The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 25. Favor

It was only a little while later that Edward reminded me of my priorities. It took him just one word. â€Å"Renesmee†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I sighed. She would be awake soon. It must be nearly seven in the morning. Would she be looking for me? Abruptly, something close to panic had my body freezing up. What would she look like today? Edward felt the total distraction of my stress. â€Å"It's all right, love. Get dressed, and we'll be back to the house in two seconds.† I probably looked like a cartoon, the way I sprung up, then looked back at him – his diamond body faintly glinting in the diffuse light – then away to the west, where Renesmee waited, then back at him again, then back toward her, my head whipping from side to side a half dozen times in a second. Edward smiled, but didn't laugh; he was a strong man. â€Å"It's all about balance, love. You're so good at all of this, I don't imagine it will take too long to put everything in perspective.† â€Å"And we have all night, right?† He smiled wider. â€Å"Do you think I could bear to let you get dressed now if that weren't the case?† That would have to be enough to get me through the daylight hours. I would balance this overwhelming, devastating desire so that I could be a good – It was hard to think the word. Though Renesmee was very real and vital in my life, it was still difficult to think of myself as a mother. I supposed anyone would feel the same, though, without nine months to get used to the idea. And with a child that changed by the hour. The thought of Renesmee's speeding life had me stressed-out again in an instant. I didn't even pause at the ornately carved double doors to catch my breath before finding out what Alice had done. I just burst through, intent on wearing the first things I touched. I should have known it wouldn't be that easy. â€Å"Which ones are mine?† I hissed. As promised, the room was bigger than our bedroom. It might have been bigger than the rest of the house put together, but I'd have to pace it off to be positive. I had a brief mental flash of Alice trying to persuade Esme to ignore classic proportions and allow this monstrosity. I wondered how Alice had won that one. Everything was wrapped in garment bags, pristine and white, row after row after row. â€Å"To the best of my knowledge, everything but this rack here† – he touched a bar that stretched along the half-wall to the left of the door – â€Å"is yours.† â€Å"All of this?† He shrugged. â€Å"Alice,† we said together. He said her name like an explanation; I said it like an expletive. â€Å"Fine,† I muttered, and I pulled down the zipper on the closest bag. I growled under my breath when I saw the floorlength silk gown inside – baby pink. Finding something normal to wear could take all day! â€Å"Let me help,† Edward offered. He sniffed carefully at the air and then followed some scent to the back of the long room. There was a built-in dresser there. He sniffed again, then opened a drawer. With a triumphant grin, he held out a pair of artfully faded blue jeans. I flitted to his side. â€Å"How did you do that?† â€Å"Denim has its own scent just like anything else. Now†¦ stretch cotton?† He followed his nose to a half-rack, unearthing a long-sleeved white t-shirt. He tossed it to me. â€Å"Thanks,† I said fervently. I inhaled each fabric, memorizing the scent for future searches through this madhouse. I remembered silk and satin; I would avoid those. It only took him seconds to find his own clothes – if I hadn't seen him undressed, I would have sworn there was nothing more beautiful than Edward in his khakis and pale beige pullover – and then he took my hand. We darted through the hidden garden, leaped lightly over the stone wall, and hit the forest at a dead sprint. I pulled my hand free so that we could race back. He beat me this time. Renesmee was awake; she was sitting up on the floor with Rose and Emmett hovering over her, playing with a little pile of twisted silverware. She had a mangled spoon in her right hand. As soon as she spied me through the glass, she chucked the spoon on the floor – where it left a divot in the wood – and pointed in my direction imperiously. Her audience laughed; Alice, Jasper, Esme, and Carlisle were sitting on the couch, watching her as if she were the most engrossing film. I was through the door before their laughter had barely begun, bounding across the room and scooping her up from the floor in the same second. We smiled widely at each other. She was different, but not so much. A little longer again, her proportions drifting from babyish to childlike. Her hair was longer by a quarter inch, the curls bouncing like springs with every movement. I'd let my imagination run wild on the trip back, and I'd imagined worse than this. Thanks to my overdone fears, these little changes were almost a relief. Even without Carlisle's measurements, I was sure the changes were slower than yesterday. Renesmee patted my cheek. I winced. She was hungry again. â€Å"How long has she been up?† I asked as Edward disappeared through the kitchen doorway. I was sure he was on his way to get her breakfast, having seen what she'd just thought as clearly as I had. I wondered if he would ever have noticed her little quirk, if he'd been the only one to know her. To him, it probably would have seemed like hearing anyone. â€Å"Just a few minutes,† Rose said. â€Å"We would have called you soon. She's been asking for you – demandingmight be a better description. Esme sacrificed her second-best silver service to keep the little monster entertained.† Rose smiled at Renesmee with so much gloating affection that the criticism was entirely weightless. â€Å"We didn't want to†¦ er, bother you.† Rosalie bit her lip and looked away, trying not to laugh. I could feel Emmett's silent laughter behind me, sending vibrations through the foundations of the house. I kept my chin high. â€Å"We'll get your room set up right away,† I said to Renesmee. â€Å"You'll like the cottage. It's magic.† I look up at Esme. â€Å"Thank you, Esme. So much. It's absolutely perfect.† Before Esme could respond, Emmett was laughing again – it wasn't silent this time. â€Å"So it's still standing?† he managed to get out between his snickers. â€Å"I would've thought you two had knocked it to rubble by now. What were you doing last night? Discussing the national debt?† He howled with laughter. I gritted my teeth and reminded myself of the negative consequences when I'd let my temper get away from me yesterday. Of course, Emmett wasn't as breakable as Seth___ Thinking of Seth made me wonder. â€Å"Where're the wolves today?† I glanced out the window wall, but there had been no sign of Leah on the way in. â€Å"Jacob took off this morning pretty early,† Rosalie told me, a little frown creasing her forehead. â€Å"Seth followed him out.† â€Å"What was he so upset about?† Edward asked as he came back into the room with Renesmee's cup. There must have been more in Rosalie's memory than I'd seen in her expression. Without breathing, I handed Renesmee off to Rosalie. Super-self-control, maybe, but there was no way I was going to be able to feed her. Not yet. â€Å"I don't know – or care,† Rosalie grumbled, but she answered Edward's question more fully. â€Å"He was watching Nessie sleep, his mouth hanging open like the moron he is, and then he just jumped to his feet without any kind of trigger – that I noticed, anyway – and stormed out. was glad to be rid of him. The more time he spends here, the less chance there is that we'll ever get the smell out.† â€Å"Rose,† Esme chided gently. Rosalie flipped her hair. â€Å"I suppose it doesn't matter. We won't be here that much longer.† â€Å"I still say we should go straight to New Hampshire and get things set up,† Emmett said, obviously continuing an earlier conversation. â€Å"Bella's already registered at Dartmouth. Doesn't look like it will take her all that long to be able to handle school.† He turned to look at me with a teasing grin. Tm sure you'll ace your classes†¦ apparently there's nothing interesting for you to do at night besides study.† Rosalie giggled. Do not lose your temper, do not lose your temper,I chanted to myself. And then I was proud of myself for keeping my head. So I was pretty surprised that Edward didn't. He growled – an abrupt, shocking rasp of sound – and the blackest fury rolled across his expression like storm clouds. Before any of us could respond, Alice was on her feet. â€Å"What is he doing? What is that dog doing that has erased my schedule for the entire day? I can't see anything] No!† She shot me a tortured glance. â€Å"Look at you! You neec/meto show you how to use your closet.† For one second I was grateful for whatever Jacob was up to. And then Edward's hands balled up into fists and he snarled, â€Å"He talked to Charlie. He thinks Charlie is following after him. Coming here. Today.† Alice said a word that sounded very odd in her trilling, ladylike voice, and then she blurred into motion, streaking out the backdoor. â€Å"He told Charlie?† I gasped. â€Å"But – doesn't he understand? How could he do that?† Charlie couldn't know about me! About vampires! That would put him on a hit list that even the Cullens couldn't save him from. â€Å"No!† Edward spoke through his teeth. â€Å"Jacob's on his way in now.† It must have started raining farther east. Jacob came through the door shaking his wet hair like a dog, flipping droplets on the carpet and the couch where they made little round gray spots on the white. His teeth glinted against his dark lips; his eyes were bright and excited. He walked with jerky movements, like he was all hyped-up about destroying my father's life. â€Å"Hey, guys,† he greeted us, grinning. It was perfectly silent. Leah and Seth slipped in behind him, in their human forms – for now; both of their hands were trembling with the tension in the room. â€Å"Rose,† I said, holding my arms out. Wordlessly, Rosalie handed me Renesmee. I pressed her close to my motionless heart, holding her like a talisman against rash behavior. I would keep her in my arms until I was sure my decision to kill Jacob was based entirely on rational judgment rather than fury. She was very still, watching and listening. How much did she understand? â€Å"Charlie'll be here soon,† Jacob said to me casually. â€Å"Just a heads-up. I assume Alice is getting you sunglasses or something?† â€Å"You assume way too much,† I spit through my teeth. â€Å"What. Have. You. Done?† Jacob's smile wavered, but he was still too wound up to answer seriously. â€Å"Biondie and Emmett woke me up this morning going on and on about you all moving cross-country. Like I could let you leave. Charlie was the biggest issue there, right? Well, problem solved.'7 â€Å"Do you even realize what you've done? The danger you've put him in?† He snorted. â€Å"I didn't put him in danger. Except from you. But you've got some kind of supernatural self-control, right? Not as good as mind reading, if you ask me. Much less exciting.† Edward moved then, darting across the room to get in Jacob's face. Though he was half a head shorter than Jacob, Jacob leaned away from his staggering anger as if Edward towered over him. â€Å"That's just a theory, mongrel,† he snarled. â€Å"You think we should test it out on Charlie? Did you consider the physical pain you're putting Bella through, even if she can resist? Or the emotional pain if she doesn't? I suppose what happens to Bella no longer concerns you!† He spit the last word. Renesmee pressed her fingers anxiously to my cheek, anxiety coloring the replay in her head. Edward's words finally cut through Jacob's strangely electric mood. His mouth dropped into a frown. â€Å"Bella will be in pain?† â€Å"Like you've shoved a white-hot branding iron down her throat!† I flinched, remembering the scent of pure human blood. â€Å"I didn't know that,† Jacob whispered. â€Å"Then perhaps you should have asked first,† Edward growled back through his teeth. â€Å"You would have stopped me.† â€Å"You should have been stopped – â€Å" â€Å"This isn't about me,† I interrupted. I stood very still, keeping my hold on Renesmee and sanity. â€Å"This is about Charlie, Jacob. How could you put him in danger this way? Do you realize it's death or vampire life for him now, too?† My voice trembled with the tears my eyes could no longer shed. Jacob was still troubled by Edward's accusations, but mine didn't seem to bother him. â€Å"Relax, Bella. I didn't tell him anything you weren't planning to tell him.† â€Å"But he's coming here!† â€Å"Yeah, that's the idea. Wasn't the whole let him make the wrong assumptions' thing your plan? I think I provided a very nice red herring, if I do say so myself.† My fingers flexed away from Renesmee. I curled them back in securely. â€Å"Say it straight, Jacob. I don't have the patience for this.† â€Å"I didn't tell him anything about you, Bella. Not really. I told him about me. Well, show is probably a better verb.† â€Å"He phased in front of Charlie,† Edward hissed. I whispered, â€Å"You what?† â€Å"He's brave. Brave as you are. Didn't pass out or throw up or anything. I gotta say, I was impressed. You should've seen his face when I started taking my clothes off, though. Priceless,† Jacob chortled. â€Å"You absolute moronl You could have given him a heart attack!† â€Å"Charlie's fine. He's tough. If you'd give this just a minute, you'll see that I did you a favor here.† â€Å"You have half of that, Jacob.† My voice was flat and steely. â€Å"You have thirty seconds to tell me every single word before I give Renesmee to Rosalie and rip your miserable head off. Seth won't be able to stop me this time.† â€Å"Jeez, Bells. You didn't used to be so melodramatic. Is that a vampire thing?† â€Å"Twenty-six seconds.† Jacob rolled his eyes and flopped into the nearest chair. His little pack moved to stand on his flanks, not at all relaxed the way he seemed to be; Leah's eyes were on me, her teeth slightly bared. â€Å"So I knocked on Charlie's door this morning and asked him to come for a walk with me. He was confused, but when I told him it was about you and that you were back in town, he followed me out to the woods. I told him you weren't sick anymore, and that things were a little weird, but good. He was about to take off to see you, but I told him I had to show him something first. And then I phased.† Jacob shrugged. My teeth felt like a vise was pushing them together. â€Å"I want every word, you monster.† â€Å"Well, you said I only had thirty seconds – okay, okay.† My expression must have convinced him that I wasn't in the mood for teasing. â€Å"Lemme see†¦ I phased back and got dressed, and then after he started breathing again, I said something like, ‘Charlie, you don't live in the world you thought you lived in. The good news is, nothing has changed – except that now you know. Life'll go on the same way it always has. You can go right back to pretending that you don't believe any of this.' â€Å"It took him a minute to get his head together, and then he wanted to know what was really going on with you, with the whole rare-disease thing. I told him that you had been sick, but you were fine now – it was just that you'd had to change a little bit in the process of getting better. He wanted to know what I meant by ‘change,' and I told him that you looked a lot more like Esme now than you looked like Renee.† Edward hissed while I stared in horror; this was headed in a dangerous direction. â€Å"After a few minutes, he asked, real quietly, if you turned into an animal, too. And I said, ‘She wishes she was that cool!'† Jacob chuckled. Rosalie made a noise of disgust. â€Å"I started to tell him more about werewolves, but I didn't even get the whole word out – Charlie cut me off and said he'd ‘rather not know the specifics.' Then he asked if you'd known what you were getting yourself into when you married Edward, and I said, ‘Sure, she's known all about this for years, since she first came to Forks.' He didn't like that very much. I let him rant till he got it out of his system. After he got calmed down, he just wanted two things. He wanted to see you, and I said it would be better if he gave me a head start to explain.† I inhaled deeply. â€Å"What was the other thing he wanted?† Jacob smiled. â€Å"You'll like this. His main request is that he be told as little as possible about all of this. If it's not absolutely essential for him to know something, then keep it to yourself. Need to know, only.† I felt relief for the first time since Jacob had walked in. â€Å"I can handle that part.† â€Å"Other than that, he'd just like to pretend things are normal.† Jacob's smile turned smug; he must suspect that I would be starting to feel the first faint stirrings of gratitude about now. â€Å"What did you tell him about Renesmee?† I struggled to maintain the razor edge in my voice, fighting the reluctant appreciation. It was premature. There was still so much wrong with this situation. Even if Jacob's intervention had brought out a better reaction in Charlie than I'd ever hoped for†¦ â€Å"Oh yeah. So I told him that you and Edward had inherited a new little mouth to feed.† He glanced at Edward. â€Å"She's your orphaned ward – like Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson.† Jacob snorted. â€Å"I didn't think you'd mind me lying. That's all part of the game, right?† Edward didn't respond in any way, so Jacob went on. â€Å"Charlie was way past being shocked at this point, but he did ask if you were adopting her. ‘Like a daughter? Like I'm sort of a grandfather?' were his exact words. I told him yes. ‘Congrats, Gramps, and all of that. He even smiled a little.† The stinging returned to my eyes, but not out of fear or anguish this time. Charlie was smiling at the idea of being a grandpa? Charlie would meet Renesmee? â€Å"But she's changing so fast,† I whispered. â€Å"I told him that she was more special than all of us put together,† Jacob said in a soft voice. He stood and walked right up to me, waving Leah and Seth off when they started to follow. Renesmee reached out to him, but I hugged her more tightly to me. â€Å"I told him, Trust me, you don't want to know about this. But if you can ignore all the strange parts, you're going to be amazed. She's the most wonderful person in the whole world.' And then I told him that if he could deal with that, you all would stick around for a while and he would have a chance to get to know her. But that if it was too much for him, you would leave. He said as long as no one forced too much information on him, he'd deal.† Jacob stared at me with half a smile, waiting. â€Å"I'm not going to say thank you,† I told him. â€Å"You're still putting Charlie at a huge risk.† â€Å"I am sorry about it hurting you. I didn't know it was like that. Bella, things are different with us now, but you'll always be my best friend, and I'll always love you. But I'll love you the right way now. There's finally a balance. We both have people we can't live without.† He smiled his very most Jacob-y smile. â€Å"Still friends?† Try as hard as I could to resist, I had to smile back. Just a tiny smile. He held out his hand: an offer. I took a deep breath and shifted Renesmee's weight to one arm. I put my left hand in his – he didn't even flinch at the feel of my cool skin. â€Å"If I don't kill Charlie tonight, I'll consider forgiving you for this.† â€Å"Whenyou don't kill Charlie tonight, you'll owe me huge.† I rolled my eyes. He held out his other hand toward Renesmee, a request this time. â€Å"Can I?† â€Å"I'm actually holding her so that my hands aren't free to kill you, Jacob. Maybe later.† He sighed but didn't push me on it. Wise of him. Alice raced back through the door then, her hands full and her expression promising violence. â€Å"You, you, and you,† she snapped, glaring at the werewolves. â€Å"If you must stay, get over in the corner and commit to being there for a while. I need to see. Bella, you'd better give him the baby, too. You'll need your arms free, anyway.† Jacob grinned in triumph. Undiluted fear ripped through my stomach as the enormity of what I was about to do hit me. I was going to gamble on my iffy self-control with my pure human father as the guinea pig. Edward's earlier words crashed in my ears again. Did you consider the physical pain you're putting Bella through, even if she can resist? Or the emotional pain if she doesn't? I couldn't imagine the pain of failure. My breathing turned to gasps. â€Å"Take her,† I whispered, sliding Renesmee into Jacob's arms. He nodded, concern wrinkling his forehead. He gestured to the others, and they all went to the far corner of the room. Seth and Jake slouched on the floor at once, but Leah shook her head and pursed her lips. â€Å"Am I allowed to leave?† she griped. She looked uncomfortable in her human body, wearing the same dirty t-shirt and cotton shorts she'd worn to shriek at me the other day, her short hair sticking up in irregular tufts. Her hands were still shaking. â€Å"Of course,† Jake said. â€Å"Stay east so you don't cross Charlie's path,† Alice added. Leah didn't look at Alice; she ducked out the back door and stomped into the bushes to phase. Edward was back at my side, stroking my face. â€Å"You can do this. I know you can. Ill help you; we all will.† I met Edward's eyes with panic screaming from my face. Was he strong enough to stop me if I made a wrong move? â€Å"If I didn't believe you could handle it, we'd disappear today. This very minute. But you can. And you'll be happier if you can have Charlie in your life.† I tried to slow my breathing. Alice held out her hand. There was a small white box on her palm. â€Å"These will irritate your eyes – they won't hurt, but they'll cloud your vision. It's annoying. They also won't match your old color, but it's still better than bright red, right?† She flipped the contact box into the air and I caught it. â€Å"When did you – â€Å" â€Å"Before you left on the honeymoon. I was prepared for several possible futures.† I nodded and opened the container. I'd never worn contacts before, but it couldn't be that hard. I took the little brown quarter-sphere and pressed it, concave side in, to my eye. I blinked, and a film interrupted my sight. I could see through it, of course, but I could also see the texture of the thin screen. My eye kept focusing on the microscopic scratches and warped sections. â€Å"I see what you mean,† I murmured as I stuck the other one in. I tried to not blink this time. My eye automatically wanted to dislodge the obstruction. â€Å"How do I look?† Edward smiled. â€Å"Gorgeous. Of course – â€Å" â€Å"Yes, yes, she always looks gorgeous,† Alice finished his thought impatiently. â€Å"It's better than red, but that's the highest commendation I can give. Muddy brown. Your brown was much prettier. Keep in mind that those won't last forever – the venom in your eyes will dissolve them in a few hours. So if Charlie stays longer than that, you'll have to excuse yourself to replace them. Which is a good idea anyway, because humans need bathroom breaks.† She shook her head. â€Å"Esme, give her a few pointers on acting human while I stock the powder room with contacts.† â€Å"How long do I have?† â€Å"Charlie will be here in five minutes. Keep it simple.† Esme nodded once and came to take my hand. â€Å"The main thing is not to sit too still or move too fast,† she told me. â€Å"Sit down if he does,† Emmett interjected. â€Å"Humans don't like to just stand there.† â€Å"Let your eyes wander every thirty seconds or so,† Jasper added. â€Å"Humans don't stare at one thing for too long.† â€Å"Cross your legs for about five minutes, then switch to crossing your ankles for the next five,† Rosalie said. I nodded once at each suggestion. I'd noticed them doing some of these things yesterday. I thought I could mimic their actions. â€Å"And blink at least three times a minute,† Emmett said. He frowned, then darted to where the television remote sat on the end table. He flipped the TV on to a college football game and nodded to himself. â€Å"Move your hands, too. Brush your hair back or pretend to scratch something,† Jasper said. â€Å"I said Esme† Alice complained as she returned. â€Å"You'll overwhelm her.† â€Å"No, I think I got it all,† I said. â€Å"Sit, look around, blink, fidget.† â€Å"Right,† Esme approved. She hugged my shoulders. Jasper frowned. â€Å"You'll be holding your breath as much as possible, but you need to move your shoulders a little to make it /oo/clike you're breathing.† I inhaled once and then nodded again. Edward hugged me on my free side. â€Å"You can do this,† he repeated, murmuring the encouragement in my ear. â€Å"Two minutes,† Alice said. â€Å"Maybe you should start out already on the couch. You've been sick, after all. That way he won't have to see you move right at first.† Alice pulled me to the sofa. I tried to move slowly, to make my limbs more clumsy. She rolled her eyes, so I must not have been doing a good job. â€Å"Jacob, I need Renesmee,† I said. Jacob frowned, unmoving. Alice shook her head. â€Å"Bella, that doesn't help me see.† â€Å"But I need her. She keeps me calm.'7The edge of panic in my voice was unmistakable. â€Å"Fine,† Alice groaned. â€Å"Hold her as still as you can and I'll try to see around her.† She sighed wearily, like she'd been asked to work overtime on a holiday. Jacob sighed, too, but brought Renesmee to me, and then retreated quickly from Alice's glare. Edward took a seat beside me and put his arms around Renesmee and me. He leaned forward and looked Renesmee very seriously in the eyes. â€Å"Renesmee, someone special is coming to see you and your mother,† he said in a solemn voice, as if he expected her to understand every word. Did she? She looked back at him with clear, grave eyes. â€Å"But he's not like us, or even like Jacob. We have to be very careful with him. You shouldn't tell him things the way you tell us.† Renesmee touched his face. â€Å"Exactly,† he said. â€Å"And he's going to make you thirsty. But you mustn't bite him. He won't heal like Jacob.† â€Å"Can she understand you?† I whispered. â€Å"She understands. You'll be careful, won't you, Renesmee? You'll help us?† Renesmee touched him again. â€Å"No, I don't care if you bite Jacob. That's fine.† Jacob chuckled. â€Å"Maybe you should leave, Jacob,† Edward said coldly, glaring in his direction. Edward hadn't forgiven Jacob, because he knew that no matter what happened now, I was going to be hurting. But I'd take the burn happily if that were the worst thing I'd face tonight. â€Å"I told Charlie I'd be here,† Jacob said. â€Å"He needs the moral support.† â€Å"Moral support,† Edward scoffed. â€Å"As far as Charlie knows, you're the most repulsive monster of us all.† â€Å"Repulsive?† Jake protested, and then he laughed quietly to himself. I heard the tires turn off the highway onto the quiet, damp earth of the Cullens' drive, and my breathing spiked again. My heart ought to have been hammering. It made me anxious that my body didn't have the right reactions. I concentrated on the steady thrumming of Renesmee's heart to calm myself. It worked pretty quickly. â€Å"Well done, Bella,† Jasper whispered in approval. Edward tightened his arm over my shoulders. â€Å"You're sure?† I asked him. â€Å"Positive. You can do anything† He smiled and kissed me. It wasn't precisely a peck on the lips, and my wild vampiric reactions took me off guard yet again. Edward's lips were like a shot of some addictive chemical straight into my nervous system. I was instantly craving more. It took all my concentration to remember the baby in my arms. Jasper felt my mood change. â€Å"Er, Edward, you might not want to distract her like that right now. She needs to be able to focus.† Edward pulled away. â€Å"Oops,† he said. I laughed. That had been my line from the very beginning, from the very first kiss. â€Å"Later,† I said, and anticipation curled my stomach into a ball. â€Å"Focus, Bella,† Jasper urged. â€Å"Right.† i pushed the trembly feelings away. Charlie, that was the main thing now. Keep Charlie safe today. We would have all night___ â€Å"Bella.† â€Å"Sorry, Jasper.† Emmett laughed. The sound of Charlie's cruiser got closer and closer. The second of levity passed, and everyone was still. I crossed my legs and practiced my blinks. The car pulled in front of the house and idled for a few seconds. I wondered if Charlie was as nervous as I was. Then the engine cut off, and a door slammed. Three steps across the grass, and then eight echoing thuds against the wooden stairs. Four more echoing footsteps across the porch. Then silence. Charlie took two deep breaths. Knock, knock, knock. I inhaled for what might be the last time. Renesmee nestled deeper into my arms, hiding her face in my hair. Carlisle answered the door. His stressed expression changed to one of welcome, like switching the channel on the TV. â€Å"Hello, Charlie,† he said, looking appropriately abashed. After all, we were supposed to be in Atlanta at the Center for Disease Control. Charlie knew he'd been lied to. â€Å"Carlisle,† Charlie greeted him stiffly. â€Å"Where's Bella?† â€Å"Right here, Dad.† Ugh! My voice was so wrong. Plus, I'd used up some of my air supply. I gulped in a quick refill, glad that Charlie's scent had not saturated the room yet. Charlie's blank expression told me how off my voice was. His eyes zeroed in on me and widened. I read the emotions as they scrolled across his face. Shock. Disbelief. Pain. Loss. Fear. Anger. Suspicion. More pain. I bit my lip. It felt funny. My new teeth were sharper against my granite skin than my human teeth had been against my soft human lips. â€Å"Is that you, Bella?† he whispered. â€Å"Yep.† I winced at my wind-chime voice. â€Å"Hi, Dad.† He took a deep breath to steady himself. â€Å"Hey, Charlie,† Jacob greeted him from the corner. â€Å"How're things?† Charlie glowered at Jacob once, shuddered at a memory, and then stared at me again. Slowly, Charlie walked across the room until he was a few feet away from me. He darted an accusing glare at Edward, and then his eyes flickered back to me. The warmth of his body heat beat against me with each pulse of his heart. â€Å"Bella?† heasked again. I spoke in a lower voice, trying to keep the ring out of it.†It's really me.† His jaw locked. â€Å"I'm sorry, Dad,† I said. â€Å"Are you okay?† he demanded. â€Å"Really and truly great,† I promised. â€Å"Healthy as a horse.† That was it for my oxygen. â€Å"Jake told me this was†¦ necessary. That you were dying.† He said the words like he didn't believe them one bit. I steeled myself, focused on Renesmee's warm weight, leaned into Edward for support, and took a deep breath. Charlie's scent was a fistful of flames, punching straight down my throat. But it was so much more than pain. It was a hot stabbing of desire, too. Charlie smelled more delicious than anything I'd ever imagined. As appealing as the anonymous hikers had been on the hunt, Charlie was doubly tempting. And he was just a few feet away, leaking mouthwatering heat and moisture into the dry air. But I wasn't hunting now. And this was my father. Edward squeezed my shoulders sympathetically, and Jacob shot an apologetic glance at me across the room. I tried to collect myself and ignore the pain and longing of the thirst. Charlie was waiting for my answer. â€Å"Jacob was telling you the truth.† â€Å"That makes one of you,† Charlie growled. I hoped Charlie could see past the changes in my new face to read the remorse there. Under my hair, Renesmee sniffed as Charlie's scent registered with her, too. I tightened my grip on her. Charlie saw my anxious glance down and followed it. â€Å"Oh,† he said, and all the anger fell off his face, leaving only shock behind. â€Å"This is her. The orphan Jacob said you're adopting.† â€Å"My niece,† Edward lied smoothly. He must have decided that the resemblance between Renesmee and him was too pronounced to be ignored. Best to claim they were related from the beginning. â€Å"I thought you'd lost your family,† Charlie said, accusation returning to his voice. â€Å"I lost my parents. My older brother was adopted, like me. I never saw him after that. But the courts located me when he and his wife died in a car accident, leaving their only child without any other family.† Edward was so good at this. His voice was even, with just the right amount of innocence. I needed practice so that I could do that. Renesmee peeked out from under my hair, sniffing again. She glanced shyly at Charlie from under her long lashes, then hid again. â€Å"She's†¦ she's,well, she's a beauty.† â€Å"Yes,† Edward agreed. â€Å"Kind of a big responsibility, though. You two are just getting started.† â€Å"What else could we do?† Edward brushed his fingers lightly over her cheek. I saw him touch her lips for just a moment – a reminder. â€Å"Would you have refused her?† â€Å"Hmph. Well.† Heshook his head absently. â€Å"Jake says you call her Nessie?† â€Å"No, we don't,† I said, my voice too sharp and piercing. â€Å"Her name is Renesmee.† Charlie refocused on me. â€Å"How do you feel about this? Maybe Carlisle and Esme could – â€Å" â€Å"She's mine,† I interrupted. â€Å"I want her.† Charlie frowned. â€Å"You gonna make me a grandpa so young?† Edward smiled. â€Å"Carlisle is a grandfather, too.† Charlie shot an incredulous glance at Carlisle, still standing by the front door; he looked like Zeus's younger, better-looking brother. Charlie snorted and then laughed. â€Å"I guess that does sort of make me feel better.†His eyes strayed back to Renesmee. â€Å"She sure is something to look at.† His warm breath blew lightly across the space between us. Renesmee leaned toward the smell, shaking off my hair and looking him full in the face for the first time. Charlie gasped. I knew what he was seeing. My eyes – his eyes – copied exactly into her perfect face. Charlie started hyperventilating. His lips trembled, and I could read the numbers he mouthed. He was counting backward, trying to fit nine months into one. Trying to put it together but not able to force the evidence right in front of him to make any sense. Jacob got up and came over to pat Charlie on the back. He leaned in to whisper something in Charlie's ear; only Charlie didn't know we could all hear. â€Å"Need to know, Charlie. It's okay. I promise.† Charlie swallowed and nodded. And then his eyes blazed as he took a step closer to Edward with his fists tightly clenched. â€Å"I don't want to know everything, but I'm done with the lies!† â€Å"I'm sorry,† Edward said calmly, â€Å"but you need to know the public story more than you need to know the truth. If you're going to be part of this secret, the public story is the one that counts. It's to protect Bella and Renesmee as well as the rest of us. Can you go along with the lies for them?† The room wasfull of statues. I crossed my ankles. Charlie huffed once and then turned his glare on me. â€Å"You might've given me some warning, kid.† â€Å"Would it really have made this any easier?† He frowned, and then he knelt on the floor in front of me. I could see the movement of the blood in his neck under his skin. I could feel the warm vibration of it. So could Renesmee. She smiled and reached one pink palm out to him. I held her back. She pushed her other hand against my neck, thirst, curiosity, and Charlie's face in her thoughts. There was a subtle edge to the message that made me think that she'd understood Edward's words perfectly; she acknowledged thirst, but overrode it in the same thought. â€Å"Whoa,† Charlie gasped, his eyes on her perfect teeth. â€Å"How old is she?† â€Å"Urn†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Three months,† Edward said, and then added slowly, â€Å"rather, she's the size of a three-month-old, more or less. She's younger in some ways, more mature in others.† Very deliberately, Renesmee waved at him. Charlie blinked spastically. Jacob elbowed him. â€Å"Told you she was special, didn't I?† Charlie cringed away from the contact. â€Å"Oh, c'mon, Charlie,† Jacob groaned. â€Å"I'm the same person I've always been. Just pretend this afternoon didn't happen.† The reminder made Charlie's lips go white, but he nodded once. â€Å"Just what is your part in all this, Jake?† he asked. â€Å"How much does Billy know? Why are you here?† He looked at Jacob's face, which was glowing as he stared at Renesmee. â€Å"Well, I could tell you all about it – Billy knows absolutely everything – but it involves a lot of stuff about werewo – â€Å" â€Å"Ungh!† Charlie protested, covering his ears. â€Å"Never mind.† Jacob grinned. â€Å"Everything's going to be great, Charlie. Just try to not believe anything you see.† My dad mumbled something unintelligible. â€Å"Woo!† Emmett suddenly boomed in his deep bass. â€Å"Go Gators!† Jacob and Charlie jumped. The rest of us froze. Charlie recovered, then looked at Emmett over his shoulder. â€Å"Florida winning?† â€Å"Just scored the first touchdown,† Emmett confirmed. He shot a look in my direction, wagging his eyebrows like a villain in vaudeville. â€Å"‘Bout time somebody scored around here.† I fought back a hiss. In front of Charlie? That was over the line. But Charlie was beyond noticing innuendos. He took yet another deep breath, sucking the air in like he was trying to pull it down to his toes. I envied him. He lurched to his feet, stepped around Jacob, and half-fell into an open chair. â€Å"Well,† he sighed, â€Å"I guess we should see if they can hold on to the lead.†

Yoga Meditation Experience

Home Meditation Assignment At the beginning of the semester I did not really know what I potentially could take away from this class, or, in particular, the meditation I was assigned to do at home. My mother does Yoga as well and she always keeps telling me how beneficial it is for both your body and your soul; personally, I am not really the type of individual that believes in the vital effects religious philosophies can have on one's life.However, I am always willing to experience something new and so I decided to engage myself in the practice of Yoga. I chose to do the Concentration Kriya; this mediation technique mostly focuses on empowering mind and body through the practice of controlled breathing. A controlled breath can be extremely beneficial to overcome various obstacles in one's daily life; this is the reason why I chose the Concentration Kriya as my meditation technique since I usually have struggles developing a calm, constant, and controlled breath.I sacrificed 5 minute s of my time in the morning to go through the cycle; my intent was to do it before the â€Å"real† day had begun since I hoped to go ore relaxed and focused into classes and practice. Within the first two weeks, I did not really notice any change after I had meditated; I actually felt pretty awkward sitting on the floor of my room all by myself doing those awkward breathing techniques. However, this feeling went away after some time; I think you have to get used to it before you get more comfortable in its practice.Further, during the third week, I could definitely feel some changes coming up; I did not only breathe more concentrated but I also felt more loosened up and relaxed. I started to manage the imbalances of my daily life better; in relation to that, I also started to notice a more vital and well-being daily experience. Eventually, I think it also affected my performance in soccer practices and games since my mind was more focused and, on a physical level, the increas ed oxygen supported the complying parts of the body.Eventually, there were mornings when I was not really motivated; though, I reminded myself of the benefits I had experienced through meditation and found yself again. I think one has to come out his comfort zone to do it since one Just has to invest 5 minutes of his or her day. However, I do not really know if I will continue meditating every morning; I am usually not a person that is that disciplined to follow a certain routine. Yet, I can still see myself meditating in the future to overcome difficult challenges or parts of my life.Looking back on the five weeks I spent meditating I can fairly say that it is totally worth it to spend that little time and effort n terms of the possible ways it can affect one's lifestyle. I still think that some religious philosophies and practices are sort of questionable, but Yoga and its meditation techniques can definitely have a positive effect on one's life. Hence, I would not only recommend it to friends and individuals that are striving for a transformation in their body, mind and inmost consciousness, but also to individuals who want to experience something new as I did.

Race Essay Essay

In our society, racial inequality has always been a concerning issue for past decades, but certain parents’ state their opinions on the open discussions of our history and present with racism. The question of whether or not they should speak to their children about the racism that certain individuals receive has caused controversy in our society. There are parents who claim that they have unbiased judgments on the topic while others strongly commit to reminding the children that racism should be an important topic that should be talked over. Parents differ when it comes to the message they project towards children about race, but the message changes with children’s capacity to understand it. So the actual importance is if children should be introduced to the racial madness at such a young age like we have been doing in schools and in society or should the parents stand up and eliminate the racial topic for good. Although with the parents that are not overly racist, there is multiple concerns of whether or not to speak to their children about how their own race discriminates certain people in our society. Furthermore, there are numerous people in our society, especially parents, who believe we should consider not bringing up racism to future generations and instead take the step into a post racial era since we have improved tremendously in race relations. On the contrary, some parents believe the discussion of racism is important for children to be aware of the outcome it has produced and the background of why racism occurs, and in this case, I do strongly agree with the parents. There are a few parents whom have decided not to speak about racism. They believe the media nor did neighbors and friends play a crucial part in their decision making. They consider Reyna 2 themselves unbiased to all the controversy that occurs in their community over the racism topic, especially when it comes from a white individual. Without the society’s ideas swirled up in their mind, the parents are able to describe every perspective that can be observed of the racism. The importance of being able to see every angle of the racism that the minority group receives will help eliminate the bias judgment that we witness in the media or what we are told by others. With this in mind, the decision to consider the topic of racism in family conversations becomes easier to either bring up or shut down. It becomes easier because parents are able to discuss and inform their children that there is more than just one perspective that society defines as racism against the minority ethnicity. White parents can defend themselves from the ignorant comments and stories that people tell about their racial comments towards the African Americans. It is easier to speak about racism than to keep quiet in today’s society, but that seems to be the problem. On the contrary, white parents can also choose not to speak about the racial topic by ignoring it completely. Shutting down the media and any outside influence can assist furtherly with the unbiased decision to choose not to speak to their children about it. In today’s society, it is difficult to say that parents are not influenced in some way in their choices in life. Although parents can shut down the influence from the media, it is impossible to do the same to their children without turning them away from society as well. In all truth, once the child steps out of their home and their parent’s view on society and racism, the child is left vulnerable to society biased judgments on racism and everything else. There are parents who allow the media and any other influential speaker effect their decision on whether they, as not so overly racist yet biased parents, should intensify and enhance to their children about racism in their community and in the society. A majority of the parents are influenced by the media’s portrayal of discrimination on African Americans. Parents who choose to speak about racism to Reyna 3 their children after hearing and witnessing stories and racist acts throughout the country, will either help stop discrimination or unintentionally influence further acts of racism. In reference to the book of â€Å"The Color of the Water†, racial equality was shown to be unbalanced through the society and the effect it had on people since they witnessed it in their own family. In the book, James, one of the Ruth’s 12 kids, had taken it upon himself to write down every single detail that flooded back from his mother’s past. Throughout this James discovered how strong his mother was due to all the things she had to go through and the protection she enhanced for her kids. She protected them because she knew racism would be their biggest trouble and the consequences it would lead to. Society has a lot to do with the influence of racism. Future parents should remind their children of the horror of racism that occurred decades past, or should they just ignore it and try to move past it? In my opinion, speaking about racism seems to be the best way to go. Usually the second most influential people in parents’ decision making are neighbors and friends. They communicate with each other and speak of all their experiences which leads to further leverage on racism itself. Lastly, parents’ own assumption on racial inequality will influence their manner of discussing it to their children. Once parents decide to speak to their children about racism, question rise that become too difficult to answer and the biggest issue is parents’ own prejudice. If the answers aren’t well understood by the children it might lead to trouble and further racism. Sometimes children witness their parent’s unintentional discriminations towards other adults even when it is taught to be moral and caring for others which can also lead to further racism. This is why parents should try to educate their children of racism in order to avoid any misjudgments of their parent’s or anybody else’s actions, and this will help avoid their children’s own unintentional racism towards African Americans. Nelson Mandela inspired people with a few words that would better understand this topic, â€Å"No one is Reyna 4 born hating another person because of the color of their skin. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, then they can learn to love†¦ † In reference to all the parent decision on whether they, as white parents, should talk to their children about racism. In my opinion as well as most people, believe that the more parents talk about the racism the easier it will become to educate future generations of what they should not do in society. Our goal as a society, and the reason behind the social experiment that the United States is experiencing, is to create a post racial era. There is a fear that if people don’t remind their children about racial history then it is likely to cause racial discrimination to occur once again and have history repeat itself. As true as that might be, it is also more likely to be wrong. In many cases, the children might begin to get ideas of past discriminations to inflict on current black children. The stereotype about the minority group will keep at stand which will eventually lead to the continuation of the racism. Therefore, the parents and society as well are pressured to continue speaking to their children about racism in order to help them understand the meaning and the harm it does on the victims. [African Americans] Although the future may not be predicted, parents whom decide not to speak about racism, all because it doesn’t seem important to address it anymore, are probably causing our society more harm than good. Some parents do not intend to speak about the racial discrimination because it draws negative attention to the society, and even if all their reasons seem logical, education has always proved to be far more successful than any other option. The parents who refuse to bring up the topic of racism in their family have very strong views about it that should be considered by others. There was once a research program done in 2011 where a few psychologist wanted to ask questions to white parents about their communication with their children about racism. At first the parents didn’t know what the topic Reyna 5 of the questions would be during the research, but as soon as they were told the topic, many parent withdrew from the experiment due to it discussing racism with their children. The parents strongly believed that there shouldn’t be an open discussion with their offspring about race and the discrimination among the minority group. It came as a shock to the psychologists and scientist over the outcome that was displayed before the research was even done. Without even knowing, the research team developed new results on the topic of race without successfully completing their research on their primary experiment and questionnaire. The simple answer was that the white parents that were supposed to participate didn’t want their children to be aware of the inhumane discrimination over skin complexity. They, also, didn’t want to expose them to the violence that arises from racial discrimination such as the hate crimes, the segregation, and the bullying of children their same age. Although many won’t comprehend the reason behind the racism, discussing it will only seem to promote racism in the eyes of the children even when many parents disagree. The parents should not speak about racism because there is a fear, naivete and denial from the white parent’s own thoughts that if they do speak about it to their children the whole truth can become misinterpreted or in many cases, biased. There is an article by Dr. Harris-Britt that goes over the reasons why white parents should not speak about race. Dr. Harris-Britt speaks about the fear, denial, and naivete that parents encounter as being a negative decision. By them discussing to their children the increasing issue of racial discrimination, the attention that racism is receiving becomes unbearable. The point of view that the article feeds to the reader goes hand in hand with the section of this essay where the racism discussion in families and the white population should avoid each other. Parents may fear their own thoughts and the truth of their judgments towards African Americans. Parents can deny the color discrimination that happens in Reyna 6 their own home, or community. Many will believe that we are already in the post racial era, and will use this belief in order to not openly discuss the subject with their children. Although we do not yet live in a post racial era, we can soon get there if racial discussions can be eliminated. If people would stop dividing them self by race, and focused on their own unintentional discrimination that they might give off, the white race parents won’t find it necessary to warn or inform their children of the racial discrimination that will probably occur to their African American friends, acquaintances, or classmates. In my opinion, these should be used as examples to enhance and persuade other parents that it is far much better to inform all children of racism before they receive or misinterpret other information given to them by someone else, like the media. Some parents will argue that racial ignorance erases the history and experiences that led up to the freedom from racism, hence why those as parents should speak of other race’s experiences and hardships in order to prevent them from happening again. In reference to an article titled 5 Reasons We Need To Talk to Kids about Race in America by Bree Ervin, it states that parents of the white race should consider speaking to their children about race, especially by beginning at the youngest age where they can understand what they’re being told. With all the reasons given, Bree Ervin has sided with the parents who strongly suggest it is the right choice to speak out to our children about racial history and the changes that must be done to prevent history repeating itself. The strong argument is that when we are â€Å"color-blind,† we also tend to discount or dismiss other people’s experiences of race, racism, and bigotry. Parents should not only speak about racism, but should educate their children as well because educating their children about race helps them fight racism and create change. A good example of childhood education about racism would be a TED video of a woman named Chimamanda. Chimamanda Reyna 7 was a Nigerian woman that was well thought and informed at such a young age. In the TED video about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, she spoke of a childhood story where her parents educated her about the African Americans racial history and that how their own black race was a part of our country’s history, not just the perspective of the whites that most books mention. They wanted her to have more than one view on what the people of our country have gone through. Although Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s parents were not of the white race, it was still necessary for them to teach and have discuss the topic with an open mind. By informing of the past to the next generation, parents will be able to prevent racism of African Americans. It is always a difficult decision on what is right or wrong for a child to know. No matter what decision the parents end up making at the end of the day, every parent thinks they are doing what is best for their child. Some parents are worried that by not informing their children about the active racism that is and has been going on for so long in the United States, the children will only end up falling into the black hole of the negative racism attention that is occurring. Although they may have a point, the rest of the parents aren’t prejudiced nor biased nor are they influenced by any other media source or individual and have concluded that is safer not to mention or allow children to discuss racism among the family or anywhere else because it only feeds on the negative attention that it promotes. It is hard to say which is the right choice that the white parents should make about racism, but they both do indeed have good reasons behind their view on it. We have to be armed with the fact to give our kids what they are owed which is honest conversations about the reality of the world that they are inheriting, but that can only be accomplished by allowing ourselves to acknowledge that racism and issues of race and bias are still present. Just as parents were informed of racism, in my opinion, children should be educated about what is going on in our Reyna 8 country about the racism against the African American race. The best way to solve a problem like this has always been through education. Although many parents believe that the racism will never end because we continue to bring it up, the future generations [the children] will end up never understanding the past racism if it fades away with time. Parents of the white race should consider communicating with their children about racism towards African Americans, but should keep in mind about any social media influence, such as the news, that the children will encounter. The children will hear about racism, but its best that it first comes from the parents in order to prevent any further incidents of it or negative promotion. Reyna 9 Work Cited Bree Ervin. â€Å"5 Reasons We All Need to Talk to Kids about Race in America. † August 2014. Web. Journal. Magazine Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: â€Å"The Danger of a Single Story. † TED Global. July 2009. Dr. April Harris-Britt. â€Å"Why White Parents Don’t Talk About Race. † October 7, 2013. Web. McBride, James. The Color of Water. New York. The Berkley Publishing Group. 2006 Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton Ph. D. Psychology Today: â€Å"Should we talk to young children about race? † April 2011. Article.

Critical overview of the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in Dissertation

Critical overview of the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in saudi - Dissertation Example It will also discuss the procedures involved in enforcement and how these can pose a challenge to the foreign arbitrators. In clear terms, non-conformity with the Islamic Law will lead to rejection of the application for a foreign arbitral award by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Here the paper will attempt to answer the question â€Å"What policies should the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia consider taking up in order to address the limitations and difficulties faced in enforcement of foreign arbitral awards?† The proposal here shall outline the rationale or background of the problem specified by the question and after explaining this, it will outline the research method to be taken in order to reach our desired inference. This will be followed by targeted literature review and a provisional chapter outline for the contents. Elaboration of the proposal The proposal outlines the path that will be adopted by the dissertation which will focus on the Saudi Arbitration Law 1983 and the Rules for its Implementation (IR) in 1985 in order to understand and analyze the legal dimensions of the arbitration procedures under the Saudi government. It will take up a study of scholarly books and articles to provide an account of the role of Islamic schools in the Saudi legal framework and the specific articles of the law which pose a challenge to foreign arbitrators. The Code of Commercial Court of 1350H in 1950 made provisions for the conflicting sides to reach a solution to mutual disputes or disagreements. Other authentic articles available online have helped in throwing light on the legal framework and the reason behind the initiation of the need for the presence of a neutral entity or an independent arbitral forum. The renowned dispute between the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) and the government of Saudi initiated the foreign arbitrators to consider the necessity of reconsidering the Shari’ah as the sufficient framework of law to govern the energy disputes ari sing form complex issues and therefore the law could not serve as a governing one2. However a delve into the way the religion of Islam influences all decisions of the Saudi government can enable one to understand that the country is sceptical to some extent in enforcing foreign arbitral awards especially when they concern non-Saudi law of governance. Some new policies such as Article 3 of Arbitration Law in 1983 were passed owing to the economic boom of 1970 which brought about foreign companies’ investments in the nation. The Article 3 brought a shift in the position of the government towards international arbitration. Attempts have been taken to regulate the national arbitration law regarding settlement of commercial disputes3. Keeping such proceedings in the backdrop, the proposal attempts to determine the key setbacks and limitations posed during the implementation of foreign arbitral awards in the nation. This will set the ground of justification for addressing the resea rch question framed in the previous section. The process of close scrutiny of the issue present in the doctrines of the law might determine certain sensitive concerns which might deteriorate the effectiveness of commercial arbitration system in the nation. Research Methodology The research will undertake a combination of three specific approaches or methods. The first is the â€Å"

Hello Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Hello - Essay Example This necessitated that I study the management information systems (MIS). I realized this early enough and had the opportunity to change over from finance. MIS is concerned with processing data into information. I have seen how MIS enables quick and reliable referencing apart from efficient and effective coordination. I have been witnessing this while at the college administration and the library services. As far as our family business of real estate is concerned, technology such as customer relationship management (CRM) can help to enhance relations with customers and increase customer value over time. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is one used by many service organizations as it helps to develop and maintain relations with the customers. Browsing through the dailies I also understand that economic downturn and market globalization have posed a challenge to the real estate market. These challenges range from revenue-generation to cost-cutting measures. I know SAP (Systems, Applications and Products) is one such technology which integrates application for managing all types of real estate. SAP is particularly interesting to me because in Saudi Arabia real estate market and constructional development is undergoing phenomenal growth. Incorporating modern technology in the family business would add value as communication and modern technology have become fundamental for any business. I would like to employ technology to integrate green solutions in real estate projects. Green buildings have profound impact on productivity. The consequences of such projects can bring about reduction in costs while enhancing employee efficiency. It keeps the employees motivated which in turn positively impacts productivity. I am aware of the challenges that lie ahead of me in accomplishing my task. The use of technology such as SAP and CRM are fairly new to my home country. I would first need to educate the people in my

Consumer behavior - marketing strategy Term Paper

Consumer behavior - marketing strategy - Term Paper Example Some of the major factors, which influence consumers’ decision regarding purchase of a product, include price of the product, quality of the product, self-image, cultural factors, and social pressure. â€Å"Consumer behavior is deeply influenced by cultural factors such as: buyer culture, subculture, and social class† (Shah). Analysis of consumer behavior is very important for the managers because it helps them develop marketing strategies in accordance with the mindset of the consumers. Strategic Marketing Planning Masters states, â€Å"Strategic marketing is a consumer-based approach to product promotion that identifies market segments and attempts to make them more profitable by providing superior value†. Strategic marketing is the type of marketing which managers use to create such plans for the company, which should not only motivate consumers to buy the products of the company but also should increase the productivity and profitability of the company. Produ ctivity depends on the satisfaction and retention of customers of the company. When the customers will be satisfied from the products of the company, they will work as a source to attract more customers for the company and as a result, the productivity and the profitability of the company will increase. ... All of these methods have a significant importance in marketing of a company’s products. These methods really prove to be successful for the companies to make consumers buy their products. Perner states, â€Å"The study of consumers helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies†. Strategic marketing is the powerful force, which drives an organization towards achievement of desired goals and objectives regarding any innovation. A company should typically create and develop a well-written strategic marketing plan, which should be able to promote the innovative products of any organization. The main purpose of designing and implementing an appropriate strategic marketing plan encompasses two basic motives. First motive is to attract consumers towards the product whereas the second motive is to increase the productivity of the company. If a company becomes able to attract the customers in a competitive market through suitable and effective marketing techn iques, its success and competitive edge in the market can really be guaranteed. Achieving market supremacy is the mission of most of the manufacturing companies and this mission can only be achieved through developing and launching such marketing campaigns strategies, which are able to reach a large number of consumers. Market supremacy can be achieved when a company uses such modes of marketing, which make use of latest technologies like internet, emails, television adds, and other stuff like that. When the managers of a company want to create a strategic marketing plan for a new product, they consult the plan with different departments, such as, sales, administration, and operation for of identification of marketing goals. It is the role

Financial Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Financial Crisis - Essay Example ese institutions have wrongly assessed the level of risk of their operations and exposed their business, as well as the other stakeholders to enormous losses. This behavior was encouraged by credit rating agencies, which due to some conflicts of interest, failed in correctly judging the level of risk of many of these institutions, and downgraded some of them when it was too late to make a difference. Other cause which leaded to the collapse of the financial system was a combination of excessive borrowing, higher risk taking, and lack of transparency. Major U.S. banks failed in their assessment of risk by taking too much leverage, by providing credit too easily, and by not disclosing correctly all the information of their operations to the public. The government played also a role in this financial crisis. By not taking the appropriate actions to stop this crisis, the government only created more panic and uncertainty in the financial markets. It also failed in ensuring that regulators are doing their job objectively, and in the best interest of all parties in the financial markets. Finally, the crisis can also be attributed to mortgage securitization and to over-the-counter derivatives (mostly to credit default swaps). The complexity of these instruments, and most of all the lack of regulation in this matter caused a chained failure of the entire financial