Hobby Art Business

The Engineer Artist

Sarah quietly stepped through the back door of her childhood home, as her mother commanded, promptly at two in the afternoon on Sunday.

The smell of rosemary chicken filled the house, and she knew there was something wrong with her older brother, Cal. Mom always made this day-long recipe whenever she thought Cal needed a pick-me-up. If it was really bad, there was a cheesecake from Cross Town Bakery in the refrigerator.

After saying hi to Mom, Sarah entered the living room. “Hi Dad,” she called out.

“Afternoon,” he grumbled as the TV went mute. “How's your hobby art business doing?”

“I recently sold my fifth project this year -”

Dad cut her off by saying, “That’s nice, honey. What’s Mom making with the chicken?”

A sour chuckle came out of Sarah as she snarked, “Probably mashed potatoes and green beans. Those are Cal’s favorite. As the eldest in the family, he always gets what he likes.”

James entered the room, and Sarah gave him a look that asked if he knew what the big family meal was about. The younger brother gave an insignificant shrug, and his face replied that he had no idea. Dad called out, “Hello, James,” and then unmuted the baseball game.

Sarah and James went to the dining room as he filled her in on his first real job out of college. Sarah listened as James talked about office politics and problems. She didn’t offer advice until he asked her. She was about to answer when Mom entered the room, carrying a bowl of green beans, and asked Sarah to help bring in the rest of dinner. She didn’t say it, but the thought that this was what a good woman does was implied in her tone.

Cal came up from the basement and sat at the right hand of Dad, where he has sat his whole life. Mom took the chair at the end of the table closest to the kitchen while James sat between Mom and Cal. After bringing the salad dressing to the table, Sarah took the lone chair opposite her brothers. Dad said a prayer over the meal, and then everyone began to eat.

Halfway through, Mom asked James, “Do you have a girlfriend?”

In between bites, James said, “I am dating but haven’t found a girl to date long term.”

Cal bragged about the girl he was dating. Sarah hoped her eye roll went unnoticed, since he constantly overstated his status on everything from business to dating.

As the last of the chicken disappeared down Cal’s mouth, Mom announced, “Save room, there’s cheesecake.” Sarah looked at James, and they both knew a huge announcement was coming.

Mom brought out the pre-sliced cheesecake. The spatula took two slices on the first try. Mom smiled, then put both slices on a dessert plate and sent it down to Cal. Cal finished his two before anyone else could finish one and asked for another.

As the third piece of cake disappeared, Mom started, “Cal has run into a financial situation with his consulting business. Dad and I took out another mortgage on this house to help your brother, but he needs another $200,000 to recover from the loss.”

James looked shocked and dismayed at the same time before he asked, “Did you get involved with the cryptocurrency?”

“No,” Mom answered for her eldest son. “His investor pulled out and wanted his money back. It was really just a misunderstanding. After all, Cal is the CEO and can decide where to spend the money for the good of his company.”

“Just where did you spend the money?” He paused for a moment. “How much was the investment?”

Mom nonchalantly answered, “$500,000.”

“What did you spend the money on?” James asked again while staring directly at Cal.

“I bought a Lamborghini for promotional purposes, took a much-needed vacation, and updated my clothes for client retention reasons.” Cal proudly announced.

James rubbed his eyes and then asked, “How much did you spend of the 500 K?”

“All of it,” Cal answered without a hint of shame.

“What was the purpose of the investment?” James' business degree was working overtime.

“I agreed to buy new office equipment, software, and hire a new employee.” Cal acted like it was no big deal.

“Did you do any of those things?” James asked incredulously.

 “No,” Mom interrupted, protecting her son’s honor. “But as I said before, the CEO decides where all money is spent.”

“Mom, that is misappropriation of funds. The investor can have him arrested for stealing.”

Mom’s face turned sour. “That’s why we have until Friday to repay the money, or the investor said he would turn it over to the police. Your father and I have done the most we could by taking out another mortgage on the house, but we need another $200,000 by Friday to keep your brother out of jail.”

The dining table sat quiet for a whole minute before James broke the tension. “I’ve only had a professional job for less than a year. My savings are minimal, and my starting salary barely covers my expenses of rent, car, utilities, and college loan. I might be able to get you $1,000, but that is stretching me thin.”

Another minute passed, and the only sound in the room was the ticking from the clock on the wall. Then Sarah broke her silence by saying, “I don’t want to see Cal go to jail. Where is the Lamborghini right now?”

Cal looked at his sister in disbelief. “It’s in the garage,” he stuttered.

“I’ll give you $200,000 for the car, and it will be mine.”

Dad finally spoke up, “This is not a joke. We need serious offers only.”

“I am serious,” her face taking on a stern look. “I can have $200,000 by the end of the week.”

“I’m not selling my car,” Cal protested.

“I’ll loan you the money, but take the car as collateral until you pay me back. It will stay in my garage until you pay me back. Jake and I are getting married next June, and I’ll need the money back. If you can't pay me back by then, the title transfers to me. I can have my lawyer draw up the papers tomorrow and have the money wired to you by Thursday, Friday morning at the latest.”

Cal shook his head no as he almost cried, “I love that car. I always wanted one.”

“Your other option is to go to jail,” came flatly out of Sarah’s mouth.

“I paid $300,000 for it.”

“Did you try selling it back to the dealership?” in a very businesslike tone.

“They would only give me $175,000,” as defeat entered his voice for the first time all day.

“You might get a better offer from the internet, but that will take more than a week to see the money. My offer is solid.”

Dad, still trying to wrap his mind around the offer, asked, “Do you have that much money?”

“Yes, my little hobby art business just received a $250,000 payment for my latest creation. It was a consignment from a steel mill.”

Cal looked depressed, but acquiesced, “I'll sign the loan agreement, but can I drive it once in a while?”

“No, I’ll take over the insurance on it. Also, it is an incentive for you to pay me back. Come by my shop tomorrow around five. I should have the agreement drawn up. Oh, bring the Lamborghini.”

Cal nodded quietly, and Dad asked again, “$250,000 for an art piece?”

“Yes, Dad,” she said, smiling at him. “That was the most expensive creation I created.

“Is that the one you were working on last month?” James asked with surprise in his eyes. “How did you get that out of the shop?”

“There are hidden lift bolts on it, where a cable can lift it off the ground. I had a flatbed pull under it, and we lowered it for shipping. That’s why I called my company Engineered Art Products. They are as durable as they are beautiful.” Her pride filled the room.

“People spend that kind of money on art?” Dad said, still not fully understanding.

“It is my most expensive piece to date, but my little hobby art business had four sales earlier this year that sold for $175,000, $150,000, $100,000, and $125,000.”

“That’s $800,000 for half a year. Is that all profit?”

“Oh, no,” she smiled. “I have two employees working the art, a couple of subcontractors, plus Jake making the business arrangements. There is a large profit margin, but over half is material and labor.”

Then Mom spoke up, “Did you say you and Jake are getting married next June?”

“Yes,” was her simple reply.

“When were you going to tell us?” Mom asked, a little heartbroken.

“I thought today was a good time for the announcement. I wasn’t expecting this heavy discussion about Cal’s failures.”

Dad, still stuck on the large purchase price, murmured, “A little art piece selling for that much?”

“Little,” Sarah chuckled. “It weighed over five tons upon completion. It sits on top of a hill overlooking the mill where people can see it from miles away. I’m flying out next week for its dedication. My little hobby art business has been featured in several magazines from Architectural Digest to Modern Art Today.”

“I didn’t know,” Dad said, while looking down at his half-eaten cheesecake.

“This is why I went to school for engineering with an art minor. You mocked me then, and ever since, because you didn’t understand my vision. I worked as an engineer while I built my company. Four years ago, I had to quit because my hobby art business was taking up too much of my time.”

Mom, with a puzzled look on her face, asked, “Can you trust Jake?”

“Yes, Mother.” She stated purposefully. “We started as business partners, and then became romantically involved. We are friends, partners, and lovers. Next summer we will become husband and wife. I expect a chair for him at this table from this meal forward.”

Cal, feeling the room shift from him, whined, “What about me!”

“You have lived off everyone’s generosity for thirty years. It’s time you grow a backbone and grow up. You have borrowed money from friends, family, and banks to fulfill your lifestyle while working twenty-hour weeks. Over the past five years, you have borrowed $10,000 from me, and you haven't even lied about paying me back. That is why you are signing a contract and turning your car over for collateral.”

“I was going to take a vacation next month to go fishing in Montana,” Cal stated quietly.

“You vacation four times a year, and still think you are entitled to another. I’ve worked the past seven years without a single vacation building my business. I didn’t get lucky. I worked hard to build my little hobby art business. Now it’s worth a million dollars because I worked 70-hour weeks, year after year. If you want to be successful, you have to work and work hard and long.”

“Sarah,” Mom scolded. “You’re being harsh towards your brother.”

“Yes, I am. You went easy on him his whole life, and now he is facing jail time if we don’t bail him out. Perhaps if we stop babying him, he’ll man up and start making something of himself.”

$250,000 for art?” Dad questioned. “I never knew. I am sorry for not believing in you. I’ll never call it a hobby art business again. What do I call it?”

“Engineered art,” Sarah said as she finished her cheesecake and started for home.