FINISHING THE YEAR... Odds & ends (Part 167aa)

ENDING THE YEAR… Odds & ends 167aa)

Actually, my favorite day during Christmas was the day after. The ‘pressure’ was off and there was plenty of time to survey the ‘loot’ that everybody had collected the day before. Elle and I could play the new games the kids had received, with them, and just take it easy. It was a day of pajamas, nighties and bathrobes, although no panty pictures were allowed. Elle and I both loved turkey club sandwiches and there was plenty of turkey left over to satisfy our palate. However, lurking in the background for me was the follow up on all the changes I negotiated at the main office and the branch on Christmas Eve. I devoted the morning to Elle and the kids and right after lunch I dove into the bank situation. Hobie had been off that day so he was ‘in the dark’ and I’d made sure I let Bret, Trish and Lorie know not to say anything until I called Hobie. As I expected, he jumped to some conclusions before I had a chance to fully explain the situation. It was a long call but in the end I had the feeling that he’d support me if anything was made of it. By the time I was through talking to everybody (including Jerry, who made the most ’noise’) it was mid afternoon. In talking to both Rita and Mae I had the distinct impression that they were both looking forward to the opportunity. I sure hoped so.

Friday, as I fully expected, was a bit chaotic. To start with it was the first day of the busy period so the lobby was overflowing. Woody was still there and took over showing Mae the ‘ropes’ as far as how the somewhat antiquated drive-up equipment worked. The drive -up at the branch, with all new machinery, was much quicker and easier to operate. I made a point of checking with Lorie a number of times during the morning on her observations of Mae. I swear I didn’t ‘lead’ her at all and heard her say that Mae, in spite of only six months of experience in a very low volume office, was capable of handling the volume of a lobby teller window. However, it was my intention to leave her at the drive-up for the time being.

Because it was Woody’s last day, Liz, the auditor wanted to count her cash box before she went to lunch. She was within her rights as the auditor to do it but I felt it was like a slap in the face to her. She had an almost perfect record when it came to proving up each and every day and hadn’t done anything to make Liz suspicious. While Liz had Woody at her desk I went to Mae and asked if she was ready to handle the window on her own. I didn’t have any doubt as to what her response would be so I went back to where Woody was watching Liz do the cash count. I told her to come to my desk when Liz was finished. It took about five more minutes. I remember the look on Woody’s face… expressionless. After getting her seated I made one last attempt to find out what she’d chosen to leave but all I got was a shrug of her shoulders. When it was obvious that I wasn’t going to get a response I asked if she’d like to leave. Still, no verbal response but I did get an indication with her hands that it would be OK. I told her I’d get her last paycheck and then she’d be free to go. I really felt bad for not only her but, actually, the bank. After handing her the check she did say thank you and told me that as soon as she cashed it she’d pay me the money she owed me for the clothes Trish and I’d helped her with right after she started. I won’t say that I’d forgotten about it because in thinking about why she might’ve quit I kept going back to the situation with the panties. It took her a while because the lobby lines were long and she had it figured out, right to the penny. I asked where she was off to and she, again, went back to being silent. I stood up and thanked her for being a good employee and wished her luck. The thing I remember the most from that moment was there was no emotion in her face at all. It was hard to believe she was the same, bubbly, happy girl that I’d hired just a few months earlier.

Other than that, the day went well. No on line computer problems was a definite plus. By the time the last customer left, all the tellers had gotten to know Mae. I used Trish as my ‘ears’ and the comments were favorable. I’d called the branch and talked with Betsy a number of times. Rita had come in and picked up where she’d left off when she was laid off. Jerry, after getting over his ’snit’ about not being a part of the process to bring Rita back and moving Mae, quieted down and, to quote Betsy, “went back in his shell”. Hearing that, I felt most of the ‘drama’ that had popped up on Monday was now past and pretty much under control.

Monday was actually a busier day than Friday. I made sure to keep my eye on Mae and she seemed to have everything under control. I had a surprise show up at my desk in the person of Lynda. I’d made any number of attempts to get her to open an account with the bank but she always had an excuse. But here she was with a check for $1,000. I took note that the check came from her father-in law’s car dealership but didn’t say anything. She was in a hurry and said she couldn’t wait to get her passbook. She suggested that I bring it to the New year’s Eve party at Michael’s being held by the brokerage office the following afternoon. I’d sort of promised that I’d come but this would make sure that I’d show up. It reminded me that I hadn’t mentioned anything about the party to Elle and wasn’t looking forward to telling her. The “group”, which had been sort of resurrected when Elle and I held the party in which I’d been ‘blindsided’ by being recruited  to run for the school board, was holding a ‘progressive’ dinner party. That’s one where we would be visiting four separate homes for different courses. We were saddled with the hor’s d’oeuvres and the second stop. I wasn’t looking forward to it.

New Year’s Eve at the bank turned out to be relatively quiet. There was even time to grab a bite to eat for lunch. I’d asked Trish to bring me back a sandwich from the luncheonette across the street and took it to down to the break room. I had no idea who would be there and was pleased to find Mae, and alone. It gave me a chance to get her ‘read’ on the main office. She’d only been there two full days and part of a third and she already had a couple of suggestions that she felt would move things along.They weren’t things that could be done without some planning but they had merit. That impressed me.

Because it hadn’t been all that busy during the day it meant the general proof went smoothly and allowed me to let everybody go early… and allowed me to get over to the the brokerage New year’s Eve party at a reasonable time. I figured I’d stay for about a half hour and be home in plenty of time to make all aspects of the progressive dinner party… and keep Elle in a good mood.

To be continued...