MORE... surprises and changes (Part 138m)

MORE... surprises and changes (Part 138m)

As I’d previously written, Gina was the teller that was to be on vacation for the upcoming week. Actually, she wasn’t eligible for vacation time (employees had to pass their one year anniversary first) but had accrued some sick days. She wasn’t going ‘on vacation’ but was going to be staying with her daughter in the hospital. She’d been born with a congenital heart condition and this was the third operation for her. Because of the situation caused by Bret letting it be known that Lorie was to become the chief clerk, Gina felt betrayed and blamed me. The best way to describe our relationship after that was ‘strained’. However, when I found out about the upcoming operation I went to Hobie to see if the bank could make a bit of an exception for her and it was approved. I let Bret be the one to tell her and I stayed in the background. But, being a parent and truly concerned I decided to take the initiative and to have a talk with her before she left for the night and for the week.

After she’d proved up, when I tried to get to her she was on her way out to pay a bill. She promised to return and she did, right after Trish had left out. The two of us went to the back work area where I’d waited for Trish to make her exit since there was no one there. I told her how much I was concerned about her and her daughter and, more or less, pleaded with her to forget about what had happened with the chief clerk position. I wanted her to know that I really cared about her as a person and that if there was anything, money included, that she needed, to let me know. As I looked at her I could see she was holding back tears. I patted her arm and told her to get going. The last thing I needed at that time was an emotional woman on my hands.

By then it was close to 5:30pm and I wasn’t about to start in on a project, especially being a Friday night. All I wanted to do was get home to tell Elle about the ‘windfall’ we were about to receive with the return of the dollars I’d paid into the bank’s retirement system. I had just sat down to clear my desk when I saw Mala headed in my direction from the back door. I hadn’t seen her leave but then again many of the employees would leave by using the back stairs which weren't visable to me. She never hesitated when she got to the gate and blasted right on through. She hadn’t reached my desk when I heard her blurt out ”Eight hundred dollars!“ I could see she was agitated and, it hadn’t been all that long since her mother, also agitated, had left Cara’s window. I had no idea what the dollar figure meant and just stared at her. She could see I was confused and then blurted out ”For the car! You asked me about it last week!“ I remember taking a deep breath as I tried to put it all together. Finally I asked if her husband was willing to sell it to me and explained that the last I’d heard from him was that he wouldn’t sell it to me if I was the last person on earth. For whatever reason hearing that that made her more upset as she crossed her arms across her chest. Then she asked if I wanted it or not.

I sat there trying to put all the pieces together and after a minute or so told her that not only was this the first I’d heard that I could buy it but it was also the first time I’d heard a price. I told her that was what I’d wanted from her husband when he called but he’d blown me off. I told her that I had to think about it for a bit and also had to call my wife. She backed away and had a resigned look on her face as she did. I asked her to wait in the lobby while I called. She turned and headed for the benches on far wall of the lobby.

I had no intention of calling Elle. I knew the General manager of the local Chevrolet dealer as he was a steady customer at the bank. I knew that Mala’s husband was a die hard Chevy man and wouldn’t buy any other kind of car so that the new car that Mala’s mother had referenced was a Chevy. I hoped that in making a deal that he'd tried to negotiate a trade-in and that if he did I’d use my friendship with the GM to find out what they’d offered. Henry (the GM) was a really good guy... a straight shooter... and told me they’d offered approximately $600 as a trade-in. Then I asked what he’d put it out on the lot for. He hesitated a bit and said that they’d probably ask $850 but would take $800. Before we hung up Henry said he was to turn over the new car to Mala’s husband that evening. That was nice to know. I thanked him, hung up but pretended to stay on the line. I needed the time to rationalize my purchase of the car.

My car was a ‘55 Chevy and was really starting to show it’s age. The 55’s would rust out over the headlights and to fix that was pain. I was going to have to get tires before Winter so that was the (economic) basis. The other part (subjective) was that one of the guys that worked up at my friend James’ service station knew Mala’s husband and joked about how much he loved the car. I’d never looked at the mileage but everything on and about the car was pristine. In fact, Bret told me that until he married Mala, the car hardly ever was out in the rain. Then... there was the performance factor. The 1962’s were the first of the new higher powered 327 cubic inch V8 engines and this one had a 4 barrel carbuerator and a special 4 speed transmission. I wanted it.

When I put the receiver back in the cradle I went to Cara’s window, filled out a withdrawal slip for $700 and got seven $100 bills. The whole time I was doing this Mala was watching. With the money in hand I called her over. I waved it in front of her and told her I’d pay $700 and not a penny more and made sure she saw all seven of the bills. She never said a word. After staring at me and at the money she headed for the back door. By then I pretty much knew her husband was outside but, because he was such a jerk, he wouldn’t come in because he'd be embarrassed by talking to me after what had been said the previous Friday. Sure enough, Mala was back in less than five minutes, shaking her head and saying $750. I turned to Cara and told her to redeposit the money back into my account. Mala just stood there but after a few seconds sort of shouted out ”Wait!“ and headed for the back door once again. By then it was almost 6pm. We’d had very little lobby traffic so Mala and I’d been putting on a ‘show’ for the other tellers and Joanie.

I wasn’t surprised when Mala came back with a look of relief on her face. She said he’d take the $700. But, that was when I said I wanted him to write out a bill of sale with the car’s serial and motor numbers, and sign it over to me before I’d give him (or Mala) the money. By then she was really upset. While this negotiation was going on Cara had volunteered that Mala’s mother had probably gotten on him so bad about not paying cash for the new car that he’d backed down. Since Mala, her husband and baby lived with her mother, it made sense.

It was at about 6:20pm that I became the official owner of the car. Since they’d taken the plates off it the car had to stay in the bank parking lot. I knew I could borrow a set of dealer’s plates from Henry but there was no way I was going to do it that night. With Mala and her husband headed there when they left I didn't want to get close. It would have to be on Saturday which actually worked out better as it’d give me time to break the news to Elle.

To be continued...