Chapter 37

Dave was ready for the 10:00 A.M. meeting with the Midwest Clergymen, but where was Madeline? The client would be arriving any minute. He went to the open doorway and called out, “Sharon, have you seen Madeline?” Just as the words crossed his lips, he saw her going down the hallway. “Madeline, are you coming to the meeting?” he asked, rushing to catch up with her.

“I’ll be right there, Dave,” she said, sounding uninterested. Given that the Midwest Clergymen was one of the largest clients currently in negotiation with DMI, he was concerned about her lack of enthusiasm.

“I’ll be waiting in my office. Mr. Ingles should be here in less than an hour. You’ll need to hurry.”

“I’m going as fast as I can,” she said. “Remember, I have young children at home.” She stopped in her tracks. “You have none. So there will be days when I can’t get here as early as you. Now, I’ll be down to your office as quickly as I can. Proceed without me until then,” she said, spewing nails of aggravation at him, and retreated into her office.

Dave turned around and went back to his office. He had suspected there would be a fallout from leaving Andre at Madeline’s over the weekend. But he didn’t have a gauge on how deep it would go with her. He was certain to find out before noon.

The hour whisked by.

“Mr. Ingles is in the lobby,” Sharon announced over the intercom which connected her desk to Dave’s office.

“Go down and bring them up please,” he said. Madeline popped in. “Perfect timing. Mr. Ingles from the Midwest Clergymen has arrived.”

Once everyone was in the office, their meeting got under way.

“Mr. Ingles, we’ve crafted a full-service plan for you,” Dave told his client.

Madeline was normally engaged from the start, but today she repeatedly tapped her pen on the table, causing Dave to become distracted and lose his train of thought.

“Uh, what was I saying?” he said, fumbling through a few of his notes. “I’m sorry, Mr. Ingles.”

“Call me Martin.”

“Then Martin it is,” Dave told the client. “Excuse me. I was distracted. It won’t happen again.”

“It’s no problem. Your company’s performance speaks for itself. I’m interested in hearing what the two of you have to say. Take your time,” Martin said.

Dave was mortified. Professionalism was his calling card. He was disgusted by his lack of concentration. Madeline might have been the catalyst for his distraction, but ultimately it was his own doing. He wouldn’t blame her.

The meeting moved forward, and Martin seemed pleased with the presentation. Madeline chimed in once or twice, but she said nothing meaningful. Her body was in the chair, but it was evident to Dave that the rest of her, the piece DMI needed, had stayed home.

“I’ll review your figures with my team and get back to you,” Martin said, standing and extending his hand to Madeline and then Dave. Dave walked the client to the door and handed him off to Sharon.

“Make sure he gets to the lobby,” Dave instructed.

Everyone exchanged good-byes. Dave could hardly speak to Madeline, he was so frustrated. She had some explaining to do.

“Do you have a few minutes?” he asked Madeline.

“I guess,” she said, repeatedly peering at her watch.

“Am I keeping you from being somewhere?” Dave asked.

“Maybe,” she said.

“Madeline, what is going on with you? You didn’t participate in the presentation.”

“I was here. What are you talking about?”

“You were in the room, but your enthusiasm and professionalism must have stayed at home today.” Typically a comment like his would have prompted a retort from Madeline, but she didn’t respond. “Did you hear me?” he asked.

“Actually, no, I didn’t, Dave,” she said, tapping her pen on the desk rapidly. “I can’t get Andre off my mind.”

“Isn’t he at school?”

“For the moment, but he was in such a bad way last night after speaking with you that I’m prepared for him to get into trouble at school today.”

“Don’t be so sure.”

Madeline stopped tapping and said, “I know him as much as a parent can. I’m telling you, today is going to be rough for him. It will be a miracle if he gets through the day without expulsion. I’m going to call and check on him.” She sprang up and grabbed the phone on Dave’s desk. He stayed out of her way.

“This is Madeline Mitchell. Can I please speak with the headmaster?”

Dave waited patiently to get the update, hopeful for good news. She wasn’t on the phone long before getting off. Her facial expression didn’t give any indication of what she was thinking.

“What did he say?” Dave asked, eager to find out.

“Just as I suspected.”

“What has he done?”

“Nothing yet, but the headmaster said Andre is despondent and has been unwilling to do his work. They’re concerned, too, and think it might be best to let him take the rest of the day off.”

“Really? The headmaster was that concerned?”

“Apparently,” she said, sighing. “Andre should be picked up before he gets into trouble. It’s not a matter of if, only when.”

Dave had to acknowledge her suggestion. “Are you going to get him?”

“I can’t,” she blurted out. “I told you before. I can’t keep balancing DMI and the children alone. You have to help more. I can’t do it.” She approached Dave. “No, I take that back. I’m not going to do it.”

“But I can’t pick him up early, either.”

“Of course you can’t. You never can,” she retorted. “Dave, I mean it. You have got to get involved or be willing to watch this child implode. It’s your choice.”

She wasn’t yelling, but her words were resonating more than Madeline realized. “I can’t pick him up today, but I’m still planning to get him tomorrow.” Dave didn’t dare tell Madeline the full truth. He’d told Sherry that Andre wasn’t going to live with them any longer. He was wise enough to know this wasn’t the right moment to share his decision with Madeline. He also knew it wasn’t the ideal moment to tell Sherry that Andre was going to stay at the house for a short period.

Truth was, Dave couldn’t tell either woman the full story if he had any chance of helping Andre. He had to tread water until Sherry and Madeline were both in healthier states of mind. Since the doctor had extended Sherry’s hospital stay four more weeks, Dave had extra time to concoct a way out, or at least he hoped so.