Chapter 4

To this day, I'm not certain how it happened but Magda and Wendy started showing up at the club. First it was once every two weeks or so on a weekend. When school was out for the summer that changed to several times a week then to the house to eat pizza and plan for the next day.

By this time, Magda not only felt comfortable around the house but we actually started to evaluate the businesses left to me. One business was put up for sale. Another was the majority of stock in a publicly traded company. We met with the Board of Directors and I agreed to a 5-year buyout of enough share to make me a minority stockholder. Several things happened that year too.

The club offered to lease or otherwise concession out the food services. Magda, her sister and brother-in-law convinced me that it would at least break even within 3 years, perhaps sooner. One added-value would be a drive to increase membership outside of the sub. The increase would be limited to corporate memberships but would mean a two or three times increase in memberships and subsequent revenues.

We kept the car dealerships; in-fact added 4 new lines of cars, imports and dropped several US names. If worked out well since US carmakers soon had the start of a severe downturn and eventual bankruptcy the next year. Magda and I set a date for an official wedding. Wendy, got to love her, was ten feet off the ground when Magda asked her to be in the Bridal Party. That joy was soon tempered when June, her Mom got sick.

I guess when no one can tell you what is wrong or what, if any, treatment may help, things can seem a lot worse than they should be. I know one thing; June was now more concerned with losing her jobs, house and the effect her supposed death would have on Wendy.

Magda relayed some of those details to me. "The wicked witch of the tennis courts' and I had not started off on a very good footing. Magda though had. June was moved into one of the apartments 'we' owned; it was very close to the Medical Centre. The corporation 'we' had formed for the food services now added June as our accountant and the insurances and Wendy almost became a 7/24 member of our household. June became a 'test' for a dozen medicos to find out what was wrong. She did not need the grief raising a now 13-year old daughter entailed. Neither did I but Magda seemed to thrive on all the 'challenges' that would be occurring.

Between trying to determine the proper course of action for the businesses, some yet un-resolved what to do with them; the new food service for the club, June's illness, Wendy becoming a teen and readying for the wedding there were a 'few' things we had to do. One extra thing was getting a new school for Wendy. Her old one was on the other side of town. She ended up not to be the problem in selecting something here; I was. Wendy did not have any objection to PS 11, I did. I felt now that I would be paying the bill, she should have a bit more than what PS 11 offered. June did not agree. Magda would be called in to adjudicate. Funny, June now seemed to see all the reasons and the benefits of The Andrews School for Girls. Funny that. Magda made me acknowledge her success in explaining things to June. Unfortunately, June was not getting any better. We hired an assistant accountant then a CPA service for Tax filings.