The flight to Africa would start at LaGuardia Airport. It was scheduled to take off at 10:00 tomorrow evening.
Joe walked into his bedroom, found his best camera and laid it on his dresser. He pulled out his suit case and looked through his closet for some clothing for the trip.
He found some thin shirts and a pair of slacks there and laid them on the bed. He took some shorts from his dresser. He thought dressing cool as in temperature was the order of the day on this vacation. He knew that it could get hot in some of the areas they were going to.
He found two pair of boots and a pair of water shoes just in case they happened to walk in some rivers. He found a pair of old tennis shoes and laid them next to his boots. The room was getting dark as the sun was setting lower in the sky. He turned the light on over the bed and continued his process of packing.
He laid out six undershirts, under-ware, several pairs of socks, “they took little room and why not have more than not enough” he reasoned. He found a belt, just in case. Not necessarily to hold up pants, but just in case. A few handkerchiefs were the last items to go into his suitcase. He then placed his camera, water bottle, an extra pair of tennis shoes and a pack of protein bars into it as well. A couple of hats were the last things to go into the suit case before he closed it up. They wold help protect the camera, after all. It was a short walk to the subway station from his apartment.
Across town, Charlene sat with her suitcases packed. She had read the list and brought more than it had contained. She had something for any emergency or so she thought. She tried to keep busy to keep the voices quiet in her head like the doctors and her parents had told her time and time again.
She had traveled abroad several times but kept that under her hat. “No need to drive an economic wedge between her and her coworkers. Some might get jealous and make her work life more difficult than necessary.” Her father was wealthy after all and she had many opportunities that many of those around her didn’t. She had packed like she was going to Paris. She had two suitcases and a small cosmetics case. She had arranged for a car to take her to the airport.
The money her father gave her every month made it easy to cover the cost of the car. She liked to travel in style when she went anywhere. She had become accustomed to it, after all.
Chad took down at the two suitcases from his large collection sitting in front of him in his large walk in closet. He placed them on the long low table in the closet built for packing. His closet was as large as some apartments in New York city. He looked at his wardrobe hanging in front of him and new that none of that was going to work on this trip. “None of this is appropriate for the jungles and Savanahs of Africa,” he thought.
He pulled out the first drawer of a custom made dresser and riffled through it. He found most of what he wanted there and in another three drawers. He went to another closet and picked out several long and short sleeved polo shirts. He found some other items he needed neatly folded by Maria, his house made, in other closets and drawers.
He picked through his large collection of boots, running shoes and dress shoes looking for what he needed. He had many pairs to chose from. After an hour he was finished packing. He would wear a pair of top-sider dress shoes on the plane. They were very comfortable on long flights. Chad always wore them on his flights. He had several pairs to pick from. Then he walked out of the closet and into his room. He picked up the phone.
Suzan put the phone down and smiled. Chad would send a car tomorrow evening. Suzan couldn’t wait to move into Chad’s apartment overlooking Central Park and put her mark on it. That part of her dream was coming true, finally. She walked into her small bedroom and found her suit case among her shoes in the corner of her small but well organized closet.
Chad’s year had been a great one. His father’s firm was going gang busters and his brother was doing well also. His father was rightfully proud of his two sons and what he had accomplished over forty years. Chad had even had helped one of his best and wealthiest friends pharmaceutical company go public. He made tons of money on the work he had done on the initial public offering and on the quickly rising stock value. He had bought a few thousand shares as a lark. If the first run up was any indication of what was to come, he would make even more on the stock down the road.
Chad didn’t give much thought about the harm that the latest drug created by his friend’s firm was doing or the long term affects this might have on the shareholders. He would dump the stock long before the trouble was made public. That was how the game was played. That was how the game had been played for centuries, after all. Now that the company was public, those problems would fall on the shareholders in the distant future.
Chad and Suzan had had looked for weeks for a fitting wedding venue. Suzan was unaware of the exactly how wealthy Chad’s parents were or what Chad’s net worth was. But she knew it was plenty. She would want for nothing. When his parents were gone, more wealth would come to Chad and his brother.
Chad gave Suzan a wedding budget that amazed her. She quickly went to work looking at what seemed like hundreds of pamphlets about such places. She soon found herself in an unfamiliar situation of having nearly unlimited choices and funds at her disposal. She couldn’t make a decision and explained that to Chad.
“Well dear, why not just tell me the five of the most important features of the venue you want.” “I need enough room for for our guests.” “How many do you want to invite?” “I think perhaps fifty.” Chad laughed. “We’ll have that many people working in the kitchen, Suzan. I have a large family, many good friends from work and my college years. You’ve met some of them already.” “Great. Then how many is that going to be?” “Suzan, you haven’t even thought about who my parents are gong to invite.” “How many is that going to be then Chad?” Suzan sat on the leather sofa with a legal pad in her hands. Her warm feet in thick socks rested on the antique coffee table in Chad’s living room.
He couldn’t remember if he had told her that it once had belonged to one of the kings of France, a few centuries ago. He had bought it on one of his work trips to Europe. He had told her the story and Suzan hadn’t believed it at first. But as she met his parents and seen how they lived out at the big house in the country she soon knew that it might be true.
Chads apartment was on the sixteenth floor of a building overlooking the park. It was furnished with modern pieces and antiques as well. It was a charming place and large enough for the grand parties that Chad liked to throw. Suzan had already been to a few and met some of his friends. Chad’s mother had brought in a decorator when she bought him the apartment.
Helen, that was Chad’s mother’s name, was used to things being “done properly” and Chad let her do whatever she wanted. Cost was not an issue in this family.
Suzan hadn’t noticed “the money thing” at first. But over time it was slowly revealed that the family had “real old” money. Some of the wonderful paintings in the apartment cost a fortune. When Suzan asked about that, Chad replied, “As far as my mother knows, it’s all about taxes and historical art preservation. That’s what my father has told her, anyway. It makes her happy to pick out nice art. What can I say?” “I thought they were just well done prints.” “That’s cute Suzan,” Chad said with a grin.
Chad’s family business had done very well over the last several years. This year had even been better. “Use it or loose it,” was Chad’s father’s motto when it came to money. “All that money does no good unless it’s being spent. That’s what keeps the wheels of civilization spinning.”
Suzan looked out across the park to the bright lights on the opposite side. Her feet were warm on the wood floor. She was thinking. “I think a hundred seats will be enough for my guests coming to the wedding.” “Now your talking Suzan. Think big, like my dad does. Let’s make it three hundred for the both of us. You’re going to remember others along the way that you want to invite.” “Oh Chad, I do love you.You think of everything. My imagination has been stunted by my family’s circumstances and my upbringing. You family does things on a grand scale, there is no doubt about that. It will take some time for me to gt used to that.” Chad listened and smiled.
So we need a place big enough for around six-hundred people to view our nuptials and to attend the party afterwards Suzan, or so I’m thinking. My mom and dad will invite more than we will, no doubt. Half the city’s wealthiest people invest with my dad or know him on a first name basis. So many of them will be invited.” “Where will we find a place like that for Christ’s sake, St. Pauls Cathedral?” “Is that what you want?” “Hell no Chad, I’m not up for that.” “Do you want inside or outside?” “It’s going to be winter soon Chad, but I’ve always dreamed of an outdoor wedding.”
Chad took out his phone and checked his weather app. “The next two weeks is supposed to be clear and dry.” “We’ll never be able to find a place like that in two weeks.” “Do you want my mother’s help?”
The Cat’s out of the bag.
Helen is going to help. Watch out!
More tomorrow.
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