沸腾文学

第4部分（第2页）

〃What　are　you　boys　doing？〃　he　asked　with　a　cautious　smile。

〃Were　doing　what　you　told　me　to　do。　Were　going　to　be　rich；〃　I　said。

〃Yup；〃　said　Mike；　grinning　and　nodding　his　head。　〃Were　partners。〃

〃And　what　is　in　those　plaster　molds？〃　dad　asked。

〃Watch；〃　I　said。　〃This　should　be　a　good　batch。〃

With　a　small　hammer；　I　tapped　at　the　seal　that　divided　the　cube　in

half。　Cautiously；　I　pulled　up　the　top　half　of　the　plaster　mold　and　a　lead　nickel　fell　out。〃

〃Oh；　my　God！〃　my　dad　said。　〃Youre　casting　nickels　out　of　lead。〃

〃Thats　right；〃　Mike　said。　〃We　doing　as　you　told　us　to　do。　Were　making　money。〃

My　dads　friend　turned　and　burst　into　laughter。　My　dad　smiled　and　shook　his　head。　Along　with　a　fire　and　a　box　of　spent　toothpaste　tubes；　in　front　of　him　were　two　little　boys　covered　with　white　dust　and　smiling　from　ear　to　ear。

He　asked　us　to　put　everything　down　and　sit　with　him　on　the　front　step　of　our　house。　With　a　smile；　he　gently　explained　what　the　word　〃counterfeiting〃　meant。

Our　dreams　were　dashed。　〃You　mean　this　is　illegal？〃　asked　Mike　in　a

quivering　voice。

〃Let　them　go；〃　my　dads　friend　said。　〃They　might　be　developing　a　natural　talent。〃

My　dad　glared　at　him。

〃Yes；　it　is　illegal；〃　my　dad　said　gently。　〃But　you　boys　have　shown　great　creativity　and　original　thought。　Keep　going。　Im　really　proud　of　you！〃

Disappointed；　Mike　and　I　sat　in　silence　for　about　twenty　minutes　before　we　began　cleaning　up　our　mess。　The　business　was　over　on　opening　day。　Sweeping　the　powder　up；　I　looked　at　Mike　and　said；　〃I　guess　Jimmy　and　his　friends　are　right。　We　are　poor。〃

My　father　was　just　leaving　as　I　said　that。　〃Boys；〃　he　said。　〃Youre　only　poor　if　you　give　up。　The　most　important　thing　is　that　you　did　something。　Most　people　only　talk　and　dream　of　getting　rich。　Youve　done　something。　Im　very　proud　of　the　two　of　you。　I　will　say　it　again。

Keep　going。　Dont　quit。〃

Mike　and　I　stood　there　in　silence。　They　were　nice　words；　but　we　still　did　not　know　what　to　do。

〃So　how　e　youre　not　rich；　dad？〃　I　asked。

〃Because　I　chose　to　be　a　schoolteacher。　Schoolteachers　really　dont　think　about　being　rich。　We　just　like　to　teach。　I　wish　I　could　help　you；　but　I　really　dont　know　how　to　make　money。〃

Mike　and　I　turned　and　continued　our　clean　up。

〃I　know；〃　said　my　dad。　〃If　you　boys　want　to　learn　how　to　be　rich；　dont　ask　me。　Talk　to　your　dad；　Mike。〃

〃My　dad？〃　asked　Mike　with　a　scrunched　up　face。

〃Yeah；　your　dad；〃　repeated　my　dad　with　a　smile。　〃Your　dad　and　I　have　the　same　banker；　and　he　raves　about　your　father。　Hes　told　me　several　times　that　your　father　is　brilliant　when　it　es　to　making　money。〃

〃My　dad？〃　Mike　asked　again　in　disbelief。　〃Then　how　e　we　dont　have　a　nice　car　and　a　nice　house　like　the　rich　kids　at　school？〃

〃A　nice　car　and　a　nice　house　does　not　necessarily　mean　youre　rich　or　you　know　how　to　make　money；〃　my　dad　replied。　〃Jimmys　dad　works　for　the　sugar　plantation。　Hes　not　much　different　from　me。　He　works　for　a　pany；　and　I　work　for　the　government。　The　pany　buys　the　car　for　him。　The　sugar　pany　is　in　financial　trouble；　and　Jimmys　dad　may　soon　have　nothing。　Your　dad　is　different　Mike。　He　seems　to　be　building　an　empire；　and　I　suspect　in　a　few　years　he　will　be　a　very　rich　man。〃

With　that；　Mike　and　I　got　excited　again。　With　new　vigor；　we　began　cleaning　up　the　mess　caused　by　our　now　defunct　first　business。　As　we　were　cleaning；　we　made　plans　on　how　and　when　to　talk　to　Mikes　dad。　The　problem　was　that　Mikes　dad　worked　long　hours　and　often　did　not　e　home　until　late。　His　father　owned　warehouses；　a　construction　pany；　a　chain　of　stores；　and　three　restaurants。　It　was　the　restaurants　that　kept　him　out　late。

Mike　caught　the　bus　home　after　we　had　finished　cleaning　up。　He　was　going　to　talk　to　his　dad　when　he　got　home　that　night　and　ask　him　if　he　would　teach　us　how　to　bee　rich。　Mike　promised　to　call　as　soon　as　he　had　talked　to　his　dad；　even　if　it　was　late。

The　phone　rang　at　8：30　p。m。

〃OK；〃　I　said。　〃Next　Saturday。〃　And　put　the　phone　down。　Mikes　dad　had　agreed　to　meet　with　Mike　and　me。

At　7：30　Saturday　morning；　I　caught　the　bus　to　the　poor　side　of　town。

The　Lessons　Begin：

〃Ill　pay　you　10　cents　an　hour。　〃

Even　by　1956　pay　standards；　10　cents　an　hour　was　low。

Michael　and　I　met　with　his　dad　that　morning　at　8　oclock。　He　was　already　busy　and　had　been　at　work　for　more　than　an　hour。　His　construction　supervisor　was　just　leaving　in　his　pickup　truck　as　I　walked　up　to　his　simple；　small　and　tidy　home。　Mike　met　me　at　the　door。

〃Dads　on　the　phone；　and　he　said　to　wait　on　the　back　porch；〃　Mike　said　as　he　opened　the　door。

The　old　wooden　floor　creaked　as　I　steppedacross　the　threshold　of　this　aging　house。　There　was　a　cheap　mat　just　inside　the　door。　The　mat　was　there　to　hide　the　years　of　w