INTO SUMMER… a busy time (Part 173k)
I’d been keeping Bret up to
date on the proposed new branch so when I got a call from Morris, the consultant
the bank had hired to guide us through the application process, he was
able to pick up on the conversation. It had been stalled by a suit filed
by another bank. Morris had been keeping me ‘in the loop’ and I really
appreciated it. I’d been made a non voting member of the branch
committee at the bank but my least favorite Trustee, “Polack Joe”, had
made if difficult for me to be a part of the meetings so Morris let me
know directly. The ’news’ was that a hearing would be held in August
and a decision was expected in September.
Another call came from
my salesman friend, Paul, from whom I’d bought small give-away items for
years. About a year earlier he’d told me he was getting out of that
business and was going to start publishing a weekly newsletter focused
on high Certificate of Deposit rates from all over the country. However,
it hadn’t yet turned profitable and he’d returned to selling the
give-aways. But what he called about was to tell me he and his wife were
now separated. When I’d met with him the last time he’d brought along a
good friend who was visiting from Bermuda where he was the manager of a
cottage colony. In the process of telling me about the separation he
told me he and his wife were supposed to go to Bermuda to visit the
friend in September but now were definitely not going. He wanted to know
if I had any interest.
If there ever was something I was not
prepared for… it was that. When I had met his friend, Roger, Elle and I
already had a reservation to go to Bermuda that Fall. But Roger provided
me with brochures that outlined his complex and invited us to stop by
and see him during our stay. We did and were duly impressed. I’d made an
off-hand comment at the time about how we’d love to be able to stay
there but didn’t really think it was possible. I knew I had to say
something to Paul but I didn’t know what. My hesitation was picked up by
him and he gave me an ‘out’ when he said he knew I’d have to work some
things out. He told me to get back to him the early part of the
following week and closed with something that hit me between the eyes…
the price for five days would approximately 1/3 below the going price. I
have no idea if I said anything other than to say thanks for thinking
of me.
It was hard to concentrate at work after that. When Elle
and I’d gone to Bermuda the previous Fall we stayed at a big hotel… and
it was nice and we came home with a lot of good memories. But in the
short time we’d been to Roger’s cottage colony I was really impressed.
Way smaller but at the same time it was special. Special in that guests
seemed to be almost catered to. I remember Elle and I discussing the
place on our way back to our hotel but I’d glanced at the cost I knew
we’d not be able to afford it. I still hadn’t done anything with the
money from the recent sale of my oil stock and I took a look at just how much
was in the account. That proved to be a mistake. I did some quick
calculations based on the prices I remembered from when we were there
and applied the discount that Paul had mentioned. The result… we could
do it if we really squeezed the budget. I debated with myself all the
way home as to weather I should bring it up to Elle.
I was still
undecided when I walked into the kitchen. I didn’t like the look on
Elle’s face and immediately looked for the kids. I looked to my right
and into where the kitchen table was and saw they were all there. I
asked if she was OK and she nodded affirmatively. Then I asked why she
looked troubled. After excusing the kids from the table she sat down and
told me my mother had stopped by. She didn’t have to go any further
because I almost knew where she was going with her answer. My mother
could be ‘charming’ and could also be quite ‘obtuse’ as she was when she
visited Elle in the hospital. She would get a thought in her head and
then, in her desire to pursue it, wouldn’t think it through. And, that
was the case once again.
When Elle was pregnant my mother got it
in her head that the baby would be a boy and she’d have a grandson and
the surname would carry on for another generation. As I’d written, Elle
and I were both blindsided with the advent of the pregnancy but were
determined to see it through. With the miscarriage I wasn’t all that
unhappy. Elle, because she’d been carrying the baby, had the time to
really think about it and was mildly upset. When we talked about it in
the hospital she wasn’t devastated about the loss and I worked hard to
keep her positive reminding her that it would only be a year until she
could start teaching full time, something she’d been looking forward to
for years. Then my mother visited Elle and said some things that upset
her. I got on my mother and let her know she was out of line and thought
the subject had been put to rest. BUT… my mother couldn’t let it go. Earlier
that day she asked Elle what we were going to name the baby if it was a
boy. After hearing Elle’s experience I knew I had to bring up the
Bermuda deal.
We’d both been financially practical since our
marriage. Elle didn’t ask for much and even my involvement with
race cars had never put us in debt. The mortgage was the only thing we
owed money on. As soon as she heard my proposal she looked at me as if I
were crazy and added a few words to confirm it. I’d had the idea she’d
take that position but after she’d expressed herself I assured her that
we would not be going into debt by doing it. She understood very little
of the financial markets and when I’d told of the profit on the last
stock I’d sold it didn’t impress her one way or the other. After giving
her a few minutes to think about it I asked if she remembered our visit
to the cottage colony. That brought a smile to her face which gave me
the opening to start to ‘sell’ her on the idea. It would only be eight
weeks until we’d be on our way and would be a way to extend the Summer
without all the day to day hassles living at home did. She didn’t give me an answer and I
didn’t press her for one hoping that a night to think about it would be
good.
I lay in bed, still upset with my mother, trying to think
of a way of getting back at her. The funny thing about the offer to go
back to Bermuda was that of all the places in the world to go on a
vacation it was my mother’s favorite. My parents had gone there
for their honeymoon and my father had promised to take my mother back
every five years to celebrate their anniversary. The promise was broken
for their 10th anniversary because it was in the middle of WWII but they
made it back for their 15th. My mother’s health put an end to it at
that point but my mother wouldn't let go of her dream of returning again.
When we told her that we were going there to celebrate our 10th
anniversary she went out of her way to tell us about the island and
about places to visit. Upon our return she made us show her
our pictures and as were were leaving she made an off-hand comment that
if we ever got an opportunity to go there again she’d help us out. It
was while trying to come up with some way to make her realize that she’d
hurt Elle with her question that I remembered that offer. I fell asleep
with that on my mind.
To be continued…
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