Feast of Flash - Honorable Mention - Paul Phillips

What would you expect from a man surrounded by books all day long? Some spanking good writes and that's exactly what you'll get from this FOF Honorable Mention writer.

Paul Phillips is an Aussie who is on the scene with a wide variety of approaches and technique.

Check out his blog, I Can't Believe It's Not Better, for a taste of NSW humor and choice writes. Here is his entry into our little contest.

Making Their Day
by Paul Phillips

Obituary: New York City – Real Estate tycoon Brendan St. James passed away this morning after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife, Gloria and his son, Jordan...

***

As the bells pealed in the tower of St. Dominic’s Cathedral on the corner of Jackson and Stroud Streets announcing the arrival of dawn, a heavily clad man slips quietly and unseen through the back door of a nondescript building. He is dressed for the cold, brisk morning; heavy woollen coat, long pants, leather driving gloves and a knitted tuque. Pulling the sliding door closed behind him, he peered around the still-dark passageway, knowing instinctively his way through the rabbit-warren series of corridors and rooms.

Removing his coat and placing it gently on the wooden table in the middle of the room, he heads through another door which leads him to kitchen area. It is a very cramped space, originally designed many decades ago to be just a simple kitchenette but he had renovated the space to become a well-equipped, yet still small, fully operational kitchen.

***


Financial news: New York City – Billionaire heir Jordan St. James has announced the purchase of seven dilapidated office buildings in the heart of New York City. He has plans to restore the buildings to their original conditions. He hopes to have the first of these buildings ready to be occupied by Thanksgiving...

***

After preparing the supplies in the kitchen for the first serving of the morning, he marched upstairs to check in with the staff in the dining area, ensuring that all was in readiness. With an expected total of diners to be well into the thousands over the duration of the day, he knew that being prepared was of absolute importance.

“Morning, boss, everything is looking marvellous.”

“Thank you, Ian,” the man replied, a warm smile on his face, “with you in charge up here; I had no doubts about that.”

He made a move to leave, then stopped, as if remembering something and turned back to face his friend. “Just one more thing: After breakfast, can I ask you to assemble all the staff together. I want to have a quick word with them. Can you do that for me?”

“Of course, boss, of course.”

***

Finance: New York City – Jordan St. James, son of the late real estate tycoon Brendan, has announced the grand opening of his recently renovated property. Little is known about the nature of the business; however, most pundits have declared that, with its 6am Thanksgiving opening, it is more than likely to be a fashionable restaurant of exquisite fine dining.

***

Cleaning up after an extremely busy – and much publicised – breakfast, Ian approached his boss. He could see that the man was exhausted but knew very well that he would be ready for the lunch time service.

“Boss, there is a mass of reporters outside, clamouring for your attention. What would you like me to tell them?”

“Just keep them at arm’s length for me for the moment. I have a few other things to take care of first. Are the staff downstairs?”

Ian nodded. “Shall we go?”

“Of course, Ian, they were the ones who made this place a triumph this morning. Let us go make their day, as Clint Eastwood once said.” With that, he stood, placed his arm around his friend and headed for the door.

***

There was dozen or so staff waiting in the dining area. The room went quiet as the two men entered. Ian stood in front of the group and the other man waited just off to his left.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I will make this quick. You have been brought together for a very simple reason; and that reason is standing right here behind me. I give you, Jordan St. James.”

A murmur raced around the room like a Mexican wave. Jordan embraced Ian again, and raised his arms in a gesture of silence.

“Thank you, Ian, my friend. I would also like to thank my father, who has left me a wealthy man but, who has also left a lasting legacy for this town. But, the people I truly want to thank are you people here before me. You were the ones who made this morning a success with love and peace in your hearts. I would like to thank each and every one of you for bringing the Brendan St. James Memorial Meal Centre to fruition.”

With that, he reached into his briefcase and removed some envelopes. He began circulating around the room, shaking hands with each member of the staff and handing them each an envelope.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to once more thank you for being a part of this endeavour, and as such, I have given each of you a small token of my gratitude.”

A stunned silence filled the room. “Alright, let’s go clean up and relax for a few hours before lunch.”

***

Finance: New York City – Jordan St. James has been highly criticised by the rich and powerful for a blatant show of disregard for his wealth and social standing. One comment from a powerful Washington businessman was “...but, a soup kitchen? What is he thinking?”

***

At the end of the day after all the staff had gone home, Jordan was sitting at his desk in the small room he called his office. He noticed an envelope, like the ones he had himself distributed earlier in the day, laying on top of some paperwork. Opening it, he found a small card with a brief, handwritten note: Dear Mr. St. James, we thank you. From N.Y.C.’s Homeless.”

Jordan replaced the card in the envelope and wept.