For two years George had been trying to impress his boss. He’d gotten a few pats on the back and even two small raises, but twice he’d watched others be awarded the assignments that paved the way for them to move on to larger companies while he had been left behind. It seemed his work was adequate but never great. More than once he’d been told that he was a skilled draftsman but that he just didn’t have the imagination to do anything beyond normal expectations. How in the world could he find the gift of imagination? They hadn’t taught it at school, and it sure wasn’t hiding somewhere in his desk. It seemed he would be doomed to be just another cog in the company machine forever, and that was so frustrating.
It was four in the afternoon when an unexpected thunderstorm brought a hint of coolness to the air. As George sat at his desk working on a drawing of a new piece of equipment needed by Johnson Drafting and Design, Felix Mondell walked through his open office door.
“George, isn’t this rain a relief?”
As George glanced up from his work, Mondell tossed the afternoon edition of Commercial News on the desk in front of him. “By the way, that’s a good story on you. Good for business, too. Folks in the industry like to see a man who knows a good deal and seizes on it. I’ve already had one of our clients call in asking about you.”
Though he had already read the piece, George pretended surprise. “Thank you, sir. I’m glad the paper ran the story. I wanted to dispel that nonsense about a curse.”
The short, slightly built Mondell traced his pencil-thin mustache with his index finger and laughed. “You did more than just dispel it; you derailed it! Folk are probably talking about this all over the state. In fact, the president of Packard called about an hour ago wanting to speak with you. As you were out of the office, I took the call.”
“Wow,” George bubbled, this time genuinely surprised. “Alvan Macauley called here looking for me? I had no idea. I wonder what he wanted.”
“George, this is big!” Mondell shot back. “Because of that story, Packard is going to give us a bit of drafting work. Can you believe that? I’m going to meet with some of their engineers at the company’s Detroit offices next week. Imagine us working for one of the big auto companies! And it is all because you had the courage to buy that car!”
“That is good news, sir,” George chimed in.
“And, George, they want to use your story and your family in an ad. They are going to pay you for it, too. You will kind of be like a spokesperson for them. That’s what Macauley called about.”
Mondell reached into his vest pocket and yanked out a slip of paper. After tossing it on the desk, he added, “Here is the name and number of their guy in promotion who wants to talk to you about making the deal. In a couple of months your face will be in Life magazine. Imagine that!”
George was too overwhelmed to speak. Leaning back in his desk chair, he considered what this would mean not just to Johnson Drafting and Design but also to him and Carole. This could be life changing. He glanced back up to his boss, “How much do you think they will pay me?”
“They said something on the phone about a thousand.”
It was more than George made in a year. “Wow, if that’s true we could move to a nicer house. I might even be able to buy one.”
“You’ll be able to move.” Mondell laughed, his eyes twinkling. “And that has nothing to do with the Packard. George, you have always been dependable. No one can doubt that, but I’ve been waiting to see your spark, that fire in your belly, that creative stroke that sets you apart from others, and today I saw it. I want to keep you with us. Don’t want anyone stealing you now that you’ve found that special imaginative element that sets you apart from others, so I’m giving you a twenty-dollar-a-week raise starting right at this moment. Reading that story and thinking about how close I came to losing my best man made me realize just how much you mean to this company.” The short man grinned and added, “Put it there!”
Standing up, George reached his hand across the desk. After they shook, Mondell smiled even bigger. He was obviously thrilled. He actually believed this story was going to put Johnson Drafting and Design on the map. And who knows? Maybe he was right.
“George, make the call, work out the details, and then take the rest of the day off. In fact, take tomorrow off, too. Breathe in the air; take your family on a picnic; look for that new house! Do whatever you want! On Wednesday we’ll start working together on that deal Packard is making with our company.”