BACK TO WORK... suprises & changes (Part 137g)

BACK AT WORK... surprises & changes (Part 137g)

When the call came I was more than ready. Hobie had told me to walk right in without knocking and when I did I saw him at the other end of the room by the flip chart. Only a few of the Trustees turned to look at me as I entered but one was my least favorite, ‘Polak Joe’. I stood in the back of the room listening to Hobie go over the reasons why it was time to make a change, noting the attention (or lack thereof) of the older members. When Hobie asked if there were any questions the first one to speak was ‘Polak Joe’. However, it was only a for few words before Gee, who had assumed the chair for this discussion, broke in , reminding Joe that he was only a ‘guest’ and, as he had been censured, had no voice at the meeting. I can vividly remember having to put my top teeth over my bottom lip and biting down to keep from smiling. Hobie got to the part about cost and potential savings when one of the curmudgeons sort of shouted out something along the lines of ”I don’t trust all this new fangled stuff and I vote No!“ Gee stated that there was no motion on the floor and that there was still discussion to be held.

There were a few more questions before Hobie brought up the item that we had concluded would be the most difficult one to address... the cost of new teller machines. I’d made up one flip chart showing that the existing machines had been written off years ago. As Hobie pointed to that chart he mentioned that the manufacturer had given us notice that they would no longer offer service contracts on our existing equipment. The clincher was that the bank would need to buy equipment for the proposed branch and it would have to be compatible with that at the main office. I stood there thinking that Hobie had made a good presentation... until another old geezer stated that he thought we (the bank) were being sold ”a bill of goods“. Because he was the senior member in terms of service, he commanded an audience. Hobie, sensing that there might be a problem with getting the necessary resolutions passed, motioned for me to leave. I really didn’t want to because I wanted to witness just who the ones who were against it were and to hear their reasons.

Bret was at his desk and he was dying to know what was happening. I felt really bad that I couldn’t say anything. He pleaded for a hint but I was resolute and wouldn’t give in. I did tell him that if he wanted to wait until the meeting was over that Hobie might share the information. He just made a sour face upon hearing that.

Trish had gone about handing out the tickets to the community picnic and when she gave me mine. I put them on my desk calendar and tried to busy myself with the unopened mail. Bret waited until 5:30pm when he had to leave to babysit his kids. Feeling bad for him I promised that I’d call before I left for home. It was after 6pm when the first of the Trustees started appearing. I told Hank he could go to avoid the caustic comments he was known for when he had to stay past 5:30pm even though I was uncomfortable, one on one, with most of the Trustees. Waiting for the last one was agony but I didn’t want to ask what had happened. When I saw Hobie he was with Gee so I headed that way. About halfway to them I saw Hobie give me a thumbs up signal but also motioned me away. I know I let out an audible sigh. Hobie said he’d catch me up in the morning but I had all the news I needed.

I didn’t want to make the call to Bret while they were there so drove over to his house. Pulling into his driveway I was greeted with a double dose of panties hanging on wash lines. The neighbor to his right had their line right next to the property line so it was a close up view. They were nylon and I was pretty sure they were Vanity Fair from the cut of them. The lady who lived there was middle aged but still had her looks. Then, in Bret’s yard were more but I pretty much knew they were Carter's cotton as I knew what his wife wore. He was waiting at the back door. He’d pretty much figured it out since he’d gotten fairly close to Robby, the man who serviced our equipment. I spent way more time than I’d wanted to and it was almost like he didn’t want me to leave. Of course, the overriding question was ‘When would it all happen?’

Normally, I didn’t talk about work to Elle, However, it was almost 8pm as I pulled up the driveway and I was hungry. Elle had put my dinner in the refrigerator so she warmed it up as I got out of my work clothes. The kids were occupied so I suggested that we go out to the screened porch to eat. My head was splitting with a headache what with all the had happened during the day but, for some unknown reason, I wanted to talk about it. I’d lived it but hearing myself describe the day was almost surreal. Elle stayed quiet, letting me talk for almost an hour. It was past the kids bedtime but they didn’t complain. When I finally shut up Elle said she had some news of her own.

Martin, Sabrina’s boyfriend, showed up after she’d fed the kids. He stopped by to see if we had a key to Sabrina’s garage as he’d left some things in there. Elle said she asked if he’d heard from her and what was happening with the house. The short version was the ”daddy had pulled the plug“ on her writing career (such as it was) and was putting the house on the market. She said she asked, in a roundabout way, if he and Sabrina were still together and didn’t get a yes or no answer. We didn’t have any keys so she said Marin had gone not fifteen minutes before I arrived.

I knew the next day was going to be a rough one as well and, feeling the way I did, went to bed early. It didn’t help as I rolled and tossed all night. During my waking hours I was reviewing all the things that had to be done prior to the changeover to the service bureau. When I realized that both Hobie and I had overlooked the fact that both Laurie and Jaz would be, technically, out of a job, it woke me up, all the way. It was a definite problem and had to be resolved before the announcement was made to the banking floor staff. I was up, showered and shaved by 7am but didn’t have a clue as to what to do about the two women. Finally, I went back upstairs, kissed Elle good bye and headed for the bank hoping that an idea would come to me on the way.

To be continued...