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“Five point eight million.” I whistled. “That’s great.” Guilt still gnawed at me. Chloe was supposed to pay ten percent, which meant that I had cost the wild life foundation almost six million dollars.
Onava smiled a little and tilted her head. “There’s no need to sulk about it, because there’s something else.”
She had my full attention.
“She’s offering the same amount to set up a foundation specifically for Native Americans.”
“What?” I moved to the edge of my seat. “What do you mean?”
“Here, look at this.” Onava pulled out a brown envelope and fished out a document. “Here is a description of the purpose of the foundation.”
I took the paper and read aloud. “The purpose of the foundation is to empower Native American tribes and assist them in strengthening the knowledge of their culture through initiatives created for and by the Native American people.
“The goal is to provide funding for new initiatives and to strengthen already established projects to benefit the general Native population, but in particular to prevent children from growing up in poverty and abuse.”
I raised my head to look at her with narrowed eyes. “Is this a joke?”
“No. I read all the papers, and Chloe is offering to pay five million a year for the next four years to this foundation.”
I rubbed my forehead and muttered low. “But this makes no sense.”
“I though this is what you always wanted, Adam.”
I couldn’t sit still and got up to pace the floor. “It is, but…” My head was spinning. “Why would Chloe do this?”
“You must have inspired her somehow,” Onava concluded. “But a foundation of this size requires management, and she has made it a condition that it’s managed by you and that a board is established with me as a member.”
“Managed by me?” My voice rose.
“Yes.”
“But… but… I’m no manager.”
“I’m sure we can find someone who can do the paperwork if that’s what you worry about. But I agree with Chloe; you would be excellent at creating programs that would benefit others, and with the money to support the initiatives we could make huge changes.”
“I wouldn’t know where to start.”
Onava laughed. “But you already started, didn’t you? With the Native Nails project. You could expand it and add other projects as well. There’s also the healing program that you run.”
I thought about it and nodded slowly. “Yeah, actually I’ve got tons of ideas, but I just wish I knew why Chloe is doing this.”
“She must care about you,” Onava suggested.
“I doubt that,” I muttered, still confused.
She tilted her head questioningly.
“Let’s just say Chloe and I didn’t go our separate ways with a big hug,” I elaborated.
“Oh, I see. Did you get into a fight?”
“Not really.” I left out all the details. “But it honestly makes no sense at all.”
Onava got up and came to stand in front of me, taking my hands. “Maybe we shouldn’t question why she’s giving this enormous gift, but just accept that she is. The universe has its own unique ways of working things out.”
“But if I say yes to this…” I ran my hands through my hair. “To managing this foundation, I mean; then what? Will I have to see Chloe then?”
“I should think so.”
