“Still Samuel to you.”
“Whatever.”
More silence followed, then Murray asked, “So what kind of car are you thinking?”
“A Ford Explorer, that SUV.”
Murray laughed and said, “No, no, Samuel. You don’t sign for this kind of money and drive a Ford.”
“I’ve made up my mind. Coach Grinnell has one and he let me drive it.”
“Coach Grinnell is married with three kids. You’re in the NBA, Samuel, and you can’t drive a Ford. You need some fancy sports car, like a Porsche.”
“I’m not ready for that. Plus, they cost too much. I saw a Porsche online for over a hundred thousand.”
“So?”
“So, I picked out a Ford Explorer for only forty thousand.”
“Wow. You have so much to learn.”
They stopped at a Wendy’s for burgers and fries, then drove to the Legal Aid office where Sooley got a hero’s welcome. Miss Ida had tears in her eyes as she hugged him and showed him off.
When they were alone in her office, she got down to business. She was pleased to hear of the trade and that he would be living so close. She explained, with little room for questions or disagreement, that she would prepare a simple will that would leave everything in trust for his mother and brothers.
“I never thought about that,” Sooley admitted.
“There are a lot of things you haven’t thought about, but I have. Health insurance, your visa. Other stuff. When do you expect to sign the contract and get the money?”
“In about a month.”
“Okay. The amended contract you signed with Mr. Savage requires that ten percent of the money comes into your bank account. He keeps the rest for allowances and investments. You understand this?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“So, you’ll need to add the name of someone else to your account in case the money needs to be accessed. This person can’t touch it unless something happens to you.”
“Why are you worried about something bad happening to me?”
“Because I’m a lawyer and you’re my client. It’s my job to worry about everything.”
“Come on, Mom,” Murray protested.
“Just do as I say, okay.”
“Arnie’s loaning me a hundred thousand until the big money comes in.”
“I assume that’s legal.”
“It is.”
Murray said, “He needs to buy a car. Wants a Ford Explorer.”
“That’s up to you.”
Sooley said, “I’d like to send some money to my mother.”
“We’ll talk about that. I’m not sure it’s safe. She’s already been robbed once.”
“But I want to help her.”
“I understand, Samuel. So do I. We’ll figure it out.”
“Can I sponsor her now and get them out?”
“Let’s talk about that later. I’m due in court in half an hour. We’ll talk tonight. What would you like for dinner?”
“A bottle of champagne.”
“You’ll get ice tea. Something to eat?”
“Yes, that baked lemon chicken you do, with the mushrooms and sauce.”
She smiled and said, “Whatever you want, Samuel.”
CHAPTER 56
The excitement of shopping for a new vehicle was crushed when Sooley flunked the driver’s test. He did okay on the road, though still mortified in eight lanes of traffic, but he missed too many on the written. He was embarrassed and admitted to Murray that he had found studying difficult. He had been distracted and did not take the exam seriously.
Miss Ida was amused by it and admitted to Ernie that the humiliation was probably a healthy blow to his expanding ego. The two agreed to allow Murray to work for Sooley for the remainder of the summer and run interference. He did need help on so many fronts. He was entering an exciting new world, but one with many potential pitfalls. And truthfully, there was no way to tell Murray that stacking tons of food in a warehouse was more important than helping a friend. It was an opportunity so unique that they put up only token resistance.
The day after the exam, Murray borrowed the family sedan and took off to D.C. with Sooley. They found a room at a downtown hotel and began scouting out swanky condos and apartment buildings. Sooley wanted something large with plenty of bedrooms for his mother and brothers, but Murray talked him down. He should start small and move up when necessary. The prices for all of them, large and small, were outrageous. Sooley was overwhelmed with the process but excited at having such a nice space all to himself. Murray convinced him to put down a $5,000 deposit for a new, unfurnished two-bedroom apartment in CityCenter, not far from Capital One Arena. The lease was for twelve months.