Dallas, Texas
"Now hold on a minute there Jack, I like having you around, but if you want to stay welcome then there are a few facts you need to get straight. The '30s were an important time for me, Jason, and Digger, we all went wildcatting together, we started working on already established wells, then we branched off into drilling on sites we secured ourselves. We formed an unofficial partnership, moving from small bits of land to other small bits of land, wherever Digger's nose told him there was something to be found. There was no Ewing Oil, we leased each piece of land under our personal names, not as directors or owners of a company, any company, be it Ewing Oil or not. Ewing Oil is and has always been my company, from the day I registered it as a company, to date; when I retire, part of it will become JR's, and one day, it will all be JR's, and eventually, John Ross will follow in our footsteps. Presently, Ewing Oil is not just as much yours as it is JR's, I'm sure you understand that, but you seem to be confused about the history of the company itself. Not even historically is Ewing Oil just as much yours as it is JR's, because while Jason and I did business together in the past, that business was not Ewing Oil business. Jason and I split our business interests long ago, I went in one direction, he went in another, I built an empire, he chose to think smaller; if any other man chose that path I'd be inclined to think he wasn't all there if you know what I mean, not Jason though, he and I just wanted different things. Ewing Oil is mine, it always has been, and if you want to stay here in Dallas, you need to lose the sense of entitlement you have to it".
"If you're serious about the oil business too, I suggest you be proactive and start making some connections of your own, you can begin here at Southfork, Bobby is a public relations expert, and JR, second only to me, knows almost everything there is to know about oil. From geological maps and estimates, to drilling, to economics, and the laws we're roughly bound by, JR knows it and he knows who to contact in what situation. Nothing in this world is just given to you though, you have to work for it, and if necessary, you have to take it. I appreciate your commitment to earning your keep, there's nothing worse than a man who relies on others for everything while making no effort himself, but if you're going to like it here, not just get by on whatever you scrape together, you need to make a plan, not just have a backup plan. If you want to do business with me, approach me with an offer and if it's worth anything, we'll talk. Before that though, work on reining in your sense of entitlement; Ewing Oil isn't historically or presently yours, and even if Jason and I had gone into business, since he's alive, albeit uninvolved, whatever share of the profits he would be entitled to would be paid directly to him, as per the original deal we had".
Responding to his nephew in a gruff, serious tone of voice, Jock Ewing watched him closely to see his reaction; at first, his shoulder slumped and he looked down at his plate, but soon enough, he had straightened his back and made eye contact again, nodding occasionally as he listened to the advice he was being given. JR might have been right in his earlier concerns, perhaps Jack wasn't quite the perfect employee/family member he had defended him as being; he had come to Dallas with more on his mind than a tour of the office and a new family, he had just admitted that. Still though, to Jock, who thought himself a pretty good judge of character, Jack wasn't a bad guy. He was young, naïve, had been fed a somewhat idealised version of the past, and wanted to recreate that in his future, but he wasn't a bad person, he hadn't come to Dallas to destroy anyone or anything, and he certainly didn't know enough about anything to be a threat. JR on the other hand, he'd learnt from the best, the best being him, his father, founder and president of Ewing Oil; JR ought to know a lot and everyone who encountered him ought to know that he was not someone to cross, and most of the time, they did. From the way JR was looking at Jack at the moment too, it seemed he really wanted to drive that point home, and when he opened his mouth to speak, he knew he was right.
"You hear that Jack? Ewing Oil is no more historically yours than it is that idiot Cliff Barnes', in fact, if we went by length of time our daddies spent wildcatting together, Cliff Barnes would actually be more entitled, his daddy's a useless drunk, but at least he didn't bolt at the first major roadblock. None of that matters now though does it? Since your daddy holds no entitlement, and therefore you're not entitled to anything, to discuss anything otherwise is just a waste of time. You call me cold and suspicious, and I am, because I don't see why you'd be here if you weren't looking for some kind of handout, and from everything you describe, that's exactly what you're here for. Knowledge is power, and power is not something you're given…"
"Enough!" turning his head, along with the rest of the family, Jock found himself staring into his wife's eyes as she glared icily at him. "This was supposed to be a nice family dinner, but as usual it's turned into something much more and it's not appropriate. Sue Ellen, I appreciate you asking Jack about himself, but please, next time, keep your questions away from business. Jock, JR, you two should know better too; this all seems like a conversation you should be having in an office, perhaps with official records easily accessible. Finally, Jack, I understand that Ewing Oil is appealing, but don't make that all you're here for, or even a majority of the reason you're here; we've already endured one family crisis in relation to the company, I'm not sure we can deal with another one and I certainly don't want to find out if we are. If you're here to get to know all of us, perhaps build a new life for yourself, then that's fine, but please, and this goes for all of you, no more talk of Ewing Oil tonight".
Noting that everyone fell silent as his wife spoke, Jock nodded and slowly made eye contact with everyone at the table; Ellie had a point, they did usually try to avoid overtaking family time with business talk, though they weren't always successful. With a guest and children present now though, they really ought to be more cautious with their actions; remaining in control was a good thing, but in the chaos of a dinner discussion, control wasn't easily achieved. The office, his domain, was definitely the place to continue their discussion.
To be continued…