Chapter 5: I Must Keep My Promise, God as My Witness

With Virginia white trash, it's best to get straight to the point. They're not interested in polite chit-chat from strangers. If they're not hooked by your first sentence, they'll probably just slam the door in your face.

The young man faltered for a second, then vigorously rubbed his face, perking up. With a tone noticeably tinged with excitement, he asked, "A doctor's note? You can get a doctor's note? The real deal?"

A doctor's note is an essential document for students to request sick leave from school. Essentially, one doctor's note is equal to a three-day holiday. Without a doctor's note, if a student insists on sick leave, the university will contact the student's parents.

"I thought, with graduation ceremony approaching, maybe your fraternity wanted to throw one last blowout party before members graduate and leave campus. As for the authenticity, I guarantee they're real, sir. You can verify them after you receive them, then pay," Tommy Hawk said to the young man with a proper smile.

The young man didn't seem interested in inviting Tommy Hawk inside for a chat. He nodded, "Wait here, I'll go inside and discuss."

"Uh, just a friendly reminder, the minimum purchase is ten, thirty US dollars each," Tommy Hawk added as the young man turned to walk inside.

He wasn't worried that the price of thirty bucks a pop would scare off customers. After all, these Virginia white trash, although looked down upon by northerners, often evoked envy for the vast stretches of tobacco and peanut farms, vineyards, and even shares of mining companies they owned due to compensations for land used in coal mining.

Don't let their scruffy appearance and rowdy behavior fool you; they might be wealthier than many polished northern families. And those who could pay full college tuition without a loan and fork over a few hundred dollars more each year in fraternity dues were the cream of the crop.

"Why has God blessed you, you Virginia idiot?" This saying, common among northerners in America, basically equated to what Chinese people mean by calling someone a fool with a lot of money.

Thirty US dollars for a three-day break, amounting to ten dollars a day, was not expensive for the rich fraternity members. Besides, scarcity increases value—Tommy Hawk was certain these guys couldn't get their hands on a legit doctor's note in Providence or anywhere in Rhode Island unless they were truly sick. Stringent controls had been ramped up since the AIDS outbreak in New York; Americans were still figuring out how it spread and had to tighten medical supervision.

Soon, a brown-haired buddy followed the young man to the door, sizing up Tommy Hawk:

"Kid, you a student at our school?"

Tommy shook his head slightly, "I'm a salesman from Rhode Island Community College."

"Is that the school only hopeless local numbskulls go to?" the youth sneered dismissively but then added to Tommy Hawk, "Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you. The fact that you thought of selling stuff shows you learned something in college; you're not an idiot."

"So..." Tommy Hawk spread his hands, "Gentlemen, may I help you with something? Doctor's notes, prescription drugs, I've got them all. Delivery by this afternoon. Cash on delivery."

"What's the price for Adderall and Lunesta?" The brown-haired youth, clearly the fraternity leader, asked for the prices of the two types of prescription medication.

Tommy gave the prices, "Same price for both, fifty Cents per pill, minimum of fifty pills."

"A forty-five pill bottle of Adderall sells for only five US dollars at the pharmacy," the brown-haired youth frowned as he stared at Tommy.

Tommy spoke with neither subservience nor arrogance, "If you could buy it from any pharmacy in Rhode Island without a doctor's prescription right now, you wouldn't be asking me for the price. Trust me, getting a large quantity of prescription drugs without going through a doctor and pharmacy is far from easy. I imagine you've bypassed doctors and pharmacies for prescription drugs before, so you should know that my prices are fair. Since Rhode Island doctors all have to take an oath, it's increasingly difficult to get prescription medications privately."

"If you can go cheaper, I'll consider doing business with you long-term," the youth thought for a moment, then said to Tommy, "We are indeed planning a big party before the graduation ceremony. If the price is right, I could procure all the prescription drugs and alcohol needed for the big party from you—that's a big deal, kid."

"There's an old saying in Virginia, trust starts with playing by the rules," Tommy Hawk chuckled as he quoted an adage that Virginia white folks used to mouth back in the slave-trading days, "I couldn't agree more. Discounts tend to happen after we've both played by the rules. The price won't change this time, but if you need anything for the big party, I'm sure there will be a discount you'll all be pleased with."

The youth stared at Tommy for a few seconds, then burst into loud laughter, "I like you, kid! I like you! That's the way! That's what makes a trustworthy salesman! Tim Kane, North America Fraternity Johnson Weldon University Chapter Vice President."

"You can call me Carlo, Carlo Leon. So, how can I be of service to you gentlemen?" Tommy returned the smile.

"For now, we need twenty doctor's notes, a hundred pills of Adderall, a hundred pills of Lunesta," the young man said after a low discussion with his companion.

Tommy nodded, "No problem. If you would be so kind as to provide twenty names and basic details for the doctor's notes, and also lend at least six driver's licenses."

"Of course… Kid, you seem a lot more reliable. Before, some idiot didn't even ask for names and just told me he could handle doctor's notes, turned out they were all fakes," the young man paused, then caught himself and gestured for his companion to go fetch the needed information while addressing Tommy.

Tommy pulled out a cigarette, offered one to the young man, and lit it for him:

"There's a difference between a salesman and a scam artist. I'm in business, not looking to commit a crime."

"If you can bring good stuff, kid, you'll soon be our fraternity's most trusted salesman," the young man took a drag from his cigarette, his face breaking into a hearty smile, "You get what I mean, good stuff."

Tommy Hawk modestly smiled, took the paper full of names and several driver's licenses his companion handed to him, bowed slightly to the two men, and walked away:

"The Bible says, those who believe in me will be forgiven and become saints, sharing in the inheritance. So, gentlemen, my word is my bond, with God as my witness."