Finding a Full Circle

Fortunately, that simple cowardly act allowed me to legitimately close that chapter of my life. It still hurt, a lot. But it was over and couldn't be changed. It did not help me with my social life. I didn't have one and wouldn't for a few...well, many more years.

***

I met my first real post-divorce friend at work and he was twenty years my senior. The small legal firm I joined specialized in real estate transactions. The starting salary was beyond my expectations, but not outrageous. I was good with contracts, I had always been good with numbers, and I found out later that I was good with people.

"Gavin, people have to be able to look you in the eye and know that you can solve their problems. They are handing you the keys to their dreams and trusting you to not fuck it up. You have the gift, and I am going to show you how to use it."

David Rothchild was the senior partner who was assigned to review my work. He actually did more than that. He became my tutor, my mentor, and my life coach. Rothchild was a living legend in the legal community, he had brokered multimillion dollar real estate deals and he was a top notch negotiator. He was well liked and more importantly respected by state and local politicians, the business community and the gaming industry. Everything he was connected with turned out to be a success. He simply would never let himself to fail. Fortunately for me, he had decided I was his next project.

I will never forget his first evaluation of my performance, a mere 90 days into my legal career.

"Gavin, as an attorney you are dedicated, diligent, and thorough. You are creative and have a very nice grasp of the law. You have been doing wonderful work."

I allowed myself to smile briefly at the compliments.

"Thank you, Mr. Rothchild."

"As a person, you are completely fucked up. Are you 30 or 90? What the hell is the matter with you? Don't bother telling me now, we are going out."

That is how I found myself sitting across from David Rothchild, master of real estate, king of Las Vegas, at what would become our weekly review of project Gavin. By the end of our first 'session', I knew why he was so good at his job. He had asked me a few questions then let me talk. Every so often he asked a follow up or told a story or a joke, then he would listen to me again. I told him everything. I told him about my life since childhood, my parents, law school and most importantly about Ann Marie. I told him things I had never told anyone and felt completely safe in doing so. He ended our discussion as only he could.

"Well, we have a lot to work on. Fortunately, we have a lot to work with. Now let's get back to the office, I don't pay you to fuck around all day."

I had no idea what his motives were because we never discussed them. At first I didn't really understand what he was trying to do, but after three years the results were unmistakable. He was often so subtle I never even realized what he was doing, until it was done.

He would plant a seed, and I would find a flower. He would comment on a picture or an article or a movie or a TV show or a book. Something about it would click in my brain and I would add to my wardrobe, hit the gym, learn to cook, make better investment choices, buy my own real estate. Without his help I would have lived a very nice upper middle class life, with his help I was a confident, successful, young up and coming business mogul. I made the right choices, met the right people, and was involved in the right deals.

I was always at a loss for a way to thank him, but he didn't want any of the credit.

"Even though his dad showed him how to hold the club, Tiger is the one who hits the shots and wins the tournaments, Gavin. The only thanks I want or will ever need I get from watching you succeed."

I had been working for Rothchild for almost five years when he stopped pushing my business success and started working on my personal life and more importantly my soul. He dropped his first bombshell one day, casually dropping by my office and plopping himself down in one of my guest chairs.

"Gavin, what are you getting your parent's for their anniversary?"

I was bewildered at the question. He had to remember that my mother had died years ago. I was certain that he knew my father had died from liver failure the previous year. He was the one who approved my time off to go to Florida for the funeral. When I looked at him, he was taking a lot of pleasure at my confusion.

"Come now, Gavin. Miguel and Maria Santos will have been married for 50 years next month. Surely, you've been thinking about an appropriate gift. Only a jack ass would fail to acknowledge an event of that magnitude. Fucking ungrateful kids."

With that, he triumphantly made his exit.

He was right. The Santos' were my de facto parents. I sent them messages at least once a month. I had started calling them on their birthdays during my second year of law school. I even sent an occasional gift or card on the holiday's including flowers on mother's day. I had given up hiding my location after about a year and could always expect a nice card for my birthday and a care package from Maria at Christmas.

Fifty years of marriage marked a lifetime achievement and was worthy of the best. That is what I gave them. First class airfare, five star spa and hotel accommodations, limousine service, reservations at the finest restaurants in Las Vegas and VIP tickets to the hottest shows on the strip. All expenses paid. I sent it to them overnight with my congratulations, 'In celebration of a shining example of true commitment. Happy anniversary...contents to be used at your leisure. With love, Gavin'.

I didn't send my gift with any expectations and I was surprised when I received the phone call at noon the very next day.

"Gavin O'Conner"

"Oh, miho, what a wonderful surprise! But it is much too much."

"Mrs. Santos, it is lovely to hear from you. But you and your husband deserve that gift and I was honored to be able to give it to you."

"Oh, Gavin, you always were a wonderful boy. Un momento, Miguel wants a word."

"Gavin?"

"Yes, sir."

"Gavin, this is too much. I cannot put you in a bind. I cannot even imagine the price. This is too much."

He was going on and on. I wasn't sure how he was managing without taking a breath.

"Mr. Santos?"

"Miguel?"

"Dad?!"

"Yes, Gavin."

"My gift does not even begin to repay you for all of the kindness you have shown me over the years. It gives me great joy to be able to give this to you, please, please accept it in the spirit with which it was intended."

After a slight pause, he spoke.

"Sí, miho. We accept."

"Fantastic. Happy anniversary."

From there it turned into a conversation any travel agent would have been proud of. I explained, to the best of my ability, everything I thought they would enjoy doing during their trip. I hung up the phone after a plethora of thank you's and love you's. And I felt better. A lot better.

I believe it was the first non-self serving act I had completed in nearly a decade. I was considering that very fact when I noticed Rothchild and his giant smirk darkening my doorway.

"Fucking ungrateful kids."

"Shut it, old man."

***

The Santos' vacation was nothing like I expected. I assumed they would want to use my gift to its fullest taking in the sights, eating at great restaurants, lounging and relaxing at the hotel and spa. They did do some of those things, but always dragged me along with them. But the most important thing they wanted to do was spend time with me, from the minute they checked into the resort. Based on their flight arrival time, drive time to the hotel, and a few minutes added for checking in they couldn't have been in their room for more than five minutes when my phone rang.

"Gavin O'Conner"

"Miho, when are coming to see us?"

"Hello, Mrs. Santos. How was your flight?"

"Fine, fine. Miguel says we need to rest for a few minutes, but then we will be ready to go. When are you coming to see us?"

"Well, uhh, I suppose I could be there in about an hour."

"Oh, miho, wonderful. See you then."

I honestly had not planned on spending anytime with the Santos' during their trip. They had enough activities to keep them occupied. I had work piled up on my desk and was thinking about how I could reorder my schedule when Rothchild stepped into my office with two paralegals in tow.

"Gavin, I have taken the liberty of scheduling some time off for you. I think you need a break. Now, get the fuck out of here and don't come back for a week or you're fired."

The paralegals were boxing up all of my work and quickly left leaving my desk empty.

"Gavin, spend some time with your parents, I'll take care of everything else."

So that is what I did. I did break one rule though. The Santos' insisted on visiting my office. Rothchild usually didn't joke about a person's employment status, but when we walked into the office it seemed as though he had been expecting us. He personally gave the Santos' a tour of the office, introducing them to everyone as my parents. He had coffee and snacks waiting for us in the conference room where he spent almost an hour telling the Santos's about my work, praising my accomplishments and treating them like visiting royalty. I will say it did feel very nice to see the Santos' beam with pride as he spoke about me. Maria barely left my side, patting my hand every time someone said a nice word about me.

"We are so proud of you, miho."

The rest of the week was much of the same. I could see Rothchild's influence nearly everywhere we went. Now, I freely admit that I had chosen the limousine company, the resort, the restaurants and shows for the Santos' trip based on some of the business contacts I had made over the years. I had called in a few favors. It wasn't really a big deal. But Rothchild had pulled out all the stops.

Everywhere we went, we were given VIP service. We were greeted by owners, not managers, directors, not assistants. They would regale the Santos' with stories about how I had helped them in their business activities and treat us to the best seats in the house or the best wine in the reserve or the best of whatever they had to offer. It was really something.

"Mr. and Mrs. Santos, I have to confess that this week has been a little over the top. I do know and have worked with all these people, but I have never been given this level of service before. I am afraid I live a much more meager day to day life."

"Gavin, we think it is wonderful that you have so many friends who wanted to show us how special they think you are. We have always known that you were a very special young man....and it has always made us proud to call you...."

Maria Santos could not finish, but Miguel had no problem jumping in.

"...our son. That is what you are and what you will always be. You spoke an oath before God that made you part of our family. You have honored every single part of that oath. You have been a constant in our lives since you were a young boy and we have been honored to watch you grow into a fine man. A father can ask for no more. Gavin, we love you and are very proud of you."

Miguel Santos may have been a decade older but his strength had not diminished at all. I thought he was going to crack a few of my ribs with the bear hug he wrapped me in. Maria Santos joined in our tearful embrace a moment later completing my first real familial moment in such a long time. It filled my spirit with joy.

The rest of their trip passed quickly and I was sad to see them go. I did promise to visit them soon but I had some business to take care of first.

Once again Rothchild had known exactly what I needed. I returned to work energized and more productive. When I told him my idea, he just smiled and gave me his blessing. As a project this one was relatively small in scale and would produce no long term revenue, but it may have been the most important project I had ever taken on.

It only took six weeks to secure all of the property rights I would need, save one. I already had a buyer with a full financing package in my pocket. I made few other phone calls, seven to be exact, to people who wouldn't be expecting my call. After that, and armed with new information about how to seal the deal with the remaining property owners, I was ready and I booked a flight to my hometown. I would be visiting for the first time in almost a decade.

***

I was in the airport waiting for my flight to begin boarding when I met Amy and Lydia for the first time. They were working for a coffee shop kiosk in one of the terminals. I didn't feel right about listening in on their conversation but they really weren't trying to keep quiet. Everyone in line for a latte knew what their problem was. It was actually pretty simple. Their apartment had broken appliances and plumbing. Their landlord was refusing to fix any of the problems. He was also told them if they broke their lease they would lose their security deposit essentially leaving them no money to get themselves out of an awful situation.

When Amy handed me my coffee, I handed her a card with some instructions written on the back.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I think that I can help if you would like. That is my business card. Call the number on the card, ask for Marcus. Tell him Gavin, that's me, told you to ask him for a 'Melvin'. A 'Melvin'. That's very important. He'll need your information and the information about your landlord. He'll take it from there. If you need help finding a new place, tell Marcus. He'll help find you a nice place in your price range. I wrote everything on the back of the card."

That is when they announced my flight was boarding.

"That's my flight, I have to go. Don't worry about the cost, I'll take care of it. Just use the number. Marcus. Gavin. Melvin. OK, best of luck."

Why did I offer to help them? That's an easy question. I had run across my share of assholes in my time in real estate. It was Rothchild who had given me my fundamental belief about operating in this business.

"Gavin, real estate is not a zero sum game. There do not have to be winners and losers. In the best deals everyone wins. Our clients get a solid investment at the right price, tenants get to the use premium, upscale facilities and everyone makes money. We are not in the business of fucking with people. We are matchmakers not pimps."

So with a few phone calls and a letter and maybe 30 minutes of work, one of our paralegals would clean this assholes clock and get the two girls out of a bad situation. We did pro bono work from time to time. This was no different. I sent Marcus a quick email before I had to shut off my phone so he wouldn't be completely surprised when he got the phone call and also so he would know how bill his time.

***

The flight to Omaha was relatively short and I had my rental car and luggage in no time. I found myself driving around aimlessly for a few minutes. Not much had changed, well at least the big landmarks were still the same, but there were some new things too. I guess it felt the same, just not like home anymore. I drove through the Santos' neighborhood. Every property, except theirs, was in disrepair. It had never been the best neighborhood, but now it was clearly neglected.

I knew a few things were different, like the new condominium development that was my final destination. The design was unique in the area, several levels of condominiums above retail space filled with restaurants, a movie theatre and shops including a grocery store. The property sat adjacent to a large park with several walking paths. It was perfect.

The condo I was sitting in was a brand new two bedroom with a large open living, dining and kitchen area and a separate den. It had a nice sized balcony overlooking the park with a nice view of the skyline. The master bedroom and bathroom were spa like, complete with whirlpool tub large tiled shower. The space was nicely furnished, the fixtures were top of the line and the appliances were first rate. With a few pictures and personal touches and it would feel very comfortable.

I was expecting the Santos' to meet me for dinner at one of the restaurants and they were right on time. They were dressed for a night on the town and we had a great meal filled with laughter. I could only hope the rest of the night went as well.

Miguel and Maria Santos were going to be 67 years old, and had been married for 50 years. I know what you're thinking; I had done the math, too. They were clearly married in a different time. They were both young in spirit and in good health, but years of manual labor had taken its toll on Miguel. Maria was working as a low level administrator to help save for retirement. During one of our conversations in Las Vegas, I learned that although they were ready to retire, they didn't think they could afford it and were worried about living their golden years in a home surrounded by crime and abandoned homes. I was hoping to change all of that. As Rothchild reminded me it was what children did for their parents.

I invited them back to the condo for a night cap. They seemed surprised when we entered the elevator.

"I didn't even know this was a hotel, miho. The rooms must be expensive."

"Yeah, uhhh, we need to talk about that."

When I opened the door to the condo, they both went on and on about the space. It was nice to see that they liked it. I had asked seven of their children to describe the Santos' dream home. Most of their descriptions matched, some had a detail or two that was unique. I was pretty sure that I had covered them all.

The Champaign caught their attention.

"Are we celebrating?"

"Yes, I hope so."

"Well, what is the occasion?"

I popped the cork.

"Your retirement and new home."

I held my glass up and gestured around the room.

"Oh my goodness. This is a gift?! We cannot take this it is too much."

"Miguel is right, miho. We cannot possibly accept something like this."

"Oh, it is no gift. But you are going to have more than enough to buy it. Please sit down and let's talk about it."

They were a bit reluctant but all in all it was going quite well.

"When we sign these documents we will be forming a partnership, Santos Investment Group. Our first order of business is to close on the 19 properties that encompass the two block radius surrounding your current home. Our second order of business is to package those properties along with your current home, request a zoning change from the planning department, and sell them to Property Management International, who plans to use the space for hotel, retail and parking development adjacent to the new arena. We will net this amount on the sale of our properties in the next 90 days."

I slid a piece of paper across the table with the dollar amount highlighted. I think they were shocked.

"This condo has been leased, as is, for the next 3 months, with a 90-day option to buy for this amount."

I slid a second piece of paper with another dollar amount highlighted.

"Then a half of the remaining profit will fund a lifetime annuity for the two of you with a monthly dividend of this amount."

The third piece of paper was placed on the table.

"And then you start living a worry free retirement that is richly deserved, in your new home. I am giving you nothing but some sound business advice and some free legal services."

The Santos' wouldn't be rich, but they would never have to work another day in their lives. It was more of a silver parachute and it would be enough.

"Gavin, how did you do all of this in such a short time?"

"Well, buying the properties surrounding yours took a little bit of leg work, but was easy enough. Mr. Rothchild found the buyer through his business contacts. Apparently there is a new gaming facility in the works across the river in Iowa. Negotiating the price was easy once we determined the value of the property given its new purpose, the zoning change will occur with the help of our buyer's contacts on the city council, and the rest is just good investing."