"The Appointment Book"

" The

Appointment

Book "

by

George VonAllmen

1.

“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life…

that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Robert Vandercamp had it all – a loving wife, 3 great kids, and a robust bank account, after cashing out his chips with the sale of his travel website, NeatMEET, to Expedia for $22,000,000

But just a few years back, his long-held dream of entrepreneurial success seemed doomed prior to launch by those “Pious Pretenders” (aka the Bay Area Angel Investors Club). Desperately needing startup funds, these “Angels” repeatedly turned him down…heaping negative advice onto his (already) negative cash flow.

When an enlightened member finally, taking him aside, wrote out a check for $20,000 AND added, “Now go chase YOUR dream”… the shackles of resentment were broken! He prayed “Let me someday be the key…to another prisoner’s escape!”

Dr. Rudy Schwartz’s (who was not only his physician for the last 30 years, but boyhood friend since grade school) delivered the news that left them both drowning in the ensuing shock waves! Stage 4 cancer…4 months left, at best! Denial didn’t last long – the tests were conclusive. The next stage, anger, also was short-lived. Ah, but the 3rd stage, bargaining, took on the cleverly disguised coping mechanism of “making a plan”. And if there was ANYTHING that Robert was well-versed at, it was making a plan!

Friday, January 26, 2024 started like EVERY other day – Robert left the house with 2 absolute “givens”, clean underwear (Thanks, Mom!) and “a plan”…in the form of his indispensable “Appointment Book”.

Not overcrowded and no tight times today, just a succession of 3 drop-ins - Ben Needham at BBBV Bank, then Mary Lester at the Tender Mercies Orphanage, and finally, Mills-Peninsula Med Center.

2

“Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today”

- James Dean

Jeff Edwards was walking out of the El Camino Real Starbucks shortly after Noon on January 26, 2024

Only 25, he had garnered the coveted Stanford MSCS degree, and then immediately settled into traditional employment with Menlo Technologies. But 2 years ago, he had been bitten by the Entrepreneurial bug, and with 3 partners had “started” their fledgling company, DeltaDrive, specializing in developing apps for autonomous cars.

After bootstrapping for 18 months, and now coming up empty in pitching to the Bay Area Angels for additional startup funding, his partners were pushing hard for abandoning their dream. But perhaps their luck was changing?! After the last BAA meeting, a new member had slipped a note to him as they walked out, while giving him the “Shhhh” signal. The superstitious optimist in him sometimes, like NOW, would pull the cryptic, hand-written note from his wallet – as if re-reading it rendered authenticity:

“An Angel soon to take flight...has your back”!

And signed simply:

Never give up on your Dreams,

RV

Wrestling with the troubling thought that this might be THE day when he finally would get back in step with the rest of the “drones” by accepting the offer of employment from Sisco Systems - he was oblivious to all around him. In that same moment, he tripped over a little black book that almost seemed to have “dropped” directly in his path!

WHOA! Thank Goodness SOMETHING had awoken him as he was getting ready to cross the street, as just then, a speeding ambulance almost hurtled up onto the curb!

Leaning in for a closer look at this “Good Luck Stop Sign”, it appeared to be a well-worn “little black book” of some sort. But it was obviously no throw-away – the gold leaf edged paper and the bold calligraphy proclaiming - Appointment Book - gave clear notice that someone of solid stature would be missing this. With no indications inside of “if lost - contact”, and the initials in the lower left corner indecipherable, he wondered just how he might return this to its rightful owner. At that exact moment, it was almost as if an inner voice had whispered confidently “Here’s a plan - check his appointments…you may catch him at one of them!”

3.

FAITH versus FEAR

A calm, steady walk through life’s travails

OR

An exhausting, frenzied sprint into the abyss

Mary Lester, Director of the Tender Mercies Orphanage, was no stranger to poverty, growing up the youngest of 12 children in a hard-working Mexican migrant farmer family, where all were servants TO “the ground” in their toils but, also, “grounded” BY their faith in Family and Community

But this was an entirely different cross to bear, as poverty was now avowing to vanquish not only the Orphanage, but their entire surrounding community. In addition to financial contributions dwindling steadily over the last decade, the major repairs of their physical plant were increasing at every turn. And now this – today – January 26, 2024! A certified letter from their mortgage-holder, BBBV Bank, threatening foreclosure as soon as March 1, a mere 5 weeks away, unless “all principal and interest currently in arrears is paid in full”!

She was at her wits end, the balancing act between pushing her Board of Directors and few remaining sponsoring businesses to dip into their own threadbare pockets...and holding back the wolves at the door - their many creditors. The dam was bursting, and for the first time since she could remember, she just laid her head down and cried!

Lucy, the young intern in charge of guest reception, came dashing into her office, and seeing Mary openly weeping, apologized but quickly announced “There is a man in the vestibule who is looking for you. When I asked about the nature of his call, he simply offered - “I have an appointment with her…but she just doesn’t know it!” And then he handed me this envelope and asked that I give it to you”!

Dutifully rising to the occasion, Mary walked with Lucy back to the front door, but it was clear that the man was gone. They opened the envelope and immediately fell into each other's arms, alternately crying and laughing! In one last attempt to ascertain the identity of their benefactor, they spotted a very small set of initials on the envelope tongue – RV

A little earlier that day - January 26, 2024 - Ben Needham, Sr. Vice-President of BBBV Bank, snuck in the side door at 9:45, hoping no one had seen him furtively slink into his corner office. A card-carrying hypochondriac since he was old enough to assess the poor hand that genetics had dealt him, he was certain to his core (where he could actually FEEL the workings getting all gummed up) that “the Big One” was imminent!

Compounding this self-sentencing, he was experiencing a whole new type of “pain” – pangs of conscience! Hell, no less an authority on how to have ZERO stressors in your life, his long-time client Robert Vandercamp, had recently observed “Ben, if I didn’t know better, I’d say that your heart has started to GROW! When you were telling me how torn you were between executing your fiduciary duty versus ‘doing the right thing’ in that whole foreclosure issue with the Orphanage…I could FEEL your heart taking it up a few notches!”

Ben smoldered silently, “…and this from the guy who runs marathons, never enjoys a drink when I take him to lunch, and has salad with oil and vinegar. Hah!”

And especially galling - the ever-present smooth, seamless walk and talk of a man who has never lost a wink of sleep…worrying about a damn thing!

4

“Coincidences are the Universe's way of remaining Anonymous”

-attributed to Albert Einstein

January 26, 2024

Burlingame, CA

10:50 a.m. (PT)

BBBV Bank – El Camino Real Branch

Heated conversation between Robert Vandercamp and Ben Needham:

Robert - “That’s right, Ben. I need 2 bank drafts totaling $20,020,000 - NOW!”

Ben - “Good God, Robert…WHY?!”

Robert - “Sorry Ben, but I cannot disclose that! I need it broken down as follows:

Payee – Tender Mercies Orphanage, in the amount of $20,000,000

Payee – Jeffrey Edwards, in the amount of $20,000

Ben – (voice low, lips quivering) - “We have policies, officers to report to…”

Robert – “You and I both know the amounts are easily covered! I need to leave here in no less than 10 minutes with two checks!”

11:08 a.m. - Robert leaves the bank with 2 checks.

11:22 a.m. - Robert arrives at the Orphanage.

11:28 a.m. - Robert leaves the Orphanage.

12:10 p.m. – Paramedics arrive at BBBV Bank, 1801 El Camino Real, where Ben Needham has “had a seizure” and is writhing on the floor, foaming at the mouth. All signs indicate he is experiencing a major heart attack, and with no response to AED, he is rushed to the nearby Mills-Peninsula Medical Center.

12:22 p.m. - Robert savors a last Super Vente Flat White at El Camino Real Starbucks.

12:27:40 p.m. - Robert “drops” his Appointment Book as he walks away from Starbucks.

12:27:48 p.m. - Jeff Edwards walks out of Starbucks, sees a little black book laying on the sidewalk and picks it up.

12:35 p.m. - Jeff begins tracing the appointments, and with no times marked, he decides to start with the Orphanage - only 5 minutes away.

12:45 p.m. – As Jeff explains to Mary why he has come to see her, she implores him to allow her to accompany him, offering to “explain on the way…leaving NO doubt as to why I MUST go with you!”

12:55 p.m. – Skipping the bank (that appointment must have been regarding Mary’s check!), they head for the only remaining appointment – Mills-Peninsula Medical Center.

1:20 p.m. – After trying to explain the nature of their visit to the volunteer at the desk to no avail, Sister Mary lights up and offers – “I should have thought of this right away! Connie Ebanez, a dear friend, is the Head of Hospice Services, perhaps she can assist us?” Connie’s assistant is summoned, calmly informs them, “she may be detained for an hour or more, but I’m sure she’d be glad to see you.”

2:48 p.m. – A very somber Connie Ebanez and Dr. Rudy Schwartz arrive, and escort Jeff and Sister Mary to a nearby, private Conference room.

Connie speaks first – “The person that both of you are looking for is Robert Vandercamp. He has already left, but had hoped that we would be able to…adequately explain…the situation.”

Rudy followed – “I have known Robert all my life, and let me assure you, as we share with you the significance of his 3 appointments today, you will see why each one of us, being RIGHT here, right NOW…is NO coincidence!”

Connie – “At 12:45 p.m., Robert arrived here for his final appointment with Dr. Shandra Patel, a specialist in Physician Assisted Suicide, and Dr. Thomas Mendelson, a specialist in organ harvesting/transplants. At 2:07 p.m., Robert was pronounced dead and, as his Living Will specified, his kidneys and corneas were being harvested and prepared for cryogenic storage.

But at 2:08 p.m., we were informed that we had an IMMEDIATE candidate for a HEART transplant, in THIS very hospital’s ER! The end-up - this was 1 in a million TIMING, and probably, as we speak, Robert’s very healthy heart is beating inside this man”!

You could hear a pin drop…followed by a deep, communal, cleansing sigh…then tender sobs and crying.

Finally, Rudy spoke – “In reviewing Roberts Living Will just prior to today’s procedures, I saw a very recent addendum.” Looking right at Jeff, he smiled benignly – “ASSUMING you’re Jeff, this $20,000 check is for you, along with this note”:

“Pursue your own dreams today…and tomorrow you may fulfill someone else’s”

Never give up on your Dreams,

-RV