ROBYN
Weeks went by and things only got better and better for Aaron and me. I adjusted to his hectic schedule and he seemed to be adjusting to my “unconventional” ways of doing things. We made the best of the time that we did have to spend together, taking turns deciding what we would do and many times just choosing to stay in and cook together and watch movies or listen to music deep into the night.
One Saturday afternoon it was Aaron’s turn to decide where he wanted to go. I had assumed that because there was a lot of fresh snow on the ground from the night before that he’d either choose an indoor activity, or choose to stay at home. Instead, he said,
“The time is coming when I have to make a final decision about what to do about the Hamilton’s offer.” Aaron had finished the story of Mr. Hamilton and his children and how upset the elderly man was the day after we went to the opera. I had to admit to him that although I’d never met the old man, I was feeling sad for him. It would have to feel to him like his own children were selling him out. Aaron had stood firm that night on his side of it. He didn’t agree with what the family was doing to each other, but he was only doing what he did best…taking care of business.
I let it go after that. It really wasn’t my place to interfere in his business. So far I’d helped him learn how to celebrate Christmas, I’d helped him get to know Jeffrey better and I hope I’d brought other pleasant experiences into his life. I made a vow to myself that unless he asked my opinion or unless it involved my job directly I wasn’t going to get involved.
“I’d like to take you somewhere, and I’m hoping that by going there myself, I might gain some prospective on this deal with them.”
He didn’t tell me where we were going and although I was curious, I didn’t ask. We drove for a long time, passing into upstate New York finally ending at a place called Landis Arboretum. I was still confused about what it had to do with the Hamilton’s, but I was excited. I had always wanted to visit this place that they called a “living museum.” Aaron helped me out of the car and as we stood in front of the entrance for the huge 548 acre arboretum he said,
“So what do you think?”
“I’m thrilled, it looks beautiful even from out here,” I told him.
“It does,” he said. “Let’s go check it out.”
Aaron paid for our entrance and we were given a brochure and a map. There were over eight miles of walking trails inside and I was really happy I’d worn my comfortable boots. We started out strolling through and old-growth forest where the trees were covered in a thick blanket of pure white, the occasional leaf or gnarly bark peeked out from under their white caps and the only thing that disturbed the perfect white scene were the imprints of footsteps that crisscrossed each other along the path. It was cold, but not uncomfortably so and it was so peaceful underneath the umbrellas of snow-laden trees that it seemed even the sound had been blanketed by the winter storm.
We came to the perennial gardens and walked through one of the greenhouses that was filled with lush, fragrant flowers and dark, leafy green plants. It was nice to warm up…defrost a little from being outside. Aaron seemed fascinated by the construction of the greenhouse and he was asking one of the attendants a lot of questions about it. When he came back over to where I was admiring the blossoms on some of the baby trees they were beginning to grow inside the greenhouse he said,
“Are you too cold?”
“I’m okay….you’re not ready to leave yet are you?”
“No, not yet. Come with me.” He took my hand and led me out of the greenhouse and down along one of the peaceful paths towards a little structure that stood on the edge of the wooded path. It looked like a little boat house. There was a bronze plaque on the outside that said, “Dedicated to Harvey Hamilton I, 1992.” I was surprised when Aaron opened the door and invited me in. Once inside, I saw that it was indeed a boathouse. The walls were lined with canoes and kayaks and paddles. The difference between this and any other boathouse that I’d ever seen was that these boats were encased in glass and they all looked handmade with intricate detail visible on the wood. Even the wooden paddles were carved with elaborate designs.
“What is this place?” I asked him.
“Years ago, there was no passage across the river during the winter when the water would rise. The only means of getting around would be by boat. There was a man who lived here who used a relatively small inheritance he received to finance making boats for all of those in the community who couldn’t afford to buy their own. There were people who couldn’t get to work or school because they lacked the transportation and the resources to pay for it. He did such fine work that everyone wanted one and he started taking special orders. The boats got so popular that he stopped working at his other job altogether and began a business just building the boats….”
“Hamilton’s grandfather?”
Aaron nodded, “Yeah. After you and I talked, I got curious. This man is seventy-eight years old and I wondered why he wouldn’t just give in and retire already. The company doesn’t make a lot of money anymore and that’s why his kids want out of it. It’s likely that if they don’t sell, it will go under in a few years. It could be turned around, but only with a lot of money poured into it. The old man is generous with his donations and his employees….too generous for his own good, according to the kids. But you can see in his eyes how much he loves that place. His father worked for his grandfather and expanded the business to several states in the U.S. Hamilton expanded it to Canada and Alaska and he re-started the tradition that his grandfather had begun…every year he gives away thousands of canoes and kayaks to people who live in regions where they need them for things like getting to work and getting to town.”
“Wow, that’s nice,” I said. “How did you find this place?”
“I remembered something that Hamilton said to me and did some simple research. The thing is, it’s something I wouldn’t have ever done before. I would have never thought about had it not been for you even questioning me on this. And it is nice what he does….and I’m trying to take that away from him.”
“So…are you thinking about not buying out his kids?”
“They’re set on selling. If I don’t buy it, they’ll find a company who will.”
“Oh….”
He came over to me and took my face in his hands and said, “All of a sudden, I want to be a better man.”
“You’re already an amazing man,” I told him. He looked at me then like we were the only two people in the world then and he said,
“I like you, Robyn. I really, really like you. It’s the closest thing to love that I’ve ever felt and it might be that….but you know how I am….I need to examine it a little closer. I’ve never cared what anyone thought of me on a personal level before. As long as I excelled in business and the business world respected me….that was all that mattered, until I met you. You walked into my life and you changed everything and for the first time I can step outside the business part of this deal and look at the humans behind it. I’m going to buy the kids out, but I’m going to let the old man keep operating it the way he always has until he dies. I don’t care if it makes money or not, at least he will know for sure that until he dies…. his company will be run by a Hamilton.”
“That is amazing and I’m so proud of you,” I told him. He smiled, looking pleased with both me and himself.
“It’s funny that those five words mean more to me than a multi-million dollar business deal.” With that, he tipped my face up and his down and he kissed me. It wasn’t a peck, or a kiss that was really even appropriate for public. His teeth grazed mine as he searched in my mouth for my tongue, sucking it back into his. It felt like he was claiming me as his and I wasn’t going to tell him right then that he already had me, because I had no desire for him to ever stop.
***