Startling, Sparkling

The bottles glistened with condensation. They sat in an ice bucket on the table. Air cooled the room where the owners stood. A woman with high cheekbones moved towards the table.

“Gentlemen, these are the first bottles of your Delawine selection. It is the finest, most astute champagne, apart from the other brands on the market. Enjoy your ownership over your product,” Linda Cottonwood remarked. She held a glass up, which glistened in the overhead light.

Misters Templeton Thoms and Cage Heyes toasted the beauty. She walked away and allowed the men to discuss business.

“This is to add to the billions we already put up,” Thompkins said. A bit of glee rested in his voice. He was tall, gaunt, and medium brown with cornrow braids. His prior life had been a real estate consultant before he turned his full intentions into making the best goddamn alcoholic beverages to ever grace the shelves.

He spoke to Heyes, who was slightly shorter but had more muscles from legs to chest. He had medium brown skin as well.

“There’s always going to be a home for knowing how to do businehave the idea for the particular details of that business doesn’t matter. We know now, and know right. We can fill in the rest when we move forward,” Thompkins declared.

“I don’t know,” Heyes admitted.

“What? What do you not know?”

“I think we should wait, see what happens, build up a reputation, and then see what happens,” Heyes replied.

Thoms gave a long sigh. “Here we go again, with the doubts. Look, the product is already on the shelves in London, Paris, Milan, and Tokyo. Those were all test markets. With it being in the US, we’ve got even bigger opportunities.”

“Why aren’t we in Lagos?”

“Do you know what the taxes are like there? Sure those major cities in Europe and Asia constitute a chunk of our money going out the door. But we need to exact our best principles in knowing that we can do this in America,” Thoms explained.

“I get that, but….” Heyes damn near stammered.

“But, but, but, nothing. You should start remembering where we started. We just had rental properties. Double wides and trailers. We took government money because we knew that those checks were as close to a guarantee as possible. Then we expanded on the scene. We opened up in Newark, Lewes, Dover. We owned the state of Delaware. Then we expanded across the country and even globally based on the same model. What don’t you get?” Thoms asked.

“Why don’t we consider our company as exclusive to the world?”

“Do I have to go over this again?”

“No.”

“Then realize that what I say is true. Realize that we, Thomas and Heyes Properties, if you can recall, became the first business owned completely by two teenagers who just looked up real estate ventures on the Internet.”

“I mean, you have a point.”

“You’re goddamn right I do.”

“I’m trying.”

“Start doing.”

“I’m trying to piece together how we can establish ourselves in the States when the market in beverages is flooded with competition. We already had the world, why waste that on this country?”

“This country is founded on the ideals of making your own way. You start in the chitlin circuit and you work your way up to performing for stadiums. You earn by your brain. That’s all’s to it,” Thoms pointed out.

The ice clinked in the bucket.

“So what you’re saying is we can do it all again. A totally different industry…in America?”

“I’m sure of it, sir. If we could do it around the Earth, we can do it in our birthplace,” Thoms said.

“But this nation is vicious.”

“Whoa! Where did that come from?!”

“I’ve been sitting on that for the past thirty years. America is a wasteland of filth, corruption, and gluttony. It’s also cesspool of indignation and degeneration,” Heyes replied.

“Wow….You took it there. Let me ask you something: When was the last time you received a deposit in your bank account?”

“You know we’re scheduled every thirty days—” Heyes started.

“Every thirty days. Do you know what made those billions in your bank account possible? What mental sweat equity produced your fortune in this wondrous country?”

“I get it. Two black men make it big in this country and then you want to get all trigger happy shooting off at the mouth about how great this land is. I say goddamn America!”

“If you haven’t noticed it yet, we’re standing on the corpses of millions of slaves who were forced to be bed wenches and broken bucks. Our success is a result of the long trail of blood which runs from the origins of this land to now. So when you say goddamn America, reflect on how well we were able to do based on effort and thought. ‘Cause that’s all we have.”

“I see your point about slavery. If it weren’t for that bloodtrail I wouldn’t be a middle-aged billionaire.” A pregnant pause draped the room. Heyes just slumped a little at the overpowering logic of Thom’s argument. “There is no God, but if there were, I’d say God bless America.”

“You’re goddamn right!” Thomas exclaimed.