Chapter 4

Everyone stood and began to walk out of the room. Wilma and Beatrice were the first ones out. The attorney said, "Garrett, would you please remain for a few more minutes? I have some other business I need to discuss with you."

After his mother and sister were gone, the attorney motioned to the door and his assistant closed and locked it. He then turned back to Garrett and said, "I'm sure you realize the items we discussed here today were far fewer than what your grandfather owned. I'm surprised your mother didn't catch that and ask where the other property went. I need to tell you that before he died he transferred all of his business holdings to his long-term employees by creating a Transfer On Death (TOD) deed. What this means is the business and associated property never entered into his estate nor did the property given to you and your sister. I am also surprised your mother and sister didn't mention the business during our discussion, especially since your mother works there."

The attorney reached into his folder and pulled a letter from it. He looked at the envelope for a moment, then handed the letter to Garrett. He said, "Your grandfather left this letter for you. I will take a few minutes to allow you to read it, then if you have any questions we can discuss them before I move on to another matter."

Garrett opened the letter and read it. It said, in part, "Garrett, you have been a great pleasure to me. I know it sounds silly but I love you very much. I have left you the means to make a good living for yourself if you apply yourself to the labor necessary to do so. Perhaps your only failing is your laid back attitude. I had hoped your enlistment in the Guard would change that. The military tends to make men out of boys. I was so proud when you enlisted.

"Unfortunately, you only work enough to get by. If that is your goal in life, so be it. If not, it's time to apply yourself, boy. If you apply yourself, there is no limit to where you can go with your intelligence. You can dick around here like I did later in life and take short tours with the Guard and still make a comfortable living or you can apply yourself and excel. I hope and pray you apply yourself and excel. You have the ability to do so.

"I know your mother and sister are spoiled bitches and I'm sorry you'll have to put up with them. I can legally cut your mother out of my will but I couldn't your sister. I had a moral obligation to leave her something so I gave her the house and a small acreage. She can live well there if she will stop her uncontrolled spending. It will be a nice place for her and a future husband. I rather suspect she and your mother will sell the place and spend the money. In any event, I have done my duty to her.

"As for your inheritance, I hope you keep the land and enjoy it, either by farming it as I once did or just by fishing and camping on the old place as you and I did the last several years. I also left you the old bank building and lot on which it sits. As you know, I haven't been in the old bank since it was closed. I really don't remember exactly what is still inside the building. I do know there are some stock certificates there that are now yours. That is where I got a large portion of my income.

"It really doesn't matter what else is in the bank, however, because everything there is now yours. I never returned to the bank after Dad died. I did send one of the maintenance men over regularly to check the roof for leaks and to make sure the building was still in good repair. We had to remove the external stairs to the apartments to safeguard them, but when that was done they were in tolerable shape for a building as old as the bank is. We also took down the external stair landing and the side and front deck at the same time to keep kids from climbing up on it to access the apartments. As far as I know the building is structurally sound. Again, I don't know what you will do with it but it is yours to use or sell. I am sure some of the old furniture will bring a good price if you want to sell it.

"Remember this old man with love and fondness, dwelling on the good times if you will. I will do the same for you. Good bye, son."

After he read the letter Garrett sat back in his chair and looked at the attorney. When he saw Garrett lean back, he said, "Your grandfather left me some money on retainer, Garrett. He expects your mother to try and contest the will. In the event she does not I am to retain the funds to use to provide you legal services until such time as they are exhausted or I retire, at which time I am to release the balance remaining to you. Your grandfather placed the property and stock accounts as TOD, but there isn't much left in the brokerage. Soon you and your sister will receive confirmation of the ownership transfer to the property you will receive as TOD. I have already provided his death certificate to the institutions that require it and began the transfers for you and your sister. The only items that have to go through probate are the few personal items and bank accounts.

"You may take possession of your building and land at any time. Now, I need to get to my next appointment. If you have questions or need more help just call me, please, Garrett. See Stacy for your keys to the bank on your way out."

That afternoon Garrett went to his grandfather's old house and packed his few belongings. He went to the old bank and looked around with the intention of moving into one of the apartments. When he entered the building he sneezed from the smell of the long closed up building. To his surprise all the desks and teller cages still had papers, calendars and writing implements on them. It was as if someone left the day before and expected to return to work again the next day. Unfortunately, there was no stairway to the upper floors from the inside. He went outside and saw a door in the side of the building on the second and third floor but no way to reach them. He remembered years ago his grandfather hired a firm to take the outside stairs down because kids were breaking into the apartments and playing on the stairs. He would have to either live in the bank itself or build stairs to reach the apartments. At least the concrete bases for the stairs and balcony supports were still present.

Oh, well, for now he would make do with the bank itself. His first order of business was to get power and water into the building once again. From his inspection he knew he would have to rewire the building because the wires were the old style with cloth insulation and were nowhere near safe to use. There had never been city water in the building so he had that to take care of, also. When the bank closed it actually used its own well. He was sure it was now dry or the pipes and/or pump didn't work. Besides, city water was available so why rework the well?

The next morning Garrett rose early. He usually slept late every chance he got but the hard floor of the bank wasn't conducive to lying around and dozing. He quickly dressed and headed for the door intending on finding something to eat, perhaps at the next-door cafe.

He was still drowsy and consequently didn't pay attention when he wandered out the front door of the bank onto the sidewalk. He stepped out right in front of Kathy Wilson and her father as they, too, headed toward the cafe. He caught sight of them from the corner of his eye and stumbled, almost falling as he tried to avoid crashing into them. Kathy reached out and grabbed him to keep him from falling. She said, "Garrett! Where did you come from? You appeared almost out of thin air as if you came out of the old bank."

"Well, yeah, I did. Gramps left the bank to me when he died. Since I don't have anywhere to stay, I spent the night there. I suppose that'll be my new home for a spell. Bitchy Bea and Mom more or less kicked me out of Gramps house yesterday. She inherited it and wanted my whole paycheck from the construction company, almost, for rent, so I came here."

"Wow. Well, come on with Dad and me. We're headed to the cafe for breakfast."

"Yeah, me, too. I don't know what I'm gonna do about food and water. There's no power or water in the old bank and I have to rewire and plumb it before there will be. No power means I have to eat out or do the sandwich thing as I can't afford to do anything else."

Bill looked up when he heard Garrett say that. He said, "No power or water? You can't live like that. Let's go look at the old place after we eat. Maybe we can do something about that for you."

After the meal the three headed over to the bank. When she entered the door Kathy stopped and looked around. "Wow," she whispered. "This is really neat. It sure doesn't look like the banks today."

Kathy walked around and picked up several items, looked at them, and put them back down. When she got back to Garrett and her father she said, "Garrett, a lot of this stuff is really, really old. I bet you could sell it for a ton of money and use that to install your water and power. What else is here?"

"I don't know. What you see is all I've seen. The vault is locked and I don't know the combination for it. I haven't looked in any of the drawers or desks, either. I have no idea what is here."

"While you and Daddy look around to see what needs to be done can I go through some of the desks?"

"Yeah, sure."

After Bill and Garrett did a quick survey of the bank, Bill said, "The old building seems to be in pretty good shape structurally, but we'll have to tear out all the wiring and plumbing. It's all shot to hell. Are you sure you want to live here?"

"Well, maybe not here, but in this building. The two upper floors are supposed to have apartments in them but Gramps had to have the stairs taken down years ago to keep the kids out of the apartments and to keep them from climbing on them and maybe getting hurt. I was hoping to live upstairs in one of the apartments."

Bill walked out of the building, saying as he went, "Well, let's get the ladder off my truck and see what is up there. I know we can at least check out the second floor and I think we may be able to get to the third one."

After they placed the ladder, Bill looked up at the boarded up doors and windows. He put on his tool belt and climbed the ladder carrying a small pry bar. He looked over the plywood covering on the door then inserted the pry bar under the edge of it. He carefully worked around the wood, prying it loose as he went. When he had the bottom and part of the sides loose he stepped down the ladder a short distance and pulled the wood over his head then climbed up the ladder under it. He braced himself and finished prying the wood off, letting it fall to the ground below.