After a short while I stepped
down, moved in another fella, a guy that managed the schedule and
all that stuff. Kept our friendship golden after all these years.
Now he's the big cheese there.
"I stuck around for a long time. I was vice chairman, and spent
years evolving the 990 design into what it is now, which'll
probably see them through to the year 2000. As I was nearing the
age everyone says is the time to leave, I had a heart attack.
Guess I thought I was still a youngster. I retired, and me and my
wife have been enjoying ourselves and playing around like kids
ever since. Not bad for seventy-four years young, eh?"
"But it's not the same. I could have run the company. With all
due respect, you inherited yours. I started mine from scratch.
They just didn't give me a chance," Peter said.
The older man discounted the younger with a wave of his arm.
"Nah. You'll come around eventually. Can't have both, you know."
"I could."
The older man's tone turned serious. "That's just pure,
one-hundred percent poppyshit, is all." He pointed his finger at
Peter with rigid authority. "You need to squeegee all that anger
out of your system so you can get back out there and do
something. Again."
Just then a handsome smiling woman appeared at the table, dressed
in a light, summery outfit. In one hand she held her wide-brimmed
hat, in the other a bag of vegetables and groceries.
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