Lease Agreement
Amie Schaeffer
ATTN: Subaru Leasing Office
Spring 2019
To whom it may concern, be it Sir or Madam or both,
I am writing on behalf of a friend. We will call him Jeff. We will call him Jeff because that is actually his name. And those who know Jeff know he could go by no other. Well, that’s not true. Those in his circles also call him Metcalf. But hardly ever “Jeff Metcalf.” I feel that’s an important note.
I am writing to request, no, plead with you to extend the lease on his new, baby blue Subaru. I know, I know. This is a fairly new arrangement, but please, hear me out. Let me paint this picture, I assure you this is not any run of the mill Jeff.
This Jeff is full of adventures, which I am sure his new Subaru can already attest to. He is full of stories. Stories that are rich and may seem far-fetched, but once you know this guy, you know they ring with truth. Or you may think they are bullshit, but I promise you will be amused at any rate.
This Jeff is a teacher. Not just by profession, you see, teaching is in his molecular structure. He is the kind of teacher that will tie in his lesson on “A River Runs Through It,” by taking a bunch of high school students armed with fly rods to a parking lot on State Street. He is the kind of Jeff that would try to teach these kids the rhythm of fly fishing with a hypnotic chant of “Coca-Cola” while simultaneously ducking the many not so graceful casts. It was a wonder there were no crashes that day.
Teaching is never confined to the classroom. This is an understanding. He is the kind of Jeff that will look at a high school drop-out and not see the end of a story but a beginning. A time to cultivate. He is the rarest of Jeffs, one that would drive over 300 miles to read a poem about onions at your wedding. And the kind of Jeff that would hide his cancer from a former student in order to talk her through and guide her through a diagnosis of her own. I know this picture I am painting is a messy one, but you must concede, this is a Jeff beyond compare.
So, I am sure you are wondering what this has to do with some guy and his lease. Another thing you should know about Jeff, he is a self-proclaimed medical genius. His charming demeanor, which I am sure was on full display the day he picked out said Subaru, can be a tricky disguise. You see, this Jeff has cancer. That awful, horrid, life-changing word… Cancer. He has been battling this monster for longer than I can believe.
But being the medical genius and very responsible man that he is, he has hatched a plan. This, dear Sir(s) and or Madam(s) is where you come in. See, this Jeff maintained that by negotiating this 3-year lease it would buy him 3 more years of life. It would be irresponsible for him to kick it while owing a debt to your company. Some may call this bargaining, but let’s just call it sound reasoning. Today, I am asking you to please extend this agreement.
I am done saying goodbye. I have had to do it too many times. I need a break. I am selfish. I cannot say goodbye to someone who has helped build my foundation. Not yet. Not in 3 years. So, I need the extension. I am sure you would agree that he deserves it. I am just one story. I am just one planet that is lucky enough to orbit in the same galaxy. And, I think Jeff would concur, our orbits often seem to cross at trying times in our lives. It just happens and I am not ready to make that orbit without him.
Sincerely,
Amie Schaeffer
Dear Metcalf,
Spring 2020
It was a solid plan. For the 25 years of lessons, hijinks, conversations and unparalleled friendship, thank you. I hope that wherever you are the air is crisp, the rivers magical and the fishing unmatched.
With love,
Amie