You start the van up…and it doesn’t start. Its dead. Aaaarrrghhhhh! Phone out….no signal.You’re at rock bottom now, and you decide the only so...ution is to put the bed up in the back and get some sleep, so you can think straight in a few hours. Its too dark and cold walk down the country lane you’ve driven up, she’s too tired to walk, and you cant leave her in the van alone. You’re beyond giving a shit about professional boundaries right now, your knackered. You set the bed up and lie down.. It had been a few years since I last heard her voice, but there was no question in my mind that it really was my mom. I couldn't help thinking it was a little late to try to act worried then."Yeah, I'm okay, no thanks to you," I told her."Bobby, I'd really like to see you, is there anywhere we can meet? I really need to be able to talk to you," she told me."Yeah, I guess we could meet at the house, if you really want to, I suppose. Are you in town?" I asked."No, but I will be in about twenty. It took about ten minutes to reach the suburbs, and she turned into a small parking lot not long after. The sign said Dr. Washington, general practitioner, and had all the usual information. The office was obviously a house that had been converted from the looks of it. There was only one other car in the parking lot, and I didn’t see anyone through the windows of the lobby.We walked up to the door, and my wife knocked. A moment later a door opened, and my eyes went wide.God damn, I thought as I. I looked around the room, filled with the movers and shakers from ten states. It was a business dinner. I’d been voted Businessman Of The South, and in the running with three others for National Businessman Of The Year. The auditorium was pretty crowded, close to a thousand people in attendance, much more than I’d expected.They did the lesser awards first before moving to the main event: me. I stood in the wings of the stage, waiting to be called out. A spotlight hit the edge of the stage on.