CHAPTER-3 I’ve never taken time for myself, just to relax and goof off. I wasn’t sure where I would go from here, but I wanted to spend some time in Japan with an aikido expert, Morihei Ueshiba. I had contacted his school, a week after I resigned, as CEO of Steele Global.
An Airman, Tom Hines, from Edwards Air Base, taught me aikido, at an early age. It helped me to relax and turn off my mind and subconsciously, allowed me to view, the beautiful things in my life.
Aikido techniques consist of entering and turning movements of the body and to redirect the momentum of an opponent’s attack, with a throw or joint lock that terminates the technique. When performed properly, it can be a beautiful and graceful dance.
Over the last ten years, I studied the Japanese language as well as French, Italian, and German. I learned Spanish while attending UCLA, when I was ten years old. I often used my knowledge of foreign languages, when conducting business throughout the world.
It was late November and I had not received a reply to my letter, I sent to Morihei Ueshiba. I knew I would probably not hear directly from Ueshiba, but I was hoping someone at his monastery, in Yomogita, Japan, would respond.
On Friday November 24th, the day after Thanksgiving, the security guard at the front gate, called the main house. Lois Dyer, my housekeeper, took the call. She informed me there was a messenger, at the front gate, with a message, from someone in Japan.
I walked out front and saw a black Cadillac limousine, parked in front of the gates. A Japanese gentleman was standing next to the gate house and the security guard was standing in the doorway. I motioned to the guard to open the small personnel gate, so I could step out and speak to the Japanese man.
He bowed and asked if I were Theodore James Steele. Yes, I replied and he stepped back to the rear door of the limousine, lifted the handle, and pulled it open.
Please he said, as he directed me to enter the rear seat of the limo. The security guard was uncomfortable with the whole situation, but I assured him everything was fine.
The driver stood outside while I took a seat in the back of the limo, with an older Japanese gentleman, in a black three piece suit. The driver closed the door and the guard and the driver, stood next to the car. The man in the rear seat said his name was Akio Takahaski. He was from the chancellor’s office of the Japanese Consulate, in San Francisco.
He handed me a rolled up parchment document, with a black silk band, around the center. The rolled document felt like rice paper and was thick. I slid the black silk band off and the document, and it unrolled in my hand. I held the top and the bottom, looking at the written contents. The words were in Japanese. Akio offered assistance in translating, but I told him I was able to read the print.
The document was a personal invitation from Morihei Ueshiba, inviting me to come to his monastery, in Yomogita, Japan. Ueshiba’s personal seal was imbedded in the lower right corner of the invitation.
Akio Takahaski, asked if I had a reply, he should send to Ueshiba. I told him, I would be honored to spend time with him and the other monks at his monastery. I would come after the first of the year. Akio shook my hand and said he would forward my words, on to Morihei. I stepped from the car, keeping a tight grip on the invitation.
The first Monday in December, I scheduled a meeting in San Francisco, at the Embarcadero Center, with my lawyers, accountants, and agent. The law firm of Ashely, Piketon, and Wilson, was on the seventh and eighth floors of the high-rise. My accountant, Lee Walsh had offices on the fourth floor. Gabriela Alvarez, my agent and business manager, drove up from San Jose.
Gabriela handles all my personal accounts. All my mail goes to a post office box, she has access to. She handles all my household expenses and manages the estates, employee staff.
I hired the legal and accounting firms, when I decided to liquidate my Steele Global assets. Steele Global had an in house legal department and a full accounting division that I had access to, but I wanted to shed myself completely, from the company.
Phyllis Ashely was my attorney and handle the transition of my companies assets. Lee Walsh handled the transfer of funds, from the sale of my stocks, and placed them in a half dozen secure banks.
We spent the morning covering legal issues with Phyllis that took us until 12:30. I invited everyone out for lunch, before we got started on accounting. We returned to the conference room at 2:00 and continued with our meeting.
I told Lee I hadn’t decided, whether or not, I would make investments with the funds, I received over the past year. I wanted to take some time and think about how best to handle the, four point five billion dollars, now in my personal accounts.
I signed papers that would transfer funds each month, into an account that Gabriela had access to. The account was to cover my household and other personal expenses. I told Gabriela to double Lois Dyer salary and get her a credit card. I said her position within my household will be changing soon.
Before leaving the Embarcadero Center, I let my attorney and accountant know, I would be out of the country, after the first of the year. I don’t know how long I may be gone, but I will keep in touch, on a regular basis with Gabriela. She will be your go to person, if I’m needed before I return.
Gabriela rode the elevator down to the first floor, of the Embarcadero Center, with me. I asked if she would have dinner, this evening with me. I suggested, Shalimar Sunnyvale Restaurant, in the Sunnyvale Shopping Center. This would put her close to home, after the one hour drive from San Francisco.
My driver picked me up, in front of the Embarcadero Center. Gabriela was parked in the parking garage, next door to the building. I told her, I would meet her at the restaurant.
I arrived at, Shalimar Sunnyvale Restaurant, at 6:25. Gabriela was close behind and met me in the entrance vestibule. A hostess took Gabriela and me to a nice quiet booth, on the back side of the restaurant.
I said to Gabriela, I wanted to tell her of my plans, for the next few months. I’m going to Yomogita, Japan, for a while. I will be living with approximately, forty Buddhist monks at a monastery, in the extreme northern portion of Japan. At this point, I have no idea how we will stay in touch. I’ve told Lois Dyer of my plans and asked that she remain on my staff and manage the household.
What do you hope to find in Japan, asked Gabriela? Peace and serenity, I responded. I hope to find out who I am, and how I fit in on this planet. I could see I was scaring her, with some of my comments.
I assured her I wasn’t crazy. My whole life had been filled with doing things and accomplishing unbelievable task. I never once, focused on myself. Only on the things, I was working on. I never had a normal life, nor have I ever had a close relationship, with anyone other than my mother and father.
Every waken moment has been filled with education, engineering or mathematics. I hold sixteen college degrees, including two PhD’s. My mine is at work all the time and I want to see if I can find a more peaceful nature.
I know people think I’m rude or unconcern, when they speak to me. My problem is. I’m not interested in simple chit chat. I care less about whether, your children were doing well in school, or that your grandmother is ill, or that you just purchased a new car or house.
My whole life has been focused, only on the work I’m doing, or the businesses I’m running, and nothing else mattered. I want to try to re-program my mind, to fit in with the rest of the world.
Before we left the restaurant, I told Gabriela, I would call her when I knew the date, I would be leaving. I said when I get to my destination, in Japan, I’ll figure out how she can reach me, if I’m needed. I will communicate, through the mail, unless it is an emergency, then I’ll find a faster way for her to contact me.
When we left the restaurant, my driver pulled up in front, and Gabriela, before she headed to her car, gave me a hug and a kiss, on the cheek. I slipped into the rear seat and the driver closed the door.
It was 10:00 when I arrived home, to an empty house. The limousine service, was an independent bu
siness, and not employed by me. When I need their services, I call and they have a car and driver at my door, in less than twenty minutes. Now with only a security guard, on the premises, I decided to turn in early.
I spent Christmas alone. However, Lois Dyer dragged me to a New Year’s party, Gabriela Alvarez was throwing. Lois, raised two children on her own, and even put them both through college. She lives alone, in a small house, on the corner of Jane Lane and Thompson Avenue, in Monta Loma.
Both her son’s, live in different parts of the country. She has one son, thirty two years old, and lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is an executive, with the Proctor and Gamble Company. The other son was twenty nine and an investment broker, in Atlanta, Georgia. Lois has a sister in, Phoenix Arizona.
As Gabriela’s guest drank and had fun, Lois and I danced. I drank a little Champagne, and toasted in the New Year. It was one of the first times. I had enjoyed myself, since my parents were alive. Lois had driven both of us to the party and she was now, concerned she may have drunk too much, to safely operate her vehicle. I told her I would drive, and get us home safely.
We left the party at 2:00 AM in the morning and I drove the both of us, to my estate, in Los Altos Hills, California. When I pulled up to the gates, I rolled down the driver’s side window, so the security guard could see, it was me. The security guard stepped out of the gatehouse and saw who it was. He raised his hand, acknowledging me and opened the gates.
I took Lois into the first floor guest room, and sat her on the edge of the bed. I walked to the master bedroom, and returned with a white tee shirt, she could sleep in. I left the guest room and returned to my master bedroom.
I was in bed, for less than ten minutes, when Lois came into my room, and crawled into bed, with me. She rolled over next to me, and went to sleep, without saying a word. She and I are not sexually or romantically connected. Joining me in my bed was just a sign of our long friendship and trust.
Lois has been my housekeeper, for almost twenty years. In all that time, I was either gone or running out the door, to another businesses or corporate meeting. Now, in her mid-fifties, she reminds me a little of my mother.
She is soft spoken, strong women. In all the years, I’ve known her. She has never had a derogatory thought about me, roaming around in her head. I think she is the only one, who really understands me, and that is why she feels safe and comfortable, lying in bed, next to me.
When I woke, the next morning, Lois was lying up next to me, with her arm over my chest. I could smell the perfume on her hair. She’s barely five foot seven, and not more than a hundred and twenty pounds.
She was sleeping, so soundly, I didn’t want to wake her. I laid in bed, for another fifteen minutes, than slowly lifted her arm, and slipped over, to the edge of the bed. When I stood up she rolled over, and continued to sleep.
I slipped on the silk pajama top that matched the bottoms, I was wearing. I stepped into the closet, and put my feet into a pair of house shoes. It was Monday, January 1, 2001, the first day of a new year, and the start of my second life.
Lois came into the kitchen, bare foot and wearing my long white tee shirt. She found me standing at the counter, trying to figure out how to make coffee. She moved over close to me, and took her hip, and bumped me, telling me to move. I scooted over and she gave me a lesson, in coffee making. I thought it funny that this sweet little lady, had to instruct a man with an indeterminable high IQ, how to prepare coffee.
When the coffee began to brew, Lois walked through the kitchen, towards the servant’s quarters, and laundry area. She returned, just as the coffee brewing had stopped, and was dressed in denim jeans and a light brown long sleeve blouse, and tennis shoes. She must have kept extra clothes in the laundry room, I thought.
Sit, she said, as she pointed to a chair by a small table. I sat down at the table and she poured me a cup of coffee, with a little cream. She opened the refrigerator and removed some eggs, bacon, and orange juice. I sat and watched her prepare breakfast, for the both of us.
While we sat and enjoyed the breakfast, we talked a little more, about my upcoming trip to Japan. I told her I had a flight, out of San Francisco International to Honolulu, Hawaii, on January 27th. I’m not sure how long I’m going to stay in Japan, but I’ll write you and let you know how I’m doing.
Lois said, if I were going to rough-it, on my travels, I needed different clothes, than what I owned. To me pants were pants and shirts were shirts. However Lois set me straight and told me, I needed denim jeans, several pairs of shorts and long and short sleeve, pull-over polo shirts.
After further discussion about my wardrobe, I asked her to help me pick out new clothes. She agreed, and said she would take me shopping, the next day. It was at that breakfast, I found out, she had been buying all my clothes, over the years. When she did the laundry, she would see what I needed and would replace, old worn out items. She bought everything, but my suits, which were custom made.
Lois spent New Year’s Day with me and we sat around watching television, which was something, I never do. I only use the television for news reports and never watched any sitcoms. We watched several movies, on a channel, I was unaware I could get. That night, she once again joined me in bed. She snuggled up close to me. I could sense, she was not sexually attacked to me. She just wanted the comfort, of a male companion.
Lois had lost her husband, in July 1973, as the direct U.S. military involvement, was ending in Vietnam. Her husband, was a CBS news commentator, covering the departure of American troops, from Saigon, when a North Vietnamese sniper, killed him while filming the evacuation action, at an U.S. air base in Saigon.
Lois spent her adult life, raising her sons and setting them, in the right direction for life. Once her boys were on their own, she began to care for me, although I didn’t realize it, at the time.
The next day, she pulled her car up to my front door and said she was the chauffeur, for the day. I walked around her car and took a seat in the front, next to her. She pulled up to the guardhouse, and the security guard opened the gates.
We drove south towards San Jose, and continued further south, on California Highway 85. While Lois drove she told me, my mother had given her specific instructions, on the kind of clothes to buy me. She also told me what your favorite foods were, and how to prepare them.
When did you have this discussion, with my mother, I asked. She explained, she first met my mother, in 1981 when she was decorating my house. She said, she had just started working for me through a service agency, to clean and care for the house.
Gabriela Alvarez hired me full time, three years later, she said. I’ve met your mother and father, several times, over the years. Your mother, was the one who contacted Gabriela, and instructed her to put me in charge of the household.
Lois turned off highway 85, and into the Westfield Oakridge Mall. She pulled up and parked by Macy’s Department store. When we entered the mall, we started at one end and worked our way to the other. We had lunch at Panda Express, before working our way back to the end of the mall, where she had parked her car. We both had our hands full of shopping bags, as we walked from the mall.
On our way out the door, she made me buy three dozen pairs of Hugo Boss, men’s cotton briefs at Macy’s. She said I was too young and physically fit, to continue to wear my ugly white boxer shorts.
I purchased a dozen pairs, of different style jeans from Nordstrom and shorts and polo’s from Sears. We packed all the bags, in the trunk of her quaint little Honda Civic, and were on our way, to another shopping mall.
I could see Lois was getting a kick out of all the shopping. She was excited, when she pulled into Eastridge Center. She pulled around to the south side of the mall and we entered through a large set, of triple glass doors.
She took me to a men’s sports clothing store, and we purchased several hooded sweatshirts, and a couple dozen pairs of durable socks, a white pair of New Balance tennis shoes, and a pair of hiking boots.
Before
leaving the mall, I insisted on buying her something. I told her she could pick out anything, she wanted. She tried to talk me out of spending time, shopping for her. I said I wasn’t leaving the mall, until she bought something.
I knew the minute, we walked into the mall, she had her mind on a gold and diamond watch, at Rollins Jewelry Store, near the entrance, where we came in.
Lois walked around the mall, looking in the different stores. She finally settled on a pretty sundress, at a women’s store, in the middle of the mall. As we were leaving, I said I needed to stop in Rollins Jewelry Store.
We walked into the store and I led Lois over to a display case, where there were a lot of ladies watches for sale. I looked at her, as she looked at the watches. I could visualize, the one she wanted. I had read her mind and could picture it in my head.
A saleswoman came over and asked if she could be of service. Before Lois had a chance, to say no, I said yes. I want that gold and diamond watch right there, as I pointed down into the case. The saleswoman handed me the watch, and I asked that she have it size it for my friend’s wrist.
I took the sundress from Lois and the saleslady took her around, to the jeweler and he sized the watch to fit her small wrist, while I paid the saleslady. As Lois and I, were walking from the mall, she asked, how I knew she wanted that particular watch. I said a little birdy, had told me. When we got to her car, we put my things on the back seat, and hung her sundress on a hook above the rear door.
We made another stop, at a Sunnyvale shopping center. Lois parked across, from Lincoln’s Leather and Baggage Store and we walked in. She told me I needed luggage, more conducive to the way, I would be traveling. She took me straight over to a rack full, of dark brown Aero Squadron leather duffle bags. She said these are the best made and would be perfect for my trip.
We chose two dual zipper large duffle bags, one carryon duffle, and a shaving kit bag. I also grabbed another leather bag that was a little smaller than the shaving kit.
The store owner, came over and said, hi Lois. She introduced the owner to me, and said he and his wife, live next door to her. She told the gentlemen, to keep an eye on her house. She would be gone, for a few weeks. I stared at Lois for a few seconds and knew she had plans, to stay with me, until I left for Japan. It made me feel warm inside, knowing someone cared about me.
Alien Among Us (TJ Steele Book 1) Page 7
