Company Business

by Zak Altenberg

Jonathan Graham was born blind. He was 35 years old and enjoyed his life because although he was blind he had pride. He prided himself in his skill. He was a skilled hearer. He could hear very well. He claimed he could hear a dog whistle, he claimed he could hear a whisper from a mile away. His brain was like a recording machine. Some people have photographic memories, well if Jonathan Graham could see, that is what you could call his memory. He could remember and recite every conversation he had had since his teenage years. Mr. Graham was a smart man, too. Not gullible, always suspicious, assuming he was being deceived, and assuming the worst in people. He was a cynic and lately had been a content cynic until he made a bet, and lost that bet.

Mr. Graham had been enjoying a cup of coffee with his associate Mr. Raymond, when the bet was made. They were sitting in Mr. Graham’s study. It was the biggest room in his estate. There was a huge fireplace with two chairs and a table. On the opposite wall were a huge desk and a grandfather clock, but at the moment the men sat in the two chairs. Mr. Raymond was a tall man, slim, and tired looking. He was pale and had large eyes, with a small mouth and hooked nose. Mr. Graham was also a tall man; with darker skin, wearing huge glasses to cover his dreamy eyes.

“I can hear anything,” Graham was boasting as usual, stroking his brown beard “and that is of course how I overheard Mr. Collins and Mr. Wash over talking about the rigged race. They were in the main office and Mr. Wash only said it once, ‘Put your money on Ski Fish-stick, he is going to win’ then I had to notify the authorities of course, and thank god those two corrupt evildoers are behind bars where they belong. Jail has always been their home I feel.” He took a sip of coffee. “The company is a better place.”

All these men worked at a company. What the company did, nobody was quite sure. It was just called the company. All the members were old money. The town of Oberton, Texas was an old money town. The company had an office where these men worked and everyone knew there was a lot of gambling that took place in Oberton.

“Those ears, you always talk about…” Raymond said and then took a long sip of his coffee. “Are they really that good?”

“Why yes, of course they are. They are the best in the world. I can hear a baby talking inside its mother’s womb. It has to do with my blindness of course. All of my other senses are much stronger, and my hearing is the most superb.” Mr. Raymond nodded.

“Did you hear me just nod?” Mr. Raymond asked. They laughed together, a forced laugh. Mr. Raymond poured himself some more coffee.

“I have a proposal.”

“A business proposal?” asked Mr. Graham.

“Somewhat of a business proposal, but more like a bet. Yes let us call it a bet,” said Mr. Raymond.

“I am a little fond of bets,” Mr. Graham said smiling.

“Just listen, for it does have to do with your listening.”

“Do tell, I am quite a great listener, do tell!” Mr. Graham was excited.

“Okay, let me explain the bet. First we will place a glass, a water glass, in the middle of your study. On this table right here we will place the glass. Then we will lock me out of the room. You will sit where you sit right now, on that chair. I will try to get inside the study and pour some juice into that glass. If I get in and out in two hours without you hearing me, and yelling, ‘I hear you Mr. Raymond,’ then I win.”

“What do you win?” inquired Mr. Graham.

“Well that is up to you, money, anything, nothing, you choose,” Mr. Raymond responded. Mr. Graham was quite confident in his hearing. He saw this as an easy opportunity to win. He knew, Mr. Raymond could not win.

“What makes you want to make this bet?” asked Mr. Graham suddenly not so easy.

“Well you always boast about your hearing, Mr. Graham. And quite frankly I am tired of it. I don’t believed you and want you to prove it. We have these chats as associates, we are not friends, and I don’t trust you!” Mr. Raymond said.

“Trust? I don’t trust you either. You will cheat to win!” Mr. Graham retorted.

“I will not, this is a gentleman’s bet. No cheating, Mr. Graham.” Mr. Raymond said. Jonathan Graham believed in being a gentleman has much as he believed in his hearing. Being a gentleman was the principle the company was found.

“Mr. Raymond I will take you up on this gentleman’s bet, and I will retire from the company and give you my estate if you win. If I win, you shall retire from the company, and give me your estate.” These types of bets were common in the company, silly little bets with big stakes. One former company man bet all of his assets on the flip of a coin. He said, tails never fails, but heads prevailed.

“Mr. Graham I accept your bet, this sounds good to me.” They then proceeded by shaking hands and staring at each other in the eyes. After a few minutes of the staring Mr. Raymond said, “The bet shall take place at 2 PM tomorrow afternoon. Get some good sleep, you will need fresh ears to hear me, I am quite the quiet one.”

“Sounds good Mr. Raymond, be prepared to lose everything.” Mr. Raymond got up and left. Mr. Graham sat in his study smiling; he fell asleep in his chair.

The next day came and Mr. Raymond arrived at 1:30 PM at Mr. Graham’s estate. Nobody spoke. Mr. Graham sat in the same chair, looking like he had never moved. He actually hadn’t moved. The coffee had been cleared from the table by one of the butlers. Mr. Raymond had a cooler with him and from it produced a glass. He placed it on the table. Then with he took Mr. Graham’s hand and touched the glass. Next he dropped a few ice cubes in the glass that he also produced from the cooler. Then he placed a bottle of apple juice on the table. He let Mr. Graham touch all the things. They sat in silence, until the big grandfather clocked chimed twice. Then Mr. Raymond left the room and let the doors close behind him. Mr. Graham got up and went over and locked the doors. Then he went back to his chair. He sat and waited. Minutes passed and he heard nothing. An hour passed and he wondered if Mr. Raymond was going to make a move. When Mr. Graham heard four chimes from the grandfather clock, he new he had won. He went and unlocked the doors and then returned to his chair. Mr. Raymond walked in and sat down. He laughed. “So you didn’t hear me sneak in. I win Mr. Graham.”

“What are you talking about you didn’t sneak in, I would have heard you unlock the doors.”

“Take a sip of that apple juice.” Mr. Raymond was smiling. Mr. Graham lifted the glass and sipped. He was shocked.

“How did you do it, you cheated?”

“Mr. Graham I did not cheat and please don’t accuse me of that, this was a gentleman’s bet,” Mr. Raymond said. “I expect you to leave this estate by 7PM and go to the company and tell them what took place. You shall need to find a new home. Tough luck wouldn’t you say. Those ears you brag about couldn’t help you.” Mr. Raymond got up and left.

Mr. Graham shook his head. He didn’t understand how this could happen. He thought long and hard, and realized maybe his hearing wasn’t so good. He had for years prided himself in his hearing. So many years he had believed in something that had just been proved false. He felt his world fall apart. Suddenly he didn’t care about his estate, or the company. He realized he never had cared about these materialistic things. He had only cared about his ability to hear. His glory, gone. All credibility, gone. He wondered why he had ever believed in something so strongly. He had some whiskey in his desk. An unopened bottle because he had never been a drinker, for he had only drank once in his life. He proceeded to take it out. He took the glass of apple juice and poured it on the carpet. Then cracked the whiskey and poured some into the glass. He took a sip. It tasted so terrible, but he wanted to drink away his pain. He took another sip. The taste was too gross. He grabbed the apple juice bottle and opened it. The seal broke. He though to himself, THE SEAL JUST BROKE!?!? This bottle was never opened to begin with. How did Mr. Raymond do it. I knew my hearing was the best. I should drink some apple juice this taste in my mouth is terrible.

Suddenly hope was restored for Mr. Graham. He kneeled down and felt around in the cooler. He had a sudden suspicion. He found some ice cubes. He popped one in his mouth. It didn’t taste like an ice cube. It tasted like frozen apple juice. Mr. Raymond had cheated. He got his gun out of his drawer of the desk. Yelled for his butler, “Mr. Erics!” Mr. Erics walked in.

“Yes, sir.”

“I need you to shoot Mr. Raymond when he walks in here.” He handed Mr. Erics the gun. “He cheated on a gentleman’s bet.” Mr. Erics took the gun.

Mr. Raymond was very happy with himself. He had fooled Mr. Graham and it had been so easy. He hand never liked the blind fool. Around 7 he returned to Mr. Graham’s estate, walked into the study, and there sat, Mr. Erics the butler with a gun. He pulled the trigger. Mr. Raymond fell to the floor. Dead.