HEADING FOR SUMMER... and whatever it brings (Part 160d)

HEADING FOR SUMMER… and whatever it brings (Part 160d)

Seeing new, modern phone equipment being placed on their desks was definitely a positive for the employees. Most of the bank’s phones were 20 plus years old with rotary dials, black and heavy and were flat out ugly. The new ones were beige, much lighter and with push buttons. The only thing was that it would take some time until we’d be able to use them. The old ones were ‘hard wired’ and to connect the new ones, adapters had to be spliced onto each and every phone wire. That, and the fact that the new operating console had to be programmed and tested. By the time the day was over I had a good handle on when we’d be up and running. Even with four technicians it was slow going. The one ‘hitch’ was they wanted access to the building on Saturday. It was the only way they’d be able to make sure everything worked as designed. Because I was an officer, had keys and the fact I was also the assumed operations person, it looked like I’d be the one. There was no way in hell I'd trust Jerry. Bret couldn’t do it because his wife worked on Saturdays and he was the baby sitter. I won’t say it was beneath Hobie to do it but I didn’t want to be the one to ask. However, it was only Tuesday afternoon and there was still some time for things to change.

By the time I got around to thinking about Jerry, and the new ‘rules’ he was to operate under, it was almost 3pm. I still hadn’t seen the applications for the people he’d hired so I headed for Hobie’s area. When he gave them to me he did so with one comment… I was not to question Jerry’s choices. The bank was committed to hiring those people and they would be starting in another week. As I walked away he called out to me to start planning for their training. I hoped he didn’t see me shaking my head from side to side.

At my desk I noticed there were only four applications forms. Jerry said he’d hired five and then it came to me the missing application belonged to the woman he’d picked as his assistant. I quickly perused the four and the experience that each had. There was one name that jumped out at me. I recognized the woman’s last name as being the same as a former stock car driver I’d watched back when the local race track had opened some fifteen years prior. I wondered if she was related and was immediately anxious to meet her. She had experience as a cashier so that part was good. Another applicant was not even 20 years old and only out of school for a year. Her background seemed to be as a clerk but the application wasn’t clear on that. The third one had just graduated and, other than part time work at a supermarket, had no appreciable experience with dealing with the public or with money. I could only hope that the experience for the last one looked better, at least on paper. Initially, it didn’t look good. Her birth date had her at my age but she hadn’t worked in many years. I couldn’t discern what she actually did when she did work and just sat there wondering what Jerry had used as a criterion for his choices. I’d casually shaken my head from side to side when walking away from Hobie’s area but now it was much more violent. I don’t remember what my exact thoughts were but sitting here typing this I can tell you they weren’t good. Right now I’d say it was probably something like “What the hell was he thinking!!!!”

The next day was when the branch committee was to convene and meet the woman Jerry had committed to as being his assistant. It wasn’t to happen until 2pm so they could be finished in time for the mortgage committee to meet (Just think of all the $$ these guys were racking up just for attending meetings!). I kept busy by following up on a lot of the final construction details at the branch. Benny, the sign guy, showed up with detailed drawings of what the signs for each side of the branch building would look like at around lunch time. Hobie was walking out the front door so I called him over to take a look. As soon as I did I realized it was a mistake. He, quite casually, said it might be a good idea to show the drawings to the branch committee. I wanted to hit myself in the head. I was really mad and I told Benny why, warning him that there might be a delay in starting the project. He made a face but said he’d try to work with us.

When I say I was mad, I’m not exaggerating. Id been trying to keep my boss updated even though there had been no direction to do so and gotten 'bitten' by it. That must've been the reason to go over to his area and to look for the ‘missing’ application. I didn’t have to do much to find it as there was an open folder with the application right there. I knew I didn’t have much time so turned the page to see her experience. When I read that she was working for the bank that Jerry had worked for, the ‘bells’ went off in my head. In spite of my immediate anger I was able to see what position she held… head teller. Shaking my head from side to side was getting to be a habit.

I’d been upset when I was told I’d have to bring the sign drawings to the branch committee meeting. However, it turned out to be a good thing… a VERY good thing. I’d been looking for the woman who Jerry had picked as his assistant (although he’d not been told he could do so) and when I saw one walk up to Trish’s desk  I pretty much knew she was the one. As far as looks go… I wasn’t the least bit impressed. Average everything would pretty much cover her description ... with one exception. She was wearing a tight fitting ‘pencil’ skirt and as she turned to head for the elevator I could see the outlines of the elastics of her panty leg openings. My eyes followed her to the elevator door. At that point all I could do was wait to be called.

It was after 2pm, the time the meeting was to start, when I saw ‘Gee’, the Trustee/attorney, rushing across the lobby. I had a good handle on just which Trustees were on each committee and I knew he wasn’t on the branch committee.  I wondered what that was about. While waiting I got a call from J J wanting to know if I knew who the woman was sitting in Bert’s (the president) office. Typical J J! I told him my thoughts but wondered why, if she was the subject of the meeting, she wasn’t inside with the committee. I’d hardly hung the phone up when Trish told me I was wanted in the Board room. Now I was really confused. I don’t know why I chose to go up the front stairs but I did and saw Mary Carol talking with one of the Northern Telecom technicians. He was holding a relatively small piece of equipment in his hands and as I walked up to them heard him say that it would replace the whole PBX board that was in front of her. It didn’t seem possible but little did I know we were on the forefront of the technical revolution.

To be continued…