Matthew and the Stone

by Bob Blanton

  “No problem,” Matthew shouted back. “I just hope I don’t embarrass you by spilling food all over myself or something.”

  “You can make whatever kind of fool of yourself that you want to,” Jason said. “It’s no skin off my back. As long as you’re not a stoner, my dad will like you.”

  “Good thing.”

  “Hey, did you hear about the fight Tyler had with the football coach? He’s refusing to drink the sports drink, and the coach is furious.”

  “Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy,” Matthew said, smiling.

  It only took a few minutes to go the five miles to Jason’s house. Jason slowed down as he climbed the hill to his house, then he executed a nice slow turn into the driveway and parked the car.

  “Why don’t you drive like that around my house?” Matthew asked as he hopped out of the car.

  “Hey, the only rule is, no talking about my driving,” Jason said. “I don’t want my dad taking away my keys. Besides, I don’t drive that fast, just loud.”

  As they entered the house, Brianna came down the stairs and called out to them. “Hi Matt, you sure clean up nice,” she said. She was dressed in a Polynesian outfit with a long tropical flower print skirt tied on her left hip and a matching top that looked like a big handkerchief. It really highlighted her deep tan.

  “Thanks, Brianna,” Matthew said his ears turning a little red.

  “We’re eating out on the patio tonight,” Brianna said.

  Matthew and Jason followed Brianna out to the patio where her mother was telling their maid how she wanted the table set. “And Estella, please chill the salad bowls tonight,” she said. Then she turned to the three of them and smiled, “Hello Matt, I hope you’re hungry. I’ve made ahi tuna tonight, and Estella made a wonderful rice pilaf to go with it.”

  “I’m always hungry, Mrs. Winthrop,” Matthew said.

  “Now I told you to call me Cara,” Mrs. Winthrop said, “and call Mr. Winthrop, Carl.”

  “Sure, no problem, Cara,” Matthew said.

  “Now Jason, go get your father,” Mrs. Winthrop said. “He’s in his study.”

  “Okay, Mom,” Jason said. “Matt, I’ll be right back, just have a seat.”

  “Sit here, Matt,” Brianna said as she motioned to one of the chairs at the round patio table.

  Matthew sat down, and Brianna and Mrs. Winthrop took their places, Brianna on one side of Matthew and Mrs. Winthrop opposite him. “Do you want anything to drink?” Mrs. Winthrop asked.

  “I’ll have some iced tea,” Matthew said as he reached for the pitcher on the table.

  “Well, what have you been doing today?” Mrs. Winthrop asked, “Anything exciting?”

  “I heard you took a dive off your bike in front of Jennifer’s house,” Brianna said with a little chuckle.

  “Yeah, I wasn’t paying attention, and while I was trying to adjust my backpack, I hit a rock or something. Just landed in the hedges, no big deal,” Matthew replied, looking embarrassed. “Geez, I wonder how many other people Jennifer told,” Matthew thought.

  Jason and his father came out onto the patio. “Hello, Matt,” Mr. Winthrop said as he stuck his hand out.

  “Hello, Mr. Winthrop,” Matthew replied as he stood up and shook hands.

  “Please call me Carl, Mr. Winthrop is my father,” Mr. Winthrop quipped as he took his place at the table.

  “Yeah, everyone calls Grandpa, Mr. Winthrop,” Jason chimed in as he sat down on the other side of Matthew.

  Estella brought out the Caesar salads for everyone and asked Mr. Winthrop if he wanted to start out with a white wine.

  “Thanks, Estella, I’ll have the same as Cara for now,” Mr. Winthrop replied.

  Estella hurried and got him a glass and then went back into the house.

  “Matt was just telling us about his day,” Mrs. Winthrop said. “Weren’t you, Matt?”

  “I guess. There’s not much to tell,” he said. “I had to go into work to take care of a problem, then I finished up a few projects, and now I’m here.”

  “Typical teenage brevity,” Mr. Winthrop said. “Now what kind of problem did you have to take care of?” he asked.

  “Oh, I work for Webmasters.com and they had a problem with one of the sites they host,” Matthew said. “I developed it, so they needed me to fix it.”

  “More brevity,” Mr. Winthrop said, “now what kind of problem was it and what did you do to fix it?”

  “It was with this web page developed for World Golf Tours. It lets you visit all the golf courses on the different tours they offer,” Matthew said. “You can even play a virtual golf game on the course; that way the clients can get familiar with the course before they actually travel to it.”

  “That sounds really interesting,” Mrs. Winthrop said.

  “Yes it does,” Mr. Winthrop said. “Cara, isn’t that the tour company we’re using for our vacation in February?”

  “Yes it is,” Mrs. Winthrop said. “Now go on, Matt.”

  “Well, someone added a new course that’s in New Zealand,” Matthew said, “but he messed it up. So, everyone was playing holes at Augusta, then Pebble Beach, then wherever.”

  “Sounds like a mess,” Jason said.

  “Yes it does,” Mr. Winthrop said. “How did you fix it?”

  “I had to reset the database and add the new course in right,” Matthew said, “nothing special.” Matthew was obviously proud of his accomplishment although he tried to sound casual.

  “Apparently, it’s not that easy or the other guy wouldn’t have messed it up,” Mr. Winthrop said. “Like I said, Cara and I are planning to take a trip with World Golf Tours in February.”

  “We thought we’d go somewhere with sunshine and warm weather during the winter,” Mrs. Winthrop said. “So, we’re going to Australia.”

  “Yes,” Mr. Winthrop said. “I’ll have to check out this new course in New Zealand. See if I want to add it to our itinerary. What do you think, Cara?”

  “Sounds like it might be fun,” Mrs. Winthrop said. “We’ve never been to New Zealand.”

  Estella came out, collected their salad plates, and asked, “Are you ready for the main course?”

  “Yes, please,” Mrs. Winthrop said.

  Estella returned shortly with a large platter with ahi on it, a bowl of rice pilaf and a basket of bread. She went back inside and returned with two large wine goblets and a decanter of red wine.

  “I thought we’d have the Pinot Noir,” Mrs. Winthrop said to Mr. Winthrop. “Is that OK with you?”

  “Sounds fine, I’m sure the ahi will stand up to it,” Mr. Winthrop said as Estella poured their glasses. “How are the tennis lessons coming along, Matt?” he asked.

  “Great,” Matthew said. “Cara is a great teacher, and Jason has been working me over two or three times a week.”

  “Good,” Mr. Winthrop said. “Is your game staying sharp?” Mr. Winthrop asked, turning to Jason.

  “Sure, Dad,” Jason said. “Working with Matt helps, and Mom and I play at least once a week.”

  “Why don’t you play with your sister?” Mr. Winthrop asked.

  “Cause he’s afraid I might beat him,” Brianna said, making a face at Jason.

  “In your dreams,” Jason said. “Besides, Mom still has you restricted. Matt here can really put some pace on the ball; it helps me work on my reflexes.”

  “If I could only get to the ball to hit it,” Matthew said.

  “That’ll come with practice,” Mrs. Winthrop said. “And Brianna, you’re not to play until the doctor clears your foot. Matt, are you planning to watch the tournament this weekend?”

  “I was hoping to, but I’m not sure; it’s a long ride on my bike.”

  “I’m going next week, you could come with me,” Brianna said, happy to finally be able to join the conversation. “It’s my only chance since we can’t go Sunday. Daddy has a horse running Sunday, so we’re going to Del Mar.”

  “I didn’t know you owned race horses,” Matthew t
urned back to Mr. Winthrop.

  “I just own a third of one.”

  “It’s a really pretty bay stallion,” Brianna said. “His name is Skywalker.”

  “That’s cool. How long have you owned him?”

  “We bought him last year. I’m kind of mixing business with pleasure. One of our investors is a big racing fan, and an old family friend was willing to sell this horse.”

  “So Carl couldn’t resist the chance to buy him,” Mrs. Winthrop squeezed her husband’s hand.

  “Anyway, my partner offered to go thirds with this investor. He jumped at the chance to get in on such a good horse.”

  “Yeah, he was a real steal,” Jason said. “Dad’s friend had to sell him.”

  “Why?”

  “Divorce and all. It got a little ugly so they decided to sell the assets and divide the cash. Anyway, it’s fun to go to the races as an owner.”

  “Yeah,” Brianna said. “The owners’ boxes are really nice; they’re in the best area of the grandstands.”

  “It’d be a lot more fun if he would win a race once in a while,” Jason said.

  “Be nice, Jason,” Mrs. Winthrop said. “Skywalker is still a young horse.”

  “It’s okay, Cara. It’s been a long dry spell, but he should win on Sunday.”

  “That’s good. What is our trainer saying?”

  “He says Skywalker is looking good and he’s pulling out all stops to win. Since he’s still an unknown, he should go out at long odds; should be a good bet.”

  Matthew looked puzzled, “Don’t you always run a horse to win?”

  “Sure, but Skywalker is a late bloomer. The trainer has been holding him back a little until all his muscles develop.”

  Mr. Winthrop paused and Brianna jumped right into the silence. “When we first got him, he was kind of small, but now he’s really looking like a racehorse.” She looked at her father hoping he wouldn’t be mad at her for jumping in. He just smiled at her and let her continue.

  “He’s got really good bloodlines, so he’s been placed with some pretty strong runners. He wasn’t really ready to compete with them yet.”

  “He’s a little young for his class,” Jason said, “so he’s on the small side when it comes to three-year olds.”

  Mr. Winthrop patiently waited while Jason added his perspective. “That’s why the trainer has been holding him back. Now that he’s grouped with the right class of horses, he’ll be able to win when we push him. Build up his confidence, stuff like that.”

  “Isn’t that against the rules?” Matthew asked.

  “Not really, it’s just part of the horse’s development and is expected from young horses.”

  “Oh.”

  “Now, some trainers really manipulate their horses to get the best odds. They have them tank a few races until the odds go up. Then let them loose to win when the odds are really lopsided, like 80-1.”

  “Now that’s illegal,” Jason added with authority, then looking at his father for approval.

  “Yes, and they can only get away with it on a horse two or three times before they have to stop. Then they usually get rid of the horse and start over with some other horse.”

  “Does that really happen?” Mrs. Winthrop asked.

  Mr. Winthrop was enjoying being the expert on horse racing and continued to share the results of his research and experience. “Sure, if you could bug the paddocks, you’d probably find out that half the time when a horse wins at big odds, he’s been manipulated that way. But what we’re doing is pretty much standard practice for young horses. Maybe we’re a little late in getting him going, but he’s had some nagging injuries that have slowed him down.”

  “How would you find out, by bugging the paddocks?” Matthew’s interest really peaked with the thought of a way to use his newfound talent.

  “Well, if you could hear the trainer and owner discussing the preparation for the race, you’d probably hear whether they were planning to go for a win.”

  “How could you tell?”

  “You have a whole different discussion when you’re prepping a nag that just can’t win versus a horse you were holding back for the right odds. You watch Sunday. There are three or four horses going out at long odds,” he said. “I’ll bet one of them wins, and I’d bet the trainer knows they will win it.”

  “Sounds like a great way to make some big bucks.” The dollar signs were already lighting up in Matthew’s mind.

  “Not really; it is pari-mutuel betting. The money pool is set by how much is bet in the race. Your odds are based on how much money is on your horse versus the pool. If you bet too much money on a horse, the odds go down and more people are willing to risk betting on the horse.”

  “So why would you care?”

  “You have to split your winnings with everyone else who bets on it. So, if you want to get most of the pool money, most of the money bet on the horse has to be yours. Of course they place money with bookies and in Las Vegas to spread things around.”

  “Sounds tricky.”

  “It is, and if you win too much money on a horse at long odds, the race track officials get suspicious.”

  “I like betting on the underdog,” Mrs. Winthrop said. “That way if you win, you win a lot. It makes it more exciting.”

  “I wouldn’t necessarily take advice from my wife. She has a lot of fun at the races, but she doesn’t win too many bets.”

  Mrs. Winthrop made a face at Mr. Winthrop, “Carl, it’s all about having fun. Money isn’t everything.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  “The real way to make big bucks is in mergers and acquisitions,” Jason said, jumping in. “If you can figure out who’s going to buy out whom, you can make a killing.”

  “That’s harder than trying to fix a race,” Mr. Winthrop said. “That information is really closely guarded.”

  “But some people do get it,” Jason added emphatically, looking for recognition for his understanding of money making.

  “Yes, they’re usually insiders. You would have to have access to some very private information.”

  “How would you get that?” Matthew was even more interested in the chance to score big bucks.

  “You need to be at the board meeting when it’s discussed. But that would make you an insider and by law you couldn’t trade on the stock using that information.”

  “You mean they decide what companies they’re going to buy at the board of directors meetings?”

  “Yes, and in other meetings with the chairman of the board. It takes months to decide whether to buy another company.”

  “Does that really happen very often?”

  “Sure, right now Consolidated Semiconductor is looking to add a design company specializing in telecommunication. If you could figure out which one they decide to buy, you could invest heavily in that company and wait for the public announcement.”

  “What would happen then?” Matthew wanted to get enough details so he could develop a plan.

  “The stock would go through the roof,” Jason jumped in.

  “Yes it would, and if the SEC didn’t come knocking at your door, you’d be sitting pretty.”

  “Why would the SEC come knocking?”

  “Well they track all the trades on the stock market. If one looks too suspicious, they follow up and try to figure out if there was some inside information used. If they determine there was, they take all your profits, slap you with a big fine and maybe throw you in jail.”

  “You don’t want to mess around with those SEC boys,” Jason said.

  “They can’t look at every trade,” Matthew was seeking assurance that he could still make a plan that worked.

  “They have some automatic thresholds set on the trades; if you trip them, the computer refers the trade for further investigation.”

  “Enough of this high finance stuff,” Mrs. Winthrop said. “This is dinner and we’re supposed to talk about more pleasant things.”

  “Cara doesn’t con
sider making money pleasant, just spending it.” Mr. Winthrop gave his wife a peck on the cheek, making light of his dig.

  “Making it is work, and you should talk about work at the office or at business functions, not at a family dinner.”

  “Well, do you want to go to the tennis tournament or not?” Brianna had been waiting impatiently during all the talk about money.

  Matthew looked at Jason with a pleading look on his face and mouthed, “Help.”

  “I’ll give you a ride over after your tennis lesson. Mom’s already planning on picking Brianna up after the tournament.”

  “Yes,” Brianna beamed, “you could bring a change of clothes with you, and shower and change here.”

  Matthew mouthed “traitor” at Jason so nobody else could see, but he resigned himself to his fate. “Sure, sounds like fun.”

  “Terrific! There are three great match-ups on Saturday.” Brianna proceeded to talk about the different players and who was likely to win the tournament. Matthew barely listened to her, just enough to be able to add a polite question or uh-huh now and then. He was really peeved at Jason for not helping him avoid going with Brianna.

  As the dinner was winding up, Estella came in to collect their plates.

  “Matt and I are going to check out the new X-men movie,” Jason said. “We’d better get moving; it starts at 8:30.”

  “It was a wonderful dinner, Cara,” Matthew said as he got up. “It’s been nice meeting you, Carl,” he nodded at Mr. Winthrop.

  “Bye, Matt,” Brianna smiled at Matthew. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Bye, Brianna,” Matthew was a little unsure of what he’d gotten himself into.

  As they walked to Jason’s car, Matthew turned and poked Jason in the ribs, “Thanks for the help in there.”

  “No problem,” Jason laughed. “She is my sister. I’ve got to be on her side once in a while.”

  “Then you should go with her.”

  “Hey don’t worry, you’ll survive. She can be a lot of fun.”

  “I’m sure she can. I just don’t need this right now.”

  “Yeah, like you’re going to get Emily to really go out with you. After the movie, I think it’s obvious that she just wants to be friends.”