36

There are times when it is not that people are trying to maintain a respectful silence, rather, no one knows what to say. They don't. I do, and I gather Dian does because if I don't speak she will. I am speaking for myself and I gather for ten percent owner, Dian, and therefore representing half the voting certificates, I hereby place in nomination for the position of Chief Executive Officer of FUC, and I for one, do not believe that acronym was an accident, Wenelyn. Is there a second.

Second!, yells Jana.

Dian yells out, I move nominations are closed!

Anja yells out, Second!

I ask, All those in favor of the motion signify by saying, aye!

There are a round of Aye's.

All those opposed signify by saying, Nay!

Silence.

Motion passes. Madam CEO, the company is yours to run and you will collect a salary commensurate with your profitability, which we will assist you in achieving.

Eve stands up, I nominate Gordon Jameson as Chairman of the board.

Maria, bless her heart, shouts, Second!

Dian screams out, I move we accept the nomination by acclamation. Are there any dissents? … Hearing none, Gordon Jameson is Chairman of the Board.

As Chairman, I gather it falls to me to make sure we have a Board Secretary and a Board Treasurer. Normally these functions are filled by people who are not related to the Chair. In this case, we will have to waive that. I call for nominations for Secretary.

Dian stands up and nominates Maria who immediately refuses and asks her name be withdrawn. Dian then nominates Anja, will she accept? Yes... OK others, none? Anja is elected by acclamation as well. I ask for nominations for Treasurer. Jana nominates Dian. Yes, she will do it, anyone else? No? Acclamation again and Dian is Treasurer.

OK we have a duly elected board and CEO. Madam CEO, it is up to you to decide how you want to organize and run your company. We are not going to get in your way. The roles we have assumed are for legal purposes. The board only requests that on a quarterly basis you file with the secretary the required financial statements. I also need to note that as the future owner of a warehouse that FUC uses, FUC may at some point purchase the warehouse from GLS so that there is no conflict of interest. I will only ask to be compensated for the price I paid for it.

Wenelyn asks, What did you pay?

When I tell her she laughs. It is worth at least three times that much.

Yeh, I know but, your successful suit actually causes them some financial problems. I plugged their hole but at a severe cost to them.

Wenelyn is thinking about this and suggests, If FUC needs to purchase it, it should but, there is the embedded conflict with GLS. Gordon, may I be so forward as to suggest you sell all of GLS to FUC and remove the conflicts? We can create separate operating units, my store and your freight service. You can be CEO of that and also be Chair of the board.

She is right and it makes sense to me. I agree. However there is a housekeeping issue. Now there is one more matter. We need to rename the store now that we at FUC own it. I want to have all think an independent outfit is running it. I welcome all suggestions.

Wenelyn speaks up. I have long wanted to change the name to, “The Home Place.”

Any other name?... hearing none, shall we do this by acclamation?

A volley of yes's follow. Wenelyn, you have your name.

Through all of this Zelle has not said a word. Now my mistress with our daughter in her arms, speaks. Gordon, Wenelyn is right. GLS should be rolled into FUC. So should Bayan Na. I will sell the company, just as Wenelyn did. We will set up operating units. We can integrate the back office activities, saving the companies money.

I look hard at Zelle before asking, Are you sure? This is pretty radical.

Zelle speaks in a room that is in shock at the suggestion. It is necessary.

Dian sees the problem and speaks faster than I can speak. If both are Bayan Na and the Home Place are to be operating units of FUC, then Wenelyn should not be the CEO. I'm sorry Wenelyn but, you should be the CEO of The Home Place. I think Gordon should be CEO and Chairman of FUC.

Dian, I agree and formally resign as CEO of FUC. I ask that Gordon be elected by acclimation.

And I am. Well, one such a turn requires another but, once again Dian is the first to speak. I nominate Wenelyn as CEO of the Home Place! And it is done.

Maria is close to tears. Sir, Ma'am? May I ask a question? What does it mean I own 10%? I do not understand.

It must look like I am struggling to know how to explain it in simple terms. Dian sees this and asks, May I, Sir? I nod.

Friend, there are some simple things to understand. A company owns stuff, pays bills, sells stuff, borrows money, and signs contracts. At any time the actual value of your ten percent is based on how much the company has, how much it is owed and how much it owes. But there is one other thing to remember. At the end of every year, the books are balanced and the company can decide to pay money, called dividends to the owners. Even if there is money left over, it does not have to do this but it can. You may be allowed to sell your ownership interest, and that will depend on how the corporation was created and the language in the articles of incorporation. The value of the share is only what a willing seller and a willing buyer agree is a fair price. Does that answer your question?

So, Friend Dian, since we are talking about our Gordon, we will all be rich?

Oh shit, I can't believe she asked that! Thankfully Dian doesn't answer. It is quiet, and then Cynthia speaks. Yes Maria, you are all going to be rich women. But more importantly so are your children. Zelle has Gordon's first child. Wenelyn is going to make sure she has children by him too. Their children will probably inherit far more than either of these two women might ever amass on their own. I do not doubt for a second their love for your man. They do love him and more importantly, they trust him to do right by them. But they also know that their children will not be out in the cold.

Zelle, there's something else, di ba? Dian's voice is clear and sure of herself. We see Zelle raise her eyebrows once as Dian continues. Ma'am Zelle's annulled husband, Jonathan, sits in prison here, after admitting the killing of the boy in Malaysia. Malaysia not know this. If Malaysia see the note, they not only come against Ma'am Wenelyn but, because they cannot extradite Jonathan, it likely they come against Ma'am Zelle and her family. Di ba? Zelle raises her eyebrow again. So Zelle is in the same if not worse jeopardy. She needs to protect her family too. Ma'am Zelle, I am sorry if I speak wrong.

No Friend, you see what the others are blind to see. You see clearly. This is not the first time you prove your worth here. We are all lucky you are with us. Yes, as Friend Wenelyn is speaking, I am thinking, Oh my God, if this comes out, what do I do? And then I hear her plan. It is brilliant. Ma'am Cynthia is correct. My child will inherit and Gordon will be good to me. I am not in danger. But even if this not true, it is important that I protect my family. Friend Dian, how you know they not able to extradite Jonathan?

Ma'am, Malaysia has capital punishment, di ba? We don't. We cannot extradite if the accused is at risk of such a thing. If your Jonathan had admitted to only harming the boy but not killing him, then our Government would extradite. His only way to make sure he is never sent there is to admit to the killing when here. Even if he must go to prison here.

So you are saying he admitted it, even though I didn't know about it, to protect himself from this problem?

Ma'am I not say I can know his mind at the time, or his fears. I am only describing what the results are of the acts he do.

Jeezus, wheels within wheels. But Dian sees things that the rest of us just don't. She is right. She hasn't suggested motive, she has described outcomes based on actual actions taken.

Maria has not gotten everything she is concerned about. She turns back to Cynthia and asks, Why you call him my man? He your man too.

Pregnant Cynthia looks around at the females around her and asks all those assembled. Is there anyone here who does not think that Gordon is Maria's man? Anyone? Silence. That is why, Maria. Because you are. Because the rest of us may have some other agenda we pursue. Your agenda and your only agenda, and the agenda you would die without, is your man. You are a gatekeeper who lets all through and still manages to protect Gordon. We all know it.

Wenelyn evidently is still not done. Gordon, I have another request. FUC owns the house I have inherited. I do not want to live in that place ever again. Is it OK if Mhae and I live here?

It is but, we have a serious problem with space.

§ § §

In the coming days, Jana and I turn ownership of GLS over to FUC. We still own half of it but we now own half of The Home Place and half of Bayan Na. The Bayan Na sale causes a stink with her family but we work through it, following a discussion of the Malaysia issues and by virtue of my daughter, named Patience, who I immediately legally acknowledged at the time of birth.

The family understands we are protecting them and I make it clear that as The Home Place operation now lacks the back end she had, there will be more business for them. The fact that they are a small part of our needs, and we will have to create operations like theirs, in our new markets, is left out of the conversation.

In the end, we get the blessing of the family and I become, a provisional member of the family, via Patience.

§ § §

There is a meeting of the three CEO's in my office. Dian sits in the back, allegedly minding her own business, which is total bullshit. She is listening to every word. Gordon, remember when you gave my architect hell for the damage he did to this house?

Yes, Zelle. Now is when you are going to tell me we need to expand. And you are going to recommend we hire the same nitwit.

Wenelyn asks to be filled in and I signal to Zelle that this one is all hers. While she is doing it, I text Jake. I like what his architect does. I ask him to reach out to the guy. Just as Zelle is finishing her story, Jake texts back that he is sure the guy will get back to me today.

So can I call the architect?

I think not. Zelle, you know the plans we got for the dorm and school?

Yes, where did you get them?

From Jake's architect. I would like to talk to him. Your guy pisses me off. He couldn't even get the CR right without significant intervention.

OK, I give on that, if you are willing to give on an expansion.

Deal.

I would like rooms for me and Patience. Wenelyn needs rooms for at least three, as you are giving her a baby. And before you ask her, she doesn't know yet but, she will at some point, so we need to get it done. We need to provide for Eve and her baby as well as Cynthia and hers. We need to see if we can add another office to this floor.

The phone rings and Dian picks it up. She speaks quietly to not disturb us.

Wenelyn says we should sell her old house and lot to pay for the work here. I am not sure I like that. I am thinking about how we are using Zelle's old place for the buyers. I know that Wenelyn's place is very old style and probably would not work as well for that, when Wenelyn catches me up and asks, Cold feet, Gordon? Not sure you want me?

No Wenelyn, you're mine forever. I will never let you go. That's not what I was thinking but, yes we should sell it.

Sir?

Dian?

The architect is on the way over now.

Zelle looks at me. How?

FM Zelle, FM!

FM?

From behind me, Dian's voice comes through, Fucking Magic, Ma'am, just Fucking magic.

Gordon, that's rude.

Yeh, well, look we don't have a building that can expand to what you are wanting. But the huts are gone, the kids are in the dorm and there is room for some pavilions with covered walks. Each pavilion would have bedrooms and a CR. Each would open on to a covered terrace. Three of them will have an office as well, one each for you two, and one for Cynthia. Does that concept work for the two of you?

Zelle doesn't like the plan. Gordon, we need some separation between living space and work. Create a cluster of four residence pavilions and a second cluster for our offices.

OK, so four residence and three offices?

This time it is Wenelyn who doesn't like the suggestion. No, the residences are OK but, the business pavilions do not make sense. GLS needs its own office. You don't have to be in it but, you are going to have to add office staff to GLS very soon. So even if you don't need it now, it needs space there too. We also may find the need to expand, so add one more. I suspect we will find a need for it soon.

Zelle? You agree?

She does.

OK, we a need cluster of four residence pavilions; and a separate cluster of five office pavilions. Correct?

Both give me eyebrows.

§ § §

Mr. Reyes?

Yes, Sir Gordon. Sir Jake says my services are needed? Is this correct?

Yes, we believe so. May I introduce Ma'am Zelle, Ma'am Wenelyn and my trusted alalay, Dian?

Yes, nice to meet you all. We are all to work on this together?

Yes, Mr. Reyes. Ma'am Zelle and Wenelyn will be directly affected by the design and I highly trust the judgment of my alalay.

I see. What are you seeking to do and what ideas have you considered?

We have a diplomat! This guy is not going to step on toes. Jake tells me that I can trust your discretion. Do I understand correctly?

Yes, you do.

We proceed to discuss how the family works and our needs. I leave out of the discussion, all the young ones including and up through Renelyn and Pia. Their needs are handled by the apartments anyway and that will not change. I lay out my idea about the pavilions but make it clear that at this point it is just an idea. Reyes and the rest of us walk the grounds before reassembling in the office.

Sir, what you have explained, and showed me, requires far less concern for my discretion than Sir Jake's situation requires but, I assure you, you will have it. What you want is not really any different than what a wealthy Muslim might hope to have. They have wives and you mistresses but, the need for each to live with privacy and dignity is the same. Yes the idea of the pavilions is both possible and very good. May I ask, do you wish to keep the same architectural design as the main house, or shall each pavilion express the wishes of the occupant?

Damn, now that's something I sure as hell hadn't even considered but, he's a real architect and I ain't. I don't know. I look at my two companion CEO's and ask them. They look at each other, do something I do not understand. Then at the same time they say. Same.

This does not surprise the guy at all, other than to elicit a comment. Sir, you are a very lucky man.

Yes, I am.

Sir, I can tell by appearances that you need this done, as Sir Jake would say to me, yesterday. Is this correct?

Yes, it is, Sir.

OK, do you have the lot plan, the current house and apartment plans?

Dian, would you pull them out please?

We have them in PDF, Sir Reyes. Maybe you prefer the PDF, di ba?

Yes, Miss ... Dian? Yes, that is preferred.

OK, you have a USB stick with you, baka¹?

Reyes hands Dian a USB drive and the plans are copied. A few minutes later, he is gone. And in short order, so are Wenelyn and Zelle.

Dian is just looking at me. She wants to say something and clearly feels she can't. The last time she did, all hell broke loose for her.

OK, yes I see it. You are not 'making it happen.' You are not manipulating things. You see it and are only reporting on it.

Yes! Why don't you see that!

Because last time your ego got away from you. You missed some things, and you took credit for that which had nothing to do with you.

Oh. OK, yes. But you see it now?

Yes, I see it. Jana will be living with Cynthia. Cynthia, and the other three will all have their own homes. They will always be 'mine' but not in a traditional way. As you see and say it, the ones who stay are you, Anja and here's where you were very wrong, Maria.

Yes!

But you missed two who are not adults.

Oh! Of course! My Shamcey and Pia. Yes?

Yes. But I am not one of yours. Just these others.

No, Dian, you are one of mine. One of the ones closest to me. You will be in my bed often and no one is closer to me, here, where I work.

Why I get this 'promotion.'

Because we both have learned something about you. Dian, trust your vision but keep your ego to the side. You are never going to be ignored or sidelined again.

Yes. I understand. Can we talk about business a little bit?

OK, what?

Well, you have to create a company like Zelle's family owns but has operations in all Bayan Na markets, or manage individual relationships with each one. So far we have stayed out of this, and Zelle has eight relationships she is juggling. But by growing The Home Place's operations and the growth into Cebu, it is a bad idea. We need to integrate this. FUC needs another operating unit. Family United Construction Materials and Equipment.

No!

Yes! … FUCME. She is giggling. It will make all the men laugh and we will get business, just so they can embarrass their wives! … And Gordon, that is the company that will occupy the fifth office pavilion! You know, we will see other needs. I can see a need for at least one more right now. GLS will be both trucking and shipping. They cooperate but are really separate structures. So that would be six pavilions. I bet we will grow at least one more time. Gordon you need two clusters of four pavilions for FUC. Not just one cluster FUC.

§ § §

Zelle and Wenelyn are back in the office. I have Dian explain her FUCME plan and I see Zelle getting up tight. Zelle, this will not change how we do business with your family here. Like Dian said, this is for the operations where your family does not operate. They don't have the staff or the technology to expand. You know that. They are happy with what has happened with Bayan Na but, they made it clear that their side was working just fine and they were not interested in doing what we do.

But this is huge! We will dwarf them. We will probably end up selling below their costs.

Let me talk to them again. I need to have this discussion before we move on FUCME. God I can't believe I just said that! Look Dian has also pointed out that I have failed to see the need for more pavilions. Wenelyn, your observations were right but, Dian thinks there is even a greater need than you saw. I walk through the matter of GLS, both land and sea. We need pavilions for Bayan Na, The Home Place, Cynthia, FUCME, GLS by Land, GLS by Sea, and if we assume that for some reason, we are not done, that is seven. If we assume that we need seven then we need two clusters. As fast as things change here, I recommend two clusters of four each but designed to leave room for one more per cluster.

Gordon, I think I be the one to talk to the family about FUCME. Yes, Dian is correct. Wenelyn and me not see like she sees. We need more pavilions. Can we fit them into the lot?

I will talk to Jana. It will ruin some of her flowers and trees but, yes. We can, just barely.

Dian, please have Mr. Reyes include Abbey. We will need fiber runs to all the buildings.

Fiber?

Fiber Optic Cables. I learned when I was in the states, that copper is limited to 100 meters between switches and the more switches the more problems. Fiber is not so limited in length and we can consolidate everything in one main switch. So, if I remember correctly we run a local switch collecting local traffic in each office and then connect that switch via fiber to the main switch. The IT guys said that if I was printing over IP inside my office, the traffic would never leave the office but, if I was checking my email or out on the web, it would go out over the fiber. So what needs to be local stays local and what needs to go out of the office has a direct path out.

I think I see. OK, Abbey will be included. But, Sir, why not use WiFi?

We can for tablets and cell phones but, that is shared bandwidth. We are going to have a lot of data flying around. A WiFi only network would choke or at least slow us down. At least that's what the IT guys used to tell me. Maybe it's wrong. Abbey will know far more than I do about this.

§ § §

I have Dian contact Reyes and explain the change in plans. I gather he laughed and then said, no problem. But talking to Jana about this is not going to be easy. Just finding her, at any given moment these days requires I text her.

where R U.

Lanai.

She is there with Maria and Anja, going over the shopping list and menu for the next three days. There is a list of things that can be purchased now: canned goods, eggs, sugar and such. There are lists of things that have to be purchased fresh from the palengke each of the three mornings. There is a need for two new 50 kilo sacks of rice.

Eventually Jana can take a breather and I ask her for a moment of her time. I see panicky looks on the faces of three females. Relax! This is a discussion about the property we own. There is no problem. Anja and Maria do relax but, Jana does not.

OK, Gordon, what now?

We need to build more.

Ha! This is not news. You finally figure this out? What you want to do?

I explain the residence pavilion cluster and she is all for it. When I explain the need for the two office clusters, she both understands and is incredibly sad. When we purchased these two hectares, Jana thought of it as her private park. She has been busy creating it ever since we moved here. And now we will do great damage to her dream. She both sees the need and is in mourning.

Maria and Anja have left us now. Jana and I are just holding hands and talking about what has happened to our life. She is in love with Cynthia. There is no other way to explain her feelings. And so the concept that all we have done, should not have happened is unacceptable to her now. Her Cynthia does need a real office. Jana knows this. She knows how cramped things have become.

Jana takes a deep breath. Gordon, do it. But sweetheart, it is time to transfer this property to FUC. You and I will still own 50% of it but, we also own 50% of Bayan Na and 50% of the Home Place and 50% of GLS... It is only fair that the others, Eve, Dian, Maria, and Anja also own a part of this.

Are you sure?

Yes, I think so. You know what else?

What?

Once we do this, if you annul me, you do not lose everything you have. You can marry Maria!

Oh, Jana. We are not getting annulled. Not now, not ever.

You know, Gordon? I know. I agree. Good. We do it. We transfer the property to FUC and build the pavilions.

§ § §

Janella is on Skype from Cebu. I ask her, Hey, how are things?

You want the truth or you want the assessment of GLS only.

OK... GLS first and then the rest.

We are going to kick ass here. We are having no problems finding qualified competent drivers. Our reputation is amazing when it comes to that. We have been given big welcomes from the local Mosques. We are getting offers to place our operations on very favorable terms by Muslim business concerns. I see no problems. I think we should hire our local agents now, fly them back to our existing sites with our local talent there, and then we can let them fly on their own far faster. It will allow our girls to get the locations set up, the trucks in place and the drivers hired. We can get this going very quickly. It's up to you.

OK, arrange with Dian on the placement of your local depot agents, for training.

We don't need thirty of us here.

How many?

No more than ten.

OK, give me a list of who you want to keep with you.

Uh-uh, but, I will explain that later. I will send you a list of who stays.

What do you want to do with the others?

Bohol, Negros, Leyte? We can expand there more quickly.

I see. OK that will take a little time here to prepare but, OK. Anything else GLS?

No. OK, I want to come back. I miss you. I am not the only one.

Get me your list of who stays.

OK, thanks.

The Skype connection closes.

You have a problem, Gordon.

And this is news to me?

No, I guess not. Do you know the names of the other girls Janella mentioned?

Probably. There's just three of them. I'm reasonably sure of that... and no Dian, I do not have a plan yet.

Janella's GLS comments, they were interesting. She is a smart one.

Yes, she's our best.

Then she should be here, not out in the field.

Why? I need intelligence in the field.

True but, the others are not stupid. They will do fine. Put her in charge of the GLS operations. You concentrate on FUCME and corporate issues. Plus we need to talk about the ferry operations. How good are the other two?

There were five top performers in the first group. All three are part of that five.

So make them a team. Make her the GLS COO² and them VP's under her. One for existing operations and one for new markets.

You just, in what, thirty seconds, figured this out? Jeezus Dian! Maybe, and I mean maybe, I would have come up with as good a plan. I am not sure I would have. OK, put it on the agenda for the next Corporate Board meeting. I can hire them all as VP's but to make a COO I need the Board.

Do you really mean just the board? Why not all shareholders?

Yes, you are right. From now on, whenever we need a board meeting, invite all of them.

And Sir, at least temporarily make Jiecel and Taciana VP's for GLS staff training and personnel development.

No I need them for the consulting business. We will pull two more from the GLS group that does not stay on Cebu. … Dian?

Sir?

When was your last period?

Right now.

OK make sure that five days after your period ends and for eleven days following that, you are in my bed.

Yes. Gordon?

Yes?

Thank you. Just so you know. I will never want a pavilion.

I know, Dian, I know.

§ § §

Zelle and I are sitting in my office. I talked to my family. They agree that FUCME operates everywhere except here. My family does not want to change and there is not room for them in FUCME because of the corporate structure. They do see how it increases the value for our daughter. There is a 'but.' They want access to buy their stuff as part of our purchasing so they get the prices we can get.

Zelle, so long as we are buying what they need, there's no problem. But what if we are not purchasing the same type, or the same quality?

I covered that with them. I show them a list of the things we will carry. They can either get what we get or do their own thing.

OK, Dian, put that on the shareholder meeting agenda.

§ § §

The best place for a shareholder meeting is the dining room table. The day before the meeting, we inform all shareholders that there will be an after dinner meeting and we distribute the agenda, along with supporting documents.

Maria pulls me aside and asks why I give her such things. I am not on your board!

Because you own ten percent of the company. Your vote counts.

Ha! If you vote yes, you really think I vote no?

OK but, you might have comments that will help us. Maybe you will change my mind. I do care about what you say.

OK but, I do not understand this. I have Anja help me.

§ § §

The meeting is fully attended. Jana can't contain herself and I don't think we formally open the meeting. It just begins with, Gordon, you cannot be serious. You can't call the company FUCME.

We are calling the company Family United Construction Materials and Equipment.

Nowhere will it say FUCME?

Nowhere.

But people will call it that!

We won't.

I not believe you come up with this name. Dian. This is you, di ba?

Yes, Ate.

Ha! OK, I don't like it but OK. We call it that.

There is a prolonged discussion about what happens here where Zelle's family operates. But we vote to continue with the plan. I am elected CEO of the new operation. I tell them that I want to move it to someone else, once we are up and running.

Jana and I discuss our decision to put our property inside FUC. That causes some real surprise among Anja, Maria, and Eve. It causes far more than that for Dian. She starts bawling and then she gets angry. Jana, Gordon is wrong to do this to you! I can't believe he make you do this!

Sister! Kalma ka!³ This is my suggestion to Gordon. He not think of this. I do this.

Ganun?

Tama!

OK, OK. Sorry, sorry.

That moves the discussion directly into the changes I want to make in GLS. All see how FUCME will need a great deal of my time. Adding a COO and executive staff to run GLS makes sense. We do not add new personnel. We are just moving our existing staff around. All agree but, Maria comments, I think these three will be in Gordon's bed often.

Jana looks at Maria. What do you know that we don't?

These three very much love Gordon. They staying here, I think, is because they ask for this. I think Gordon agree because they are special to him.

Gordon, is Maria right?

Yes. ... but they would not be getting the positions, if they weren't also the best we have. ... Look I have another matter that is not on the agenda. I want to nominate to the board, as members, all remaining shareholders. We are all in this together. I ask the board to accept this recommendation and appoint Eve, Jana and Maria as board members. Do I have consent of the board?

I get it and it is done.

§ § §

§ § §

Chapter 37