SUMMER HEAT... so much going on (Part 161z)

SUMMER HEAT… so much going on (Part 161z)

As we were getting into the station wagon the old geezer who owned the place came rushing out. He wanted to know if we had fun. I, surprisingly, did but with Elle’s ‘problem’ I couldn’t speak for her. I told him that we did but that we didn’t really know what we were doing. That brought a smile and also an offer. He said if I bought ten ‘passes’ for $30 he’d throw in a half hour lesson for free. I didn’t have $30 on me so I told him I’d think about it. He immediately came back with a better offer… 10 ‘passes’ for $25. I don’t remember just how much money I did have but pulled out my wallet and gave him what I had, promising he’d get the rest when we showed up the next time. That seemed to make him happy. Elle’s attitude, upon hearing the deal, turned decidedly better and started in badgering me to find out when we’d do it again.

We were back home before Barbara arrived. That pleased Elle because it avoided any chance of embarrassment. We were all on the screened in porch and it was just about dark when we saw headlights making the turn into the driveway. The car never came all the way up to the top. After a short stop it just backed out and headed towards town. I recognized Barbara more from her short stature than from a facial view as she made her way to the porch steps. She joined us and was her usual bubbly self. She wanted to tell us that after she and her father had eaten they had gone to see the current status of their new house. She indicated that her father hadn’t been too happy after realizing that nothing had been done since the previous week. We’d driven past it the day we spent visiting with my parents and the twins and I’d failed to take much notice of it. I asked some questions and Barbara suggested that if we wanted she could show us around one night during the week. Elle was all for it so it was agreed that the next night I got home at a reasonable hour we’d do it.

With the diversion of the golf and Barbara I’d managed to push matters concerning the bank to the background. But, with the peacefulness of the kids in bed I couldn’t let it continue. My concern was what the fall out of the branch committee meeting would be. Being somewhat paranoid by then I was sure that some of the blame on the poor acceptance of the branch would be thrust on me. Just thinking of that possibility got me mad.... and kept me that way until bedtime… and after. I slept fitfully and decided to head in to work a bit early. For a reason that I can’t remember I decided to take the North road which took me past Lorie’s house. Every time I went that way I would tell myself to do it more often in hopes of getting a full wash line of panties. Not only did I get that but I also got to see Lorie, wearing a light housecoat, as she finished hanging some items on the line. If I’d parked across the road I’m sure I would’ve seen her silhouette because the sun was behind her. It was a pleasant diversion to start the day.

I poked around my desk until I saw Hobie come through the back entryway. I met him out in the lobby and he, of course, knew what I wanted. Following him into his work area I waited for him to get settled before sitting down, all the while sort of holding my breath. It was obvious he didn’t know where to begin but he said the branch committee wanted to have the board take a look at finding another advertising agency. I think my butt left the seat when I heard that. I immediately protested noting that the main office, with a lot of direct banking competition, was exceeding the results of the campaign from a year ago. Hobie let me rant for a minute before saying that there was nothing we could do about it… the committee was looking for a scapegoat… and the agency was the most obvious target. Then he hit me with a real ‘bomb’. After the meting was over, Bert had called Gee (the attorney/trustee) and had him come down to the bank. He said they had asked one member of the branch committee to stay and the four of them looked over some of the things that I’d given to Hobie. Before ending their meeting they'd called Morris. I sat there almost not believing what I was hearing. Hobie smiled when he was explaining how hard it was to get Morris to actually talk with them and that brought a smile to my face. The end result of the call was that the four of them were to meet with Morris early the following week. I didn’t know what to say. I was still troubled that the ad agency was going to be ’thrown under the bus’ so did mention that. Hobie reminded me that the full board wouldn’t be meeting for another week and that, hopefully, the meeting with Morris would prove fruitful. Once back at my desk I was tried to put the events of the past two days together, sorting through the ‘high and lows’, but coming to the realization that Hobie had come through on my behalf. I’d been right to go to him the previous day.

Hobie added one thing more and that was the branch committee decided to continue the new account gift campaign for another week and to re-run all the ads in the media that covered the branch area. Word had gotten out to most of the Trustees about the underwhelming acceptance of the new branch so Hobie told Bret and I to “make yourselves scarce” on Wednesday afternoon when some of them would be in for the mortgage committee meeting.

I decided I'd go to the branch that afternoon and take most of the extra gifts the main office had and add them to their inventory. It was also a way for me to be able to get home a little early. Bret wasn’t too happy about that since Wednesday was the last day for the program at the main office and past history had shown there was a last minute ‘push’ to make deposits and get to get interest credit from the first.

The decision to eliminate the temporary help for opening new accounts at the branch had been a good one. Betsy said they had never been overwhelmed and everything was going smoothly. I asked about Jerry and was told he'd been "helpful". I got sort of a wry smile when I asked about his office door and she said the only times she’d seen it closed was when a customer had made a bit of a scene in the lobby and Jerry had escorted her into his office. I asked about what had caused it and she laughed. It was a woman who claimed the electric drill she’d chosen didn’t work. Jerry tried to see if it was defective but couldn’t figure it out. Mae happened by and through the window saw Jerry struggling. She went in only to find out the problem was that they weren’t using the key to lock the drill into the chuck. I remember looking over to where Jerry was and shaking my head and thinking "What a looser!"

I went over the gift inventory and projected what would be needed for another week and with what I'd added found they had plenty. I stayed until they did the general proof and when it balanced I headed for home. Twice in one week and during the busy period, to boot! This time I called Elle to warn her I’d be early. She seemed a little upset saying she’d called the office but no one knew where I was. I sort of winced because I’d only mentioned it to Bret and, obviously, he’d not passed it on. I wanted to know why she was trying to reach me and all she said was to call Cliffy.

To be continued…