“Those we love never truly leave us. There are things that death cannot touch” – Jack Thorne
Lynda was very happy with the house. From time to time she would invite her sorority sisters over for the afternoon. They would have a relaxed time in the afternoon. They would have a relaxed time in the jacuzzi and then lie down in front of the fireplace while sipping some wine.
Adam was as usual doing just great in school. He liked his math teacher who selected him and his friend Dean to attend a computer workshop, representing their school. Both boys were taking a keen interest in computers. At the same time Adam had the luxury of having his own computer at home.
I was reasonably happy with the way things were going at work. Nevertheless I spent a great deal of time discussing the pros and cons of going ahead with the suggested path for acquiring additional degree or degrees. Lynda was totally convinced that I would never get this kind of opportunity again in my life. However, I was thinking what if I am not going to be qualified for admission to a PhD program. Lynda’s message was loud and clear – Don’t knock it till you have tried it.
I was proud of what we had accomplished in Calgary with ATB in such a short period of time. All the branches in the province of Alberta were automated, ATMs were installed, and all staff in every branch was aligned according to the technology that was being utilized in each branch. Perhaps more importantly the overnight float, which was the main reason for hiring me, had totally disappeared. Nonetheless there were unbelievable challenges for the staff in the branches to accept the changes, but they were not left with many choices. Whenever I visited a branch, I used to tell them that – you cannot stop progress whether you like the changes or not.
In the middle of the week my phone rang in my office and Professor Haberland was on the line. He said this is your favorite professor calling from LA. I am all set with my current job in LA and my wife’s happy, too. He said I just wanted to check in with you if everything is fine with you and your family.
I said I am delighted to hear from you, Professor. You will be pleased to know that my family, Lynda and Adam, both support the idea and they want me to proceed accordingly.
He said to be totally honest with you, Mir, I am being selfish in getting you enrolled as my first candidate for my PhD program, simply because I have been talking to my boss about how smart you are. As a matter of fact, he’s looking forward to meeting you in LA as soon as we get your credentials.
I said I got everything organized and I am going to send them to you by special delivery this afternoon. I need to check if your address on your business card’s still valid. He said let me give you my new address here in LA. I wrote down the address and repeated myself saying that my credentials will be sent this afternoon.
He said let me get back to you as soon as I get your credentials, Mir.
I called Lynda right away that afternoon and checked with her if it was okay to pick them up around 5:30 PM and then go for supper, as I was dying to chat with her about the professor’s telephone call.
We had a nice supper and I discussed the call from LA with them. I told Lynda and Adam that I had already sent the credentials to LA this afternoon along with a cheque. They were pleased that I was going ahead with the plan.
Lynda said what’s bothering you. I said what do you mean? She said you are not sleeping well. She said you started talking again in your sleep. I was wondering if everything is alright with your work.
I said the politics at work appear to be getting worse simply because the president of the bank, who you met more than once, is retiring. The person who will be taking over is a jerk with a plan to dismantle what we have accomplished in a short period of time. He hates computers and he’s determined to go back to the way they used to do business.
Lynda said I thought you had a pretty good relationship with the folks in Edmonton. I said unfortunately the senior folks like Les Belon, who you met several times, and other senior folks who appreciate what we have accomplished, are not going to be in a position to do anything about that. I am not even sure if they will stay with the bank.
Furthermore, Gerry’s friend John, who was instrumental in getting Gerry hired, has totally turned around. He’s now looking for any excuse to get Gerry fired. This is the result of what Gerry did when he did not do what John wanted him to do.
I said the writing’s on the wall.
Lynda asked me if we should get out of here before things start getting worse? I said probably it’s too late not to get dragged into and blamed for the things we didn’t do. Unfortunately, I need to stick around. I am expecting to hear from my professor from LA soon. We will have to go to LA to go through the process. If you can find a week for Adam to escape from school, I would like to take you both with me as I don’t know when we will have another opportunity to visit LA.
Lynda said there’s no problem. Adam is way ahead in his current class. Nevertheless, I will check with his teacher who really likes him.
After a couple of days I got a call from the professor acknowledging that he got the credentials and that he had already started the process. He also thanked me for the certified cheque which was attached to my credentials.
He asked me if I could go to LA and spend a week there before they determine whether or not I can be qualified for admission in a PhD program. He had given me only one week but I was totally motivated and committed to be there as he suggested.
I went to see Gerry that afternoon and checked with him if it was okay to take a week off. He had no problems whatsoever as I was entitled to more holidays than I had taken.
I asked Gerry about the political situation and without going into too much detail, he said don’t worry about anything while you are holidaying in LA. I didn’t tell him why we were going to LA as I wasn’t so sure if I would be successful in getting admission.
We got to LA on Saturday evening with a plan to pick up a tour on Sunday and do some shopping, too. However, Lynda and Adam had planned to do all kinds of tours to visit film studios and other points of interest from a tourist point of view.
The weather was so nice on Sunday and we walked around a lot. Then we decided to go see the Hollywood Walk of Fame and had lunch in Chinatown. We ended up walking around in the mall where I bought some beautiful ties and a couple of dress shirts.
Even though we had a nice, comfortable room in a nice hotel, I didn’t sleep well. Lynda kept telling me everything would be all right. Just relax.
On Monday morning, we had breakfast in the restaurant in the hotel lobby. Right after breakfast I took a cab to the university and Lynda and Adam went on their planned tour.
When I got to the university, I found out that the receptionist was expecting me. Right away she took me to see the professor in his office.
He asked me how my flight was and I told him that I brought my family with me and they are taking some tours to see LA.
He asked me how work was going. I said I was going through a difficult time as the president of the bank was retiring. He was our supporter but the guy who was expected to take over was entirely against automation in the bank. He was old school and at this stage of the game, I was not too sure what would be happening. At the same time I was optimistic and kept working every single day and accomplishing a great deal. The members of my team were very supportive of my ideology and they were working hard to get the business going regardless of the political environment.
He said it must be how you trained them, Mir. I said not necessarily, I got lucky and hired some good folks.
He said can I ask you an odd question. I said shoot away.
He said what will be the impact on your plan to do a PhD if things don’t work out at your present employment.
I said it’s interesting that you ask the question. I was struggling with the same question last week but I had a chance to discuss the subject with my adviser.
Sorry for interrupting you, Mir, but who’s your adviser?
I said my wife’s my conscience. I never do anything without her advice or permission.
He said what was the advice, Mir? I said she believes that this is the only chance I am ever going to get to do what I always wanted to do: to go back to school and finish the unfinished business.
He said you have a brilliant advisor but what does that mean, Mir. I said what she meant was that regardless of what we do and where we live, she wants me to continue to pursue my aspirations. She said, if necessary, she would go back to working to support my ideas.
He said you got a real winner right there, Mir. I said I lucked out.
He said I am waiting for a couple of folks to join us to brief you about the findings of the evaluation that they conducted on your accomplishments. based on the credentials that they received from you.
In the meanwhile, can I get you another cup of coffee, Mir? I said I will come with you. By the time we got back with our coffee, there were a couple of folks sitting in the classroom. I was introduced to them and then one of them started speaking.
Professor Haberland interrupted him and said typically I don’t participate in the process when we disclose our findings or result of the evaluation but if it’s okay, I would like to sit in, just in case. The other guy said you are more than welcome, Herbert.
The guy started by saying that Mir, your credentials are exceptional. We had the opportunity to check everything out including your undergraduate degree from your home country and all the courses that you did towards your MBA (Master of Business Administration) in Chicago. However, he said, when you took a full-time job to support your family in Chicago at the risk of neglecting your studies, you left behind a gap. You didn’t complete some of the courses that needed to be completed in order to meet the requirements of the intended degree. He said we totally understand why you did that and I also understand why you had to leave the country.
At the same time when we mapped out your credentials against the requirements for admitting you into a PhD program, you came short.
Professor Haberland interrupted the guy and said let me talk for a minute.
He said, John saying you came short means, Mir, that we identified some courses you need to complete before you start any courses for a PhD program. In other words, you need to finish the identified courses to complete your MBA before attempting to start taking courses for your PhD.
To me, it made complete sense, but for some reason I wasn’t prepared for this news. I don’t know why I was expecting to be allowed to start taking courses for a PhD when my Master’s wasn’t completed.
In any case, I remember saying that I understand what you’re saying and my question is – How long would it take me to complete the required courses?
John said probably only six months if you follow our program without any deviations. I said the other question I must ask is – How long would it take to finish my PhD?
John said no more than 30 months based on our schedule. However, you can do it earlier depending upon the speed of your assignments.
I said where can we go from here?
John said, if it’s acceptable to you, take a few minutes to further discuss this matter with Herbert as he’s going to be your advisor. I understand he has a lunch planned for you. Once you get back from your lunch, you need to spend this afternoon plus the next four days in the classroom to go through a heavy schedule towards your MBA course.
I said it makes sense and I shall be back here by 1:00 PM for my course.
When we got back home, I had a folder of assignments with me which I needed to work on almost every week, if not every day. Lynda was okay with that. As a matter of fact she was encouraging me to do my assignments instead of watching TV. She also suggested she wouldn’t mind at all if I decided to spend some time in the library on the weekend which I thought was incredible. She said do whatever you feel like doing to accomplish your objective and I will be there all the way to support you.
I was still visiting the Edmonton office almost every week to keep in touch with other executives, just in case if I would need their assistance when the president retired.
I spent time showing the executives how to access the information on the monitor first thing in the morning, to learn our financial status based on all the cheques that came in and all the cheques that went out. This was very important to some of the executives as they were very much interested in keeping an eye on the banking operation. This information also included whether there was any float due to our inability to process all the cheques that came in that night.
I was supposed to go to Montreal in a week to attend the National Clearing meeting. I was looking forward to attending that meeting as I had made some friends who used to work for the major banks.
One day when I got back from the office Lynda told me that Gord’s sister called and let Lynda know that Margret Scott, Gord’s wife, had been sick for a while. She had cancer and Gord was taking her to Halifax for her chemotherapy every two weeks. It was devastating news for us. Margret had been a healthy woman in her fifties with two daughters – Stephany and Maloney. We had wonderful memories with them in Fredericton and in Ontario as well. Our families used to get together now and then to keep track of everything. Gord and Margret always treated us as a part of their family and Adam used to get along very well with their girls, too.
Lynda didn’t even let me take my jacket off. She told me to give Gord a call as they were three hours ahead of us. I didn’t know that.
As soon as I called, Gord recognized my voice and asked if everything was alright. I said we just found out about Margret and Lynda wanted to talk to him.
Lynda got on the phone and the first thing she asked Gord – How come we didn’t know anything about Margret’s sickness, Gord.
I felt sorry for Gord the way he was dragged into the conversation but he was smart to say I apologize, Lynda. I should have let you know as Margret always loved you and your family dearly. He said for the last several months I have been totally jumbled and I had no idea if I was coming or going. He said I took time off from work but I needed nurses badly to help me out in order to look after Margret. Then we started chemotherapy and I had to take her to Halifax every two weeks which completely occupied our time. He said I know all this sounds like a bunch of excuses but I should have given you a quick call. However, I had asked my sister in Calgary to get in touch with you when she called us.
Lynda said let’s forget what happened in the past, Gord. She said as soon as I get off this phone I am going to get Mir to book me the next flight to Fredericton. I want to come and look after the girls. I don’t have to worry about Adam. He’s going to be alright with his dad here in Calgary.
Gord said I really appreciate your offer Lynda. You’re indeed a true friend of Margret’s, Lynda, but I have already made necessary arrangements with the local folks here in Fredericton and it seems to be working out just fine.
Lynda said how can we help you, Gord? He said I am managing reasonably well but if I need anything, I will let you know.
She said how about this? Mir is scheduled to go to Montreal on Thursday for a meeting with the Bank of Montreal. Once he’s done on Friday, can he come and see Margret on Saturday and spend some time with her as well as with the girls?
Gord said that would be wonderful, Lynda. Are you sure Mir can afford the time? He must be terribly busy with the bank as I understand he travels a lot nowadays. She said don’t worry about him Gord. He has already done enough for the bank, Gord. He’s looking forward to being there. Please kiss my friend from me, would you. Then she hung up. She turned around and said to me, I should have checked with you before suggesting that you go to Fredericton.
I said not to worry about that, babe. I will get Holly to change my ticket first thing in the morning. I need to get back on Sunday as I have some meetings lined up for Monday.
Adam came out from his room and asked us what’s wrong?
Lynda said Aunty Margret’s sick, son. He asked if we were going to Fredericton to see her.
Lynda said not right now. Your dad will be there on the weekend and if he feels that I can be of any help to her or the girls, I may have to go there alone, son.
Adam said that will be alright, mom. Dad knows how to make TV dinners, now. Plus, we can always order pizza from Jim’s place.
That wasn’t a comfortable night for either of us. I got up in the middle of the night and went into the solarium to watch TV. It didn’t take too long for Lynda to join me. She asked me if I fancied a cup of tea. I said maybe that will help me.
We stayed up for a little while talking about the good times we had with Margret and her family in Fredericton, as well as when we were living in Ontario. Margret was a classy woman and Gord was a lucky man to have her.
We also talked about Dorothy, Gord’s mom, who used to live in Fredericton. Lynda used to see her regularly and we used to take Dorothy out for a meal frequently.
I remember when Dorothy took us to a local golf course for lunch. After lunch she showed me how to swing a ball: how to position the ball, feet, stance and alignment, chin including spine angle. Perhaps most importantly, she showed me how to hold a golf club.
We indeed had a lot of memories of Fredericton even though we kept saying that we never liked Fredericton.
The next day when I got to the office and before I took my jacket off to hang it on the hanger, Gerry rushed into the office and closed the door right away.
I turned around and asked him what’s up?
He pulled out the chair and sat down in front of my desk and said things were happening faster than he had anticipated. I knew that something was “boiling” in Edmonton and waiting for the president to retire, but I thought there was some time for that. Obviously, I was wrong again.
He said those morons, he meant his friends from the Royal Bank who were working in Edmonton, are getting anxious to get something going.
Gerry said they definitely would like to get rid of me, sooner than I thought.
I knew that and told Gerry that I am no exception to their anger and they are totally pissed with me, too. I said they had tried a couple of times to get me to agree with them about a couple of things so that they could use my statements to convince Edmonton; but I totally disappointed them.
I asked Gerry if I should cancel my meeting in Montreal. He said there’s no need for that. He said I just wanted you to know that they may try something on me while you are away. He said I think know I how to handle them.
He said I want you to know that I take full responsibility for the changes that we have implemented to improve the overall profitability as well as the security of the bank, and nobody should blame you or Tam.
I said it doesn’t work that way, Gerry. You hired us and you led the process to whatever we have accomplished. If what we did was wrong, Gerry, we all should be blamed. I said they are not going to forgive us but they must have lined us up right after you.
Nevertheless, I said I am totally prepared to face the music whenever they decide but in the meanwhile I will continue to do my job.
On that note, Gerry left my office.
When I went home, I was sad. Lynda asked me what’s up. I said nothing just thinking about Margret, I lied.
The reason I decided not to share my conversation with Gerry with Lynda was because I didn’t want her to worry about my job prematurely. I thought she already had enough to worry about with Margret.
One of the reasons I was interested in going to Montreal was, I was hoping to start some kind of dialogue with my banking friends about the current political situation with our bank. I knew that when we changed our banking agent or representative to represent ATB in the Bank of Canada from the CIBC to Scotiabank, I had played an important role in their favour. I was hoping that one day they would be in a position to return that favour.
Boy, was I wrong!
