Inquiring about Origins

Michael was trying to think of options to deal with Brandon. He knew that even if he gave the money Brandon might not take it. The problem was that Michael could not use violence in front of the orphanage. If Michael hurt Brandon then he might retaliate against the orphanage and if Michael killed him then Father George would know. Michael decided to just wing it and use Intimidation aura combined with Persuasion. He was anxious to see the effect of Intermediate Persuasion.

As soon as Michael activated Intimidation, Brandon felt like he was facing a wild beast; he saw Michael in a new light.

"Are you sure that I cannot pay off the loan? You see I was planning on starting a business. How about I open a new business account in your bank?" Michael asked. He did not want to make a scene in front of the orphanage so he had to try to solve the issue peacefully.

Brandon gritted his teeth but ultimately agreed. He did not know where Michael got the money from but it is clear he has some new background. Besides a million dollar business account would be the first for his tiny remote branch. He might even be promoted to regional manager. He agreed and Michael paid off the loan and got the receipt to show Father George.

When Michael walked in, the children were already waiting in the lobby.

"Big brother what did the Banker say? Do we have to leave?" Janet asked. She recognized Michael's face. Michael was still in the orphanage when she was brought here. He was always quiet and kept to himself.

"Everything has been taken care of. Nobody will take this place away from you guys ever again" Michael declared while trying to comfort the kids. He remembered how it felt to grow up in an orphanage. The number one emotion he felt was always fear. Kids in an orphanage had nowhere else to go so naturally they were stuck in an orphanage. But what if the orphanage got shut down? Will they have to leave this place too? It was a rough way to grow up and Michael decided to change things for the children. He would talk to Father about sponsorship.

"Where is the Father?" Michael asked while looking around.

"He went back to his office." One of the kids said while pointing to the office.

Michael walked into the office and knocked on the door. Father George was always a stickler for proper manners.

"Come in" Father George replied.

Michael walked in and saw the office he used to try to break into when he was little. The place looked the same as before. The only furniture was an old wooden desk and a worn out bookshelf along with two Victorian-era chairs.

"So how did your discussion with Mr.Brandon go?" Father George asked inquisitively.

"It went well; I was able to pay off the loan. Here are the receipts" Michael replied while handing the documents to Father George.

George checked the documents with suspicion. It really was true, the loan was fully paid off and they did not have to worry about eviction anymore. He breathed in deeply and felt all his worries melt away.

"Where did you get the money?" George asked Michael. How did a twenty-year-old working at a gas station get this much money? George was worried about the source of the money.

"Don't worry Father I started investing online in the stock market and became successful." Michael knew Father George does not approve of Gambling so he could not tell the truth. Fortunately, the persuasion skill helped in situations like this.

George for some reason did not feel like asking anymore. He felt like the Michael standing in front of him was vastly different from the Michael he watched grow up. He was just glad Michael remembered the orphanage when he became successful. He did not want to take advantage of Michael but it was nice to know there was someone to lean to in case of emergency situations.

"So why did you come here?" George asked the question that was burning in his mind.

"Father actually I came because I wanted to ask you about something." Michael answered nervously. He was reluctant to ask about his origins; However, Michael knew he had to know the truth.

"It is about your parents right? Where you come from? Why do you children never understand? It doesn't matter where you came from. This is your home." George replied while shaking his head. He had this conversation with many children in the past and seen them heartbroken after finding out the truth. Orphan children were orphans because their parents were dead or did not want them; naturally, neither of the options were what children wanted to hear. He hoped to discourage Michael from suffering the same predicament.

"I want to know Father; whether it is good or bad news, I just need some closure." Michael asked. He was determined to find out the truth about his history.

"Actually I do not know much. There is a letter that I am supposed to give to you when you are old enough. However, I do not think you are ready for it yet. What are your future plans?" George asked. He was helpless; If Michael really wanted to know, then George had to tell him.

"I plan on going to college and continuing to invest in the stock market. After graduation, I want to start an Investment Firm. However, can I read the letter now? I am mature." Michael asked while hoping to get his hands on the letter.

"Going to college is good. It will open your mind and expose you to the world. Come back after you graduate then I can confidently give you the letter. I am sorry Michael but I made a promise to not give you the letter till you are old enough." Father George replied while refusing to talk about the topic any further.

Michael knew from experience that it was impossible to change the Father's mind once he made a decision. He left the orphanage after promising to keep in touch with the Father and transferring enough funds to last them for a long time.

Michael drove to his old high school. If he wanted to apply for college then he needs a transcript from his school to prove that he graduated from high school. As he drove, Michael wondered about which university to go to. He was smart enough to go to any university he wanted to but he did not feel like going to Harvard or anything.

Michael wanted to stay in Texas because the state was business friendly and had some of the lowest business taxes. The state encouraged entrepreneurs and had the lowest business regulations in America. If he was going to set up a business, then Texas was the best state for it. He decided to go to the University of Texas at Austin (UT). It was one of the best-ranked colleges in Texas. Michael drove into the school and ordered a copy of his transcript to be sent to the University.

As Michael walked out he noticed Brett and his gang waiting by his truck.

"Hey, loser looks like you got a new truck. How would you be able to afford a truck? You must have stolen it." Brett declared. He was picking up his younger brother from school when he saw Michael driving in.

"Oh Brett, I really don't have time to waste on you, so just get the hell out of my way." Michael replied. He used less than half his strength and knocked out Brett with a single punch. Larry and Jimmy were still trying to figure out what was going on when they too received roundhouse kicks to the temple. Michael honestly did not even care about these wannabe thugs anymore.

Michael ignored Brett's stunned younger brother and got in his truck. He drove away from Briarcliff with the intention to not come back in a long time.