|
Post by Jared Martins on Aug 1, 2010 20:03:14 GMT -5
Arching his eyebrow, Jared gave Markus a very disbelieving look. He didn’t care about being paid. Money was only the large worry on his head because of all the bills that needed to be paid to keep the place running such as water, food, electricity, ect. “I never cared about being paid for any of this.” His hand waved around the office at the end of his sentence to get his point across. That green paper never appealed to him. He had lived a simple life and aside from his big adventure around the World, never needed anything fancy or cared for it. Sure, he wanted his son to have the best of everything but for himself, Jared was content with the small cabin where he’d been raised by his own parents and the couple acres he owned for the horses. “You don’t want me to retire, but you want me to work less. I sure wish you’d make up your mind.” It was either work at the head of Willow Brooke or sit back and start working on his lazy days that he missed out on for the past 17 plus years. He didn’t like taking orders from anything, least of all his son. It would kill his pride too much. “Hey, that’s enough talk of me laying six feet under the Earth.” Shaking his head, he sighed softly before rubbing his chin feeling the start of stubble breaking through his skin. “I already told you I ain’t going anywhere until I teach at least one of your kids how to ride properly.” Jared grinned up at Markus, it was easier to joke then think about death after having a heart attack.
Markus looked far too pale, making Jared question for a moment how much pressure his kid could handle. It almost made him take back his proposition he’d brought up. Almost. “I’ve learned this, an inspection is nothing more than putting on some smiles and crossing your fingers. Don’t let it eat at your conscious. If we have to, we can fight the inspector’s rulings. Nothing is permanent about what he or she puts on those papers until they’re ok’ed.” It made Jared think back to the first inspection that had been held of the camp, he had to go before so many judges to fight the original inspector’s notes. That had been on hell of a month and wasn’t eager to repeat it, but with all the years he’d put into Willow Brooke he had more respect around the courts and legal branches of government. Standing up, he gestured for Markus to sit down properly with a very stern stare. “Sit down, Markus, before you pass out.”
Jared walked over to the water dispenser and got a paper cup to fill up for Markus. “You keep looking like that you’re going to end up where I’m at.” He placed the water down on the desk and pointed for his kid to drink it. He walked over to the filing cabinet and fingered through the tabs. Pulling out four student files, he placed them on the desk. “The person that comes likes to randomly pull out someone that is walking around and ask them questions. This three would be best to have the day ‘off’ to roam around the school, stables, or pastures.” It might have seemed like Jared fixed it so more improved students were around the inspector, and he did but the other students didn’t need some random adult talking to them and asking questions. It was likely the questions would only get smartass remarks that might cost Jared the camp and any chance for any other students to have someone there for them in a world that had turned its back on them.
|
|
|
Post by Markus Martins on Aug 14, 2010 12:05:12 GMT -5
A large sigh of exasperation escaped his lips as he rubbed at his forehead. He didn't get it. How could he not get it? Mark didn't want him to be torn away from the very thing he loved. He knew Jared loved the camp. And he knew what a full retirement would be like for Jared. It would be equivalent to the seventh level of hell for Jared. Mark didn't want to do that to Jared, which was why he was offering his dad a little time at the stables every day, but not all day. "I'm not asking you to take a full retirement, Dad. I know you love this place. I love this place, but I love you more. You need to start taking it easy. I don't mind if you spend a couple of hours up here every day, but you can't stay cooped up in the office all day, and you certainly can't pull late nights like you do."
He didn't sit down at first. He just watched his dad. Mark didn't know how he did it. How did Jared keep such a calmness about him? After everything that has happened, he always had that calm, cool demeanor. There were times when Mark would do anything to get that. He looked to the water and slowly sank into the chair. "Yeah, well I'm starting to understand better just exactly how you ended up where you ended up." He commented, looking to his dad. He picked up the paper cup full of water and sipped at itfor a moment, sitting back in the chair. He laid his head back, staring at the ceiling. How did his dad do it? Mark was definitely envious of the man who raised him right now.
He looked to the files as Jared set them on the table. He just nodded his head softly and sat up, looking over the names on the files that his father picked out. "I'll be sure to give them the day off." He said gently, worrying about more than who he was going to let have a day off. He had other things that he had to worry about right now. Like getting the stables and horses cleaned up. Making sure students didn't find out. Making sure the teachers were prepared.
|
|
|
Post by Jared Martins on Aug 29, 2010 11:57:41 GMT -5
The sight of his son getting so worked up about Jared retiring, or at least thinking of retiring, was too comical. Jared shouldn’t have found amusement in ruffling Markus’s feathers but it all too much reminded him of Willow. There had been times she had gotten so worked up over him spending so much time in the stables with the horses that her face had turned red while trying to remain calm while explaining to him that he couldn’t take the whole world on his shoulders like he tried to. It wasn’t that he tried to take everything on just that it was how life was handed to him. He wasn’t the type of guy to sit back to allow other people to do the work for him. So why was he even mentioning retiring? Because as much as he hated it. He was getting older. The heart attack wasn’t the first sign of his age finally catching up to him after so long. “I’ll listen and agree to that…” A grin formed along his lips before speaking once more, “But only after I get some grandkids to keep me occupied. Until then, Markus, stop trying to tell me how to work. We both know who will win.”
The expression on his kid’s face wasn’t a new one. It mirrored the one that nearly every other staff member gave him when they found him still working after ten or eleven even midnight to get files documented and completed. It was the expression that screamed who the hell do you keep pushing through all this crap? The only answer Jared had was experience. After working at his job for so long it was second nature for him to feel the constant pressure from the courts breathing down his neck. It was second nature to find out some students had been in a fight, break it up, and dish out some serious punishments. Markus knew firsthand about some of those having been put through them. From his son’s time at Willow Brooke as a student, Jared had been a little harder on him, expecting better from him than what his son would show. His eyes followed Markus’s movements into the chair and even laughed at his words on understanding how he was the way he was. “Oh, this isn’t even half of the hell the courts like to put me through. Wait until the holidays and the students get an itch to cause trouble in town.” Was he attempting to scare his son? Maybe just a little. What father didn’t like freaking out their kid every now and then?
Giving him a stiff nod, Jared crossed his arms over his chest just looking at Markus. It was strange seeing him in that chair. It sort of brought back his age into his mind making him sigh under his breath in annoyance. Where had time gone? It didn’t take much for him to picture a younger Markus sitting in his chair behind the desk. Right then, he really wanted to press the pause button on life to savor everything. Turning his eyes back to the door, he wondered where Lucy had run off to with the pup. “Hope I didn’t frighten Lucy too much.” Controlling his around his son took an effort Jared wasn’t sure he had much of anymore. If it had been anyone else with Markus besides that girl he would have had no issue barking and snapping at his son. However, even after leaving the program Lucy still had issues to work out about men. Jared didn’t want to be the one to stir up old memories of that kid’s father in her mind.
|
|
|
Post by Markus Martins on Aug 29, 2010 12:41:28 GMT -5
Somehow Mark managed to find the ability to laugh at his dad. "When are you going to get off my ass about grandkids? Because obviously it's still gonna be a while." He asked teasingly as he began to unbury the desk calendar he had gotten his dad a few months ago. And of course, because it got buried, it had never been changed from the month Mark had gotten it, much less written on. He flipped through the months till he got to the current one and penciled in the date of the inspection and started to organize the week with things to do.
He knew that this was nothing compared to some of the other stuff, but it was a big thing for Mark. He had just taken over most of the work of the camp after all. And now the courts decided to slam an inspection on him. "Gee, Dad... way to make me feel better..." He gave his dad a scowl for a moment before he started the computer up. Mark had been the one to talk his dad into getting a computer. There were some bills they could pay quick and easy over the internet. Of course, Mark was the one who usually handled the computer stuff. Mark usually kept a spreadsheet of the money flow for each month. A little trick that he picked up when he was working on his business degree. He would go through and print out the spread sheets for the inspector over the last few months. He knew they liked to be able to see what the expenses were like to set a budget for the camp. The spreadsheets made it easier.He just wanted to add the bills that Jared took care of as well as the cost of the equipment he picked up at Bobbie's today.
Mark glanced to the windows that looked out over the hall ways of the office building for a moment, wishing the blinds were open so he could watch the Lucy with the puppy. She had told him the story of the dog once before, and he knew that's why she had such a love for canines. He looked back to Jared after and moment and sighed, shaking his head. "I think Fleur was a good enough distraction from you." He said calmly as he looked over the reports and the bills. Jared seemed to have taken care of the bills that Mark had lined up to take care of for when he got back from the dog breeder.
|
|