.”
Diya sighed, as she thought for a moment. The choice was already made for her. There was no way she was going to overrule the board on such an important decision as this one, especially one made so unanimously. Her issues lied with how she would go about doing this and if her friendship with Michael would survive what was to come.
Although she still considered Michael her best friend, even she felt a certain bitterness over his lack of effort in building this company. He missed out on two critical years due to his need to finish his studies at Harvard and then half assed the work once he was back in charge full time. She had put in blood, sweat and tears in regards to making this company work. She felt Michael hadn’t done nearly the same amount of work, not even close. Still, she was worried about a number of things, fears she openly expressed to the board.
“We have a number of issues on our hands if we do this” Diya said to the board. “For starters, the agreement I signed with him when we first started working on the iThink platform.”
“It’s a shitty piece of paper” one of the board members chimed in. “It’s not worth the ink it’s written with.”
“It was a notarized document and, knowing Michael as well as I do, he’s going to sue us if we oust him without payment.”
“We’ll offer him a little something” another board member recommended “maybe $500,000 and he’ll be on his way.”
“There’s no way he’ll settle for such a low ball offer. He’d rather walk and take us to court than take such a low offer.”
“Then we hire lawyers and fight back” a third board member suggested. “Throw his name through the mud and financially wear him down. Court proceedings take years. Without any income coming in, and with Silicon Valley ready to blackball him on our say so, he’ll eventually fold like a cheap suit.”
“Presuming I’d even let you do all of that” Diya responded, with an irritated tone in her voice “considering he’s still my friend. Plus, he’s a Harvard graduate. He didn’t get into such a university by being stupid. He’ll play up the pity card and go on the offensive in the court of public opinion. He might lose in court, but he’ll win where it counts; with potential users of our website. He could try to sink us in spite and then we all will suffer the consequences.”
“What does he get out of it?” the first board member asked.
“The chance to see us fail. In his mind, if he can’t be part of our success, then he’d rather see us fail.”
The conference room fell silent, as they considered Diya’s logic. They all seemed to come to an agreement that she was right on these points. Michael could easily sink them, even without taking them to court, which they suspected he’d do anyway, whether he’d win or lose.
“Let me talk to him and offer up a fair severance package” Diya spoke up when no one else would. “You may not like what my highest number offer is, but I’m going to insist on him signing a non disclosure agreement in order to get the cash. That way, he’s out of the company for good and won’t go talking to the press about what’s happened here.”
The board members groaned, but ultimately gave their explicit consent.
“Don’t throw all our company’s assets into this bonfire” a board member demanded. “Our chances of success are still only 50/50.”
Diya nodded, as she asked the board to leave. As they got up, Diya sat silently, lost in her thoughts. She did not look forward to having to do this, but after all the years of neglect by her best friend, it was the seemingly inevitable conclusion to their time together at the company. Michael took his family as a priority over the company’s well being, a sentiment Diya did not share with him. She tried to be amenable in letting him work as a behind the scenes man, while she was the more public face of iThink. However, the dynamic would no longer work, as it was all just too one sided, in her estimation. It was time to end their business partnership. She just hoped it wouldn’t ruin their friendship as well.
After a few more hours of waiting at the hospital, Freddy drove Michael home for the night, while his parents made their way to the hotel they booked for a few nights stay. Exhausted after a long day, Freddy and Michael showered together and got ready for bed. The next morning, Michael got ready for his meeting with Diya. Noticing the scruff on his husband’s face, Michael pulled Freddy aside.
“Why haven’t you shaved?” Michael asked.
“I figured I’d grow it out for a few days and see how it looked” Freddy replied, as he rubbed his fingers through the two days worth of growth on his face.
“Please get rid of it. It’s making me very uncomfortable.”
“Your father told me I should try growing it out. Don’t you want to honor your father’s wishes?”
Michael paused for a moment, before he sighed in resignation.
“Fine. You can keep it for a few days, but then I want it gone. I’ll meet you at the hospital later.”
Michael gave Freddy a kiss on the lips, slightly recoiling at the prickly feel of his scruff.
“Shouldn’t you head over with me now? Freddy asked, as he pulled back from their kiss.
“I have an important meeting with Diya today” Michael replied.
“Should you really be worried about work right now?”
“I have a bad feeling about this, Freddy. Diya was really angry with me when I abruptly left the meeting yesterday. I can’t afford to blow this meeting off, too.”
“If you say so. Just come down to the hospital as soon as you can get out.”
Michael nodded, as he got his things together and left the apartment. Taking a cab to work, Michael fidgeted nervously before he arrived at the entrance to the office building. Heading upstairs, Michael arrived and entered into the iThink headquarters. He was met with glaring looks from the various employees who worked there. Despite looking ragged and sleep deprived and being knee deep in presentation materials, they managed to eye him down as he made his way to Diya’s office.
Outside the door of her office, Michael knocked on it three times.
“Come in” Diya said, before Michael opened the door.
Diya’s office was simplistic, with a bookcase, a small wooden desk and chairs. A far cry from what her future office would look like.
“Sit” Diya said, as Michael sat in the chair in front of her.
Diya sighed, as Michael looked at her, appearing extremely nervous.
“Michael, we have to talk.”
“Look, Diya. I’m sorry I bolted out of the meeting yesterday. It was just that—“
“Michael, I don’t need to hear all of this right now. It doesn’t really matter what excuse you’re going to make. A decision has already been made.”
“It’s not…wait, what?”
“Yes, Michael. I had a meeting with the board yesterday about you. Even though our focus needed to be on the presentation tomorrow, we had to set aside precious time to discuss what we were going to with you and your future at this company. A vote was cast by the board and it was unanimously decided that we are letting you go from the company leadership.”
“You what?!!?”
“Michael, calm down.”
“Diya, you can’t be fucking serious right now.”
“I am dead serious, Michael. It was decided that—“
“My father is in the hospital, dying, and you decide to spring this on me now?!”
“Michael, if you’d let me finish—“
“Diya, how could you do something like this?”
“Michael, if you’d—“
“I might lose my father and you decide to make me unemployed now?”
“If you’d let me finish, you’d find—“
“Diya, do I mean anything to you at all?”
“You do, Michael. As a friend, I—“
“As a friend, you shouldn’t have allowed the board to vote to remove me when my father is in the hospital. What shitty timing for a ‘friend’ to do something like that.”
“I’m sorry, Michael, but it wasn’t just about you leaving the meeting that prompted this vote. This is a cumulative problem that has been evident for many years now.”
“Diya—“
“Michael, look me in the eyes and tell me you’ve given everything you can to make this company positioned for global success.”
Michael sat silently, as he thought of how to respond to her question.
“You’re silent because you know you haven’t given even close to everything you have” Diya continued. “Ever since we began working on this website together six years ago, I have given this project 110%. You, on the other hand, give something closer to 5%, maybe 10% if we’re being extremely generous here. I had to man the ship, while you finished your degree at Harvard---”
“My father wouldn’t let me drop out” Michael interjected. “You know this.”
“Excuses, excuses.”
“Diya, family counts for something.”
“Michael, to make a company like this work, it requires sacrifice. Over the last two to three years, I have seen my family a total of one week during that entire time. I’ve had to spend long hours in this office, many times sleeping at my desk, to get this thing ready to take off into the stratosphere. I spent years courting the best developers I could get. I spent years taking investor meetings with horrible, racist assholes who put me down because I’m Indian and a woman. I had to put blood, sweat and tears into this company to make it work out.”
“I know, Diya. You gave a lot for this company and everyone around here appreciates it.”
“But you haven’t.”
“It’s not that I didn’t want to. I couldn’t.”
“You could have. You could have dropped out with me when I told you to and followed me out to Silicon Valley.”
“My dad took out student loan debt to pay for my schooling. He told me if I dropped out, that I was responsible for paying off the rest of it. Having that debt on my shoulders would have killed me, Diya, especially if this company were to fail.”
“That’s not really a good excuse. If you had buckled down with me and this company took off, then you would have made so much money that those loans would have been paid off immediately because they would be like pennies under the sofa.”
“But what if it hadn’t worked out, Diya? What if things don’t work out?”
“I refuse to accept failure. I believe in this company and I know it’s going to explode into something huge. Friday will be the day we’re officially put on the map.”
“Diya, you never considered the possibility that this company can go belly up. There’s no guarantee of success in life.”
“It’s not that I don’t consider it, Michael. It’s just that I can’t afford to allow myself to entertain the idea right now. I can’t have anymore distractions and things burdening me at this critical time.”
“I’m not a burden, Diya!”
“Michael, you don’t seem to appreciate not only the sacrifices I made for this company, but also to accommodate your place in it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I moved here to Sacramento so you could still live with Freddy, after spending four years living apart from each other. Do you think I wanted to set up and base our company here?”
“You said it was going to be the next tech hotspot.”
“I said that to try to put a positive spin on it, Michael. This city is boring as fuck. There’s no culture and there’s no action. Sure, the capital is here and that makes it easy to get access to lawmakers and such, but we’re not where the tech people are.”
“We’re only an hour and a half away from Silicon Valley.”
“We’re not in Silicon Valley, Michael, and that’s been a major burden in our company’s growth. I made sacrifices not just for the company, but for you, and all you do is put more pressure on me and make me carry the entire ship on my own. I’ve had enough.”
Diya pulled up her laptop and showed Michael a financial estimate form.
“The board wanted to royally screw you over with a severance pay of just $500,000” Diya continued.
“$500,000!” Michael shrieked out loudly. “Are they fucking serious? Are you fucking serious? We have a legal agreement, Diya. I am entitled to 50% of all of the company’s profits.”
“Profits that have yet to materialize. Despite the revenue we’ve been getting, we’re operating at a loss.”
“You can’t just throw me out like this. Our contract didn’t stipulate a provision to allow the board to throw me out on a vote.”
“The vote isn’t the final arbitrator, Michael. I am.”
“Diya, why didn’t you overrule them?”
“Because I’m tired of this shit, Michael. I’m tired of your excuses. I’m tired of your failure to show up. I’m tired of having to carry this company on my shoulders all alone. If I’m going to have to do all the work around here, then I deserve to reap in all of the profits.”
Diya entered a financial estimate into her laptop.
“I did the math and determined what a fairer compensation payout would look like. Factoring in potential growth at a 50/50 odds basis, factoring in for both massive success and failure, and combining your contributions to the company, both development wise and labor, I have determined that this is a fair amount of money to compensate you with for the time and effort you have given to this company.”
The amount of $10 million flashed upon her laptop screen.
“That’s still a lowball offer, Diya. After taxes, that’s only about $4 million. If this company takes off, as you confidently say it will, then I’m out potentially millions, maybe even billions of dollars.”
“Again, I did the math and the odds. I’m taking a big gamble with this offer, Michael. I could have tried to lowball you down even further into the $4-5 million territory, before taxes, but I decided to go with the highest offer I was willing to give you to leave on amicable terms. If this company takes off, then, well, you should have given more of your time and effort to making this work. If it goes belly up, then we have a big financial problem on our hands and I’m on the hook for a lot of cash. Much more than your father would have been if you had dropped out from Harvard.”
Michael stared at the amount on the screen, as he processed what was happening to him in real time. After all the years of friendship they had together, he felt betrayed by the person he considered as his best mate. They had spent years together developing the company, but more importantly, they spent a lot of that time laughing together, sharing each other’s problems, leaning on each other in times of trouble and being there for each other when they needed it. All of that was about to fly out the window of her office, metaphorically speaking.
Sighing, Michael did the math in his head. Diya had crossed every I and dotted every T. From a statistics standpoint, it made all the sense in the world. From a personal standpoint, however, he felt betrayed that his best friend was throwing him out, at an emotionally unstable time in his life.
Michael thought he could try to sue her and see if they’d give a better offer from a legal settlement, but he knew what the risks of going that route were. If the lawsuit were to dampen investor confidence, then the company would go belly up and he’d be left with nothing. His preference would have been to stay on in a leadership capacity, but since that was no longer an option, he determined that taking the severance was the best option he had available to him.
“Fine” Michael agreed reluctantly, as he resigned himself to his fate. “I’ll take the offer.”
“Just so you know” Diya replied, as she handed him a piece of paper “you need to sign this before I transfer the money over to you.”
Michael saw that the top of the document said “Non-Disclosure Agreement.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Michael asked incredulously.
“It’s so you don’t go and talk to the press” Diya responded, as she pushed the paper in his direction. “It’s so we can be absolutely sure that you don’t go and try to attack us with a lawsuit later, in case the company takes off in a big way.”
“But if I sign this, then no one will ever know that I had anything to do with this company.”
“Take it or leave it, Michael. The choice is yours.”
This stipulation make the choice even tougher. Not only was being pushed out, but his contributions, some of them critical to iThink’s development, were going to be erased from history. It was an even harder blow to take, on top of the blows he had already received in the last few days. Knowing he had no other choice, Michael sighed, as he signed the agreement, with tears in his eyes.
When he was done, Diya transferred the money over to Michael’s bank account.
“We’ll send you over a 1099 at the end of the year to send back to the IRS. On behalf of the company, I’d like to thank you for all you’ve contributed throughout your time at iThink.”
Diya stood up to try to shake Michael’s hand. Michael refused to extend it.
“Just so you know” Michael said, as he got up to leave her office “with this severance comes the end of our friendship. After all the years we’ve shared together, to throw me out like this, at a time when my father is on his death bed, is so unbelievably cruel and horrible, that I could never bring myself to look past this and stay friends with you ever again. I hope you were aware of that before you agreed with the board’s decision. Have a nice life, Diya. A life that I won’t be a part of anymore.”
Michael left Diya’s office and slammed the door shut behind him. Sitting back in her seat, Diya began to quietly sob. This was the one thing she feared most in her meeting today. She knew in the back of her mind that Michael would not take this decision well, but she thought he’d handle it in a more mature and responsible way than he did. It was just business, in her mind, not a decision based on any personal animosity towards him.
Still, in that moment, she wondered if she should have kept her mouth shut and never told him about her idea for iThink during their days together at Harvard. If she had insisted that they stayed friends and not gone into business together, perhaps their friendship would have survived. It was too late now to regret and ponder over the what ifs and could have beens in her life. She had an important day tomorrow and needed to move forward. Still, this day would haunt her in the back of her mind for the rest of her life. She just hoped, in that moment, that it wasn’t truly the end of their friendship.
In the present time....