Ricardo was dismissed from his job on a Tuesday. He had put some materials on the wrong shelf. When they couldn't find the materials, all their operations stopped. They were angry and let him go. He started home, feeling shame at losing a good job for such a stupid reason.
There was nowhere else he could find other work today. But he would postpone going home to his wife and daughter now. Benny was at the bar, as usual. He had gone to high school with Benny many years ago, and now he saw him at the bar sometimes. He was always well-dressed, with a suit and tie. Perhaps Benny was enough of a friend to lend him a little money.
"I regret to say I am in a bit of debt myself," said Benny. "I think that will change. But, for now, please have a drink on me."
Ricardo obeyed. He swallowed the drink, and then looked deep into the empty glass. There were rice crackers at the bar. He took one.
"My daughter Sonia," he said, "Wants a bright skirt with gold buttons for her birthday, with a little flag of our country on the side."
"It's important to have nice things to wear to school," said Benny, "And on holidays…"
"And for food," said Ricardo. "How can I tell my wife and my little Sonia that there is no money for food?"
"However poor I am today," said Benny, holding up one finger. "I have met a man who could rescue us. He wants help getting his money from some people who have it. And he would pay us a reward to get it back."
"Who has the money?" asked Ricardo.
"A bank," said Benny.
"Thanks for the drink," said Ricardo, starting to rise. "I think I can find something…"
"But it’s a not your usual bank," said Benny.
"So we wouldn't really be robbing a bank?" Ricardo said, a little too loudly.
Benny put his finger to his lips and looked around. "Quiet. Some people might get the wrong idea."
"I think I would rather eat poison," Ricardo said. He stood up to leave.
"Well, it's a treasure just sitting there. And it's as simple as just performing a service, signing something with a pen."
"No, thanks," said Ricardo.
"Think about it," said Benny.
The autumn air was cold as Ricardo walked home. His wife would be even colder when he told her he had lost his job. Well…If he did not tell her tonight, that would not really be false, would it? He decided not to tell her. Perhaps he would think of something tomorrow.
"A nice clean shirt today." Finding Ricardo awake the next morning, his wife Angela held out the shirt she had ironed. He soaped himself as he did every day before work. Then he floated his morning tea bag in the cup of hot water, and took some fresh bread from the bread basket. He spread butter across the bread with a knife blade.
He was doing everything the normal way. When Sonia came in ready to go to school, she was wearing a feather in her hair.
"What tribe are you from?" Ricardo asked her. Sonia gave him a kiss, then ran to catch the bus.
Ricardo left for work as usual. When he was out in the street, he wondered what he should do. They would forbid him from going to his old office. So for the morning, he visited other companies to find work. There was none.
About noon, he visited the bar again. Benny was there having a meal.
"You want to know more about the bank," Benny said,
"Not really. Just getting a little something to eat."
"I don't mean to interfere, but…How was your job search?"
"Terrible." Ricardo cut a piece from the brick of cheese on their table.
"The thing is to make enough money - just once - that you wouldn't have to work again."
"That's your idea for us?"
"There's more, if you are interested for sure."
"Let's say I am interested…Not really, but just a little. What's the trick?"
"Well, you just have to walk into a branch and hand them this bankbook and transfer $10,000,000 to an account we will set up at another bank with the same name."
"$10,000,000….My wife would like that."
"But you would only keep $2,000,000. That's the reward."
"Well, $2,000,000 is better than not working at all. But...who does this money belong to?"
"A dead man. He put $1000 in stocks 50 years ago. He had no family who anyone could find. So it belongs to no one, really. Banks have these cases about once every year, but the government always takes the money."
"So this is his bankbook?"
"Right."
"But…With his name on it, how can I use it?"
"I will arrange for you to have all the proper ID. The bank doesn't know he is dead. And it is only half of his money we are transferring."
"I see...If we transferred all of the money, it would raise some delicate questions." Ricardo leaned back in his chair.
"So what do you think?"
Ricardo thought of the morning, and all of the eyes that looked away from him today. He thought of all the people who said "I'm sorry," when he asked for even the smallest job to keep himself going. But then, this did not look at all dangerous. Nothing would explode. No one would bleed. No bones would be crushed. No cars would be wrecked. This was not a violent crime. This might not even BE a crime, he thought. Could that be? Could it be that this was just luck, good luck instead of bad luck for once?
He looked back at Benny. "What about the head of the bank? Won’t he be brought in to oversee this amount of money transfer? "
"I have the head of the bank taken care of. The officer will just stamp the bankbook and make the transfer. No questions."
Ricardo had ordered a beer. "So it's sort of like you are just hiring me to transfer this money?"
"I never asked you before. Since we went to high school together, what have you done for work?"
Benny smiled. "A few years ago, I started a bank."
(To be continued in Lesson W)
Ready-to-Use
a.
nowhere:
in the middle of nowhere
b.
tea: a
cup of tea
c.
holiday: go
on a holiday/go
for a holiday
d.
shame:
shame on you
e. regret: regret doing "I gave him the money but now I regret doing it."
f.
obey:
obey an order