Page 28 - James Caan - The Real Deal

The Real Deal

would unbolt the back door and leave the latchkey under the
doormat.
I didn’t drink or smoke, and there weren’t any girls involved, so
going out was just about me and my mates having a laugh and
enjoying the music. We probably thought we were very cool, like
John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. As far as I knew, my
parents didn’t have a clue about my social life, and so I kept on
sneaking out whenever I could. Looking back, it’s clear to me that
I just wanted to break free. The expectation that I would join the
family business was starting to feel like real pressure, and I felt the
need to rebel before I started my years of service.
Occasionally I would try to say to my father that ‘I might like
to do my own thing’, but as soon as I started that kind of
conversation he would end it. My father was a very strong
character and he was absolutely adamant that I would join his
business. When he had made up his mind that was it. You weren’t
going to talk him out of it.
He would often say things like, ‘I came to this country, and I built
this for you.’ Every sentence was loaded with the words ‘I’m doing
this for you, I’m doing this for your wellbeing and your education.’
Culturally, among many, if not most, Asian entrepreneurs it’s all
about handing the business on to your kids. You establish
something for your sons, and they carry it on; that’s just the way it
is, and so that was always his mindset. It’s a bit like arranged
marriages: if you’re brought up in an environment where arranged
marriages are standard, it’s just accepted, there’s no debate because
it’s just what happens. It’s the same with businesses: they are built
to be taken over by the sons, and that’s just the way it works.
The couple of times I remember actually tackling him about this,
the conversation was over within seconds. After a few attempts,
there was no point mentioning that I wanted to try to build
something on my own, as it would only start a row. He would tell
me of his plans to start a biker range or to open our own factory,

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