(aka Bike) Part 1432 by Angharad Copyright © 2011 Angharad
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“What time is it?” I asked bleary eyed as Simon was dressing at the foot of the bed.
“Go back to sleep, I’ve got to go up to Town.”
“What for?”
“This Euro-crisis thing–we could lose loads.”
None of this made sense to me, especially how some lily-livered investors or speculators could cause a national currency to fail or lose billions. “I didn’t think you were that linked to Europe.”
“Of course we are, and the States–it’s all one big trough these days and we take turn dipping our snouts.”
“I thought the States was in a mess–haven’t seen the paper for a couple of days–Daddy took it to work.”
“They’ve managed to avoid a default–but it’s a total mess–thanks to those fruit-cakes in the tea-party who have the Republicans by the short and curlies. It’s mad the loonies are running the asylum.”
“Or the tail wagging the dog?” I added trying to show I was listening.
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Are we going to be alright–I mean if something awful happened to the bank?”
“Yeah, we have some squirreled away which is untouchable and the bank is public liability covered.”
“I’ll have to go back to work if we need it.”
“I think we’ll manage, babes, but it’s nice of you to offer–must go and do my hunter gatherer bit.”
“You’re not going anywhere without some food inside you.” I started to get out of bed before realising I was naked. “Oops, where’s my nighdress?”
“Oh babes, get dressed before I forget what I’m supposed to be doing and do you instead.”
I wiggled my bare bum at him as I picked up my nightie from the floor by the side of the bed. He slapped it and I jumped up. He pulled me round and kissed me, “I love you, girl.”
I held him tight then kissed him passionately–“I love you too, darling.”
“C’mon, breakfast, I’ve got to catch that train or I’ll be late for the board meeting.”
“Well you drive carefully–I don’t want you hurting or killing yourself in that car.”
“If I did, you realise you’d inherit my shares and my place on the board.”
My stomach did a flip–“You what?”
“You heard me.”
“I heard but don’t believe you–what do I know about banking?”
“You’re a fast learner and besides we do have advisers–financial, legal and so on. We do very little without brainstorming even the most bizarre outcome.”
“I’ll bet I was one you hadn’t considered.”
“Not entirely, I discussed it with Dad and Stella before I married you.”
“I should hope so, I talked to Spike and she gave me great advice.”
“Which was?”
“How do I know–I don’t speak dormouse–who d’ya think I am, Dr Doolittle?”
“I’d have thought you did speak it, I mean that bloody thing used to do everything you told it to, including performing tricks.”
“Oh come off it, Si, she does exactly what she wants like all dormice and pretty well all animals except possibly dogs–they’re stupid enough to listen to humans–the most destructive and malicious of all vertebrates–if we were some sort of bug, it would be something like Escherichia coli.”
“I think that might be something of an over-generalisation, Cathy.”
“Breakfast,” I said quietly before dashing down the stairs to make him some toast and coffee and myself tea. I had the kettle on and the bread in the toaster before I glanced at the clock–“Si, it’s only half past four.”
“I did tell you to go back to sleep.”
“Why so early?”
“The meeting is at seven, I have one or two things to do first.”
I kissed him again and buttered his toast offering him the marmalade I’d made a few weeks earlier with the girls. Billie had bottled some of it and Trish and Livvie did the rest. He slathered it thickly on his toast while I poured his coffee. It was just beginning to show a glimmer of daylight–the days were noticeably shortening and I shivered a little at the thought. Then wondered how we’d cope without all his money–I’d done so before I met him, besides I had some of my own and several properties that were paid for, so we’d get by–and I was prepared to work–even stacking shelves in a supermarket if I needed to–after all loads of other decent folk did it and I had in the past when I was a student.
While he was eating, I rushed upstairs and dressed very quickly and offered to take him to the station. He declined so I insisted and he shrugged. I quickly drank half my tea and scoffed a banana. He shook his head and grumbled that I didn’t eat enough.
I took him to the station in my Porsche and reluctantly let him go–I loved him so much–I didn’t want him to go away from me–at the same time I knew he had to go and I was being silly.
It was just after five o’clock when he left me and scampered after the train which was just arriving. I was left without much purpose. It was too early to go back and do things, and too late to go back to bed–besides I was too wide awake now.
On a whim I drove to the flats where I’d spent a very different year in very different accommodation to how I lived now–how things can change. I stopped and gazed at the building, I wondered who had my old room and were the two miscreants still there–I doubted it–that was three or four years ago–how time flies.
I turned down the road and passed the Patel’s shop–Mr Patel was still there opening up–goodness he worked some hours. I stopped the car and grabbed my bag–I checked I had my purse–I’d buy a few things to say thanks for old time’s sake.
He’s gone back into the shop and had his back to the door as I went in. He turned round but didn’t recognise me. I gathered a few bits and pieces–his prices were significantly more than the supermarket–but so what?
He rang things up on the cash register and just before he got to the end I saw a croissant I fancied–was really awake and hungry. “Could I have that croissant, as well, Mr Patel?”
He looked at me, “I know you, lady, don’t I?”
“I’ve probably changed a bit since we last met.”
“It is, Catherine, is it not?” He stared quite hard at me.
“I knew I couldn’t fool you, Mr Patel.”
“Vait there,” he disappeared into the back of the shop and moments later came back with his wife. “See, it is her.”
“My goodness gracious, it is her–Catherine–vhy have you taken so long to come and see us–come through, Raj, I make us all breakfast.”
“You vant me to close the shop?”
“No, you elephant’s vinky, just come through vhen it’s quiet–come, my dear,” she led me through to the back of the shop and their little sitting room.
In a halting manner–mainly because of the interruptions from customers–I related how things had progressed since I’d last seen them.
“You are married voman with children–my goodness–you don’t vaste time, Catherine.”
“Worse, you realise who I married?”
“No–some tall, dark and handsome and mysterious prince,” she joked.
“He’s tall, dark and handsome but only a viscount.”
“Vhat is viscount?”
“He’s an aristocrat–Lord Simon Cameron.”
“And you are married to him?”
“Yeah, he tricked me into it.”
“He tricked you?”
“Oh he knew all about my past, and I’ve been sorted for three years now.”
“Sorted?” Mrs Patel looked at me in astonishment.
He looked on and sniggered, “She is now voman down below, like you, yes?”
“More or less,” I blushed.
“Ah, now I see–proper voman, now,” she nodded.
“Yeah–no regrets.”
“You’re very pretty lady,” she smiled, “Ve very proud of you.”
“Vhy are you up so early?” asked Mr Patel.
“Simon had a board meeting of the bank in London, I ran him to the station.”
“You are married to Cameron the bank owner?” Mr Patel gasped.
“Yes, sorry I thought you realised that.”
“Oh dear, he’s not our favourite man–let me show you.” He poked about in a small filing cabinet and pulled out a file then handed me a sheaf of letters to look at. The last thing I wanted was to get involved with the bank and its customers, especially a dispute. I glanced at my watch, it wasn’t yet six–I continued reading.
“They’re going to foreclose your business loan?”
He nodded.
“Why–you’ve paid all you owe to the present?”
“Ve vere late two months–I vas ill, and ve forgot.”
“Okay, I can’t promise anything but I’ll talk to Simon and see what we can do.”
“Oh thank you, Catherine, you are such helpful lady.”
I paid for my shopping and drove home. What had I got myself into now?
Comments
Forclose on good people?
Forclose on good people? Balderdash!!! Go get'em Cathy!
CaroL
CaroL
Agree.... and in this case
I suspect Cathy will easily prevail. Sad that sometimes it takes intervention by someone with connections to do what the bank should have done by itself.
Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1432
A chance meeting and Cathy off on a new adventure.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Economic Idiots
We have a bunch of idiots in Congress who made promises to the uneducated masses. They made promises that if kept will bring this country to it's economic knees. We have wasted billions (thousands of millions to some of you) on unwinnable wars. Our infrastructure is literally rotting away because those fools don't have enough sense to wake up and smell the coffee. They have said that all we have to do is cut back on spending, stop frivolous waste; however, none of them can offer a reasonable, concrete solutions: just empty words. It got them elected, but they are steers in the cowyard.
Well Cathy and Simon are going to feel the effects of our shortsightedness. I have a feeling the Patels and the rest of the people struggling to make ends meet are going to have a hard time of it.
Portia
Portia
Promises
You mean like the promises made to support the elderly by using the Social Security Trust Fund? BTW, there hasn't been a Social Security Trust Fund for decades. The Democrats tapped that years ago, taking the money and using it as part of the yearly budget; replacing it with IOUs. Or the promises of Medicare, which the Democrats never funded enough that it could actually do what they claimed it would do.
Now, I don't want to get into a political pissing match with people here. Angharad had the right as author to make her comments in her story; but that doesn't give us the right to plop down our soapboxes here in the comments section and harangue the others on dA with our political beliefs and throw mud on the opposite side. Frankly, I've got axes to grind with both parties, but this is not the time or place. As Erin says: this is supposed to be a friendly place.
So lets all give it a rest, before Erin has to put down on our grade cards "Does not play well with others".
* * *
There are plenty of people in this world who think they are wits. They are half right.
Karen J.
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin
I'm convinced...
...politicians of all main parties live in a different world to the rest of us. Pretty much the same accusations you've made of your politicians could be made of the ones over here in the UK - and probably several other countries to boot. The ones over here are trying to persuade the sick, elderly and disabled to seek work (of any kind) with threats if they don't; they'd like mothers to return to work asap after the birth of their child; anyone on benefits for more than a few weeks is "scrounging" off the state; local authorities are being encouraged to contract out services to the private sector (privatising local government by the back door). Local government is told to get more efficient, yet it's already significantly more efficient than central government, which appears to be expanding.
They also seem to believe that if you cut taxes for the rich, then somehow the rich will be less inclined to squirrel all their money away in offshore tax havens or devise other means of avoiding tax, and will suddenly decide that it's worth paying tax again. Yeah, right. Even if the top tiers of tax were abolished, I doubt that would be a sufficient incentive to stop paying 0.0% tax on their income and savings. Then when the banks get into financial trouble, rather than allowing "the market" (which the politicians claim is the solution to all our woes) to determine their fate, the politicians decide the banks are "too big to fail" and prop them up with large amounts of public money - thereby increasing the debt / deficit. This, of course, gets conveniently ignored in discussion over deficits / debts - with previous governments set up to take the full weight of the blame. Grassroots calls to increase regulation / taxes on the banks are dismissed with the threat that they'll pull out of the country
It seems as though government is run by the rich, for the rich, with token gestures here and there to try and convince the non-rich that they're the best thing since sliced bread.
There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't...
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Someone once said ...
A Nice ride around Manchester to finish off the Sparkle weekend.
A bank is a place that will lend you an umbrella when the sun shines then demand it back when it starts raining.
Trouble is Banks have become 'corporatised' like just about everything these days. Now the customers are just 'cyphers' and count for diddly squat! They even expect us to pay to withdraw our money via a different banks teller-machine.
Basically, banks have become nothing more than thieves and gamblers.
Long live the revolution I say! (Or stick to dormice.)
Love and hugs.
OXOXOX.
Beverly.
Well then . . .
All those lovely teller machines can be set to reject any bank's cards except their own. Then you'd just have to go to your own bank to get your money, just like in the good old days. Would that suit you better?
* * *
There are plenty of people in this world who think they are wits. They are half right.
Karen J.
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin
Why do banks charge all those fees?
BECAUSE THEY CAN. We let them get away with it and Congress helped.
Much Love,
Valerie R
Much Love,
Valerie R
Remember
Banks are in business to make money. They are not our financial nannies. They charge all those fees because it is legal to do so, and people will pay them. Like hogs at a trough, as long as you keep dumping meal in the trough they will keep eating. You vote with your money, don't like the high fees then go somewhere else. Enough people do so, and they'll get the idea. But as long as people keep telling themselves "I'm just one person, I can't make a difference" then guess what? You won't!
Nobody would buck the "colored only" laws in the South (and everywhere else in the U.S.). "Nothing's gonna change, don't rock the boat." Then Rosa Parks refused give up her seat in Montgomery, Alabama; Clara Luper sat down in a Katz Drug Store in Oklahoma City and refused to leave until she was served. Hundreds, then thousands joined them. But it took a single person to get it all started.
* * *
There are plenty of people in this world who think they are wits. They are half right.
Karen J.
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin
Fasten your seatbelts,
it's going to be a bumpy ride. While not quit the first time, I suspect Simon is not going to appreciate her getting involved.