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- 07/24/2021
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Adam Blake - 150. Chapter 150
Henry showed up at 9 with a cup of coffee for him and me. “I’m here so often that the kitchen staff just handed me the coffee.” I knew they didn’t hand him the coffee, but the point was well taken.
“Henry, I have two new projects. I want a clinic built halfway between the College and the Academy. I will need to provide two offices, a nurse station, and a secretary. Also, we will equip the clinic with the appropriate hospital equipment. Calculate the hospital portion on ten beds. Provide a testing lab, an X-ray machine, and a secure storage area. I’m sure there are operating clinics where you can get some ideas. Check other Universities, most of them have a medical staff. That project is number 1 in priority. Project 2 is the construction of an academy for girls. Many of our staff are married and have children, the boys will be enrolled here, but the girls have nothing. I hope to purchase some land, but you can start on the design. I think we won’t have as many girls, so maybe along the same lines as the original academy. Let’s see what you can come up with, and hopefully, I’ll have the property soon.”
“Why don’t you put it on this property? There is still a lot of land to the East.”
“I want to divorce the reasons for the two, the Academy and College are designed to educate the leaders of tomorrow, the girls’ academy will be to create the leaders but not at the same level as the boys. The girls will lead in education, medical, administrative positions. It will be a different emphasis, but the teaching methods will be the same. And while you are thinking about that, expand your thinking as we may want to build a small college as well, again with a different emphasis.”
“Every time I get a phone call from you, my staff celebrates. Our business has doubled. If a client has reservations about hiring us, we show them the pictures of the academy and college.”
“Maybe I should get a commission?”
“You get the breaks, so don’t worry, we appreciate what we do for you, and we take care of you. You should think of a garage for those buses.”
I started to laugh, “Maybe I should put you on staff.”
It was dinner time when we were finished. “Would you like to have dinner with us?”
“I can’t stay that long.”
“Dinner for us is lunch.”
“Oh, then yes, if you’re buying.”
“My treat”
That evening I told Marie about the clinic.
“That is a great idea. Are we going to have an input?”
“Sure, you and the Doctor must be a part of the design. I know nothing about setting up a clinic, you do. I’m sure our good doctor will want his input as well. Think about what you would want, and when Henry brings in the sketches, will sit down and mark them up.” I had a happy wife that night.
Annie came back with a county map. “Adam, there are potentially two farms just south of the campus. An old couple owns one, and you may be able to buy that one. It’s not large, only 50 acres, but the land is flat. The other is smaller, the owners are young, and I don’t think they will sell.”
“Ok, let’s get a realtor to meet with these people and see if they are willing to sell, and if they are, and what price would they want.”
At the Board meeting, I brought up the idea of a clinic to serve both schools. I was surprised when one of them said what took me so long. They approved, and I promised them I would show the drawings and mark them at the next Board meeting. I smiled to myself. If I had the property, I would tell them about the girl’s academy.
“James, put your thinking cap on. If we have a girls academy, what could we have that would be like the Knights? Something feminine that would inspire the way the Knights do.”
Now I knew that the staff who have girls would be in on the name.
I was checking the history books, “James, what do you think about Hypatia Academy?”
“Who is or was Hypatia? I never heard of her.”
“You wouldn’t unless you study Greek history. In her day, she was an exception. She was a philosopher, mathematician, inventor, and astronomer. I think she would be a good person to use her name for the academy.”
“Is this another Knight thing?”
“Yep”
I went to see Mrs. Walcott. “Mrs. Walcott, do you have any books on Ancient Greece and perhaps women, particularly a woman named Hypatia?”
“We have books on ancient Greece but mostly the popular people as Plato or Aristotle. But I don’t think I have anything on women except Helen of Troy.”
“If we don’t, please see if we can get a few copies.”
Mrs. Walcott had finally accepted that the study room wasn’t a library. We became friends; I’m not sure if it was a personal desire to be friends or knowing if she wanted to order a book or magazine, I was always agreeable. What the reason was I didn’t care. Our working arrangement was better.
That evening, I told Marie the academy’s name I was thinking about for the girls’ school. She never heard of this person, “Look it up on the computer and see what it says and then tell me what you think.”
While she did that, I thought about what I could do to copy what I did for the boys. I couldn’t use her philosophy since she was a non-believer. Maybe I can find something of the time and use it. I was getting excited again.
In my weekly FaceTime with Gerry, I told him about the clinic and the girls’ school. He told me that he was dating a young lady who was the sister of one of his friends. He said he attended an installation of a Senator. Now I knew who he was talking about. He met her there. “Long distances are difficult.”
“Yes, Gerry, but if it’s to last, distance will not be an issue. I’m planning on visiting next week, anything you need.….. Yes, I’m bringing Billy. We need to start training our runners for the summer Olympics…..I think they are in Spain this year… Yes, Billy will still run under our flag.”
“Father, can you bring Mother and my family. I haven’t seen them for a long time.”
“Of course, Mother will be glad to see you, although Marie will be disappointed that you have a girlfriend.”
We chatted about the state of affairs, caught up on some of the boys he was in touch with, and told him about those I was in contact with. We always end our conversations with, “I miss you,” and it was true, I missed Gerry, but his dad keeps me informed and is glad he has found his wife.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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