Chapter 17 - Michael’s Last Apology
At sixty five, Michael asked me to go for drive.
I was ninety? Wait if he 54 at trial and story start Eleanor 78, 11 years later she 89. Fine. We can still.
He no longer consultant full time.
He had enough from share repurchase but worked.
We went original marina.
He said:
“I think I understand what I wanted.”
“What?”
“Not company.”
I waited.
“I wanted you to say I was next.”
Ah.
James died.
Michael became CEO.
But I remained authority.
He wanted crown.
“You were CEO.”
“Not same.”
“No.”
Then:
“I thought succession was love.”
There.
Same theme.
“If you held shares, I thought you didn’t trust.”
“I trusted your operations.”
“Not ownership.”
“Ownership wasn’t yours.”
He nodded.
“That took me years.”
Then:
“Do you wish I had given?”
He looked at water.
“No.”
That surprised.
“Why?”
“Because I would’ve treated company like proof family belonged to me.”
Good.
Then:
“Do you forgive Dad?”
“For what?”
“Not making clear.”
I laughed.
“Your father assumed adult could read cap table.”
Michael laughed too.
Then serious:
“I’m sorry I said attention while you drowned.”
That one remained.
“I know.”
“I wake with it.”
“I don’t need you punished forever.”
He cried.
Then:
“Can I come lake house?”
I thought.
Years.
“Yes.”
His face changed.
“Under one condition.”
“What?”
“You replace deck boards.”
He laughed.
He came.
Worked.
No key overnight at first.
Then later got visitor code.
Not property authority.
Relationship.
At dock, he stood.
“I should’ve jumped.”
“Yes.”
“No excuse.”
“No.”
Then:
“Can I sit?”
“It’s a dock.”
He sat.
We watched water.
No grand.
Then he said:
“I’m proud of you.”
I looked.
“For what?”
May you like
“Not giving me company.”
I laughed so hard gull flew.
