Cool Climate

There was a knock on her door.  A blond neighbor stopped by to invite her to a New Year's Party.  She was more than glad to be invited.  The woman lived next to Tex in an apartment on the first floor. She didn't much like him, either. Tex came on to her as well.  But she said Tex had left.  It was safe to join in with the rest of the partygoers.

The following morning on the first day of the new year, Beth went to her desk. Beth's fingers were frozen.  Her mind was worse. She couldn't bring herself to go this deep. Her New Year's INTENTION meant that she had to think less. She didn't want to put her tormented mind on paper.  Again. She was compelled to write about it.  Writing releases it.  Always. And she had to move her brokerage account instate. But that had to wait another day until the financial businesses opened.

Historically, she had more than a series of brokers. New, Inept, Moving, Lazy, Greedy, Passed Away, and Dumb and Dumber. She really liked Passed Away.  But he was gone. Finito.  To that great beyond.   She wouldn't have changed yet another broker. She had moved around a bunch.  Five states.  But she had to deal with what is.

That following morning, she had a meeting with the branch office administrator in a half hour.  It was cold outside. 5 degrees.  Beth was glad to be parked in a heated garage.  A lovely 55 degrees. Always.  Her new broker wasn't too far away and she loved the ride through the farmland.  As flat as the eye could see. And not too far from the ocean.  Just five miles west.

As she walked into the garage toward her car, she noticed something tucked firmly under her front window shield wiper blade.  It looked like a wedding invitation.  Thick.


An gold oriental note card was inside the envelope. 

"I AM SORRY"

Sorry?  She had an idea who it was from. 

Beth was late and there was ice everywhere on the road.  She would address the matter about the apology.  Later. She placed the note inside her briefcase.  What she wanted was to trash it.  Now.  There were other pressing matters.

The branch office administrator to the broker welcomed her and quickly closed the door.  The British administrator was always to the point.

"Beth, it isn't done.  Complete or even right.  I know you just moved here, but whoever did the last calculations was more than off.  Some areas are totally empty.  Nothing. Of course, adding a cost basis to your portfolio is a courtesy.  But even courtesies should be correct.  We'll fix that."

Beth could feel her blood curdle.  She had been through that twice before.  Each time took her hours.  Weeks even to sort through hundreds of documents.  And many trips over the mountain.  She was profusely apologetic to the branch office administrator for having to do this. 

Incompetence.  That is what it is.  No way to slide around this one.  A series of incompetent branch office administrators. She hoped she could trust this one. Beth couldn't understand how they could even be hired. She was more than worn.  She had had enough.  She would tell her last broker.  In time.  Gently.  She wondered if it was even worth it. She wondered if her former broker would even call her.

Beth returned home after a few errands. Decided to go downstairs later that night. Even went into the Community Room.  A rarity. 


She felt an uneasiness.  A presence.  Then she saw a shadow. Tex had been peering around the door looking to see if she was alone.  He wasn't a man of much emotional courage.

 Tex was lanky, well dressed, clean. He was also verbally crude, made sexual innuendos, smelled of smoke and booze.  She didn't even like him the first time they met.  She was silly not to listen to her gut. He cozied up to her and it was all too convenient.  It ended almost as fast as it began.

"You're not talking to me."

"YOU aren't talking to me. I've had hi and you just walked away."

His head was down.  Again.  Like she had seen him in the halls a few times.

"I thought you were mad at me."

He already lies.  What is this third grade?

"You and I are different.  We have different behaviors,"she said softly peering out from under her navy Donna Karan New York -  reading glasses.

He had guns and an assault rifle in his apartment.  She had no interest in angering him.

"Of course we are different," he said firmly.

"Well, I thought we had something nice," he whispered.

"I don't think so," Beth said.

Tex stood immediately and the shadow of a man vanished. She never even heard his apartment door close.

Beth returned to her apartment.  Structure.  That is what I am missing. And putting these inept people behind me.  That is what the Mayan's told us.  Collective consciousness.  We're not ending.  We're beginning!


Beth could feel a difference within her.  She had regained her stride.  Again. She looked outside. Snow began to fall.  A fresh landscape, more pure and pristine than she had seen in years. Hope.

There was a pound at the door.  Then a knock. 

The blond woman stood aside. Her face was gnarled.

"Watch your back.  He isn't well."