New York_ The Novel - Edward Rutherfurd [459]
It had proved to be a delightful reunion for the three old friends. Peter had been particularly interested in the work Juan did. “I’m especially interested in what you say about El Barrio,” he remarked over dessert, “because Judy and I are setting up a foundation whose focus is going to be on America’s inner cities. We want to look at problems right across the country, and El Barrio is exactly the sort of area that would be of concern to us.”
“Now I know that you are truly rich,” said Juan with a laugh.
“If you’ve been financially successful, you have to decide how you’re going to use the money. But my own contribution will only get the foundation started. Raising new money will be a crucial part of the foundation’s ongoing task. We really need a banker as a CEO, I think.”
“Maybe Gorham should do it,” said Maggie.
“Really?” Peter turned to Gorham. “Would you be interested? I couldn’t pay you the kind of money you make at the bank, but it could be a really interesting challenge.” He glanced at Judy, who nodded and smiled. “I’d love to talk to you about it, if you might be interested.”
Six months later, Gorham had become the first CEO of the Codford Foundation. Together with his income from his bank shares the foundation salary gave him enough to get by. Less than Maggie was making now, by far, but what did that matter?
And he’d been a brilliant success. His years as a banker certainly gave him many skills, but his genuine enthusiasm for what the foundation was doing made him a wonderful advocate for the cause, and he discovered that he had a genius for fund-raising. He’d never been happier in his life. A year ago, he’d even been honored at a big New York dinner.
“But I still have a long way to go,” he told Maggie. “I shall never consider myself successful until I have secured a significant donation from Vorpal and Bandersnatch.”
“We’ll go to work on them together,” she promised.
When they got to their building, he gave Emma a kiss.
“Thank you for coming to see the Chagalls with me,” he said.
“It was fun. Aren’t you coming up?”
“I just have an errand to run. I’ll be back inside half an hour.”
“Okay, Dad.” She smiled. “Thank you.”
He turned down Park Avenue. He didn’t really have an errand, he just needed to walk a little more. Park Avenue was looking its best. You wouldn’t think times were hard—not so bad for lawyers, it had to be admitted, though the family assets had decreased substantially in the last eighteen months. But it was tough for a lot of people.
When you thought about it, though, the cycle of boom and bust, advance and recession, had been going on in the two biggest financial centers, New York and London, for centuries. Some busts were bigger than others—the Depression was huge. But this beautiful avenue still went on.
Poor immigrants still arrived and found the freedom they sought, and prospered.
And let’s face it, when you thought of the riots, the brutality, even the prejudices of generations past, New York for all its faults was a far kinder place than ever before in its history.
The Big Apple. People thought that phrase came from the sixties. Actually it came from the late twenties and thirties, but what the hell? And what did it actually mean? Something you could take a big bite out of, he supposed. Some said it was the apple that tempted Adam. No doubt that too—New York was always materialist. But it was also the city of excellence, of art, music, of endless possibilities.
He passed a fashionable store and was surprised to see that in their window display they were using a Theodore Keller print. It looked terrific. That really pleased him.
And made him think of Katie. Katie Keller had done well.
As well as her catering business, she’d opened her own restaurant in northern Westchester County. He and Maggie often went there on summer weekends.
He remembered so well the moment of panic he’d had back on the terrible day the towers came down. She’d been in the Financial Center across