Good afternoon! How´s everyone?
Marty asks enthusiastically. I have decided on strength in numbers after making the appointement yesterday. Father is still tired but Mother is here, even though neither has to sign anything. I hope. She takes a chair over in the corner and Isadora sits next to her. I offer to stand and let David sit. It´s crowded in the tiny, cubicle-like office at the rear of the bank. Marty´s gaze flits back and forth between us all, smiling broadly but looking a little worn out. Last night David mentioned that several dozen accounts at the online brokerage had been hacked. How many were his clients? And was it Kabe? He decides to get the party going and looks right at me.
So. Welcome back ... Allard.
Thanks Marty. David has been filling me in.
Isadora listens carefully trying to smile. I haven´t told her much and she can´t ask too much without seeming intrusive and perhaps arousing suspicions.
Yes, it´s been a little chaotic but we sorted things out fairly quickly.
Marty is in damage control mode. I answer him slowly and thougtfully letting my honest disappointment seep through.
Yes ... good. It was a little ... shocking when David told me exactly what had happened.
Marty sighs crisply, showing empathy and collegiality all at once. I decide to push things forward but not too fast.
So the passwords were changed. That´s good. How much was lost?
We got some of it back and the rest, of course Allard, we´ve repaid.
Marty sounds a little defensive. But I´m actually just surprised. They paid back the money. Damnit! It´s just like David. Not too concerned with the details. Still, he´s been quite sick. Marty notices my stare at David but I decide to keep moving things forward.
Well ... here´s what I think. If possible, David should also have online access to their accounts seeing he´s got power of attorney along with me. Can we do that?
Marty looks quickly at David and Mother and then at me.
Sure. That will be possible. It´s not a bad idea.
And will Ernest need to sign?
We can do that later. We´ll take care of the rest right now. I can witness it myself.
Boy is he under pressure. He just wants this signed and done. How many more meetings does he have? I look over at Isadora. Her face is neutral and alert.
Yes. Let´s do that Marty.
The forms get printed out and soon it´s signed and done. Save for Father´s signature. We´ll do that in a day or two. Now comes step two. The trickier part. I hope my shock and guilt over the security breach have convinced Marty. And so everyone will be a little less surprised by this next bit. And I am shocked. A little ... I linger for a moment.
Yes ... I think the emails might have come, the hackers I mean ... from Israel.
Marty looks a little tense.
They could come from anywhere. It´s a little hard to trace he says quickly.
True ... but it leaves you feeling ... cheated.
I let the word hang. Isa touches my arm briefly. Her middle finger digs in with the nail for just an instant. I move on.
Now there´s the withdrawl from my account. I´ve had some funds transferred in from Argentina.
Isa is still. Marty looks at me curiously. So do David and Mother.
It´s a little tricky ... I drawl actually enjoying the moment. Who would have thought?
Marty shifts in his chair. Mother looks worried. I laugh, an honest laugh.
No, goodness no ... nothing illegal. Not here at least ... I was paid a comission. The owner of our building, Rojas, is converting to condo´s from rental units and I´ve helped him find some buyers for several units. And the comission ... we deposited up here.
Isa´s eyes are shining, somewhere between hate and admiration over my little story.
The tax authorities in Argentina ... the AFIP. They take most everything and you can make a claim but you never get your fair share back. Does Isa relax slightly?
Allard, you aren´t in trouble are you? Mother asks plaintively.
No, not at all. I still haven´t got my DNI. When I do I´ll be liable for that money.
Marty justs wants us all out of his office. He gathers up his papers and gently pushes our copies towards me and says a little curtly,
Allard, I think a tax lawyer would be good in this case.
Oh, yes I´m sure. I´m sorry you´re very busy. Just wanted to be sure we sorted it all out here. I was thinking of opening my own investment account but also we´ll be taking back a good portion of it since we sure could use it. In cash I mean ...
I try to look hurt and sincere. Marty smiles a little tightly.
Oh sure. Listen come in tomorrow with your Dad and we´ll set it all up ok?
We all stand. Everyone shakes hands and we shuffle out of the office and Marty bustles off to his next meeting. Mission accomplished. It will not be a silent withdrawl with no one informed of anything. Everyone now knows of our stash in my account and of the fact that we´ll be taking it back with us. Best in broad daylight. Isa slips her hand into my arm as we walk through the bank. I stop.
Just let me mention to Mehgan Fellows. She´s the one that transfers money to Banco Frances.
Dale amor.
I have her seal of approval. Good. Mehgan is a different matter. She smells something off right away but there´s little she can do. I leave her desk feeling she´ll file the details away, just in case. I might have to phone Kabe or Diego, but it´s arranged. We´ll take the cash out tomorrow or the day after, in US bills and they´ll make sure they have enough on hand. I decide to do one last thing - I withdraw 200 Canadian from the ATM and notice my balance is higher than I thought. I join everyone outside on the sidewalk. Isa is hunched, hugging herself in the cold wind.
Mother ...
Oh! Yes! ... I forgot. There was a little more of Aunt Ethyl´s inheritance. We didn´t know what to do with it so we left it ... in your ...
Ah ... ok. Good. That´s fine.
We round the corner onto Renfrew street and tuck into the parking lot behind the bank and bundle ourselves into the Corolla. David drives and we take the Opeongo road back home rather than go by the Cathedral. If it was just a little milder I´d take Isadora to Calabogie and teach her to ski. But with this weather ... I turn around and smile at her. She looks cold but fairly happy. I´ve stayed in character. That is, the innocent Allard. The guilty, self-righteous Allard. The worried Allard. The Allard who always needs money because he hasn´t had a regular job in years. The Allard they all know and even love, sometimes. We turn onto 132 and head home. We´ll have a late lunch of roast turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce along with red cabbage. It´s really a Christmas meal held for our benefit. The car skids a touch near Gourley´s and I look a little nervously at David. He slows down and we head on. The heater barely warms the car. Why couldn´t we have done this in August?
Marty asks enthusiastically. I have decided on strength in numbers after making the appointement yesterday. Father is still tired but Mother is here, even though neither has to sign anything. I hope. She takes a chair over in the corner and Isadora sits next to her. I offer to stand and let David sit. It´s crowded in the tiny, cubicle-like office at the rear of the bank. Marty´s gaze flits back and forth between us all, smiling broadly but looking a little worn out. Last night David mentioned that several dozen accounts at the online brokerage had been hacked. How many were his clients? And was it Kabe? He decides to get the party going and looks right at me.
So. Welcome back ... Allard.
Thanks Marty. David has been filling me in.
Isadora listens carefully trying to smile. I haven´t told her much and she can´t ask too much without seeming intrusive and perhaps arousing suspicions.
Yes, it´s been a little chaotic but we sorted things out fairly quickly.
Marty is in damage control mode. I answer him slowly and thougtfully letting my honest disappointment seep through.
Yes ... good. It was a little ... shocking when David told me exactly what had happened.
Marty sighs crisply, showing empathy and collegiality all at once. I decide to push things forward but not too fast.
So the passwords were changed. That´s good. How much was lost?
We got some of it back and the rest, of course Allard, we´ve repaid.
Marty sounds a little defensive. But I´m actually just surprised. They paid back the money. Damnit! It´s just like David. Not too concerned with the details. Still, he´s been quite sick. Marty notices my stare at David but I decide to keep moving things forward.
Well ... here´s what I think. If possible, David should also have online access to their accounts seeing he´s got power of attorney along with me. Can we do that?
Marty looks quickly at David and Mother and then at me.
Sure. That will be possible. It´s not a bad idea.
And will Ernest need to sign?
We can do that later. We´ll take care of the rest right now. I can witness it myself.
Boy is he under pressure. He just wants this signed and done. How many more meetings does he have? I look over at Isadora. Her face is neutral and alert.
Yes. Let´s do that Marty.
The forms get printed out and soon it´s signed and done. Save for Father´s signature. We´ll do that in a day or two. Now comes step two. The trickier part. I hope my shock and guilt over the security breach have convinced Marty. And so everyone will be a little less surprised by this next bit. And I am shocked. A little ... I linger for a moment.
Yes ... I think the emails might have come, the hackers I mean ... from Israel.
Marty looks a little tense.
They could come from anywhere. It´s a little hard to trace he says quickly.
True ... but it leaves you feeling ... cheated.
I let the word hang. Isa touches my arm briefly. Her middle finger digs in with the nail for just an instant. I move on.
Now there´s the withdrawl from my account. I´ve had some funds transferred in from Argentina.
Isa is still. Marty looks at me curiously. So do David and Mother.
It´s a little tricky ... I drawl actually enjoying the moment. Who would have thought?
Marty shifts in his chair. Mother looks worried. I laugh, an honest laugh.
No, goodness no ... nothing illegal. Not here at least ... I was paid a comission. The owner of our building, Rojas, is converting to condo´s from rental units and I´ve helped him find some buyers for several units. And the comission ... we deposited up here.
Isa´s eyes are shining, somewhere between hate and admiration over my little story.
The tax authorities in Argentina ... the AFIP. They take most everything and you can make a claim but you never get your fair share back. Does Isa relax slightly?
Allard, you aren´t in trouble are you? Mother asks plaintively.
No, not at all. I still haven´t got my DNI. When I do I´ll be liable for that money.
Marty justs wants us all out of his office. He gathers up his papers and gently pushes our copies towards me and says a little curtly,
Allard, I think a tax lawyer would be good in this case.
Oh, yes I´m sure. I´m sorry you´re very busy. Just wanted to be sure we sorted it all out here. I was thinking of opening my own investment account but also we´ll be taking back a good portion of it since we sure could use it. In cash I mean ...
I try to look hurt and sincere. Marty smiles a little tightly.
Oh sure. Listen come in tomorrow with your Dad and we´ll set it all up ok?
We all stand. Everyone shakes hands and we shuffle out of the office and Marty bustles off to his next meeting. Mission accomplished. It will not be a silent withdrawl with no one informed of anything. Everyone now knows of our stash in my account and of the fact that we´ll be taking it back with us. Best in broad daylight. Isa slips her hand into my arm as we walk through the bank. I stop.
Just let me mention to Mehgan Fellows. She´s the one that transfers money to Banco Frances.
Dale amor.
I have her seal of approval. Good. Mehgan is a different matter. She smells something off right away but there´s little she can do. I leave her desk feeling she´ll file the details away, just in case. I might have to phone Kabe or Diego, but it´s arranged. We´ll take the cash out tomorrow or the day after, in US bills and they´ll make sure they have enough on hand. I decide to do one last thing - I withdraw 200 Canadian from the ATM and notice my balance is higher than I thought. I join everyone outside on the sidewalk. Isa is hunched, hugging herself in the cold wind.
Mother ...
Oh! Yes! ... I forgot. There was a little more of Aunt Ethyl´s inheritance. We didn´t know what to do with it so we left it ... in your ...
Ah ... ok. Good. That´s fine.
We round the corner onto Renfrew street and tuck into the parking lot behind the bank and bundle ourselves into the Corolla. David drives and we take the Opeongo road back home rather than go by the Cathedral. If it was just a little milder I´d take Isadora to Calabogie and teach her to ski. But with this weather ... I turn around and smile at her. She looks cold but fairly happy. I´ve stayed in character. That is, the innocent Allard. The guilty, self-righteous Allard. The worried Allard. The Allard who always needs money because he hasn´t had a regular job in years. The Allard they all know and even love, sometimes. We turn onto 132 and head home. We´ll have a late lunch of roast turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce along with red cabbage. It´s really a Christmas meal held for our benefit. The car skids a touch near Gourley´s and I look a little nervously at David. He slows down and we head on. The heater barely warms the car. Why couldn´t we have done this in August?
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