Merriton

“Time for a haircut, dude.” Random was sitting on Kevin’s new Ikea kitchen chair. Sierra’s paperwork was sitting in a manila folder on Kevin’s new Ikea kitchen table. They had several new clients to be approved. Random almost felt guilty for doing so well financially in the middle of a recession. Kevin replied, “Can’t. I’m never getting another haircut again. I’m Samson now, dontcha know?” Samson swung his head around like a model for Pantene shampoo. Random half-smiled. Samson continued, “You have to start calling me Samson, now, seriously.” Random shook his head. “No way, man.”

Samson’s face became serious. “I mean it. You have to call me Samson now.” Randy shook his head. “Why are you going to let those kids rename you?” Samson shook his head, “It’s not like that. You have to accept the name out of respect for Merriton. It reminds them about the avalanche and why kids shouldn’t be skiing up on the mountain all by themselves. It’s like town lore.” Samson’s voice changed and it sounded as if he were telling a story to a child, “Remember the story of Lobo and how Samson saved him from the avalanche? That’s why you should only ski at the resorts.” His voice returned to normal. “That’s why it’s important. If you keep callin’ me Kevin, people’ll get all confused.”

Random nodded. “Only if you stop calling me Random.” Samson laughed out loud. “I call you Random for the EXACT same reason. You’re Randall McCain! You invented the McCain Random Number Generator! You’re a legend and the people around you need to know your legend just as much as mine.”

Random shook his head. “I’m beginning to think that I don’t know myself at all. Living in that house has brought me face to face with myself.” He lowered his voice and leaned closer to Samson. “Want to know what I see?” Samson’s eyes popped open and he nodded. Random almost whispered, “I’m not a programmer.”

Samson’s brow crinkled. “Sure you are. Dude, that’s what I was just saying. You’re not just A programmer. You’re THE programmer!” Randy smiled and shook his head. “I know you see me that way, but I’ve had a year and a half of looking at myself in a mirror and I realized I’m NOT a programmer. Sure, I can code with the rest of you, but my real abilities are when I’m managing programmers. I bring the right people together to make great things like Zerbitz happen.”

The room fell into a hush when the word Zerbitz passed from Random’s lips. The unsaid knowledge of the final axe cut to his beloved project hung between them. The remaining Zerbitz team had been downsized a few months ago and the tech industry barely noticed. Samson took in a deep breath and he could still smell the scent of poly fluoro carbons coming from the furniture. Random continued, “The only time things go wrong with me is when I give up control of managing, first with MRNG and then with Zerbitz. If I had just kept those companies for myself instead of selling them off, I would be happier…” He smiled with a twinkle at Samson. “I’d be a lot poorer, but I’d be happier.”

Samson mulled over Random’s thoughts. “When I was staying in that house, it felt like I was in a tub of stale bathwater. It was like all I could do was think about getting fired from Zerbitz. I didn’t start to pull out of it until I moved over to the Thunder Brothers Ranch.” He laughed a little. “It was like it was the same stupid house, but I wasn’t stuck in the bathwater anymore. Ever notice how they have the almost same floor plan as your house? The snow’s just as deep there, but at the Bowen house, it’s like I felt trapped. I couldn’t escape myself.”

The both of them nodded and Random put his hand on the paperwork on the table. “Sierra made all of these out with the name…” Randy looked at the paperwork and was surprised by the name, “Kai-shek Tso?” Samson laughed. “Yeah, that’s my legal name. Kevin was just my American name.” He pulled the manila folder away from Random and started signing. “I can’t believe how many ISPs you’ve got signed up! This is awesome!”

Random smiled and Samson felt the warmth of it. “I tell you. I’m not a programmer. I’m a conduit.” The two of them laughed and Samson continued signing all the legal paperwork that would slowly make him a millionaire.