One afternoon around the beginning of June, Mundo and Biz showed up at PanStar. It was pay day. I handed Mundo his envelope and watched as he tore into it, counted out a stack of bills and ceremoniously handed them to Biz.
“How does it feel to be the bigga boss?” I asked.
“Same as it always does,” Mundo replied. “But seriously, Hopeton- Biz and I have something we need to run by you.”
“Let’s go into the back room and discuss it,” I said as I punched in the keypad code.
I took a seat behind my desk and gestured for the kids to sit.
“So, what business is it that you need to discuss with me?” I asked.
“We came up with this dope-ass phone card scam and we want you and Bolo to get in on it with us,” Mundo explained.
“Don’t the Africans have that market on lock?” I enquired.
“I mean, yeah,” Mundo agreed. “But we found a loophole.”
I looked at Biz. The lower half of his face was completely expressionless, but I could see the smallest of eyerolls taking place under his brows.
“It’s too complicated for old people to understand,” Mundo continued. “Biz is a computer genius. He knows how to do shit you couldn’t even begin to comprehend.”
I looked at Biz again. He shrugged and gave a half smile.
“So, what are you expecting from me?” I asked.
“We need money,” Mundo said. “We want you to go to Bolo and get him to give us enough to get up and running.”
I laughed. “What, like a dot com business?”
“Exactly!” Mundo shouted. “We’re gonna make a killing and we really wanna cut you in on it. But we need help getting started.”
“Okay,” I said, holding my hand up. “I’ve heard enough for now. Come back with a business plan and I’ll review it. Then I’ll let you know.”
Mundo and Biz sat there for a moment, trying to figure out if I was serious.
“A business plan?” Mundo asked. “How are we supposed to know how to make a business plan?”
“I think you have a college degree,” I reminded Mundo.
“And you,” I said, pointing to Biz. “You’re supposed to be a computer genius. Can’t you find an article on the Internet that teaches you how to put together a business plan?”
Mundo and Biz just looked at each other.
“You’re smart kids,” I reminded them. “You’ll figure it out amongst yourselves.”
I stood up.
“Come back next pay day and show me what you come up with.”
Biz and Mundo stood up, mumbled something along the lines of “yeah, whatever,” and left.
I was sitting on the couch, resting my eyes, when Pierre showed up half an hour later.
I asked him to grab some Heinekens out of the fridge.
“Why are you sitting here in the dark?” Pierre asked, as he handed me my beer. “It’s kinda creepy.”
“I just needed some peace and quiet for a minute,” I replied. “Mundo and Biz stopped by to grab their money. Oh, and here’s yours.”
I handed him an envelope.
“I don’t even want to get into it,” I began, “but do you know anything about this phone card scheme that they’re talking about running?”
“Yeah, of course,” Pierre replied.
“What do you think? Is it viable?”
Pierre shook his head and said, “I think it’s shaky as it stands, but Biz’ll crack the code, eventually.”
“You think?”
“Yeah, he’ll get there.”
“Well, I’m going to need to see some thought behind the idea before I buy into anything those two are pitching.”
“Good luck with that,” Pierre smirked. “Did you tell Mundo you need to see a business plan?”
“What do you think?” I asked.
Then I tipped my beer back and finished the bottle.
Pierre laughed and said, “God help you when Biz cracks that code.”
