Oil Man

OIL MAN

Chapter 16

“Money Is No Object”

Take a look at the major characters in the story: 

Bradley and I are awake at 5:30 this morning. We have a big day ahead of us with our job interview that may be the beginning of a new era.  Both of us have only coffee for breakfast, too nervous to eat solid food.

Getting ready to go to KDLS TV, we dress to look sharp, hoping to make an even better impression.

We arrive at KDLS at 9:30. The receptionist phones someone to say we have arrived.  It seems like it was only two minutes before the general manager springs into the lobby to shake hands, and take us into the office area.

In a spotless conference room with a long, shiny table, we are told to sit and we’ll get underway in a moment.  The manager leaves and returns with a woman looking like a waitress who carries a tray of coffee fixings and pastries.  The manager also brings with him a woman named Stella Dallas - the comptroller – the money lady.

We just get past introductions when someone knocks at the door.  The door opens and a thin, elderly, balding man steps inside.

“I hope I’m not interrupting too much, but I want to greet our King of the News.” 

I blush crimson.

He walks over to me, shakes hands and tells me he’s a fan.  He says he seldom watches his own station’s shitshow they call a news program. Mr. Tom, I earlier found out, has watched me nightly for nearly four years on channel 12.  He starts talking to the others and then sits beside me.

Mr. Tom confirms that he has told the station manager to agree to whatever I want in order to win me over and sign me up.

He says, “Mr. Walker, I think you are the finest newsman on TV, better than any of those anchormen in New York on the networks. Your news show is a true picture of the events of the day without all the cute bullshit every station seems to wallow in and I include our own station in that group.  We hope you can clean up this news shitshow and get channel 13 the respect that channel 12 has had for four years.  You’ll get whatever you need.  I’m sure you’ll help me spend some of my money to make us into a reliable news organization. Can you do that, son?  Can you deliver that?  You don’t have to be number one but a lot of improvement is needed here.”

“Sir, in the broadcast business nothing can be accurately predicted.  I had no idea when I went to work at channel 12 that after six months our news program would become number one and would maintain that position for the rest of my four-year contract.  But I will give everything I have to make this station’s primetime news show the best I know how to make it.”

“Mr. Walker, may I call you Matthew?”

“I would be honored, Sir.”

“I understand you want to bring on some new technical things to give us an advantage.”

“Yes Sir, my husband, Bradley, started that project at channel 12, working with the Navarro CEO and we hope to use that plan here.”

Mr. Tom turns toward Bradley, shakes hands with him and welcomes him.

“Matthew, we have to talk some more about all of this new stuff you want to do but for now I will let you gentlemen work out a deal and sign a contract today or tomorrow.”

Mr. Tom closes the door behind him and the rest of us get down to business.  Chris Leslie starts by saying, “Instead of asking you what you expect in the way of salary, let me tell you what we are offering. “

Chis hands me a slip of paper and says “The job will pay that much per year plus perks.”

I am so shocked at that figure that I involuntarily cough. “That’s a lot of money for a Dallas TV anchorman even if DFW is number five in market position nationwide.”

“Mr. Tom says to offer you a salary you will not be able to turn down.  He mentioned that specific figure.”

 I explain that it will jack up salaries for all other news anchors in the market.  He says that Mr. Tom, is only concerned about this station and getting you and Bradley on board.  If others have to pay more for their news anchors it’s not his problem and in the long run, it will improve the quality of TV news in DFW. Mr. Walker if that is not enough, I am authorized to go even higher by a little.”

“Please don’t make me feel any more like I’m stealing the money.  But keep in mind that the things that I want for the news operation will be expensive.  I want a type of cyclorama that is a giant LED video wall that fits in the background. They use such screens instead of building physical sets in Hollywood now. A screen like this was used in the Mandalorian TV series. Ours will let us change what appears in the background electronically and will allow us to show video clips of the news in the background much easier and bigger.  No one else in this market will have one of those.  They cost between $10,000 and $50,000.  It will make our newscast look bigger than life. No one else in town can afford hardware in that price range.  I think it will attract new viewers.  Big screen TV and big screen projectors are very common in homes today. Our screen will be visually attractive, especially to those viewers who have the most disposable income.  They are already accustomed to large screens and big picture tubes.”

“No problem.  You’ll have to talk to engineering and if the technology is beyond their capabilities, we can contract out our needs.”

I look at Bradley.  He just shrugs his shoulders. I give him that intense ‘say something’ look.

Bradley reads my mind and picks up the beat. “The technology upgrade I’m working on includes drones to get aerial shots and very closeup views when we’re covering news stories.  The drones will follow the story live as it unfolds. They will cost at least $5.000 each and we will need four.  Additionally, the plan calls for a ‘satellite system in a suitcase.’  The system is packaged to keep all its parts together. When the reporters arrive at the scene, they can have a live satellite feed back to the station in five-to-ten minutes.  These suitcase units cost at a minimum of $10,000 each.  We will need at least four.  Three for use and one for backup during maintenance on the units.”

“OK.  We still have a shitload of money to spend.”

I say, “And personnel is another touchy subject.  What will happen to the present news director after I arrive?  I have a plan for him to stay, if he wants to, and to be a solid contributor. I will require every other person in the newsroom to be on-air ready.  There will be no reporters who perform as writers-only and no gofers to fetch coffee and sandwiches.   Two person teams will go out on a story.  One to do on-camera reporting and the other will be the producer, getting eye-witnesses for the reporter to interview, for instance.  We need to give a dynamic impression that we are actively gathering and reporting the news.”

“Sounds like a solid, well-thought-out plan.  The personnel situation for news is your responsibility.  We trust your judgement.  You’ve proven yourself over the past four years at channel 12.  The news operation here belongs to you and only you. No one will second-guess you. Mr. Walker, we have received new marching orders from the owners and we are desperate to give them what they demand.  It’s a new situation for us because the place has until now pretty much run itself. Now they demand change.

“The news director is aware that you will assume his responsibility and understands why.  Now, to the subject of the immediate future for the newsroom staff. Mr. Tom says that since we are last in news ratings, we may have the wrong people in the newsroom and must be doing other things wrong.  He says if you have to replace everyone currently working in news, so be it.  They aren’t doing anything to get us to an acceptable place in the news ratings anyway.  I cannot express strongly enough how much support you have from Mr. Tom.”

The comptroller spoke up: “You will control the newsroom budget.  We don’t yet know what that will be because you have not yet put your plan into operation.  I will keep an eye on your budget as an advisor to let you know when to slow down to make the money last and to offer advice when you have unspent money you might be unaware of. Your presence here, with new ideas and requirements, is getting everyone excited.  We haven’t taken part is so much change in a long, long time.  And that is part of why Mr. Tom’s country club friends call KDLS his tax write-off. I want to personally welcome you and Mr. Bradley and want you to keep in mind that I am always here to help you. I’m looking forward to meeting the other two people in your group. I also want to thank you in advance for giving us something we can finally be proud of. All of us know you can do it.”

The GM smiles and says, “What do you think? Can you sign up later today or do you want to explore other offers. No one will be able to offer you a salary like ours, nor Mr. Bradley’s salary and his budget for all of the gadgets he wants to get to make us shine. 

“To help you understand the men we all work for, look at it like this.  Mr. McCarty is a bundle of nerves and shoots from the hip while Mr. Tom is a straight shooter, honest and a no bullshitter.  He told you money is no problem and that you will get everything you ask for.  He meant that with all his heart.”

The comptroller spoke up. “Mr. Tom, the major shareholder here, has sincerely told us to pamper you because you will eventually show that you deserve it. We have no board to answer to and that makes life a little less stressful.  And Mr. Bradley, we have to talk about your salary.  I have an offer, and if it is not acceptable, you will have to tell me what you need.  First, does the title of ‘Director of Remote Broadcast Services’ sound OK to you?”

“That sounds great,” Bradley says with a smile.

The GM asks when I want to meet the newsroom staff and explain to them what the new operation will look like.  I suggest I will play that by ear.

Bradley and I are given a thorough tour of the station.  I see so much decay to be taken care of. 

We are told contracts will be available tomorrow at the latest. 

While we are walking around figuring out where everything is located, the comptroller runs up to us in the hallway and hands Bradley a slip of paper and then asks, “Is that figure something you can work with for your salary?”

Bradley lifts his eyes from the paper in his hand to slowly make eye contact with the comptroller, like he’s waiting for her to say that salary is a joke. But she is fucking dead serious. He shakes his head and then blurts out, “Yes, yes, it is, and very generous.”

As we walked out of the building, Bradley says, “How about we pick up some tequila and have a few margaritas on the patio at home to celebrate this; this, whatever you want to call it.  All of that money they are throwing around has kind of put me in a daze. I’ve heard of people who have good things dumped in their laps but this is unreal.  But on the other hand, I have to say that you have earned this by what you have done for the past four years.”

“Bradley, you earned it too.  The CEO of the number one TV station in this market chose you to help upgrade technology for his station.  You earned his respect and these people know about that.  Don’t say that I earned all of this for us.  You did your part also and I am very fucking proud of you. And we can’t forget the newsroom crew and what they have done. Now how much are they offering you?”

“Guess,” he says with a big smile.

“HMMMM, I don’t know.  $100,000?”

“Close,” Bradley said.  “Off by $50,000.”

“Nice, babe, so nice.  Yeah, we need to celebrate.”

As we reached the exit, a woman comes running up to us and introduces herself as Connie Dixon, the personnel director.

“Glad I caught you.  I understand you have two additional individuals to bring over with you.  Can you have them contact me today so I can get some information I need and ask them if they can be here before noon tomorrow to talk about salaries and benefits. Make sure they understand they already have the jobs if they want them, we just need to have them sign some papers and so forth.”

“Thank you, I’ll phone them right away.”

We stop at a liquor store for the tequila and drive on home. Bradley makes a couple of margaritas and we retire to the patio.

Bradley sips his drink and says, “Can you believe this?  Is it all gonna fall apart after we sign up?”

“I don’ think so.  Mr. Tom comes from an era of truth and honesty.  I think he meant it when he said that money is no object.  Between your technology and my studio equipment requirements we will blow them all away.  They have been sitting on their asses for so long, these big changes will amaze them.  I was blown away when no one squirmed as I talked about the LED video wall.  That alone will shift the newscast into another dimension. Just look at it like this; we are bringing Hollywood technology to Dallas-Fort Worth.”

We have a lot to take care of before the big day and that hasn’t been decided yet, the day we premiere the all-new KDLS news product.

Bradley, let’s have one more margarita and then go out for dinner.”

We drink, dress and called an Uber to go to Nick’s Greek restaurant. Nick sits with us for a few minutes while we eat and he enjoys a glass of Greek wine.  We bring him up-to-date on the changes in our lives.

An Uber delivers us back at the house.  We sit on the couch for a few minutes and then take a shower.  It seems that showers always include sex.  Wonderful as it is.  And in bed act two, blowjobs and hand jobs, get us relaxed and we quickly take off for dreamsville.  It has been a stressful day for both of us.

The next morning, I wake Bradley by licking his hard dick.

“Matthew, I need some stress relief before we begin this busy, stressful day.”

“Uh-Huh.” I take him down my throat and milk him until he dumps his nut.  He’s so hot.  I get chills when he comes.

“Thanks babe, you really know how to take care of me.”

In the kitchenette, I get breakfast fixings together and when Bradley stumbles in, I ask, “Ham and eggs?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.  I’ll take care of the coffee and toast.”

“Just imagine, today we will have new jobs making really good money and we’ll have fun earning it.”

We arrive at channel 13 and are taken to have ID badges made and then are shown to our separate, newly-furnished private offices.

As I sit at my new, highly-polished desk, I remember that in all the confusion I have not discussed with Basti the ratings during the time he was sitting in for me at channel 12.  On my desk is a brand-new laptop.  I find a note on the keyboard telling me how to log-in to the local network and create a password.  I poke around to see what’s available on the network and what is missing. There’s a lot of work to be done to get news on the network.  This job is turning out to be much bigger than I imagined and I haven’t even started.

As I write a request for work that IT will have to do for the news operation, Sebastian sticks his head through the doorway and knocks.  He looks confused and speaks slowly, “Matt is all of this for real.  I just signed a contract for a shitload of money.  Did they make a mistake somewhere or is that what they’re really going to pay me?”

“Basti, I understand what you’re going through.  I’m certain everything is on the up-and-up.  They’re just trying to motivate us to make them number one, if we can.  And, they are investing in us so that we don’t run off to work at another station.  Anyway, I’m glad you’re here because we need to go over the overnight ratings for your final nights at channel 12.  I nearly forgot to grab the package when I was cleaning out my desk.”

“Are they bad?”

“I haven’t seen them.  We will review them together.”

I open the sealed envelope and take out the rating sheets for all TV stations in Dallas-Fort Worth. We will focus on the data relating to the 6:00 PM news.

The first night shows NO drop in ratings.  The same for other nights.  Actually, one night the ratings for Sebastian are higher than I have ever had there. “That’s wonderful.”

“Holy fuck, I did OK, didn’t I`?

“Dude you did better than OK, way better.  Congrats.  You DO understand that you were the highest-rated news show in the cities?  Right? Number fucking ONE!”

“I can’t believe it.  Fucking can’t believe I had more viewers than any other station in town.”

“Believe it.  You did it.  You deserve it. I’m happy for you.  We will be a good team for this station.”

Molly knocks and walks in.

Basti grabs both her arms and says, “I did it, Molly; I was number one. I can’t believe it.”

“Basti, I was sure you’d do well.  You’re a good-looking guy and you have a wonderful on-camera presence. Nice.”

Molly also has that confused look on her face.” Guys, I’m afraid that someone has made a mistake with my salary.  It’s a lot more than I’m worth.”

I quickly respond.  “Nah, nah, nah.  You are worth what your employer says you’re worth.  I told them some things I want for the news operation and no one flinched.  One item will cost about $50,000 plus technical installation costs.  And, Bradley’s toys will cost about that much, too.  All I get when I ask for something is “OK” and someone makes a note. I think we are not really underway with spending yet.  I wonder if at some point, Mr. Tom will say it’s enough.  But I have a feeling that he will not put a halt to our spending because he trusts us.”

“It’s just an unusual situation,” Molly says.

“So, you guys are signed up and ready to go?”

Molly and Basti nod ‘yes.’

We went to the newsroom for our first staff meeting.

“Hi, everyone.  I want to introduce Molly Schmidt, who will be the assistant news director and assignments editor. She came to channel 12 from network television news in New York. And Sebastian Garcia will be the weekend news anchor. He is a journalism and media graduate.  His ratings while I was on my honeymoon showed no change from my ratings except one night his numbers exceeded anything I have ever had.”

Everyone applauds.  Nice.

I continue, “There are a lot of changes coming and some of you will resent them because you have gotten lazy with no one demanding much from you.  But we are hired to try and get this station’s news shows out of the gutter and up to a level of respectability.  My personal goal is to make us number one.

“We will have a read-in policy where you will spend the first hour of your work day reading in so you know what’s going on locally and around the world.

“There will be no playing of games on the newsroom computers. If the computer system detects a game is loading it will shut down the violating computer and send a message to the chief of IT who will inform me. Porn sites will be blocked as well as VPN’s. You are here to work and I expect that to happen.  These computers are for work-related activities and not for your personal entertainment.  A news budget of current stories will be maintained on-line and kept up-to-date buy 2 or 3 people.  You will use that news budget to read-in and for referral when writing.  If you were hired as a reporter, you will be required to cover stories and do on-site standups within the coverage. With live coverage you obviously will not be able to script your standup segments so adlibbing will be required. Prepare yourself with lots of practice. We will be out and about so people know who we are.  Anyone not prepared to be a TV reporter should look for another job now.  This is not a broadcast training school.

“I was told I will handle the newsroom budget and have total control over hiring and firing of newsroom personnel.  I also was told that the reason the news programs are so low-rated is because we have the wrong people in the newsroom and are doing other things the wrong way.

“I came here from a smooth-running news operation and this one will become just that.  I hope we can work together to give Mr. Tom and Mr. McCarty what they are seeking and that is a respectable operation. I know I sound like a slave driver but I really am not.  However, this newsroom cannot continue as it has for so long a time.  If I don’t get it into shape, someone else will come along to do it.  I insist that my contract here be limited to a two-year period.  If I cannot get the news operation up to professional standards in that period of time, I will move on.  But I’m confident that together we will accomplish that objective. 

“You can talk to Molly and Sebastian about how we did things at channel 12 if you like. I communicated with the newsroom staff at channel 12 since I walked out and everyone will come to work here within an hour if I ask them. If you want to remain here, you will have to earn your money. I assure you that once we get started you will be happy to be a part of the new KDLS News Division.”

I paused for a few seconds to decide if I will divulge the following.

“I’ve never talked about this openly before but I will say this to let you know how I feel about the crew I work with.  When my contract was renewed at channel 12, I told them I wanted a house and the CEO handed me packets for two real estate firms they had already planned on offering to me.  But what I want you to know is that another stipulation was that I wanted an immediate 10 per cent pay raise for all members of the newsroom crew as well as the production crews who work in the control room during the news.  I explain to the CEO that if this does not happen, I will walk.  I was serious and the CEO knew that. I don’t look at that as any heroic action on my part.  It was just the right fucking thing to do for people who made me look good sitting in that anchor chair. I will feel the same way about all of you if you earn it.

“I would like everyone to submit their ideas about special programs we might do.  Like documentaries and info shows.  We’ll discuss your ideas and some of them will be produced.   Sebastian has already scripted a documentary that will definitely be made and aired. I think it will be good enough to win an award.  So, let’s discuss your ideas and get things planned.  If you write it, you will host it unless you prefer that another newsroom member host it for you.”

Someone raises a hand and I ask him to speak.

He asks, “Did they really fire you?”

“No, I really did quit.  The corporate CEO died of a heart attack and corp sent a guy down to take care of loose ends.  The guy visited channel 12 twice before and interrupted the news operation to the point that we thought we might not be ready to air at 6:00.  He’s an asshole who has no knowledge of broadcasting, journalism, news or anything else. No one can be their best with such a butthole throwing his fat ass around.  So, the four of us quit.  That evening I got my first offer and it was from KDLS, I agreed to meet to talk.  After that, I had to turn off the landline ringer so we could get some sleep. I am told that since the channel 12 prime-time newscast has been number one for the past three-and-one-half years, the owners of this station decided they would hire me and they made an offer I truly could not refuse.  And here I am.”

“Thank you.”

“Let me say that we are adding new technology to the news operation that will blow every other station out of the water.  Details will be kept top secret until the night before we begin the upgraded news product.  If the competition knows our plans, they will try to outdo us or screw things up for us.  So, be patient and you will be proud to be a part of the all-new KDLS News. On the night before the big day, we will have a demonstration and showing of what the primetime news will look like.  Releasing our secrets then will not give our competition any time to beat us to the punch. And hopefully it will blow you all away, too.”

There were no more questions and the three of us left the news staff to do their work and we went to check on Bradley.

I give Bradley my look telling him I’m gonna do something. I invited Molly and Sebastion to come to our place for margaritas and conversation.

Sitting on our patio at home, we obviously are discussing the new jobs and all the shit we have to do.  I suggest we plan for a one-month deadline to get the new news product on the air.  We need to do something before the competition discovers we are about to bury them.  And, we need to keep ourselves in the public eye so we are not forgotten.  We will have to really hump to meet a premiere broadcast one month from now.

After Molly and Basti leave, Bradley and I cuddle on the couch and engage in silent thoughts.  We order pizza, eat it, watch TV and go to bed.

“Bradley, are you happy with the new jobs and all of the work we have to do?  Have we bitten off more than we can chew?”

“Not for me.  I love new challenges.  And we humans are happiest when we don’t have to worry about money or health insurance and such things.  We have all of that and more.  I am very happy and I am always there to help you and support you. Is something bothering you?”

“It’s just that I am getting involved with things I have no real experience with, like buying a $50,000 LED video wall for the TV news set. The only thing I know about LED video walls is what I read about them.”

“Matthew, that is new technology and most end-users don’t know any more than you do about it. It’s pretty simple.  It’s a huge screen like the TV but larger.  You plug in your video camera to the TV and similarly you plug the video output of the video switcher into the LED video wall the same way. Size is the only big difference.  You are smart about most everything and this will be no different.  Not to worry. It will be installed by professionals. After that you only have to make use of it.”

My hands have been rubbing his pecs and abs while we are talking and I am a little aroused. I take his tool in my hand and stroke slowly.  Soon his precum is running down the shaft lubing my hand.

“Dude, that feels so good.  I’m getting goose bumps.”

“I want more than giving you a hand job.”

“You know you can have anything you want.  It’s all good with you.”

I lubed my hole with Bradley’s thick precum and threw a leg over his hips, straddling him.

“Oh yeah.  I know where this is going.”

“It’s going in my cunt you horny fucker.”

I slowly lower myself and soon feel his full, hard thickness pressing, trying to get in.  I tease his cockhead with my tightly-closed ass muscle and finally pressed hard to force him inside.

“Oops, you’re so tight I think that has me really close to coming already. So tight without any foreplay,” the man with the dick says. For some reason I think for a moment about that song on Spotify called, ‘Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.’  I started riding my make-believe cowboy until we both simultaneously come to the end of the ride with a big crash.”

Bradley is breathing hard when he says, “Babe that was totally unexpected and so fucking awesome. “

I lean forward and down, giving my man a deep tongue kiss causing him to moan, the same moan he makes when he gets a sugary dessert. His cock pulls out because of my awkward position and I fall over on my back. I am finished for the day. Yeah.

The next morning, we eat a light breakfast and drive out to channel 13 for our first official day of work.  The four of us meet in the conference room.

 The next day at work, I ask Bradley to locate a reputable source for the LED screen and to place the order right away. The screen will have to be driven to Dallas in a large trailer truck.  The installation will be here the same day to get it ready to use. The one I want is 20 feet high, 75 feet from end-to-end with a deep curve design.  That will give us 75 feet of horizontal video.  I assume this gigantic LED video wall will fit.  We may have to build a new studio on the vacant third floor to accommodate it.

Molly has the task of organizing the read-in file and a system to keep it updated.  I forgot to tell the crew that we will be paperless, officially.  All writing will be done on a computer and stored on a file server.  With all incoming wire copy digitized it will be easier and faster to copy and paste a story together before doing the fine-tune writing to make it ours.

Basti is assigned to work on the homeless documentary and get it ready to produce.

When I talk about the homeless documentary project, Basti gets up and closes the door.

He sits and looks at me for a few seconds before speaking. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to you about this.  But out there trying to win the confidence of the homeless people, I have discovered a six-year-old homeless boy. His parents deserted him and he was once in foster care but ran away from the foster parents because they abused him, hurt him and generally fucked up his brain.  I have spoken to him several times.  I would like to get him away from the street and privately talk with him and try to make him see that i will not be like his foster parents, I will be his friend.”

“Basti, how about bringing him to our place on Friday, at about 5:00.  He can take a shower and I can have a few new clothes for him and we’ll feed him a good meal.”

“I was hoping you would volunteer something like that. He’s a sweet kid with no family, no one to turn to. He breaks my heart every time I meet him.  He deserves a better life.  And now that I have this job and the overly-generous salary, I feel even more guilty that this kid has so little. He told me he will disappear if I tell Child Welfare about him.”

“Yeah, Child Welfare Services will just put him in another questionable foster home they know nothing about. Bring him over on Friday afternoon.  I will try to have a few other people there to make him feel safer.”

“Thanks Matt.  You’re a good man.  I mean that. I’m gonna go out to that homeless location where I meet up with the kid.  He’s also Latino.  Name’s Marty as in Martinez.”

I announce our one-month prep for the upgraded news programs.  The newsroom crew seems to be warming up to me and the other three invaders.  Two guys have asked Basti if they can help him with the homeless project. 

The days seem to be shorter now because there are not enough hours in a day to get things done. Bradley and I are putting in long days and have been notified that an available LED video wall has been found and will arrive in four days. It will fit snugly on a flat wall reaching from corner to corner. Luck is with us on this one.  The satellite suitcases are already here and Bradley is training the news room crew and monitoring their setup times.  Everyone will have to get setup time down to between five and ten minutes.

Basti and Bradley are shooting video for the homeless project.

Tomorrow is Friday and we will have our six-year-old homeless guest visiting at home.  I bought a few clothes for him; I hope he likes them.

Bradley and I have discussed enrolling in foster care to take care of the boy. We’ll make a decision after we meet him tomorrow. I have asked a woman I know from Child Services Foster Care to join us so she can verify that we’re compatible with the boy.

I have a sleepless night thinking about a six-year-old child living on the streets.

On Saturday I will go out to channel 13 to work. We are using every available minute to get ready for D-day.

I make a note to myself and Bradley that to keep my face on the tube until D-day, I will do the news on the TV morning show for a few days on and off.

I finally fall asleep in the wee small hours of the morning, as the song goes.

On Friday, Basti arrives at 5:30 with his little friend.  The kid seems smart, well-mannered and curious.  He’s full of compliments about LLM house, says he’s never lived in a house this nice. The other guests arrive and the chatter begins. 

Zelda the acquaintance from Child Services Foster Care finally arrives and her appearance stops Marty in his tracks. He goes around on the other side of the kitchen table and grabs Bradley’s hand.  Bradley leans down and whispers in the boy’s ear.  Bradley moves his head to motion me over and tells me that Marty recognizes the woman from the Foster Care office and he wants to leave. We assure him that she is only here to see if we are suitable foster parents. No one will take him anywhere.

Marty reaches for his glass of milk on the table and knocks it over. Zelda rushes toward the table to help clean up the spilled milk but Marty thinks she’s coming for him and he becomes hysterical, crying and screaming.  Bradley scoops up the boy and rushes out to the patio.  I tell everyone to please remain inside.

Eventually, I go outside to see how things are going and find Marty asleep on Bradley’s lap with a handful of Bradley’s t-shirt so he will know if Bradley moves.

Bradley looks at me, sad and worried, sweaty eyes and says, “Can we keep him, Matt?  I’m not joking. He needs parents who will take care of him and keep him off the streets. I want to protect him like I would protect my own son.”

While I am thinking about the situation, Marty wakes up, looks around and asks what time is it.  He then panics and says he has to go. “Please where is Basti, can he drive me back, I’m late.  Please, if I don’t go now, something bad will happen.”

I nod to Bradley.  He tells Marty that he will drive him and picks up the boy and rushes through the house for car keys, out the front door and drives off.

Inside, Basti motions toward the living room and I follow him.

Basti looks at me and speaks: “He has a brother.  He told me on the way over here.  The brother is four.”

“Fuck me! A four-year-old boy living on the streets.”

I storm back inside and grab Zelda by the arm and literally drag her into the living room.

I ask if she knows this boy. She doesn’t know Marty and also is not aware that he has a younger brother living with him on the streets.  I tell her Bradley and I want to be the kid’s foster parents.  Now!

“Matt, the process takes time.  This can’t happen overnight.”

I’m close to screaming, “Fuck your procedure you fucking trained bureaucrat.  Here’s the way it’s gonna happen.  We are bringing Marty back here with his brother and they will stay here.  You leave now and interrupt some fat-assed bureaucrat at Child Services and get the process started today. On Monday, we will be awarded custody through the foster parents program. You and your colleagues have the entire weekend to make this happen.”

“And what makes you think you can demand things of me like that?

“We have scripted a TV documentary on the homeless. You want to read the script?  And if we are not foster parents of these two boys on Monday, this documentary we are working on will paint such a shitty picture of Child Services Foster Care that all of you will be homeless by the close of business on Monday.  I am not fucking threatening anything.  But if you do not manage to pull this off, we will provide details of how Child Services does such a shitty job that young boys are living on the streets without any help from you folks at finding them and making them safe.  Marty has been physically abused by his one-time foster keepers. Now get the fuck out and go start the process that WILL be done by close-of-business on Monday.  If not, I will be interviewed on the KDLS Morning Show on Tuesday about the upcoming documentary and I will spill the beans about the neglect within Child Services. I will provide details to the taxpayers about the on-going federal lawsuit filed in 2011 against Texas Foster Care. The documentary will contain interviews with the boys about their treatment since you put them with foster parents who abused them and you apparently neglected the situation.  Now get busy and try to save your ass and the other miserable fucks at Child Services.”

I returned to the other guests and quietly told them that I had volunteered us to be foster parents for Marty and his four-year-old brother. 

“Basti, go and see if you can find the boys and bring them here, please.  Bradley will likely have already let Marty go his way.”

A few minutes later Bradley returned.  He started to ask me again about keeping the boys and I told him I had volunteered us.  He grabbed me, hugging me so tightly and thanking me for agreeing with him about keeping them.

“I have them in the car.  They want to wait until everyone else leaves before coming inside.”

“I threatened to expose Foster Care for their neglect and told Zelda to go and get the process started now and if we are not foster parents for these two boys by COB Monday, I will spill the beans Tuesday on the morning show about the fact that in Dallas-Fort Worth there are kids living on the street as young as four and Child Services is ignoring these kids. The kids choose to face the dangers on the streets rather than be used and abused by foster parents.”

I phoned Basti to tell him we have the boys safe and sound.

Bradley said, “I’m gonna go pick up some ice cream.  Kids love ice cream.”

I put the boys together in a spare bedroom. It made me sad to see how the kids marveled at the clean sheets, the clean smell of the room and the fact that they would be sleeping here tonight and not behind a trash dumpster.

The smile and excitement dropped instantly from Marty’s face, “Don’t get used to all the fine stuff because tomorrow night we will be sleeping behind the trash container again.”

That hurt me so badly.  I stepped in and told them, “No, you will sleep here tomorrow night and if my plans work out, you will stay here, sleep here every night.  I can’t promise it but I have told that lady from Foster Care to get permission for you to stay here.  If you like living here, maybe we can make it permanent. Mr. Bradley and I might get to become your parents.  How would you like that?”

Bobby squeals with excitement and Marty gives me a look of a much older boy, disappointment, disbelief and says, “We think you guys are really, really nice but the Foster Care people will mess up your plan.  Believe me.  They made promises and then gave us to that man and woman who hated us.  The man said something once about Bobby and me fucking up his monthly paycheck for putting up with us.”

“OK, Marty, but don’t use the F-word, please.  You are too young for that sort of language.”

“Sorry, Mr. Walker, but when you sleep behind a garbage dumpster every night and dumpster dive to find food to survive on, you grow up in a lot of ways.  I’ve never been a kid.  I’ve always had to look out for both of us even when we had our real parents and even more so with those foster parents.  I don’t feel like a kid.  Sometimes I think the way I feel is the way a starving adult must feel.”  He looks away.

I give him a love pat on his shoulder and rush from the room.  I can’t breakdown in front of the boys.  They have enough sadness in their lives.  I go to my bedroom, throw myself on the bed and cry and cry and cry until I have no more tears.

I hear the bedroom door open and Bradley says, “Matthew, what’s wrong? Did something happen with the kids?”

I jump up and fall into Bradley’s arms.  I tell him through sobs about what Marty said in the bedroom.

“Matthew, I think we have the upper-hand here and we will get the boys as foster parents and we can adopt them after that.”

“You think that in this state, a gay couple can adopt kids?  Good luck with that one.”

“Babe, I’m sure it will work out.  I have this feeling in my gut that everything will happen the way we are trying to make it happen.  The court will do what’s best for the boys.  Maybe Sam and Dave have some legal angle to help us.”

“I’m trying to believe, Bradley, but Christ, you know it ain’t easy.”

Bradley laughed at my stealing a line from the beatles.  “Come on, dude.  Let’s spoil those boys.”

Bradley opens the boys’ bedroom door and yells, “Who wants ice cream?”

There are squeals and a stampede to get to the ice cream.

Tuesday morning comes and we still have no word from Foster Care about my ‘proposal’ about the boys’ future. I sit at my desk thinking about how far I will go during my interview on the Morning Show. A head pops around the door to my office and a young man said, “Five minutes, Mr. Walker-Bradley.”

I walk slowly to the studio and sit behind the news desk.  I read the five-minutes of copy with a couple of video pieces.  I sign off.

The morning show hosts together called me over to them for my interview.

I talk about the upcoming changes for news, without being to specific, and then explain we are working on a documentary about the homeless.  I talk about an on-going federal lawsuit filed against Texas Foster Care. Just as I was about to talk about young homeless kids, Molly rushes quietly into the studio and stands out of camera frame and points toward me and then points repeatedly to her ear.  I try to not pay too much attention to Molly but suddenly, host Dan Brown hands me the ear piece on the desk in front of me.  I put it in my ear.  Someone in the control room says Molly is telling you foster care is a go.

“I turned to Dan and then to Melissa and say, “I don’t want to divulge too much about the homeless project but want to give credit to Sebastian Garcia who wrote it and will host it. He has a couple of newsroom reporters working with him.  It will be a meaningful program to help draw attention to these people who need help.”

“Matt you and your colleagues who came here from channel 12 are causing quite a whirlwind.  We all welcome your changes. Thanks for taking time to be with us today,” said Don.

“Absolutely,” added Melissa.

I rushed out of the studio with Molly hot on my heels.  She handed me an envelope full of legal papers.  I rushed to my office to sit own and read through the papers.

“Fuck, we are officially the fucking foster parents for Marty and Bobby. I started sobbing and said, “I can hardly believe it.”

Molly reaches down and gives me a big, tight hug. “Matt you are incredible. You did this. Congratulations.” She walks out of my office.

As I continue scanning the remaining pages for basic information, I discover a letter from Zelda thanking me for waking her up from her lazy stupor and forcing her back on the job.  There’s an apology for missing the deadline but they ran into a brick wall in the bureaucracy and it took extra time to plow through it

As I hurry down the hallway to Bradley’s office, I phone Basti to tell him the good news.  I explain that there are papers for us to sign and return to the Foster Care Child Services office and he volunteers to personally deliver the papers for us.

Bradley is not in his office and as I rush out to find him I run into him, nearly knocking him down.  I hand him the papers and he says, “Those miserable fuckers.”

“No! No! We got the boys.  We are their foster parents!”

“Oh, fuck.  I saw your red eyes which means you were crying and I assumed they had rejected us.”

“I told Basti that we have papers here to sign and return and he says he will personally deliver the papers back to the office over there. After that it’s a done deal.  We can decide if we want to pursue adoption later. For now, we can keep them safe and give them the love they have never had.  Spoil them rotten.”

From that minute on we only have to worry about getting ready for D-day.

I tell Bradley, “We should go home at lunch time and see how the boys are doing.  And we have to arrange some sort of day-long babysitter or housekeeper to be there for them. Marty will start school in the Fall and Bobby will need someone to look after him. We can talk about that at home tonight.  Right now, I have to get back to work building a newsroom.”

“I am pleased to report that the newsroom crew has gotten the hang of the satellites in a suitcase and the average time for the group is seven minutes.  I don’t want to tell them that their times are acceptable but just let them get better with practice.  We’ll have to do some creative reports to keep them in practice.  I mean having them setup and broadcast live, for real.”

We parted company and went about our planned operations.

In the meantime, we find a 42-year-old housekeeper who actually has references.  The last family she had worked for moved to San Antonio so she lost her job here.  She is bi-lingual, English and Spanish. We don’t want the boys to lose touch with their heritage while growing up in our house.  Bradley speaks fluent Spanish and I will find time to learn the language.

We get home shortly after 5:00 and give the boys the good news.  They are jumping up and down, twirling in circles with outstretched arms. Bradley and I look at each other, both of us filled with a new type of happiness.  We silently give thanks for this blessing.

To be continued