My family’s still half buried in the 16th century. They still know nothing of the Renaissance period and they’re somewhere between “Yes, America DOES exist” and “I’ll chop your head off if you should do something I don’t like”.
I love them, nonetheless, because it’s family after all. It’s pretty big and we’re a lot of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents… they’re mixed in there somewhere.
What characterizes the Deltons beyond anything else is the empire itself. My ancestors were European merchants, who decided to invest in the New World. As great plantation owners around America and landowners in Europe, they eventually decided to move everything they had towards the new land. They might have great cultural standings and beliefs, but they adapted to the times and made right investments in the right economical sectors and eventually we all made it to the 21st century. Now my family owns one of the greatest companies of them all: Delton Industries. With many branches around the world, the company produces some of the most technologically advanced gadgets in the land. Actually, it’s divided in two:
1. The largest part of the company is focused on chips development, technology advancement and experimentation-directed engineering. The most advanced scientists, mechanics and engineer experts work for us. We have strategic contacts with Japan’s greatest companies and we have exclusivity agreements with some of the world’s greatest industries.
2. The other part of the company, still attached with our origins, is constantly working towards the stock markets and the buying and selling of other companies; mergers in principle, or pirates (we destroy the little boats, take the profits and build fleets, benefiting out of it) as I like to call ourselves.
The CEO of Delton Industries has always been a Delton, and if God so permits, it will always be a Delton. It’s our grandest tradition, and the one we try to protect the most. Even though it’s discriminating, only the eldest male Delton of every generation can take this position. Never has it been even considered that it could be any other way. Actually, the child destined to become the ‘family leader’ is trained in math, economics and stocks since a very tender age.
I… am the first exception.
I’m not the eldest male child from my generation; my cousin, Leonardo Patrick Delton, is. However, through an ironic trick of nature, Leo didn’t accept this position. Ever since very young, he separated completely from the tradition and refused to do as he was told. Because of it, he rapidly became a thorn in the family’s ass. No one wanted anything to do with him and he gradually withdrew from the rest of us.
Leo and I don’t get along. The conflict itself is born from a childish feud between us both. Eventually, there was more…
Though we pretty much grew together, Leo and I were completely different. I’ll admit. I was completely spoiled. Leo’s father, although the eldest of the family, was quite serious; he was respected but not loved. My dad was adored; grandpa’s favorite. As such, when I was born, I was naturally spoiled. I guess Leo got all the pressure… all the family demands… On the other hand, I received everything I wanted, without limit.
That justifies our views about the Family, I guess. I think family is everything. When I think about the Deltons, I know that is my home. I realize I have a responsibility towards them and I want to make sure I make everyone proud. Leo, however, kept his distance.
I don’t hate my cousin. I just don’t share his views. Sometimes it’s hard to meet him halfway. Alright. I don’t like him as a person. His way of treating the family, all in all, I find disturbing and incorrect.
Then again… I have to admit my grandmother is horrible as a family leader. Her taking over is the worst thing that could’ve happened. It’s obvious I don’t agree with her stupidity in taking away all of Leonardo’s money. He IS family after all. Actually, returning to my original point, I don’t like what he’s going through. I thought they’d been kidding when they told me what they had done. Taking away his income? What is rightfully his? I am ever on the side of justice and this is unfair!
Grandma is the leader now, but she won’t always be. When I graduate from college, Delton Industries will be mine. As the future leader of the Delton family I have an obligation to every one of its members, even if I don’t personally like him. I know he’s moving in with Katzereine and Marie, but I nonetheless had a slight chat with him recently…
“You can move in with me, if you want.” I told him, going into the infirmary, where he works.
“And then what? We’d kill each other and I’d be in prison?” he quirked an eyebrow, taking off those nerdy glasses of him and looking at me. “So I’d be broke AND in prison!”
“Here I am… trying to be nice, trying to be understanding… and you’re such an ungrateful son of a…”
“I don’t want your understanding and your caring.” He stood up and for some mysterious reason he was furious. “I’ll tell you what I want. I want the fucking Delton family giving me some space. I don’t care if you’re the future leader of the family and for some godforsaken reason you’ve taken it upon you to reunite us all… I don’t need it.”
I remained silent. I’m not patient. I’ve never been.
I punched him.
After some blows, where we both ended up bruised and in the floor he handed me a towel to clean the blood from my broken lip. He walked towards the mini fridge taking a bag of ice and placing it in his black eye.
“I’m not like you, Eric.”
I raised my view and stared at him. He was quite serious.
“I’m not like you and I won’t ever be like you. The way you are… I don’t think of family as a priority.”
I cleared the blood away. “Yet you want to be a doctor. You want to take care of the rest. How can you expect to take care of strangers, if you don’t even care for your family!” I stood up.
“That’s the point, jerk head.” Leo threw me the ice bag now “I see the Deltons as strangers. They’re no different than the rest of the world.”
There was no discussing with him. I took a folder from under my coat and left it on the infirmary’s desk. “Here’s all the information I could get about your money, where it’s being kept and when you’ll be able to use it. I found out you can at least receive 200 dollars each month if you go the bank personally and show your student ID. If you draw the money out and deposit it somewhere else, with a defined interest rate, you’ll eventually be able to save up something.” With that I turned to leave.
“Asshole.” Leo muttered behind me while I angrily stepped away, as I was opening the door, I heard his voice again. “It doesn’t mean I think you’ll be anything but successful as the next leader of the Delton family.”
I turned to see him placing the folder inside his coat. “If Grandma finds out you helped me, she’ll have your head.” He half smiled.
“She better not find it… or I’ll really kill you, you piece of shit.” I smiled back at him.
Going out of the infirmary, I also smiled to myself. Bleh… I hated the bastard, but then again… FAMILY was FAMILY.
I love them, nonetheless, because it’s family after all. It’s pretty big and we’re a lot of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents… they’re mixed in there somewhere.
What characterizes the Deltons beyond anything else is the empire itself. My ancestors were European merchants, who decided to invest in the New World. As great plantation owners around America and landowners in Europe, they eventually decided to move everything they had towards the new land. They might have great cultural standings and beliefs, but they adapted to the times and made right investments in the right economical sectors and eventually we all made it to the 21st century. Now my family owns one of the greatest companies of them all: Delton Industries. With many branches around the world, the company produces some of the most technologically advanced gadgets in the land. Actually, it’s divided in two:
1. The largest part of the company is focused on chips development, technology advancement and experimentation-directed engineering. The most advanced scientists, mechanics and engineer experts work for us. We have strategic contacts with Japan’s greatest companies and we have exclusivity agreements with some of the world’s greatest industries.
2. The other part of the company, still attached with our origins, is constantly working towards the stock markets and the buying and selling of other companies; mergers in principle, or pirates (we destroy the little boats, take the profits and build fleets, benefiting out of it) as I like to call ourselves.
The CEO of Delton Industries has always been a Delton, and if God so permits, it will always be a Delton. It’s our grandest tradition, and the one we try to protect the most. Even though it’s discriminating, only the eldest male Delton of every generation can take this position. Never has it been even considered that it could be any other way. Actually, the child destined to become the ‘family leader’ is trained in math, economics and stocks since a very tender age.
I… am the first exception.
I’m not the eldest male child from my generation; my cousin, Leonardo Patrick Delton, is. However, through an ironic trick of nature, Leo didn’t accept this position. Ever since very young, he separated completely from the tradition and refused to do as he was told. Because of it, he rapidly became a thorn in the family’s ass. No one wanted anything to do with him and he gradually withdrew from the rest of us.
Leo and I don’t get along. The conflict itself is born from a childish feud between us both. Eventually, there was more…
Though we pretty much grew together, Leo and I were completely different. I’ll admit. I was completely spoiled. Leo’s father, although the eldest of the family, was quite serious; he was respected but not loved. My dad was adored; grandpa’s favorite. As such, when I was born, I was naturally spoiled. I guess Leo got all the pressure… all the family demands… On the other hand, I received everything I wanted, without limit.
That justifies our views about the Family, I guess. I think family is everything. When I think about the Deltons, I know that is my home. I realize I have a responsibility towards them and I want to make sure I make everyone proud. Leo, however, kept his distance.
I don’t hate my cousin. I just don’t share his views. Sometimes it’s hard to meet him halfway. Alright. I don’t like him as a person. His way of treating the family, all in all, I find disturbing and incorrect.
Then again… I have to admit my grandmother is horrible as a family leader. Her taking over is the worst thing that could’ve happened. It’s obvious I don’t agree with her stupidity in taking away all of Leonardo’s money. He IS family after all. Actually, returning to my original point, I don’t like what he’s going through. I thought they’d been kidding when they told me what they had done. Taking away his income? What is rightfully his? I am ever on the side of justice and this is unfair!
Grandma is the leader now, but she won’t always be. When I graduate from college, Delton Industries will be mine. As the future leader of the Delton family I have an obligation to every one of its members, even if I don’t personally like him. I know he’s moving in with Katzereine and Marie, but I nonetheless had a slight chat with him recently…
“You can move in with me, if you want.” I told him, going into the infirmary, where he works.
“And then what? We’d kill each other and I’d be in prison?” he quirked an eyebrow, taking off those nerdy glasses of him and looking at me. “So I’d be broke AND in prison!”
“Here I am… trying to be nice, trying to be understanding… and you’re such an ungrateful son of a…”
“I don’t want your understanding and your caring.” He stood up and for some mysterious reason he was furious. “I’ll tell you what I want. I want the fucking Delton family giving me some space. I don’t care if you’re the future leader of the family and for some godforsaken reason you’ve taken it upon you to reunite us all… I don’t need it.”
I remained silent. I’m not patient. I’ve never been.
I punched him.
After some blows, where we both ended up bruised and in the floor he handed me a towel to clean the blood from my broken lip. He walked towards the mini fridge taking a bag of ice and placing it in his black eye.
“I’m not like you, Eric.”
I raised my view and stared at him. He was quite serious.
“I’m not like you and I won’t ever be like you. The way you are… I don’t think of family as a priority.”
I cleared the blood away. “Yet you want to be a doctor. You want to take care of the rest. How can you expect to take care of strangers, if you don’t even care for your family!” I stood up.
“That’s the point, jerk head.” Leo threw me the ice bag now “I see the Deltons as strangers. They’re no different than the rest of the world.”
There was no discussing with him. I took a folder from under my coat and left it on the infirmary’s desk. “Here’s all the information I could get about your money, where it’s being kept and when you’ll be able to use it. I found out you can at least receive 200 dollars each month if you go the bank personally and show your student ID. If you draw the money out and deposit it somewhere else, with a defined interest rate, you’ll eventually be able to save up something.” With that I turned to leave.
“Asshole.” Leo muttered behind me while I angrily stepped away, as I was opening the door, I heard his voice again. “It doesn’t mean I think you’ll be anything but successful as the next leader of the Delton family.”
I turned to see him placing the folder inside his coat. “If Grandma finds out you helped me, she’ll have your head.” He half smiled.
“She better not find it… or I’ll really kill you, you piece of shit.” I smiled back at him.
Going out of the infirmary, I also smiled to myself. Bleh… I hated the bastard, but then again… FAMILY was FAMILY.
1 Leave a Flying Tip:
Nice try.
K.
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