Zuat''s Philosophy

Mike Cavendish

Description

Zuat''s Philosophy is a novel for general readers, especially young adults who are developing their world views. It endorses laissez-faire capitalism. The story may offend: * Academic philosophers who muddy the waters of philosophy * Lawyers who put law above ethics * Executives of big companies who use ruthless tactics against small competitors * Environmentalists who resent even mild criticism of their precious causes * Young ex-schoolies who self-immerse in alcohol * Religious believers who don''t like:- Arguments put forward to challenge their faith- Exposure of yet another wearer of the cloth as a scumbag.A caution to Peruvians: You might not like the revival of memories of Peru of 1980s and 1990s, and the evil Shining Path.Every issue is potentially political. If hens went on strike, politicians (and novelists?) of left and right might debate fiercely the price of eggs. For the rest of you, please enjoy the development of an unlikely romance. It comes with each partner clarifying his/her philosophy and taking much mental and physical risk to achieve that. By the way, Zuat is short for Anzuátegui.

Informations

• Publié par: Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd
• Date de parution: 30 octobre 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781528967846
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Zuat’s Philosophy
Mike Cavendish
Austin Macauley Publishers
2019-10-30
Zuat’s Philosophy About the Author About the Book Copyright Information © Chapter 1 Becoming the Boss, Ready or Not Chapter 2 The Non-Visitor Chapter 3 What Mattered Most Chapter 4 Biblical Babble-Ons Chapter 5 People, Digitally Simplified Chapter 6 No Love Under the Blanket Chapter 7 Breaking the Llama’s Back Chapter 8 Someone Else Cared Chapter 9 Anxieties Near and Far Chapter 10 The Knives of Life Chapter 11 Many Separations Chapter 12 The Illusion of Independence Chapter 13 Strategic Operations Chapter 14 An El Cheapo Decision Chapter 15 A New View (1) Chapter 16 A New View (2) Chapter 17 Paper-Thin Clues Chapter 18 Shades of Persuasion Chapter 19 First Steps on the Path Chapter 20 T. T. = Target Teagan Chapter 21 Patient Accumulation of Assets Chapter 22 Almost Nothing Happened Chapter 23 Steering Clear of the Wild West Chapter 24 Widening the View Chapter 25 Some Police Do Work Chapter 26 Arrivals and Departures Chapter 27 No More Good Books Chapter 28 Yielding to Tent-Tation
About the Author
Mike was born on 26 March 1950 at Strathfield, Sydney, Australia. His mother pretended marriage; his father had died nine months earlier. Mike is an only child. When Mike was eight, his mother died. His aunt adopted him and moved him to Wollongong, fifty miles south of Sydney. She was single, childless and a headmistress at an infant school.
Back in Sydney, Mike worked for years in the Australian government Department of Defence, mainly as a civilian analyst of Navy Air Force battle exercises. He retired in 2005. He is single and lives with Tom, his cat.
About the Book
Zuat’s Philosophy is a novel for general readers, especially young adults who are developing their world views. It endorses laissez-faire capitalism. The story may offend:
Academic philosophers who muddy the waters of philosophy
Lawyers who put law above ethics
Executives of big companies who use ruthless tactics against small competitors
Environmentalists who resent even mild criticism of their precious causes
Young ex-schoolies who self-immerse in alcohol
Religious believers who don’t like:
Arguments put forward to challenge their faith
Exposure of yet another wearer of the cloth as a scumbag.
A caution to Peruvians: You might not like the revival of memories of Peru of 1980s and 1990s, and the evil Shining Path.
Every issue is potentially political. If hens went on strike, politicians (and novelists?) of left and right might debate fiercely the price of eggs. For the rest of you, please enjoy the development of an unlikely romance. It comes with each partner clarifying his/her philosophy and taking much mental and physical risk to achieve that. By the way, Zuat is short for Anzuátegui.
Copyright Information ©
Mike Cavendish (2019)
The right of Mike Cavendish to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with Sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781528967846 (ePub e-book)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2019)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ
Chapter 1

Becoming the Boss, Ready or Not
Jesse Anzuátegui surged forward like fanned bushfire through the crowd of other meeters-and-greeters the instant his parents emerged from Sydney Airport’s Customs area. He whispered, ‘Sorry,’ only when other people’s curses and critical faces sometimes invaded his mind. He flung his arms around his father. Jesse’s mother’s quaking fingers fumbled her bags. Attracted, Jesse engulfed her with arms and words.
Dad Nacho’s eyelids spread way beyond the boundaries that jetlag allowed. ‘ Díos Mio! ’
Sunrise seeping into the terminal building exposed tears through Jesse’s tiredness. Naturally in Spanish, he said, ‘My wonderful parents, I am so, so relieved and happy you are with me again.’
Sydney’s South American migrant community called him Chucho, the familiar form of the Spanish name Jesús. He was Jesse to everyone else.
Catching her breath, Yoli asked, ‘Marvellous, Chucho, but what about our little family business? You’ll go to Zuat’s Hardware today, won’t you?’
‘Plenty of time, Mama. It’s still early.’
Nacho said, ‘We two will take today off to get over jetlag.’
‘I’ll drive you both home and then go to work. Let me carry some bags.’
A paper on the dashboard of the family’s second-hand ute caught Nacho’s eye. ‘The cops caught you speeding to the airport.’
With his precious passengers, Jesse was driving much more carefully. ‘Yeah. Don’t worry about that. How was the trip?’
Nacho found new life. ‘Chucho, so much about Arica and the whole country has changed. Chile is on the march, like our parents’ letters said. All optimism. But family is always family. Inside of them, no change.’
Yoli asked, ‘Well Chucho, and how did you handle your six weeks as acting manager of Zuat’s Hardware?’
‘I believe I did it right, mama. Yeah. Except maybe in personnel management. I hired an extra salesman. What a slack-arse. He didn’t know half of what he said he did about hardware products. Lying was his way of life. A “real cool” guy, as too many Australians say. I sacked him last week.’ Jesse spat out through the ute’s window space. ‘I’ve had to deal with customers and be the manager most of the time. When our two part-time employees haven’t been there, it’s been just me. By myself. Then I’ve tried to do everything. If someone wanted something delivered somewhere, nobody could do that. So we missed some sales.’
Conversation droned on about the extended family, none of whom Jesse had ever seen. His eyelids wilted.
A car at high speed swerved. It shot across a slightly curved section of the median strip. It flew. It speared the passengers’ side of the ute’s windscreen.
Jesse’s sight and mind went hazy. His head and chest bounced like a pinball. Dangling through the ute’s window space, his right arm tumbled. Bits of flying glass slit his face and neck.
Jesse and Nacho were wearing seat belts. Yoli had none to wear.
Barely conscious, Jesse moaned, ‘Mama! Papa!’
No answers before an ambulance carried Jesse to Fairfield Hospital. Others drove Nacho and Yoli to the bigger and better Westmead Hospital.
Police interviewed Jesse as soon as he was examined and stabilised. Short of breath and distraught through fear for his parents’ lives, he apologised insistently.
‘Not your fault, mate. The other driver was a young bloke. Drunk as a skunk.’
At noon on that April day in 1990, Zuat’s Hardware’s veteran part-time employee Erich was amazed to find the store closed. His phone call to the Anzuáteguis’ house went unanswered. He had no store keys. The store stayed closed that day.
That evening, a TV news snippet of the crash reached Erich, other part-time employee Senka and the Anzuáteguis’ neighbours, the Trinder family except the two missing. In the Army, youngest son Collin lived and worked elsewhere. A student at Sydney University, eldest child Teagan was living at the inner suburb of Newtown.
Teagan had been studying a Bachelor of Arts (Major in Languages) four years full-time degree course. Study preoccupied her almost always.
Early in the night, Jesse’s dreams, like dynamite, featured cries of hatred for the other driver. Soon, nurses sedated him.
Around 8:00 next morning, as a psychologist was starting work on Jesse, an out-of-visiting-hours man was allowed in.
Erich frowned. ‘ Mein Gott, Junge . You can’t go on like that. Nacho and Yoli will want you to do what these people say for you to do.’
‘Yuh. Yeah. They will.’ Jesse tried overcoming pains to talk. His face felt raw. He felt drained. He just lay.
The psychologist said, ‘Both his parents were operated on for hours yesterday.’
‘Young Jesse, I swear to you that to keep the store going, I will work full-time and more hours every day until you are on your feet. You can rely on me always and absolutely. That is my promise.’ His hand enveloped Jesse’s.
Tears of appreciation trickled.
‘I’ll call Senka and see what more work she can do.’
‘Not much. Her young kids…’
‘I will do everything to persuade that she will do more.’
Jesse’s small smile outshone his facial wounds. ‘Good luck, boss.’
‘Boss? No, you are the boss. Or you will be…’ He restrained himself from suggesting that Nacho or Yoli might not be able to resume. ‘…after you leave the hospital. Look, Jesse. To begin my task I need the keys to the store. Do you have them?’
Blank.
The psychologist stood. ‘I’ll go and check his personal items collected from the accident. Go easy on him. He’s blameless. And don’t try to move him.’
While waiting, Erich varied the topics. The weather, soccer, anything to divert his attention. Jesse tried to care, but his bruised ribs discouraged talk and anything like laughter.
‘Here are all his keys. Are these the ones?’
Jesse gazed blankly.
Erich refreshed him. ‘No. These look like house keys and car keys. The store keys are at your place, yes? Do you mind that I go in there to get them, Jesse?’
Jesse slowly nodded his approval.
‘Where in the house are they?’
‘What?’
‘The store keys. Where in your house do you keep them?’
‘Oh. Ah, yeah.’ He coughed for a while. ‘The dining…table.’
‘Good man, Jesse. I will go and make some money for us. You take it as easy as you can. You should not worry too much about things that you cannot control. You agree?’
‘I’ll try.’ His gaze sought heaven on the ceiling.
Erich clasped the hand of “the boss” briefl