This created a stir throughout the whole firm. All of the men said they couldn’t understand what they were talking for they hadn’t ever done anything untoward the women who worked there.
The next day another letter was posted throughout offices saying there was a list available of who was guilty and what they did and the list was accessible on request by the staff and their wives also if they should ask for it.
This really stirred up a ruckus for they went to the CEO and threaten to sue if their name was on any list. The CEO went down the list reading some of the transgressions and asked do you want to know who the guilty parties are? The CEO went on and said all of you are guilty and I don’t know what the outcome is going to be.
Over the next week most of the heads of the departments had a trainee to be trained for their position in the corporation. The letter stated the trainee was to be trained in every phase of the department they headed.
New Man was one of the few who didn’t get a trainee and he called the CEO and asked why he was omitted from the program and he answered, “Ask your wife.
He thought, “Ask my wife… no way am I going to ask her about my status. She will tell me when she is ready.”
At night they acted like nothing was going on and enjoyed their evenings together.
Then one day all of the department heads were summoned to the CEO’S office. He said, “I want a report about how well the trainees are doing and how soon they could be left on their own.”
After a month each department head submitted a report on the trainees under them.
Since New Man didn’t have a trainee he spent his free time training his secretary at his wife’s suggestion.
Then one evening, New Wife asked him how well his secretary was doing.
He said she knows as much about running this department as I do. All she needs now is the experience of actually doing the work. The next day his secretary was promoted to take his job. He was to watch over her for the next week and then she was on her own.
New Man was told this new job was to check on each of the trainee’s and make sure they were getting the help they needed. He was to note anything that was unacceptable behavior by anyone. There was a rumor that there was new management on the horizon and there would be wholesale changes made in the personnel department.
Most of the bosses took the letter concerning behavior seriously but still a few couldn’t break their old habits and continued to demean the girls.
New Man made notes of everything he observed and what the girls told him.
Then came the day when all he bosses were ordered to come to the cafeteria for a meeting. Noticeable there were several of the bosses missing including the CEO.
New wife and new man came in together and she stood at the podium and spoke. She announced she was now the Board Chairman. Then she introduced New Man as the CEO who would be running the corporation.
This caused a low level murmur throughout the crowd.
She also said, “You will notice there are several familiar faces missing. They are no longer with us. They have been replaced by the trainees who have mastered the jobs they were trained for.
As you know some of the trainees were women and have been moved up due to their competence. Those who remain should be proud for you have been scrutinized and been found competent and we are glad to have you work for us.
You have received a syllabus outlining every facet of your job and how to redress grievances or make suggestions on how to improve our business.”
She said, “Finally, everyone take the rest of the day off unless your presence is necessary and be here ready to go to work tomorrow.”
Chapter 14 New Wife has been Busy
That evening the new CEO said to the new Chairman of the Board, “I haven’t ever slept with someone with the title Chairman of the Board before.”
She said, “Get used to it for that is the way of the future.”
He smiled and said I will look forward to it each and every night.
He said, “Perhaps you will explain what has happened. I would have been a little more comfortable if I knew you were going to appoint me as CEO instead of being announced as such. And you becoming the chairman of the board was also a surprise.”
She said. “Things were complicated. I was buying up all of the stock with the idea of returning the company to private ownership. The stock had fallen to it lowest because the company was nearing bankruptcy and was known as having a private brothel for the bosses who worked there.
The reason I couldn’t talk about it was there were a few shares held by some people who had got wind of what I was doing and they were holding out on selling. They wanted a hundred times the value of the stock before they would sell.
I knew these people had cheated on their taxes but needed a little more information. Finally I had enough info and started the rumor that I was going to call the I.R.S. on them. Shortly they almost gave me the stock and I let them go their way.
After talking to the girls they told me of the demands being made on them to keep their jobs and I made plans to put a stop to that. Shortly it will be a private ownership and that will be us. Everything is in place to make the company a success and be known as a place where workers are respected.
Of the few bosses who are left they are on probation. They would have been fired except for their families. It will up to you to see that everything runs as it should since you are the top man, I’ll completely trust you to do what’s right.”
He said, “Wow, you have been busy and all the time becoming a new bride.”
She poked him in the side and said, “In a year’s time we will sell the company for several times what we have in it and then we will have all our time together.”
He said, “I must be the luckiest man alive to be found by you for everyone else had given up on me.”
She said, “Maybe you can get back together with your family in the future.”
He replied, “Maybe, but sometimes it’s better to let things remain as they are. To try to resurrect the past is an exercise in futility and it cannot ever be the same as before. They have gone their way and anything I try to do may be seen as an intrusion into their lives which they do not want.
Another thing that makes it hard to want to do that is I’m completely satisfied with my family as it is right now. I want to leave it at that and we’ll see what happens.”
She said, “That’s fine but just remember the smell of money changes how families view each other and if they see you as being successful again someone might come knocking at your door.”
He said, “What time is it I’m getting hungry.”
She said, “It’s the cook’s day off so we can either go out of stay in and I will cook for you.”
“You cook? I can’t imagine you in a kitchen for since we met you have never cooked anything for me.”
She said, “My mother insisted that I learn how to cook. She always said, ‘how are you going to get a man if you don’t know how to cook?’ Do you like Italian?”
He said, “Sure if it isn’t too Al Dente.”
She said alright, “I’ll keep it simple. While you fix a salad I will make spaghetti with meat sauce.”
Soon the food was ready; she said, “An Italian dinner for two with a green salad and French bread. What more could one want except for good company and a slice of Brillate Savarin Cheese for desert?”
He said, “From now on you are my favorite cook in the world.”
She said, “When the time comes to free ourselves of business responsibilities we will have many evenings like this and probably have to baby sit the grandkids. Those daughters seem to be headed for the altar soon after they graduate.”
He said, “I’m stuffed. Let’s cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie before - - -”
She said, “Before what?”
He smiled and said, “Before what ever strikes our
fancy.”
Chapter 15 Life is Good
New man was settled in his new position and little by little things were picking up due partly to good customer service.
New wife was able to take things easy. He came home early each evening to find that she had been in the kitchen with the cook helping fix a delicious meal for him. She let the cook off early and said we can wash the dishes after dinner ourselves.
Things seemed to be as perfect as one could expect considering the world we live in. The girls called home almost every day and wanted to talk to daddy if he was home.
One day the maid answered the door to find a woman rather shabbily dressed that wanted to speak to the lady of the house. The maid said for her to wait while she saw if she wanted to talk to her.
The woman shouted after the maid, “I’m the old roommate of her husband.”
New wife told the maid she would handle it. When she got to the door the woman was inside the foyer looking around. “Can I help you with something” she asked the shabby woman?
The woman went into a story about how New Wife’s husband owed her and she needed help now so she wanted money, as much as she could spare. She added from the looks of things that would be quite a lot.
New wife said, “Wait just a moment and we’ll see if we can do anything.”
New Wife called new husband and related to him what was happening.
He said, “Give her twenty dollars and call a cab for her. Tell her to meet me in front of our building and I will handle it.”
New Wife did as he said and when the cab arrived, the old room mate entered and left. New Wife called husband again and told him what she had done and said there was a badly dressed man that got into the cab with her.”
New Man said, “I understand. That confirms what I thought.”
Ten minutes later he met the cab and the woman and also the man got out of the cab. She came over and tried to introduce the boy friend but New Man ignored him.
He asked, “How she dared to go and bother his wife?”
She started out saying, “You owe me.”
He interrupted her saying, “Owe you what? Owe you for leaving and taking my things, owe you for you never paying your share or the rent? When you left that was the end of what little us there was. You have the nerve to drag this pimp of yours here and try to introduce him to me?”
New Man gave her a hundred dollar bill and said, “Give this to him and I will have a court order against you and if you ever bother my wife again it will be the last time you bother anyone.”
He then looked directly at both of them and said, “Do you get my meaning?”
She started to turn away but he stopped her and repeated, “Do you get my meaning?”
She said yes and her boy friend grabbed the money away from her as they walked away.
He called the wife and assured her that scene wouldn’t be repeated.
Time raced by and Daughter number one graduated and when she came home she had an engagement ring on her finger. Her mother wasn’t ready for that announcement but her “Daddy” said. “He’s a nice boy and we welcome him into the family.”
Daughter number one said, “You don’t even know him, you haven’t ever met him?”
Daddy said, “I know more about him than you do. His family isn’t as rich as they make out. I don’t think he is aware that they are soon to be poor; but all he will need is a good job and we can help with that. Besides that if you love him money won’t matter that much anyway. My judgment is he will make you a fine husband.”
Her mother said, “Bring him home with you because I want to see this fine husband to be of yours.”
Later that night New Man told New Wife that she would like him and she could teach him how to be a success in business.
Six weeks later Daughter number one and new son-in law were married on their honeymoon at Niagara Falls.
New Wife said, “Now I only have one more daughter to go. Next year she will graduate and there will another guy for you to check out.”
He said, “Today I received an offer for the company. It will be up to you to decide about the offer for it is in my briefcase.”
She said, “If you think we should take their offer, then that’s that.” Three weeks later the deal was done and new man cleaned out his desk for the last time and said his goodbyes to all his staff.
He had a different feeling than he had ever felt before.
New Man was going home and Life was sweet. He would enjoy the rest of his time with his New Wife and family, and who knows before long there might be grandchildren to love and spoil.
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The Old Man and the Widow Page 5
