Lawn Boy

Rain pours for the first time that summer, so the boy bikes to Arnold’s house on his newly upgraded ride: “I had bought a new inner tube” (35). Arnold has five binders full of the boy’s business information. Arnold is excited about the business’s direction, though the boy doesn’t know exactly what’s happening. Arnold uses business jargon throughout the conversation, which “was starting to sound like General Motors or something” (37). As Arnold talks, the boy nods along. The boy hardly believes that he is now responsible for 15 employees. The boy and Arnold consider the implications of having seasonal employees, agreeing to give them a nice bonus at the end of summer. Arnold estimates the boy’s gross profit will be $8,000—more money than the boy can imagine spending.

Arnold describes how the boy’s initial $40 stock market investment developed over the past few weeks. The coffin manufacturing company, where the $40 started, had part of its net worth in valuable hardwood trees spanning thousands of acres. When the value of their high-quality coffins surged, a wave of people started buying those shares, which drove up the price of each share. By the time Arnold sold the boy’s shares, $40 turned into $8,000.