IN BETWEEN MY TWO FAMILYS

Chapter one

I had two fathers, a lawyer and a businessman. Both were highly educated and intelligent; they had Ph.D. One went to the Harvard university studying law, all on a full financial scholarship. The other father went to Stanford University studying business but not on any scholarship.

Both parents are successful in their careers, working hard all their lives. Both men were strong, charismatic, and influential.

Both offered advice. But they never advised me the same things. But both believed strongly in education. Having two parents advise me offered me a choice of contrasting points of view; one was a lawyer and one a businessman.

Most of my private time was spent reflecting, asking myself questions such as, which profession pays heavily? I was so confused. As a process, choosing for myself turned out to be much more valuable in the long run, rather than simply accepting or rejecting a single point of view.

Money is not taught in schools. Schools focus on scholastic and professional skills, but not on financial skills. Because I had two influential fathers, I learned from both of them. I had to think about each dad’s advice, and in doing so, I gained valuable insight into the power and effect of one’s thoughts on one’s life. For example, one dad always asks me 'speak up immediately.' The other always asks me 'observe before you speak up immediately.' He’s more fanatical about letting your brain exercise itself, the most powerful computer in the world. 'My brain gets stronger every day because I exercise it, the stronger it gets, the more you make money .' He believes that automatically 'speaking up immediately' was a sign of mental laziness.

Although both dads work hard, I noticed that one allows his brain to sleep when it comes to money matters, and the other has the habit of exercising his brain. The long-term result was that both dads grew stronger financially but in different perspectives. One dad knows things when it comes to business, while the other dad knows a lot about what’s happening around us both in business and government.

One encouraged talking about money and business at the dinner table. The other dad forbade the subject of money to be discussed after dinner. One said, when it comes to money. 'Play it safe, don’t take risks.' The other said, 'learn to manage risk.' The power of our thoughts may never be measured or appreciated, but it became obvious to me as a young boy to be aware of my thoughts and how I express myself.

As a young boy, having two dads, I became acutely aware of being careful which thought I chose to adopt as my own. Although both men respect education and learning, they disagree on what they thought was important to learn."

Dad, can you tell me how to become a professional lawyer?

My dad set aside the evening newspaper. What do you want to know about being a lawyer, son?

"Because in class, Philip's dad showed up in their new car, and they are going to a family beach house for the weekend. He took three of his friends, but I wasn't invited. They told me that I wasn't invited because I don't have a dad.

"They did," my dad asked incredulously.

"Yeah, they did," I replied in a hurt tone.

My dad silently shook his head, adjusted his glasses on his nose, and went back to reading his paper. I stood waiting for a response.

I attended a private school where I had to work hard and study to pass all my exams in order to make both my parents proud.

I met Luke in high school, we attended the same school where wealthy people sent their kids.

The next morning, I told my new friend, Luke, about what my dad had said. From what I could gather, Luke and I were the only kids not invited to the beach house. Luke was like me in that he ended up at this school by chance. Both of our parents are successful lawyers in the two biggest companies."

The phone rang at 7:00 p.m.

“Alright, I said, “next weekend,” and hung up the phone. Luke invited me to his house.

At 7:10 on Saturday morning, I caught the bus to the other side of the town where Luke’s house is.

When I got there, I walked up to his big, nice house. Luke greeted me at the door.

He had a funny expression at first, but then he said hello.

“Oh,” I said, heading straight for the chair facing the big TV in the living room.

Our favorite show was about to start as we sat down to watch.

Suddenly, Luke's dad came rushing through the screen door onto the porch. Luke and I jumped up, not out of respect, but because we were surprised.

But you said you were home alone and your dad had gone to work today, right? I asked."Luke looking surprised that his dad was still around.

Luke, are you not going to introduce me to your new friend from school?" his dad asked, looking surprised.

Luke, still taken aback, said, "Dad, this is my friend Victor that I mentioned.

I right away put out my hand to shake, but I wasn't sure if it was the right move. I could just tell from his dad's look that I wasn't exactly welcome in the house.

"As Luke's father stood on the porch, his initial surprise softened into a warm smile as he extended his hand. "Victor, nice to meet you," he said with genuine warmth. Despite the unexpected visit, there was a welcoming atmosphere about him, a natural grace in the way he invited me into their home.

"Thanks, Mr...?" I paused, realizing I hadn't caught his last name.

"Call me James," he chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Come on, both of you. Let's not let a little surprise ruin our day."

As we sat back in our chairs, I couldn't help but notice the subtle elegance mixed with comfortable simplicity. It was a place where memories were made, laughter echoed, and friendships flourished.

Luke's father, James, instructed one of his employees to make a coffee for us, where the aroma of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air. "Sit, sit," he insisted, gesturing to the cozy couch. "Would you like some coffee or tea?"

I smiled, feeling a sense of belonging despite the unexpected turn of events. "Coffee would be great, thank you," I replied, sinking into the plush cushions.

Luke gave me a grateful look, his earlier apprehension melting away in the warmth of his father's hospitality. As the employee busied herself in the kitchen, Luke leaned in, whispering, "Sorry about the surprise. Dad didn't expect anyone today."

I shrugged, feeling comfortable in their home. "No worries. Your dad seems pretty cool."

The employee returned with a tray loaded with steaming mugs of coffee, his friendly smile inviting conversation. "So, Victor, tell me about yourself. How did you and Luke become friends?"

"Alright sir I will tell you, firstly, Luke is a good and wonderful person. I paused, cleared my throat to delve into a deep and sweet story. We both started school on the same day, but the other kids didn't welcome us because we were dropped off in a car. They saw us as poor and unable to pay fees since we were on scholarships. We had no one to talk to except each other, with Luke looking both sad and happy that his dad now knows what he's going through at school. However, Luke never mentioned this to me. He said, 'I could see Luke trying not to cry.' I quickly continued, 'That's because he doesn't want you to worry about anything.'

He always spoke highly of you to me, praising you all day. He always said to me, 'I might not be as wealthy as the other kids, but I've never lacked anything in my life,' and to be honest, those words have stayed in my heart ever since. I love our conversations and company, and we both have the same goals and vision. I've always known that I raised my son well, and I'm so proud of him.' He looked at Luke with a proud expression, then stood up and left.

Luke and I went to his room after our favorite movie ended. 'Thank you so much for letting me know that my dad is so proud of me,' tears welled up in his eyes. 'All I said is the truth, Luke. You have nothing to thank me for, my best friend,' I responded. A few minutes later, I could sense that Luke wanted to ask me a question but was unsure how I would react.

'Luke, do you have something you want to ask me?' I inquired. 'Hmm,' Luke murmured."