The Ultimate Gift (The Ultimate Series #1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

never experienced it himself. I will admit to feeling a great sense of doubt and foreboding as I considered Jason’s prospects of succeeding in the task Red Stevens had given him.
    As we gathered around the conference table, Miss Hastings and I were quiet. Both of us were observing Jason’s expression and manner. He seemed to have a lot on his mind. He gave us each a perfunctory greeting and muttered, “I hope that … well, I mean … I just don’t—”
    Miss Hastings stopped him by saying, “I believe our agenda today involved your report to Mr. Hamilton on your progress with respect to understanding friendship.”
    Jason looked at me doubtfully, and I nodded and gave him a brief smile of encouragement.
    He began. “I thought a lot about friendship this month, and I tried to come up with the principles that define friendship. The best I can do is to say that friendship involves loyalty, commitment, and a process that includes sharing another person’s life. It even goes deeper than that, but it’s hard to put into words.
    “The best example of friendship I can give to demonstrate my principles is a story that Gus Caldwell told me when I was working for him in Texas. He explained that when he and Uncle Red got started in the cattle business, they had ranches several miles apart, but they and several other ranchers all shared the same range. Each spring, all the ranchers would have what they call a roundup, which apparently involved collecting and branding all of the new calves, called yearlings, which had been born since the last roundup.
    “As Mr. Caldwell explained it to me, the young calves simply follow their mothers wherever they go, so as the cattle are collected, representatives from each ranch are present to brand each new calf with the same brand as its mother’s.
    “Well, it seems that early on, Mr. Caldwell was very concerned that Uncle Red wasn’t going to make it as a rancher. So, during the roundup one year, Gus simply branded a number of calves that should have been his own with Uncle Red’s brand. He told me that he figured that he had been able to give over thirty calves to Uncle Red through that process.
    “But at the end of the roundup, when Gus performed what is called a tally, which is simply counting all the cattle with his brand, he found that instead of being thirty calves short as he thought he should, he actually had almost fifty more than he started with.
    “He was confused about that incident for many years until, while Mr. Caldwell and Uncle Red were on a fishing trip, Uncle Red told Gus that when they first got started, he had been worried about Gus making it in the business. Since he didn’t want to lose his best friend and neighbor, he had actually branded a bunch of his calves with Gus Caldwell’s brand.”
    Jason paused and glanced at both Miss Hastings and me for any sign of approval. He continued. “That story that Mr. Caldwell told me about my Uncle Red best describes how I understand each of the elements of friendship. I know it takes many years to build a friendship like that, but I think somehow it must be worth it.
    “As you know, last month I met Brian when his car broke down at the side of the road. I helped him get a new engine for it, and since then we have done several things together, and I hope that someday we can be friends like Gus Caldwell and my Uncle Red.”
    Jason looked directly into my eyes and said, “And I hope I can be as good a friend as you were to Red Stevens.”
    I smiled at him and said, “In my best judgment, you have begun your lifetime lesson in friendship. The only thing I can tell you is that any effort you put into a friendship is always returned manyfold.”
    I thanked Jason for sharing the story about Red Stevens and Gus Caldwell. I had known for half a century that they were both great men and great friends. Jason’s story, passed to him by Gus Caldwell, was just one more example of great friendship.
    Miss Hastings walked Jason