Commencement

by Lawrence Cherry

Tim was sitting in his pajamas amongst a mass of paperwork on his couch, when there was a buzz on the intercom. It buzzed a number of times before he was able to free himself from the morass of papers to walk over to answer it.

  “Go ahead.”

  “Mr. Sharpe to see you, sir.”

  “Send him up, Brad.”

  It was nine thirty, and usually Allen would be at home during this part of the evening on a Thursday, no less. Tim went over to wait by the door. He couldn’t help but wonder what could be on Allen’s mind at this time of night. When he heard Allen’s familiar tread he opened the door.

  “Do you know what time it is?”

  “Don’t act like you were asleep. I’ve never known you to go to bed before midnight.”

  “There’s a first time for everything, you know. And don’t forget to wipe your feet.”

  “Oh, yeah. What in the world is all that?” asked Allen after noticing

  the sea of papers covering room.

  “My kamikaze mission”, said Tim taking Allen’s coat.

  “I guess I came at the wrong time.”

  “No, no, no. Have a seat, if you can find one. It’s really not as bad as

  it looks.”

  “For your sake I hope so. Man, maybe you should ask if you could have two VP’s.”

  “No thanks, one’s trouble enough. So what can I do you for, Al?”

  “I’ll make this quick. Let’s say someone got caught up in a mortgage or a refinance that they can’t afford. What do you think would be the quickest and cleanest way out, without destroying their credit?”

  “You came all the way over here to ask me that?”

  “What you mean ‘all the way over here’? It’s not like you live in Brooklyn. Besides, I wanted to have a face to face conversation. This is important.”

  “Oooooo-k. So, you want to know how someone can get out of a really big loan that they can’t pay without any damage to their credit?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Let me think…a magic wand. Root worker, maybe.”

  “Can we be serious for a minute?”

  “C’mon Al, there’s no way out of that kind of mess. Some people get forbearances, or they get a refinance on the loan, but that only delays the inevitable which is usually declaring bankruptcy, hence, ruining their credit for a long while.”

  “That’s kind of what I thought.”

  “Why so interested in loan defaults all of a sudden? Someone you know in trouble?”

  “Yeah. I just thought that maybe there was something I could do to

  help them out of it.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Nobody special.”

  “This ‘nobody special’ wouldn’t happen to be Davis? Would it?”

  “What would make you think that?”

  “Because it would seem more than coincidental that your interest

  would suddenly develop so shortly after you two became fast friends.”

  It would seem that ‘the children of this generation are wiser than the children of light’.1 Allen didn’t know how to respond so he was silent.

  “So I’m right! I knew there was something fishy about him! Don’t tell me: he’s hit you up for some money, hasn’t he?”

  “No, it’s not even like that. Davis isn’t the one in trouble. It’s his mother. And he didn’t ask me for anything. He’s trusting that God will deliver.”

  “I bet. So why don’t you let God deliver them and stay out of it. I mean, don’t you think you’ve done enough for this guy? He’s already got you and Miko doing his schoolwork for him.”

  “We’re not doing his work! We’re tutoring him. Tamiko’s been doing most of the tutoring, though. Besides, I think this may be why God brought Davis and I together.”

  “So you heard this voice from above speak to you in the middle of the night and it told you to save the Martinez family?”

  “No, it’s just a feeling that I have. I mean I am the guy with the financial background. Who better to help?”

  “And you think a little financial background is going to be enough to extricate them from that kind of mess? There are experts who don’t have a clue.”

  “What about the guy that handles your trust fund?”

  “Sherman’s a financial genius, but something like Davis’ situation is like going to the doctor and asking him to cure someone with a severed head. And if you want to talk to him, I’ll just warn you, he’ll charge you $400.00 for a 20 minute phone consultation.”

  “There’s got to be something that can be done. There are other people who are offering assistance to people who got caught with subprime mortgages even and…”

  “And all they’re doing is either stealing what little money they have left or buying them a little more time before their inevitable financial ruin.”

  “I’m just going to have to do some more research. Maybe there’s something specific to their case that can help them. Maybe some loophole that was overlooked. Look, man, don’t say anything to Davis about this okay. I don’t want him to think I’m putting his business in the street.”

  “Whatever, man. But just watch yourself with that guy. I know you like helping people Allen, but there are people in the world that are just looking for people like you to use.”

  “I don’t think Davis is looking for anything. He’s never asked me to do anything.”

  “That’s the whole point. The users of this world never have to ask. They always seem to know just the right words to say to get someone like you to volunteer. Think about it, Allen.”

  “Speaking of volunteers, did you just so happen to volunteer for all this: your ‘kamikaze mission’?”

  “This is a long story that is better left unsaid. I warn you from experience, Allen.”

  “Would you like some help?”

  “No, I’ll be okay. I know it doesn’t look like it, but I’ve got a system worked out here, and I’ve already gotten a surprising amount of work accomplished before you walked in. In fact this whole project has been turning out be easier than I thought it would be.”

  “Have you been doing this everyday?”

  “Of course. You know I’m a one man act down at H&M.”

  “You’re killing yourself man. You look like…like… a crack head.”

  “My vacation isn’t far off.”

  “That’s what you always say. You better hope you make it to vacation.”

  “I’m optimistic that I will. I’m thinking of spending some time in the Caribbean, if I can get some of you guys to go with me.”

  “You look like you need to spend some time in the hospital. The only thing missing from your outfit is the plastic bracelet with your name on it.”

  “Would you be less concerned if I told you I feel better than I look.”

  “No, because I know you’d be lying. You need to ask for some early time off. At least take a three day weekend or something, man.’”

  “No can do, my friend. There’s a lot of big things that need my attention right now.”

  “You know what man, I was right. You are a crack head. This job is your crack, and it’s killing you. I bet you stand in the hallways like ‘you got any files, man.’”

  “Don’t blame me. Blame Pastor Bynum. This was all his idea. Or God’s idea. After all, he’s the one that said ‘Just keep working hard young man and love everyone at Herns and Marshall’.”

  “You remembered that?! Tim, are you…converting.”

  “Oh, please.”

  “Tamiko is going to be thrilled!”

  “If she’s not too busy with our new friend Davis.”

  “I won’t argue about that.”

  “So she’s told you she likes him.”

  “Not in so many words, but let’s just say, it’s kind of obvious.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right. He is so wrong for her.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  “All
en, are you kidding me? You were so worried that I might be interested in Tamiko, but now you think Mr. Rico Suave is perfect for her?”

  “You’re one to cast aspersions! Do I have to remind you about Veronica? And how about Liz? And Tasha? You remember Tasha right, she was the one who stole some of your clothes, put them on a dummy and burned you in effigy on the college walk.”

  “O.K. Allen…”

  “And what about Monique? You had to get a restraining order against her and you had to go into hiding for a week. You even had me into some covert operations nonsense, wearing your clothes, and a Davy Crockett hat to serve as a decoy…”

  “Alright already! I’m not saying that I’m a saint. But you don’t know much of anything about Davis’s past relationships or how he treats women.”

  “He’s a Christian man, and he loves God. So he fulfills all of Tamiko’s pre-requisites anyway.”

  “He seems to be Christian.”

  “Why do you care so much, anyway? I thought you just wanted to be good buddies with Tamiko.”

  “I do. I just don’t want to see her get hurt. Just like you do.”

  “Well, you won’t have to worry about that for two reasons. First, Davis said he’s not really into the dating scene right now because he’s too busy trying to put his life together and he doesn’t want to complicate things with a romantic relationship.”

  “That’s what he says, now.”

  “I’m not finished. Secondly, Tamiko is the Pastor’s daughter and I think that makes approaching her a little bit intimidating, for him at least.”

  “So he understands that she’s way out of his league.”

  “I’m only assuming. Does that make you feel better?”

  “Kind of. Does Tamiko know all this?”

  “This is guy stuff. I’m not going to tell her and neither are you. It’s none of her business.”

  “But what if she pursues him?”

  “So Davis will tell her himself. She might get hurt, but it’s better that

  way. Just let it play out. “You mean let Davis play her out?”

  “Just go to bed, man. I’ll see you when I see you.”

  “All right. Nice talking to you, Al. This was kinda like old times back at Harvard. We gotta do this more often.” “We would be able to if you didn’t work so hard.”

  “Touche. Goodnight, Al.”

  “Goodnight,Tim.”

  Forty-Two