Chapter Two — Thirty Minutes

The interview lasted eleven minutes.

The rejection arrived three days later.

Daniel read the email while sitting outside Lily’s school.

He didn’t cry.

He simply stared at the screen.

Then his phone rang.

It was Elliot Grant.

“We’re opening a trainee position,” Elliot said.

Daniel stood up.

“I’ll take it.”

“You haven’t heard the conditions.”

“I’ll still take it.”

Elliot laughed softly.

“You’ll receive almost no salary for the first year.”

Daniel said nothing.

“You’ll be competing against twelve graduates from some of the best universities in the country.”

Daniel looked through the school window.

Lily was sitting alone at her desk, drawing.

“What time does it start?”

“Six-thirty.”

“I’ll be there.”

“There is one more problem.”

“What?”

“You have to pass the preliminary exam first.”

Daniel closed his eyes.

“When?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

The exam was difficult.

Daniel failed the first section.

He passed the second.

He barely passed the third.

Then came the final interview.

There were thirteen candidates.

Only two would be accepted.

Daniel walked into the room wearing his only suit.

The sleeves were slightly short.

His shoes were worn.

One of the interviewers glanced at his résumé.

“You don’t have a university degree.”

“No.”

“You have no financial experience.”

“No.”

“You’ve spent the last year repairing machinery.”

“Yes.”

“Why should we choose you?”

Daniel thought about lying.

Instead, he told the truth.

“Because I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

The room became silent.

“That isn’t a qualification,” another interviewer said.

“No,” Daniel replied.

“But I know how to learn. I know how to work when I’m exhausted. And I know what happens when something breaks and everyone else walks away.”

Elliot Grant watched him carefully.

Daniel continued.

“I’ve spent my whole life fixing things. Machines. Engines. Broken equipment.”

He paused.

“I don’t know much about money yet.”

Then he looked directly at them.

“But I know how to keep something running.”

Two days later, Daniel received the call.

He had been accepted.

There was only one problem.

The training schedule left almost no time for anything else.

He had to arrive before sunrise.

He had to study until late at night.

He had to make dozens of calls every day.

And he still had a daughter who needed him.

So Daniel built a system.

He woke Lily at 5:15.

They took the first bus.

He dropped her at school.

He ran to the train station.

He worked.

At 4:00, he left the office.

He picked Lily up from an after-school program.

Then they went to the public library.

While Lily did her homework, Daniel studied investment reports.

Some nights they ate sandwiches for dinner.

Some nights they shared a bowl of noodles.

Once, Daniel counted the coins in his pocket three times before realizing he didn’t have enough for breakfast.

Lily noticed.

She quietly pushed half her toast toward him.

“You can have mine.”

Daniel shook his head.

“You need it.”

“I already ate.”

She hadn’t.

He knew she hadn’t.

But he took the toast anyway.

“Thank you.”

One Friday evening, Daniel received a call from the landlord.

He had three days to pay the overdue rent.

That night, Daniel sat on the edge of Lily’s bed.

“We might have to stay somewhere else for a little while.”

Lily looked at him.

“Did we fail?”

Daniel felt his throat tighten.

“No.”

“Then why do we keep moving?”

“Because sometimes you have to move backward before you can move forward.”

Lily thought about that.

“Like a train?”

Daniel smiled.

“Exactly.”

She hugged him.

“I’ll wait for you.”

Daniel held her tightly.

And that night, he studied until sunrise.