The Return

Walter swore once he left his hometown he would never return. Just thinking about the place ignited a flicker of rage that was difficult to control. There were no special memories that made him long for the good old days because there were no good old days. All his recollections about life where he was born involved growing up poor, other kids always picking on him in school, and never having a single person he could call friend.

As with most small-town high schools, you were either a member of the “In crowd” or you were not. There wasn’t a group of kids where you were cool some of the time. The leaders of the “In crowd” were Johnny B, the football team’s quarterback and Jasmin, head of the cheerleaders. They were members of the two richest families in town. If they decided you were unworthy then there was nothing you could do to change it.

The fastest way to escape his miserable life was to enlist in the Air Force the day after graduation. He wanted to go to college, but because of his parents’ poor financial situation, he knew that was impossible. The GI bill gave him the financial break he was looking for. The Air Force gave him the opportunity to attend college online while travelling the country. One place Walter never returned was to his hometown.

By the time Walter’s enlistment was up he had saved enough money to attend college as a full-time student, majoring in finance. The person he hoped to emulate was Warren Buffett. By studying the way his hero became rich, Walter knew he could be equally successful. Using what little money, he had left after paying for college, Walter started day trading until he was able to land a job with a major stockbroker. His trading acumen quickly moved him through the ranks into the upper echelon of management.

Occasionally a colleague would ask Walter where he was from. His stock response was always, “No place you’ve ever heard of.” The truth was it was no place he wanted to be associated with. He had offered to buy his parents a new house closer to his home, but they would not hear of it. Instead, they asked him to move back there. Just the thought of moving back turned his stomach.

As Walter’s wealth grew so did his notoriety. Several of the financial news shows invited him in as a guest consultant, picking his brain for investment advice. His national exposure soon got the attention of Johnny B, the town’s new mayor. During an informal meeting of the city council held at Pete’s Tavern, Johnny proposed a plan to pay for a new high school.

“Does everyone remember this geek, Walter? Well, he’s some sort of Wall Street wizard now and filthy rich. I think we should invite him back here and present him with the keys to the city. Then, during the ceremony, we will ask him for a large donation to help fund the school project. It would be too embarrassing for him to say no.”

The board members all agreed, and the invitation was sent out.

Several days later Walter received an official looking envelope in the mail with the mayor’s seal stamped prominently on the outside. His first impulse was to toss it in the trash, but his curiosity got the better of him and he opened it. Walter had to laugh as he read the invitation. This had to be a con of some kind. This group of people had ignored him throughout high school and now they wanted to honor him, not likely. He just had to figure out what the con was. It took a week for Walter’s people to learn about the plan to embarrass him into donating money to the town’s building fund. Two could play that game.

The big day arrived with all the fanfare one would expect. There was a marching band, flag lined streets, local media, and a large group of well-wishers. Various local dignitaries offered speeches of praise to Walter for all that he had accomplished since leaving their small town. The last to speak was mayor Johnny B. He told Walter how proud the town was of him as he ceremoniously handed him the keys to the city.

Before Johnny had a chance to continue speaking, Walter took the mic.

“I want to thank everyone for bestowing this great honor on me. I understand that the town is raising money to build a much-needed new high school. To show my appreciation, I will match every donation made by Johnny B’s company plus whatever amount the city council members donate. By working together, I’m sure we’ll have the new school funded in no time.”

The crowd cheered and chanted Walter’s name while Johnny stood silently in disbelief. Returning home wasn’t so bad after all.