Garet frowned as he sipped his tea. The bartender was sitting in a stool
that he would inevitably be servicing had it been nighttime. He made
himself idle against the bar as he read the morning newspaper. The same
old news ran across its flimsy pages. There were the same old editorials
and the same old stories about the economy, the growing civil disorder and
discontent in Hesperia, the government, organized crime, police
incompetence. . . nothing really peaked his interest, but he decided at
random to pick a story to read, and that is exactly what he did.
"Local Factory Owner Perishes In Sleep. by: Dargon Jones, Tolbi Sun staff writer.
TOLBI- April 10th. One of Tolbi's many factory owners passed away in his sleep last night. He was found by his sole direct relative, his daughter. At her request, their names have been withheld for the sake of privacy. It was said that the deceased was rumored to be on shaky financial grounds, possibly with misreported profits or miscalculations in the bank books. However, these rumors are not substantiated and that his steel factory's bank books are currently sealed pending his death until the company is placed under new management. His sole survivor has not confirmed whether she will take over the textile factory, but it is reasoned to believe she will resume business as usual as soon as all the deceased's affairs are in complete order."
Garet sighed as he put aside the paper. He had been lucky enough to receive enough education to read when he was young, much like Isaac. The factories in which their fathers worked were required by law to provided elementary education to the children of the workers, so Garet and Isaac both caught a lucky break. Jenna had been able to do the same thing, but the most amusing thing about it was that she refused to be put in the class with girls and demanded that she be given the same education as the boys. Eventually, the instructor gave in and allowed Jenna in the very same class the two other Adepts were. Yes, Jenna had been that stubborn since she was young, and that's perhaps one of the reasons why Garet adored her so much. Then again, that same stubborn attitude was the same thing that gave the male Mars Adept headache after headache.
"Anything good in the news today, dear?" Jenna asked, pulling up a seat as close as she could get to Garet. She leaned onto him, resting herself on his muscular arm. Her tone was soft and loving; an occurrence that only happened when they were alone together.
"There never is." Garet sighed. "Only more grief. I don't even know why I read the paper anymore." The Mars Adept had been correct. Nothing ever good came of the papers; after all, good news was never profitable. Bad news is what sold papers, and therefore the papers preyed on the misfortunes of others to survive, much like a thief. However, newspapers, unlike thieves, never got their divine retribution; there was no law against what they did, yet they made some feel horrible about themselves and made the others glad they weren't the prey.
"Well, times could always be worse, my dear Garet." She said, softly.
"I suppose you're correct." He replied. The Mars Adept looked into his fiancée's deep eyes. Within them, Garet found some kind of strange respite that he found nowhere else. She always made him feel as though he was something right; like no matter what he did, she'd be with him through everything.
"I'm always right." She smiled, a mild joy coming to her eyes. "You've known that since the day we met."
"And you've never let me forget it." He replied.
"What are you doing today, Garet?" She asked a few moments later.
"The same thing I do everyday: Go out and look for a job. . . no matter how many times I get rejected, I can't give up."
"You sound a lot like Isaac."
"Well, his stubbornness probably rubbed off to me." He replied, not really knowing how right he was. Isaac's attitude toward finding a job had a strange sort of effect on every other male in the bar. Garet, Felix, and even Ivan found themselves compelled to try to find something, anything at all. This determination, albeit how grim it was, seemed to help give purpose to the lives of the men in the Golden Sun Tavern. "It's time for me to go, Jenna. I will be back tonight." He said, rising. He pulled Jenna into an embrace. "I love you, dear. Stay out of trouble."
"I always do." She said, rising to kiss him on the cheek. "And I love you. Now get going. Time waits for no person, and neither does a job opening." Jenna said, pulling free, shuffling him out the door.
"See you tonight then!" He said, dashing off into the street.
*********************
The only sound that cut into the silence of the office was the soft rustling of papers. There were eleven people seated at an old wooden table, which had seen many years and many such meetings. The room in which this table sat in was lit by two hanging chandeliers. However, the neither light nor the chandeliers were elegant or attractive in any sort of way. Both only permeated the room with a sort of somber melancholy that was all too common these days. There were eleven people basking in this illumination, and their moods were no better than the lighting. At the head of the table sat an elder gentleman, the one breaking the silence with his careful shuffling in front of him. In the room with him sat nine other men and the last remaining body was an oddity at these kinds of meetings. The last was a woman, and she sat next to the man at the head of the table on the right.
Mia was doing her best to keep an even face. Given the fact that she was at the reading of the last will and testament of her only loved one, the task was daunting at best. The other men in the room did much the same, but their looks were considerably more businesslike than Mia's. Mia recognized some of their faces, mostly from the occasional business meeting they had at her father's apartment. Some were kind to her on these visits, but most were merely indifferent to her. Businessmen didn't mix well with kids most of the time. Mia looked at the lawyer who sipped at a glass of water thinly before he began speaking.
"I will now commence the reading of the will. You people were the chosen few the deceased allowed at this event. I will run through the will as thoroughly as possible."
*********************
"I, James Thaddeus Calvin, being of both sound mind and sound health, do write this, my last will and testament. In the event of my death, I wish this document to only be read to the few people I trust most. Of which, these people are Mr. Lansing, the lawyer who should be reading you all this document, Mr. Morris, the my greatest advisor, Mr. Arkan, the vice president of Calvin Steel, Mr. Babi, the chairmen of the board of Calvin Steel, Professor Lichtenstein, my trusted friend and colleague in business from Tolbi University, Mr. Klein, director of production at Calvin Steel, Mr. Finch, the company attorney, Mr. Jacobson, the accountant of my firm, Dr. Kraden from Tolbi University and his assistant, Mr. Sarten, and finally my only daughter, Mia Calvin.
There was a time in life I was just an ordinary man setting out to live the dream of every man alive: Be successful. When I graduated Tolbi University I never knew how much that dream would come true. Through force of will and perseverance, as well as from an amazing amount of support from my friends, Professor Lichtenstein and Dr. Kraden, as well as my new found partner Mr. Arkan, I was able to found one of the most successful factories in all of Tolbi. I never dreamed when I was young that I would be able to do that. The first thing I'd like to do here and now is to give my eternal gratitude to my three best friends. Thank you for everything you have done for me and I hope you will do the same for the next president of Calvin Steel.
After the factory was set up, I also found allies in Mr. Klein, Mr. Finch, and Mr. Jacobson who always did their very best to ensure the security of the company. They have gone above and beyond what most employers would expect, and I'm proud to have had them in my employ. You three are an inspiration to the other employees and I wish you all well.
I'd also like to mention Mr. Morris and Mr. Babi, and thank them for their services. Morris helped to guide me through some of the toughest business decisions I've ever had to make and made sure the result was favorable if not always as profitable as the alternative. Sometimes the way to success isn't always the way that makes the most money, and I'm glad that Mr. Morris realized this. On a similar note, I'd like to thank chairman Babi for all of his support, both as an advisor and as a great capitalist.
This leaves me with my only daughter, Mia. No matter what the circumstances, she has always been by my side, especially since my wife disappeared. She is headstrong, very intelligent, and has always had a fine heart. She has always been an inspiration to me, and through life with her I've learned more than any college or university could teach me. Thank you, my dear daughter.
Now that I've prattled on about friends and family for long enough, I will now make the purpose of this document clear. No doubt the interests and future of Calvin Steel remain at hand since my demise. Obviously the company is in need of new management since my . . . resignation. It has taken me many hours and several sleepless nights to come up with this decision as of the writing of this document. There were countless factors to consider in this thought. I, James T. Calvin, have decided to leave Calvin Steel's president's position to Mia Calvin, my daughter. As well, I leave my controlling interest in stock of my company to her. I understand that this gesture seems ludicrous, but Dr. Kraden and Professor Lichtenstein have both taught me to follow my instinct and Mia has taught me to follow my heart. Both say Mia is the right choice. My last request to all of you is to treat Mia with the same respect and friendship that you have shown me.
-James Thaddeus Calvin October 12th, 1922 AGS"
*****************
The lawyer cleared his throat before continuing. "That was quite an unorthodox method of constructing a will." Most of the room was dead silent in pure shock. It was completely unheard of to place a woman in such a high position in such a successful company. It was always considered a man's job to run things, and James Calvin didn't seem like one who would break from such a commonplace. Although Calvin was always a little different than most of the factory owners in the city, no one thought he would be capable of taking such an outrageous leap of faith. Even Kraden and Lichtenstein, whom knew Calvin so well, sat completely dumbfounded in their seats. Even Kraden's twenty year old assistant sat genuinely confused at the whole state of events.
However, no one was more surprised and shocked than Mia herself. Words could not begin to describe the immense range of emotions that she felt at this point. Her father trusted her so much that he was ready to hand his life's work over to her with so much as a single flick of a pen. He did this even knowing how society was and he was also certain that the appointment would work out perfectly fine. Even with these thoughts, other thoughts entered Mia's mind. She had never been trained for any sort of position and she therefore thought she was unfit to take the occupation.
"Mr. Lansing, are you sure that you read that correctly? I don't think I was meant to take the corporation over." Mia managed to say without allowing the lump in her throat to crack her voice.
"I read it word for word. It is obvious what his intentions were, my dear girl." Lansing replied to her, in a voice that still sounded amazed.
"It's no mistake." Kraden said shakily, but with an odd certainty in his older voice. "Whenever I corresponded with Mr. Calvin, he always spoke of how bright and how amazing his daughter was. He had once told me that he would like nothing more than her to follow in his footsteps. Of course, at the time, I dismissed this as fatherly pride; however, it is now clear that he had every intention of letting his daughter undertake this odyssey." Silence ensued for a brief moment.
"But I don't have any real training for this kind of undertaking!" Mia replied, almost unable to keep her wild emotions at bay.
"That is nonsense." Mr. Morris replied. "Your father has faith in you, and. . . I believe you might be able to do the job with some proper instruction. My knowledge of the company and business is at your disposal, Ms. Calvin."
"I must object." Jacobson interjected. "It is completely insane and not to mention incredibly foolish to make such a crazy jump into the open like this. Women weren't meant to run firms and with all due respect to Ms. Calvin, they wouldn't have the competence to do so!" Mia made no reaction; still in shock from the news, trying to regain control of her own thoughts before absorbing new ones.
"Are you calling Ms. Calvin's abilities into question, Mr. Jacobson?" Lichtenstein asked. "I doubt very much that the late Mr. Calvin would appreciate that gesture."
"Don't you try to lecture me, professor! I'm not one of your inane students!" Jacobson snapped. Professor Lichtenstein raised a bushy white eyebrow to this comment.
"Ah, but they are not so inane that they cannot accept a change. They obviously have a leg up on you there, sir." He commented with a light and level tone.
"You insult me? A lowly college professor? Hah. Mr. Arkan, you agree with me, do you not?"
Arkan folded his arms and regarded the arguments briefly. "I've no opinion on this situation."
"What?!" Jacobson, rushes of red flowing to his face. "Mr. Klein, Mr. Finch, Mr. Babi? Does anyone here agree with me?"
"I do." Klein replied. "Although it is not because I think that Mia is incapable. She is indeed a clever and resourceful woman, but the fact of the matter is really what would people say when they heard Calvin Steel was being run by a woman? We would be the biggest laughing stock in all of Tolbi. Our business would inexorably fail and we would all be sitting out in the streets in unemployment lines. I don't know about you gentlemen, but I do not want to see everything Mr. Calvin worked hard for go down the drain."
"'Inexorably fail?' Please, Mr. Klein. If there's one thing we've learned is that if we put out a quality product, people will buy." Morris replied.
"Like I said, I have no doubt Mia could do a fine job, but it's a matter of our image." Klein stated again.
"Image." Kraden scoffed. "Image. If image was everything, we would still be sitting around with clubs bashing each other over the head because the other guy has a better looking mate." Kraden's assistant chuckled at this quietly.
"I have to wonder about Mia's competence at the current time." Finch remarked. "She's obviously still in shock that her father's dead and isn't going to be thinking straight any time soon. Grieving over a loved one takes a very long time, especially considering how close they were to each other."
"But, isn't it obvious that James would've known this? He never was the careless type." Sarten, Kraden's assistant, remarked. "If anything, I'd say he was the most meticulous of the lot of us."
"Be quiet on matters you don't understand, boy." Jacobson turned to Sarten.
"I think he understands the situation perfectly." Lichtenstein said. "This therefore makes him unlike one man at this table."
Jacobson rose from his seat. "Are you insulting my integrity, sir?"
"I couldn't insult something that doesn't exist." The professor said with a slight smile tugging at his cheeks.
"Mr. Jacobson, please sit down." Mr. Babi said. "You're getting angry over a few well placed words from a college professor. You understand that you have little chance against a man of Professor Lichtenstein's caliber. However, I do agree with you. I do not think Mia should take over the company. Not without the consent of the board of directors and the shareholders. It wouldn't be fair to the rest of the company."
"Mr. Babi, did you forget that Mr. Calvin has a controlling share of the company? He owned 51% of the stock in Calvin Steel, making the majority of the company his own. This means he had the right to make his own changes at will, and passing control of both his shares and his control down to his daughter are perfect legal recourse. Mia does own Calvin Steel now." Lansing said. "It's official with the reading of this document."
"That doesn't change the fact that she's incompetent!" Jacobson shouted. His mouth was as loud as a cannon in the silence of a meadow and his shot was stinging.
"That's enough!" Mia leapt up from her chair, knocking it over backwards. The new conversation had finally penetrated the depths of her conscious mind and naturally, she wasn't at all pleased. "I won't sit here and let you call me incompetent or incapable any longer! Mr. Jacobson, if you have a problem with my management then resign your commission! Otherwise, shut your mouth and deal with it! I'll have you all know that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself in a business affair and I'll prove it to all of you. I will see you in the office first thing Monday morning. Good afternoon, gentlemen." She said, venom in her tongue and fire in her eyes. She whirled around and stormed out of the office.
"Well, she inherited her father's obstinacy, that's for sure." Kraden chuckled.
*******************************
A certain sort of calling brought her there. A strange and unexplained magnetism that drew her to the place where all problems seemed to find some sort of solace be it temporary or not. Again she found herself standing at the door to the tavern she had visited about two weeks ago now, the same place where a total stranger was more than willing to listen and offer hospitality. The hour was late, and from the looks of it, the tavern was all but empty, save for a few people at the bar and the people manning it. With a sigh, Mia Calvin slipped through the door. Immediately she was befallen with a greeting.
"Good evening miss! You're out late. Is there anything we can do for you?" The raven haired man at the bar asked. Mia hesitated to reply, but before she could, another voice, this time more familiar, rang out.
"Mia! Nice to see you again!" Jenna's voice rang out. Jenna immediately jumped from her chair beside the piano and walked over. "Did you come back to hear Isaac play?"
"Yes." Mia replied, half truthfully. In reality, she had came to the tavern for no known reason save to escape from the rigors she had been put through in the day.
"Ah, so you're the young woman my sister spoke of a couple of weeks ago, then." Felix smiled, warmth in his heart and care in his eyes.
"You're in for a treat when Isaac comes back downstairs. He's just on a little bit of a break while he gets some more of his music." Jenna turned to the visitor.
"And how long is he gonna be, my dear Jenna?" An older voice shot out.
"Gil, you call me 'my dear Jenna' once more and you will be finding yourself pulling that beer mug out of your head through your ears!" Gil looked a little taken back.
"Point taken." He replied, actually turning around and shutting up for once.
"Wow. That worked." Felix chuckled. He turned his head to the sounds of soft footsteps descending the stairwell. A moment or two later, Isaac, the pianist, appeared, flipping through several pages of sheet music, not paying attention to much else. He looked tired and a little frazzled from a long night of playing the instrument he loved and taking requests from tired and depressed men of many origins. His hair was more out of place than usual and he looked as though if he even touched a bed he would keel over into a deep and total sleep. Nevertheless, he set his sheet music onto the stand on the piano without a word and sat down. He cracked his knuckles and prepared to play before Jenna halted him.
"Isaac, don't play just yet." Isaac withdrew his hands from the ivory and straightened his back up. Without so much as a gesture or turn, he silently asked Jenna why. "I'd like you to meet my friend, Mia. I told you about her, remember?"
The pianist turned around without making a sound and examined the woman that had made Jenna's acquaintance. She was without a doubt very beautiful, dressed in a deep midnight blue formal business dress that was common among the middle class and higher lower class. It wasn't a lavishly decorated dress, but rather a practical formal item. She seemed to have a sort of tortured and forced serenity about her that screamed out with an inner pain and decried her calm and even exterior. Yes, Isaac could sense this person had many troubles, and they were fresh at that. He had already known her father was recently deceased, but there seemed to be more to it than that now. He couldn't put his finger on what was wrong, but he knew it was there. However, despite how much Isaac knew was wrong, he had already filed this case in perspective with most every other person that ever set foot in the bar. She didn't seem any different than anyone else. Nevertheless, he walked over and kissed her hand in a typical gentleman's fashion and introduced himself.
"My name is Isaac. It is nice to meet you, Miss Mia. Jenna has told me a lot about you."
"The pleasure is mine, Isaac. And please, just call me Mia. I don't like having to be formal when not necessary." There was a brief pause, almost an awkward one, but Jenna piped in.
"Isaac, Mia is here to listen to you play the piano and sing a song." Isaac glanced at Jenna after this statement, and then he looked back to Mia. He could see that she was fighting a demon within herself and did indeed need some kind of respite. He nodded slowly once and sat himself down at the piano once more without another word. He warmed himself up with a C scale, and then he paused, looked at his music, and ran his fingers with the measures.
And then, he began to sing.
"Local Factory Owner Perishes In Sleep. by: Dargon Jones, Tolbi Sun staff writer.
TOLBI- April 10th. One of Tolbi's many factory owners passed away in his sleep last night. He was found by his sole direct relative, his daughter. At her request, their names have been withheld for the sake of privacy. It was said that the deceased was rumored to be on shaky financial grounds, possibly with misreported profits or miscalculations in the bank books. However, these rumors are not substantiated and that his steel factory's bank books are currently sealed pending his death until the company is placed under new management. His sole survivor has not confirmed whether she will take over the textile factory, but it is reasoned to believe she will resume business as usual as soon as all the deceased's affairs are in complete order."
Garet sighed as he put aside the paper. He had been lucky enough to receive enough education to read when he was young, much like Isaac. The factories in which their fathers worked were required by law to provided elementary education to the children of the workers, so Garet and Isaac both caught a lucky break. Jenna had been able to do the same thing, but the most amusing thing about it was that she refused to be put in the class with girls and demanded that she be given the same education as the boys. Eventually, the instructor gave in and allowed Jenna in the very same class the two other Adepts were. Yes, Jenna had been that stubborn since she was young, and that's perhaps one of the reasons why Garet adored her so much. Then again, that same stubborn attitude was the same thing that gave the male Mars Adept headache after headache.
"Anything good in the news today, dear?" Jenna asked, pulling up a seat as close as she could get to Garet. She leaned onto him, resting herself on his muscular arm. Her tone was soft and loving; an occurrence that only happened when they were alone together.
"There never is." Garet sighed. "Only more grief. I don't even know why I read the paper anymore." The Mars Adept had been correct. Nothing ever good came of the papers; after all, good news was never profitable. Bad news is what sold papers, and therefore the papers preyed on the misfortunes of others to survive, much like a thief. However, newspapers, unlike thieves, never got their divine retribution; there was no law against what they did, yet they made some feel horrible about themselves and made the others glad they weren't the prey.
"Well, times could always be worse, my dear Garet." She said, softly.
"I suppose you're correct." He replied. The Mars Adept looked into his fiancée's deep eyes. Within them, Garet found some kind of strange respite that he found nowhere else. She always made him feel as though he was something right; like no matter what he did, she'd be with him through everything.
"I'm always right." She smiled, a mild joy coming to her eyes. "You've known that since the day we met."
"And you've never let me forget it." He replied.
"What are you doing today, Garet?" She asked a few moments later.
"The same thing I do everyday: Go out and look for a job. . . no matter how many times I get rejected, I can't give up."
"You sound a lot like Isaac."
"Well, his stubbornness probably rubbed off to me." He replied, not really knowing how right he was. Isaac's attitude toward finding a job had a strange sort of effect on every other male in the bar. Garet, Felix, and even Ivan found themselves compelled to try to find something, anything at all. This determination, albeit how grim it was, seemed to help give purpose to the lives of the men in the Golden Sun Tavern. "It's time for me to go, Jenna. I will be back tonight." He said, rising. He pulled Jenna into an embrace. "I love you, dear. Stay out of trouble."
"I always do." She said, rising to kiss him on the cheek. "And I love you. Now get going. Time waits for no person, and neither does a job opening." Jenna said, pulling free, shuffling him out the door.
"See you tonight then!" He said, dashing off into the street.
*********************
The only sound that cut into the silence of the office was the soft rustling of papers. There were eleven people seated at an old wooden table, which had seen many years and many such meetings. The room in which this table sat in was lit by two hanging chandeliers. However, the neither light nor the chandeliers were elegant or attractive in any sort of way. Both only permeated the room with a sort of somber melancholy that was all too common these days. There were eleven people basking in this illumination, and their moods were no better than the lighting. At the head of the table sat an elder gentleman, the one breaking the silence with his careful shuffling in front of him. In the room with him sat nine other men and the last remaining body was an oddity at these kinds of meetings. The last was a woman, and she sat next to the man at the head of the table on the right.
Mia was doing her best to keep an even face. Given the fact that she was at the reading of the last will and testament of her only loved one, the task was daunting at best. The other men in the room did much the same, but their looks were considerably more businesslike than Mia's. Mia recognized some of their faces, mostly from the occasional business meeting they had at her father's apartment. Some were kind to her on these visits, but most were merely indifferent to her. Businessmen didn't mix well with kids most of the time. Mia looked at the lawyer who sipped at a glass of water thinly before he began speaking.
"I will now commence the reading of the will. You people were the chosen few the deceased allowed at this event. I will run through the will as thoroughly as possible."
*********************
"I, James Thaddeus Calvin, being of both sound mind and sound health, do write this, my last will and testament. In the event of my death, I wish this document to only be read to the few people I trust most. Of which, these people are Mr. Lansing, the lawyer who should be reading you all this document, Mr. Morris, the my greatest advisor, Mr. Arkan, the vice president of Calvin Steel, Mr. Babi, the chairmen of the board of Calvin Steel, Professor Lichtenstein, my trusted friend and colleague in business from Tolbi University, Mr. Klein, director of production at Calvin Steel, Mr. Finch, the company attorney, Mr. Jacobson, the accountant of my firm, Dr. Kraden from Tolbi University and his assistant, Mr. Sarten, and finally my only daughter, Mia Calvin.
There was a time in life I was just an ordinary man setting out to live the dream of every man alive: Be successful. When I graduated Tolbi University I never knew how much that dream would come true. Through force of will and perseverance, as well as from an amazing amount of support from my friends, Professor Lichtenstein and Dr. Kraden, as well as my new found partner Mr. Arkan, I was able to found one of the most successful factories in all of Tolbi. I never dreamed when I was young that I would be able to do that. The first thing I'd like to do here and now is to give my eternal gratitude to my three best friends. Thank you for everything you have done for me and I hope you will do the same for the next president of Calvin Steel.
After the factory was set up, I also found allies in Mr. Klein, Mr. Finch, and Mr. Jacobson who always did their very best to ensure the security of the company. They have gone above and beyond what most employers would expect, and I'm proud to have had them in my employ. You three are an inspiration to the other employees and I wish you all well.
I'd also like to mention Mr. Morris and Mr. Babi, and thank them for their services. Morris helped to guide me through some of the toughest business decisions I've ever had to make and made sure the result was favorable if not always as profitable as the alternative. Sometimes the way to success isn't always the way that makes the most money, and I'm glad that Mr. Morris realized this. On a similar note, I'd like to thank chairman Babi for all of his support, both as an advisor and as a great capitalist.
This leaves me with my only daughter, Mia. No matter what the circumstances, she has always been by my side, especially since my wife disappeared. She is headstrong, very intelligent, and has always had a fine heart. She has always been an inspiration to me, and through life with her I've learned more than any college or university could teach me. Thank you, my dear daughter.
Now that I've prattled on about friends and family for long enough, I will now make the purpose of this document clear. No doubt the interests and future of Calvin Steel remain at hand since my demise. Obviously the company is in need of new management since my . . . resignation. It has taken me many hours and several sleepless nights to come up with this decision as of the writing of this document. There were countless factors to consider in this thought. I, James T. Calvin, have decided to leave Calvin Steel's president's position to Mia Calvin, my daughter. As well, I leave my controlling interest in stock of my company to her. I understand that this gesture seems ludicrous, but Dr. Kraden and Professor Lichtenstein have both taught me to follow my instinct and Mia has taught me to follow my heart. Both say Mia is the right choice. My last request to all of you is to treat Mia with the same respect and friendship that you have shown me.
-James Thaddeus Calvin October 12th, 1922 AGS"
*****************
The lawyer cleared his throat before continuing. "That was quite an unorthodox method of constructing a will." Most of the room was dead silent in pure shock. It was completely unheard of to place a woman in such a high position in such a successful company. It was always considered a man's job to run things, and James Calvin didn't seem like one who would break from such a commonplace. Although Calvin was always a little different than most of the factory owners in the city, no one thought he would be capable of taking such an outrageous leap of faith. Even Kraden and Lichtenstein, whom knew Calvin so well, sat completely dumbfounded in their seats. Even Kraden's twenty year old assistant sat genuinely confused at the whole state of events.
However, no one was more surprised and shocked than Mia herself. Words could not begin to describe the immense range of emotions that she felt at this point. Her father trusted her so much that he was ready to hand his life's work over to her with so much as a single flick of a pen. He did this even knowing how society was and he was also certain that the appointment would work out perfectly fine. Even with these thoughts, other thoughts entered Mia's mind. She had never been trained for any sort of position and she therefore thought she was unfit to take the occupation.
"Mr. Lansing, are you sure that you read that correctly? I don't think I was meant to take the corporation over." Mia managed to say without allowing the lump in her throat to crack her voice.
"I read it word for word. It is obvious what his intentions were, my dear girl." Lansing replied to her, in a voice that still sounded amazed.
"It's no mistake." Kraden said shakily, but with an odd certainty in his older voice. "Whenever I corresponded with Mr. Calvin, he always spoke of how bright and how amazing his daughter was. He had once told me that he would like nothing more than her to follow in his footsteps. Of course, at the time, I dismissed this as fatherly pride; however, it is now clear that he had every intention of letting his daughter undertake this odyssey." Silence ensued for a brief moment.
"But I don't have any real training for this kind of undertaking!" Mia replied, almost unable to keep her wild emotions at bay.
"That is nonsense." Mr. Morris replied. "Your father has faith in you, and. . . I believe you might be able to do the job with some proper instruction. My knowledge of the company and business is at your disposal, Ms. Calvin."
"I must object." Jacobson interjected. "It is completely insane and not to mention incredibly foolish to make such a crazy jump into the open like this. Women weren't meant to run firms and with all due respect to Ms. Calvin, they wouldn't have the competence to do so!" Mia made no reaction; still in shock from the news, trying to regain control of her own thoughts before absorbing new ones.
"Are you calling Ms. Calvin's abilities into question, Mr. Jacobson?" Lichtenstein asked. "I doubt very much that the late Mr. Calvin would appreciate that gesture."
"Don't you try to lecture me, professor! I'm not one of your inane students!" Jacobson snapped. Professor Lichtenstein raised a bushy white eyebrow to this comment.
"Ah, but they are not so inane that they cannot accept a change. They obviously have a leg up on you there, sir." He commented with a light and level tone.
"You insult me? A lowly college professor? Hah. Mr. Arkan, you agree with me, do you not?"
Arkan folded his arms and regarded the arguments briefly. "I've no opinion on this situation."
"What?!" Jacobson, rushes of red flowing to his face. "Mr. Klein, Mr. Finch, Mr. Babi? Does anyone here agree with me?"
"I do." Klein replied. "Although it is not because I think that Mia is incapable. She is indeed a clever and resourceful woman, but the fact of the matter is really what would people say when they heard Calvin Steel was being run by a woman? We would be the biggest laughing stock in all of Tolbi. Our business would inexorably fail and we would all be sitting out in the streets in unemployment lines. I don't know about you gentlemen, but I do not want to see everything Mr. Calvin worked hard for go down the drain."
"'Inexorably fail?' Please, Mr. Klein. If there's one thing we've learned is that if we put out a quality product, people will buy." Morris replied.
"Like I said, I have no doubt Mia could do a fine job, but it's a matter of our image." Klein stated again.
"Image." Kraden scoffed. "Image. If image was everything, we would still be sitting around with clubs bashing each other over the head because the other guy has a better looking mate." Kraden's assistant chuckled at this quietly.
"I have to wonder about Mia's competence at the current time." Finch remarked. "She's obviously still in shock that her father's dead and isn't going to be thinking straight any time soon. Grieving over a loved one takes a very long time, especially considering how close they were to each other."
"But, isn't it obvious that James would've known this? He never was the careless type." Sarten, Kraden's assistant, remarked. "If anything, I'd say he was the most meticulous of the lot of us."
"Be quiet on matters you don't understand, boy." Jacobson turned to Sarten.
"I think he understands the situation perfectly." Lichtenstein said. "This therefore makes him unlike one man at this table."
Jacobson rose from his seat. "Are you insulting my integrity, sir?"
"I couldn't insult something that doesn't exist." The professor said with a slight smile tugging at his cheeks.
"Mr. Jacobson, please sit down." Mr. Babi said. "You're getting angry over a few well placed words from a college professor. You understand that you have little chance against a man of Professor Lichtenstein's caliber. However, I do agree with you. I do not think Mia should take over the company. Not without the consent of the board of directors and the shareholders. It wouldn't be fair to the rest of the company."
"Mr. Babi, did you forget that Mr. Calvin has a controlling share of the company? He owned 51% of the stock in Calvin Steel, making the majority of the company his own. This means he had the right to make his own changes at will, and passing control of both his shares and his control down to his daughter are perfect legal recourse. Mia does own Calvin Steel now." Lansing said. "It's official with the reading of this document."
"That doesn't change the fact that she's incompetent!" Jacobson shouted. His mouth was as loud as a cannon in the silence of a meadow and his shot was stinging.
"That's enough!" Mia leapt up from her chair, knocking it over backwards. The new conversation had finally penetrated the depths of her conscious mind and naturally, she wasn't at all pleased. "I won't sit here and let you call me incompetent or incapable any longer! Mr. Jacobson, if you have a problem with my management then resign your commission! Otherwise, shut your mouth and deal with it! I'll have you all know that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself in a business affair and I'll prove it to all of you. I will see you in the office first thing Monday morning. Good afternoon, gentlemen." She said, venom in her tongue and fire in her eyes. She whirled around and stormed out of the office.
"Well, she inherited her father's obstinacy, that's for sure." Kraden chuckled.
*******************************
A certain sort of calling brought her there. A strange and unexplained magnetism that drew her to the place where all problems seemed to find some sort of solace be it temporary or not. Again she found herself standing at the door to the tavern she had visited about two weeks ago now, the same place where a total stranger was more than willing to listen and offer hospitality. The hour was late, and from the looks of it, the tavern was all but empty, save for a few people at the bar and the people manning it. With a sigh, Mia Calvin slipped through the door. Immediately she was befallen with a greeting.
"Good evening miss! You're out late. Is there anything we can do for you?" The raven haired man at the bar asked. Mia hesitated to reply, but before she could, another voice, this time more familiar, rang out.
"Mia! Nice to see you again!" Jenna's voice rang out. Jenna immediately jumped from her chair beside the piano and walked over. "Did you come back to hear Isaac play?"
"Yes." Mia replied, half truthfully. In reality, she had came to the tavern for no known reason save to escape from the rigors she had been put through in the day.
"Ah, so you're the young woman my sister spoke of a couple of weeks ago, then." Felix smiled, warmth in his heart and care in his eyes.
"You're in for a treat when Isaac comes back downstairs. He's just on a little bit of a break while he gets some more of his music." Jenna turned to the visitor.
"And how long is he gonna be, my dear Jenna?" An older voice shot out.
"Gil, you call me 'my dear Jenna' once more and you will be finding yourself pulling that beer mug out of your head through your ears!" Gil looked a little taken back.
"Point taken." He replied, actually turning around and shutting up for once.
"Wow. That worked." Felix chuckled. He turned his head to the sounds of soft footsteps descending the stairwell. A moment or two later, Isaac, the pianist, appeared, flipping through several pages of sheet music, not paying attention to much else. He looked tired and a little frazzled from a long night of playing the instrument he loved and taking requests from tired and depressed men of many origins. His hair was more out of place than usual and he looked as though if he even touched a bed he would keel over into a deep and total sleep. Nevertheless, he set his sheet music onto the stand on the piano without a word and sat down. He cracked his knuckles and prepared to play before Jenna halted him.
"Isaac, don't play just yet." Isaac withdrew his hands from the ivory and straightened his back up. Without so much as a gesture or turn, he silently asked Jenna why. "I'd like you to meet my friend, Mia. I told you about her, remember?"
The pianist turned around without making a sound and examined the woman that had made Jenna's acquaintance. She was without a doubt very beautiful, dressed in a deep midnight blue formal business dress that was common among the middle class and higher lower class. It wasn't a lavishly decorated dress, but rather a practical formal item. She seemed to have a sort of tortured and forced serenity about her that screamed out with an inner pain and decried her calm and even exterior. Yes, Isaac could sense this person had many troubles, and they were fresh at that. He had already known her father was recently deceased, but there seemed to be more to it than that now. He couldn't put his finger on what was wrong, but he knew it was there. However, despite how much Isaac knew was wrong, he had already filed this case in perspective with most every other person that ever set foot in the bar. She didn't seem any different than anyone else. Nevertheless, he walked over and kissed her hand in a typical gentleman's fashion and introduced himself.
"My name is Isaac. It is nice to meet you, Miss Mia. Jenna has told me a lot about you."
"The pleasure is mine, Isaac. And please, just call me Mia. I don't like having to be formal when not necessary." There was a brief pause, almost an awkward one, but Jenna piped in.
"Isaac, Mia is here to listen to you play the piano and sing a song." Isaac glanced at Jenna after this statement, and then he looked back to Mia. He could see that she was fighting a demon within herself and did indeed need some kind of respite. He nodded slowly once and sat himself down at the piano once more without another word. He warmed himself up with a C scale, and then he paused, looked at his music, and ran his fingers with the measures.
And then, he began to sing.
