Chương 53: Book 3 - Chapter 2 C

After lunch I demonstrated my new invention.

"Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, I've got something cool to show you."

"What is it?" I set it on the table.

"It's a miniature fire tornado." I lit the canister that sat on the bottom, pulled the cord that spun the wind generator and set the wire shield over top. The flame flickered, then greedily leapt upwards, coalescing into a miniature, dancing twister of fire.

"That's beautiful Johnny," Grandma complimented as she marveled at the sinuous flame. The orange red snake danced lightly at the center of the table. Grandpa pondered it, his brow furrowed. Mom agreed with Grandma, "It's very pretty, but isn't this dangerous?"

"This one is but it's just a proof of concept, a prototype," I said as the spinner slowed and the flame lowered.

"This is why you suggested those names for the restaurants, isn't it?" Grandpa suddenly asked. I gave him a nod, In Flagrante Delicious and Twister Grill both tied neatly to this.

"We are going to be so famous!" he said excitedly.

"I want to build several to go outside and around the building for the Grand Reopening Celebration on June 1st."

"Will they be dangerous like this one?" Mom asked, still watching it intently even though it had dropped to only an inch high.

"No, we'll enclose them in glass so no one catches themselves on fire." Mom turned to her Dad.

"Where is Ray working today?"

"He's at the lake reviewing the needed maintenance and planned upgrades at Fountainhead." Mom turned to me.

"Only if your father agrees and helps you make it safe."

"Okay, I planned on asking for his help for the big one I want to put on the roof."

"How big?" Grandma asked.

"I'll try to keep it under five hundred feet," I said with a smile.

"We better warn the Fire Marshal," Grandpa said. Mom and Grandma just looked at us as if we were nuts.

"This is really pretty. Could you make them a little smaller and nicer?" Grandma asked, her natural abilities kicking in.

"They would really go well on the tables at Twister Grill and In Flagrante Delicious—much more attractive than candles," Grandma asked.

"That's a great idea Grandma!" I told her, "The restaurant name literally means blazingly delicious. That's why Chef has that charred leek ice cream."

"We will want probably a thousand of them, for the tables and for our gift shop," Mom added, her business sense kicking in.

"There's a company in California that can make them. Grandpa is going to LA next week, maybe Matt and I can go too?" I casually segued. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Is there something else you plan to do in LA? Last time you went somewhere with Matt you snuck off and bought twenty-five percent of that computer game company," Mom questioned, not buying the casualness I was trying to pull off.

"Actually, I'm interested in buying into a couple more companies. If I can convince two others to sell me twenty-five percent of their company, we can merge the three together to form a bigger company."

"Just where are you getting the money for that? You sold your computer games to buy into the last company, you can't sell the same things twice."

"Jennifer said I'm on track to make at least ten million this year from Corning. This is where I want to invest it," I admitted.

"That's insane! Do you how much ten million dollars is?"

"Actually Mom, I'm very good at math and I know exactly how much ten million dollars is. Do you have any reasonable objections?"

"Go to your room," Mom said heatedly.

"For how long?" I asked with some heat.

"Until I say you can come out!" she said, her voice rising. I nodded at my Grandparents and went to my room. As I left I could hear Grandpa.

"Don't you think you are being a little harsh, Mary?" I was only in my room for an hour before Mom came to get me. I was writing in my notebook, sitting in my new reading chair next to the window with the beautiful building in the distance.

"You can leave now," Mom said from the doorway.

"Mom can we talk?" I asked.

"Everybody already said I was overreacting," she said, sounding angry and tired.

"I want to apologize, I could have been much less confrontational or sarcastic."

"So much has changed for us this last year. I'm still unused to it all," she said, softening.

"Normally I'd be out in the garden this time of year. Here I seem to be cooped up inside all day. I'm sorry too." I gestured to my bed, and she moved to sit facing me.

"Mom, I love you. Before we moved here you had a house, a family, students. You've helped Grandma with decorations and furnishings here at the hotel. You've done really well, but what are the things you really love doing?"

"I love teaching piano and I love gardening," she said.

"The rooftop lounge is available every day for lessons until 3pm when it opens. There's no reason you can't get a few piano students here. We can even open the lounge later if you need the time.

"I have talked to the music department at the University and they said your credits would transfer. If you finished your degree you could open a Music Conservatory. The population of Tulsa is big enough that it could support a real music program."

"But I have to be here for you and Mattie!" she said.

"Grandma and Grandpa are here, so you don't have to be here all the time. Plus there's no reason you have to do it all in one semester if you don't want to."

"I'm going to think about this. Thank you, Johnny. I'll talk to your Dad about you going to California. If we say no, you can't just go anyway, understood?"

"I understand Mom, thank you." After she left, I called Dad.

"Hi Dad."

"Johnny? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's great. I've got a new project I need your help with, we'll talk about that tonight. I called because Mom needs a garden."

"There's not much garden space in the city, Johnny."

"We've got a great big roof, plenty of room up there. I want to surprise her with a rooftop garden."

"You can't just pile dirt up there, and grow stuff."

"We can do raised planter boxes, that way Grandma can help. We need water up there too."

"Okay, draw up some plans and I'll check them out when we talk about the project you need help with."

"Thanks, Dad. See you tonight." The next week was busy, as I added designing a steel structure for the hotel's fire tornado to my regular work list. Dad approved the plans, and wanted to build it himself because it was just 'so cool' but he just didn't have the free time. Grandpa hired a steel contractor to build it. The contractor arranged to use a spot at a local quarry for the final assembly and testing. The Tulsa Fire Chief, as well as everyone else, wanted to see it operate safely before we put it on the roof.