Trust

“Can you find better quality?”

“No, the quality is outstanding. No one else offers a three-year warranty.”

“Can you get a better contract?”

“Except for price, no.”

“Donal, you have made a good profit for the last six years from my products. I want a better deal. If you want the product, you have two choices, pay my price or buy me out.”

The 10AM flight left with out him. At 4 PM, the deal was signed sealed and delivered. We had called in the bankers at in the middle of the afternoon and everything was set.

I went home to my loving wife. I had some family news to tell the children when we have our next family meeting.

Virginia was worried when I took Tuesday and Wednesday off as I rarely took days off. She bravely went on with her day-to-day activities. It was on Wednesday night at the family meeting that she and the children learned how I had solved my problem. At the end when it my time to tell of my week, I took a long breath.

“You know that you mother confessed to some type of unfaithfulness last week. I have had a very hard time with that. I could think of no way I could forgive her and accept her back as my wife because I did not trust her. So I did the only thing could do. I will stay home with her and be with her as much as possible. I will help her and be with her as much as I can. I will be here for the family and the children and my wife.”

Robert was the one who asked the question. “What about your business? Can it run without you?”

“I will be working reduced hours until I have trained people to take care of everything. I will be there for one more year and I will be home with my wife forever.”

“But, Dad, they cannot operate without you. They need you.”

“I have sold the business.”

The silence was greater than when my loving wife confessed to adultery. No one said anything. I leaned back and watched my wife. She was crying again.

“Oh, Hiram, what of the workers? They trusted you. Will the new owner care for them as you did?”

“I will be here with you. This will put the problem behind us and we can get on with our lives.”

“Hiram, we need to discuss this together, just the two on us, now, please.”

“The car is waiting.”

Once again we were in the Church parking lot.

“What have you done?”

“I remember asking you that question. I have solved my trust problem. I will be with you every day. Your infidelity will not happen again.”

“You sold the company to punish me?”

“I sold the company to be nearer to you, to watch over you, to protect you. I did not know before that you needed that protection but it is a small price to pay to be able to trust you again.”

‘Can you get out of the deal?”

“Do you mean will I renege so I can stay busy at my company and you will have time to repeat whatever it was that you did?”

“You are going to watch me? Oh, what have I done? All those people who trusted you, the families who trusted you. And I ruined it all,” she began to sob. Her shoulders shaking. I watched her and waited for the waterworks to quit or at least slacken. Since her confession I had let her tears fall without holding her.

She began to sniffle and looked at me, “Is there anyway you can call this thing off?”

“Why should I?”

“To protect your friends, your workers.”

“I need to protect you more.”

“I will tell you about it now, tonight. I will tell you every thing.”

“Why? Do my workers mean more to you than I do? You would not tell me to ease my pain but you will to ease pain my workers do not have yet?”

“You have made a mistake.”

“Did you not make a mistake and would not tell me about it? Well, Virginia, I do not need to hear of your mistake now. You are my wife and I am the head of the family. I have made a decision. Live with it. What’s the matter, don’t you trust me? Just trust me, wife. It is just as easy for you as it is for me.”

I saw it in her eyes. She now had an understanding of what I had been through this week. She knew that trust was the thing that made everything else in our family work. She had shaken my trust and I had now shaken hers. She had chosen to not trust me with her whatever it was. I had chosen to not tell her about the sale of the business.

“When does the new owner take over?”

“As soon as the stockholders approve the sale.”

“What stockholders? It is your company, you built it from an idea, your invention. There are no stockholders.”

“Yes, there are. Years ago I put over half of the stock into five trust accounts. One for each of the children. I have never called for a stockholder’s meeting because I trusted my family to trust me to handle the company’s affairs. I can call that meeting as soon as we are home and let the stockholders vote on accepting the buy-out or a sale of 25% of the stock to Givens International.”

“Hiram, what are you talking about? You sold the company.”

“I did sell the company pending approval of the stockholders. The second deal is for 25% of the company. Donal gets a good discount for his purchases, and I get his support in fighting the patent infringements in the Far East. Good ole Donal now has a vested interest in my company. He will force the knock-off artists to stop duplicating my product.”

Virginia looked puzzled, “You did not sell the company? You made a deal to get help for your company? You let me think that you ……?”

“No, I did not sell my company. Yes, I have made a deal to fight off competition. And yes, I let you think whatever you wanted to think, just like you did to me.”

Her face was a kaleidoscope of emotions. Shock, fear, worry, anger, and finally realization that everything had just turned out for the better. I think my wife learned what trust was that day.

As the smile lit up her face she looked so lovely, “I do not have to tell you what happened?”

“No.”

“You are not going divorce me?”

“Divorce my loving wife? Me? Never.”

“I love you, Hiram.”

“Good, can we go home now? The children will worry. I also need a couple of votes from the stockholders.”

It was over. My wife had shaken my trust in her. I had shaken her trust in me, but our trust in God was never shaken.

Later that night, my wife wore her wedding dress, and it was not even our anniversary.

* * * * *

I am the H20wader. the ravings of a lunatic. Comments are open.