“Hey, Judy, how’s it going?”
“Hey, Mikey. I’m just sketching a few things. Jonah told me you wanted a new logo and maybe even some rebranding for the market, so I’m kicking around a few ideas.”
“Cool! Hey, you know what, I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone sit in this room.”
“Oh yeah, they’re repainting the den. Did you know it used to be a master bedroom? That’s what Bob told me. He’s doing it in a grayish-cream color so that we can really have some fun decorating in there, or even turn it into a bedroom when Dad gets home from the hospital. So anyway, I’ve been sitting in here while they’re working.”
“Huh, that’s a great idea about the bedroom. So, when do I get to see these sketches?” he asked and smiled, as he tried to look at her notebook.
“Oh, no, you don’t. Not till I’m done, but I’m making good progress so probably tomorrow. Sound good?”
“That’s better than good. Thanks again, Judy.”
Michael walked up the stairs to the bedroom and found Jonah hard at work at his computer.
“Hey, you’re here! I have so much to show you!” Jonah launched into a long-winded explanation about why he selected Wordpress over Drupal to create the site. He also got the color scheme ideas from Judy but he said that all the branding was a placeholder for the time being. Michael could see Jonah had already put quite a bit of work into the project.
“So, yeah, if you can get me a list of all the products we carry, I’m going to make a product database for the products page. Oh, and we can even like, hook it up to an inventory system. Or maybe not. But like, I can create one. I have all these ideas that could be really cool. I think I can have this all done by the end of next week for sure!”
Michael loved how excited Jonah was about this, and Judy, too. Maybe if their dad involved Michael more in the market’s decisions when he was a kid, he would have been more into it, too. Michael was even getting excited about it now. They could really turn things around. He told Jonah as much and then headed downstairs to set the table and get everything ready for dinner. His mother had called and let him know that Annie would be joining them and that they would be there shortly.
While Michael waited, he wandered into the den and thought about what Judy had said. It just might make the perfect bedroom for Mom and Dad when Dad came home. He was already walking but it would probably make things easier for him not to have to go up and down the stairs. Michael made a mental note to discuss this with his mother, when he heard voices out in the kitchen.
“Michael, Michael! Where are you?” His mother shouted enthusiastically.
He came back into the kitchen and was engulfed by her arms and her spirit.
“Michael, the outside of the house looks amazing, I can’t believe what you’ve done!”
“Judy and Jonah helped, too, with everything,” he said, indicating that all of the interior had now been painted as well.
A few seconds later, both Judy and Jonah came in and they all sat down to a lively meal. As they ate, they discussed all their ideas and plans and what they had all worked on that day, both for the Market and for their home.
As they were finishing up their pizza, Michael cleared his throat and said, “I have something to tell everyone.” The room grew quiet.
“Today I went to the hospital and spoke with Dad. It was really great. He’s having some trouble talking but he let me know he wants our help in coming up with ways to save the market and he wants to see us all every day, if possible.” He paused. “And he and I have ... forgiven each other.”
Annie let out something that sounded like a war whoop—or was it more like a whoopee—and then said, “Hallelujah, finally. That’s great bro! So, what are we going to do about the market in terms of decisions?”
Michael let her know his idea of having their father actively participate in the decision-making, but no longer having it be a dictatorship market ... it would be a family market, where everyone’s input counted. And that meant that Michael wouldn’t be leading the charge on his own, either. Michael always believed that you needed to involve the whole team, from the mailroom people to the top executives, to come up with fresh ideas. Everyone had something to contribute.
His mother beamed.
They finished up dinner and then Michael and Annie did the dishes. Michael thought to himself that next time he ordered pizza, he needed to remember paper plates and cups.
“Sooo, thanks for babysitting the other night! Tom and I had the best time and the boys couldn’t stop raving about you. They want you to come over again soon!”
Michael chuckled. “That’s just because I’m a pushover and mistakenly gave the boys soda after hours.”
“What? Well that must explain it.” Annie winked at him.
“No, seriously. Michael, it’s nice to have you back here. I feel like I have support now. For a lot of the past decade or so, it’s seemed that I’ve been going at it alone with them. It’s nice to have your help now. I mean, I’m not saying that you weren’t helpful before ... well, I guess I am, but it’s not like it was your fault.” Annie continued to ramble. She tended to do that. It’s a good thing she married such a quiet guy like Tom, Michael thought. They were well suited for each other, he decided.
“So, anyway what I was trying to say was that last night was great. Tom and I went to the Warren Inn but ate in the dining room for once. It is so nice there! So well done and the food was incredible! I feel like Beth should totally have a show on the food network!”
Annie continued for a few minutes about how the Food Network was amazing and how they should do a show based in Maine, and wouldn’t it be amazing if Malone’s Market could be featured? Now, there was an idea. By the time they made it back to drying the dishes, the conversation circled back to Beth. Annie wanted to know what the status was with her and Michael. Michael wanted to laugh at his sister’s roundabout way of speaking, but he thought it was endearing and part of her charm, despite how frustrating it could be. He spaced out for a moment.
“So? So? You never gave me all the details about the other night. And frankly, I don’t need every detail but are you going to see her again? How do you feel about her? How does she feel about you?”
This was like twenty questions, thought Michael, “Yes, I like her. And I’m unsure.”
“Seriously? That’s how you’re going to answer that question. Pish. You’re just like you were when we were kids.”
Michael laughed at that. They finished up the dishes and had a few more laughs before Annie headed home and the rest of the family retired to the living room, where they watched a favorite movie of Michael’s, “Back to the Future.” It took place in 1985, and this mad scientist type, Doc Brown, invents time travel. A young Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, travels back to 1955, and accidentally prevents his parents from meeting, putting his own existence at stake. Judy had never seen it but she ended up loving it! They had a good laugh and as Michael looked around the room at his Mother, Jonah, and Judy, he realized that he couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be that night.
The next morning, Michael got up early and went for another run to the Gray Harbor Lighthouse. He secretly hoped he’d run into Beth, but she wasn’t there. It was probably still breakfast service at the Warren Inn. Or maybe she didn’t exercise every day. He was looking forward to their ‘business lunch’ tomorrow and had settled on doing a picnic in the back of Malone’s. Of course he was going to be doing a little work there today in preparation for tomorrow, but also to help better the Market itself. He was going to get some picnic tables and benches, wood chips, and plants. As far as Beth and thoughts of her went, he guessed it was best he didn’t see her today, since there was a lot to be done aside from his picnic preparations. He wanted to talk to his mother about preparing the house for his father's return. He also wanted to work with Judy and Jonah on the website and re-branding ideas. He also needed some time to think about his own future. Huh, he t
hought. He kept coming back to that. His future.
He didn’t know what he wanted, but he did know what he didn’t want. He didn’t want to be a part of Goldfarb anymore. It was time to move on. He had been there since business school and he also didn’t appreciate their recent behavior towards him. He was still managing director, he thought. Maybe he needed to do something drastic. He would call his lawyer later in the day and try to set up a call and get his resignation process started.
After spending a few minutes staring out at the water, he ran back home. As he ran, he thought about all that had happened over the past week. He couldn’t believe that’s all the time that had passed. It seemed like so much longer. When he got home, he ran right up the stairs to the room he and Jonah were sharing and was surprised to see Jonah up already.
“Jonah, what are you doing up so early?” Michael checked his watch. “It’s only seven. I’m impressed ... BUT what are you doing?”
“Building the website, you dope. Pull up a chair.”
Michael did exactly that.
Jonah sniffed and said, “Oh, my God! You smell foul. All right, just stay about a foot away from me and try not to drip any of your sweat on my computer, okay?”
Michael was tempted to put Jonah in a headlock but decided against. Instead, he maturely stuck out his tongue and said, “All right little brother, I’ll try not to drip on your precious computer, just show me what you have.”
For the next hour, Jonah showed him how he had set up a simple database where they could load their product data so people could see what the store had to offer and even do searches. For example, what gluten-free products did Malone’s Market have to offer? What kinds of fish? And the best part was he had written a script where they could just upload a spreadsheet (a properly formatted one) and it would load the data. Michael was impressed.
“Oh, and Judy is also writing all the copy, she should have it all done tonight. So basically if Dad likes this, we can launch with this and our current logo now and then relaunch with updated branding in a couple of weeks or whenever.”
“I’m really impressed, Jonah,” Michael said and put his arm around his little brother. You really are a brain. And you just totally freed up my afternoon. How much more work do you have to do on this?”
“Nothing, really, without that inventory list and Judy’s copy — wait, why?” He regretted saying he was free very quickly.
“Perfect. Get dressed and we’re going back to McAllister's. We have some work to do, and then we’ll go visit Dad.”
“Arrghhh. Fine, but what’s in this for me?”
“I’ll get you a couple of egg n’ cheese rolls at the diner this morning. We’ll bring Judy, too. What do you think?”
“All right, you know me, I’m a sucker for food, I’ll go get Judy ... and you may want to take a shower. You really stink!”
Michael laughed at that, but it was true. He did really stink. Running six miles never left him smelling great, but he felt good. He hopped in the shower and opted not to shave again, he was kind of liking the mountain man look but maybe he would shave it off tomorrow and reserve the look for the winter. He pulled on what had become his uniform in Maine: a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and his boat shoes. Then he ran down stairs to an eager Judy and Jonah.
“Let’s go, we’re starving, Michael,” said Judy. Not something he expected from his usually quiet and reserved sister. He guessed she was getting comfortable with him and that made him smile.
They walked out to the car and Michael drove them to the local diner. They ended up ordering pancakes, egg and cheese rolls, bacon, and potatoes and sharing all of it. Michael couldn’t remember having such a pleasant meal ever before. They joked around, talking about music, movies, and even more serious topics like their dad and the store.
“Judy, I’ve been meaning to ask you. I don’t know if this is your sort of thing.” Michael paused and Jonah gave him a warning glance, “But I was thinking it might be really cool to have a mural in the back of the store, outside? You know by the parking lot? We’re going to pick up some picnic tables and stuff for that area today so that people can sit out there and enjoy lunch. Anyway, I’m not much of an artist. And given that I know you’re artistically inclined ...” Before Michael could continue, Judy paused and looked at Michael and then Jonah.
Michael realized then that maybe he shouldn’t have said anything, so he tried to save himself and Jonah by saying, “You know, since you’re working on the logo ... I was if wondering if you would help me with it?”
“Ouch!” Jonah shrieked, after Judy punched him hard in the arm.
“That’s for telling him.” Judy turned her attention back to Michael and said, “Sure, I’d love to help.”
They all laughed after that and headed over to McAllister's.
After about two hours they had everything that they needed, including four picnic tables and benches, in an unfinished wood that matched the building exterior. They also purchased paint and supplies for a mural, wood chips, geraniums, potting soil, shovels, and a watering can. They scheduled for the picnic tables to be delivered in the afternoon, but packed up the rest of the supplies in Michael’s car.
Judy proved to be a master gardener. By two thirty, they had all of the flowers planted and wood chips in place. They had even begun to add the base coat of paint for the mural on the wall. An hour later it was a nice beige color. Judy decided it would be best if she spent some time thinking about what to put up on the mural before starting. But even without the mural, they all decided it looked a lot better out there. The picnic tables were scheduled to arrive in thirty minutes, so they decided to hang out at the market, get a bite to eat, and visit Mom and Annie.
Judy walked in and headed straight for the cheese counter where their mother was. “Hey, Mom! How’s business today?”
“Good, good. It’s picked up a little. With more barbeques coming up, everyone has stopped by to buy cheese for cheeseburgers today. Unfortunately, no one has been too adventurous today. Mostly cheddar.” Marty frowned. “So what are you kids up to today?”
Michael answered for the group, “We’re working on the picnic area project and then we’re going to the hospital to visit Dad. Are you going to head there tonight?”
“Ahh, I went this morning at eight. They have special hours for spouses from eight to eleven. Thank God! That’s usually the slower part of the day. But I may stop in just before eight to say a quick goodnight. Are you kids taking care of dinner tonight?” Marty looked hopeful.
“I’m going out with friends tonight,” said Jonah.
Judy looked at Michael for confirmation and then turned to their mother. “Michael and I will be home tonight, Mom. We’ll put something together, any request?’
Marty looked thoughtful. “No cheeseburgers!”
Michael, Judy, and Jonah walked through the aisles and grabbed some cheese, salami, mustard, pickles, bread, chips, and sodas and then headed for the register. Michael insisted on paying for it all. They then headed out and sat on the ground and made quick work at making sandwiches — and devouring them just as quickly. A short time later, the delivery truck arrived and they worked with the driver to get the tables set up. It was starting to look really good out there. Then they sat down and finished up their lunches and hung out, chatting for a bit.
Michael and Judy decided on a simple dinner of pasta, salad, and garlic bread and went back in to make their purchases, then headed over to the hospital to visit their father. Michael had to admit that James seemed to have visibly improved since the day before. He still couldn’t really move one side of his face or his arm but he had demonstrated his walking abilities and excitedly spoke about coming home, and coming back to the market, as soon as possible
The kids told him about the picnic area and the website. He seemed to respond well to both projects and he loved the idea of the mural. He said they had to have blueberries, the Maine tartan, lobsters, and of course a moose, integrated into the mural somehow
. Everyone felt energized after seeing Dad and by five-thirty they were all home and unwinding.
Michael had a great time preparing the meal with Judy and while they worked, she confided that she wanted to go to the Rhode Island School of Design to study graphic and classical arts. She told him all about the portfolio preparation process and excitedly said that having a real company use her logo, even if it was just the family business, could really help her application.
After he, Judy, and his mother had dinner later that night, they all parted ways to do their own thing. Michael went up to his room and picked up the Wall Street Journal but quickly decided against opening it ... why ruin the rest of the evening? He had much more exciting things to think about, like tomorrow, and his ‘business lunch’ with Beth.
Chapter 12
The next morning, Michael awoke with feelings of nervous energy. He wanted everything to be perfect. He got up and showered and shaved. He donned a fresh purple polo shirt, brown belt, jeans, wayfarer sunglasses, and his boat shoes. He looked casual but clean-cut. The night before he had managed to find a wicker basket downstairs in the kitchen and even an appropriate checkered tablecloth and napkins. He got all his utensils and cups together and then headed off to the market to get supplies and make lunch for Beth and himself. They’d be dining in the brand-new picnic area at the market that day.
At the market, he found all of the necessary ingredients to make what he hoped would be a memorable lunch. He went to the storage room and prepared classic lobster rolls a la Mama Malone, along with a string bean salad made with red potato, onions, olive oil and oregano. He also had selected various cheeses, crackers, and grapes to go with the meal, as well as some San Pellegrino. After he was done, he packed everything in the car, and headed to the Warren Inn to pick up Beth.
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