27.12.2006
Thirtyeight
XXXVlll
http://www.netsaga.is/media/files/bit%20of%20b.mp3
The Savings-bank in Keflavik, which was founded in1907 used to be the town´s only financial-establishment for a long time and had only been in two places until it started business on the Sudurgata nr. 6.
Into the new building, which happens to be very elegant the bank had moved on June 17 1955, which happens to be the day of Jon´s birth.
When this story´s hero is compelled to go get his first job a few more banks have been founded in the territory;
Utvegsbanki, Verslunarbanki, Samvinnubanki and Landsbanki,
but still The Savings Bank is by large the biggest.
Whilst he collects enough courage for the task he´s going to undertake, he strolls into the town´s Flower-Garden, in which the vegetation has already started to get a few of the summer´s colours now in March, which gives high hopes for a great summer ahead.
Jon contemplates this large rusty-red colored house, which looks two storey seen from there, but only one from the frontside on the Sudurgata.
On the ground-floor one finds the book-keepers, the staff´s facilities and the coffee-room, but on the middle floor the passenger hall, which most customers visit coming straight in from the street, either to deposit money, draw out or pay bills.
This first bank-robber in Keflavik is of course not aware of this irony of destiny, that he and this building are exactly of the same age, when he puts his hand on the handle of the big teac door up front and walks in from the delicate spring-weather.
To his right there´s a round-staircase which leads up to the top floor, but because he hasn´t the slightest idea where his future victim is located he takes a left turn and enters the passenger hall.
By the counter which form a corner in the middle of the room stands an extremely fat and lightly dressed middle-aged woman Jon estimates, but he doesn´t give her any attention, but takes a position by her side, greets the accoundant, a pretty girl, who he remembers right away from being in his class back in primary school.
-Well, how do you do Nonni, she greets him in a very good mood, been a long time. Where have you been keeping you?
Jon is puzzled with her address, his anger boiling inside him. Doesn´t she know my name´s Jon, and nothing but Jon, but in stead of scolding her he puts a strain on himself and answers her greetingly in quite a friendly way.
-Hi Odda. I happen to be working on some cases concerning the whole mankind, supposing to have told her enough to be rid of the unnecessary chatting, but his wish isn´t granted this time, for automatically he´s aroused the connatural curiosity of his former school-sister.
-What do you mean, Nonni, she carries on.
The bank-robber-to-be is getting angrier every second, but yet again he surprices himself by keeping his hat on and eventhough he´s able to detect a tiny tremble in his own voice, the employee doesn´t seem to find anything peculiar, when he answers her.
-I´d really like to tell you more about my cases, Odda dear, but it´ll have to wait until later and a better moment, than now.
Oddny gives a sideglance towards the gigantic woman standing with her legs apart by his side, but is turned away, thus making him unable to see her face, just her black entangled hair on her backside.
She writes some message on a deposit-note and pushes it under the glass.
Jon reads: She´s a little strange this one!
Why´s that? He writes and returns it.
She appeared there all of a sudden by the counter, just before you arrived and has been standing there like this not saying a word.
She´s only wearing a girdle!
What do you want me to do, chuck her out?
Couldn´t you just say hello to her or something? You know how shy I am.
-OK, Jon says just to free himself quickly, he turns to the fat one and bids her good morning at the same time he touches lightly her shoulder.
He pulls his hand sharply back, when nothing but air seems to be where the shoulder´s supposed to be. His mind works at overdrive, adds two to two and recalls where he´s seen this woman before. This is the holograph of the fat woman he´d once sent unintentionally into the Nonni&Bubbi store.
The Beings had told him that nothing gets wasted really, but instead everything gets transported between phases or domains.
Can it be that I´ve been playing too much with the holographs, thus making them follow me wherever I go?
The Beings have often told me to be careful in my experiences with the supernatural.
Without any more speculation about this grave problem he
returns to the pretty counter-girl.
-You don´t have to worry about her, supposedly she´s both retarded and deaf, not able to hurt a fly. Well do you have time for my question now?
-Be my guest, Nonni dear.
-Can you tell me Odda, where I might find the bank´s boss?
-The Savingsbankmanager? There´re two of them now and are both to be found upstairs. Why do you want to see them, if I may ask? The connatural feeling is just about killing her.
-Yes. of course my girl, Jon replies and puts up the important look he feels appropriate to the occasion. I have namely received the message that there´s a good job waiting here for me.
The girl´s obviously amazed hearing his reply, because she had been told , that there wasn´t any need for new employees. That was the answer she received each time she tried to find Solla, her friend a job. Eventhough she´d finished two years of junior college. That´s a lot more education than this good-for-nothing fellow had done. That was something all the towners knew for a fact, for the town´s famous for its gossip.
-I had the perception that we were overstaffed, and her voice has become higher unintentionally, by the way the employment manager, Maggi Halla does all the hiring, but not the bankmanagers.
-I know nothing about that. I just know that I´m supposed to meet the boss, he informs her before he leaves the passenger hall and walks towards the circular stairs.
The astonished young woman follows him with her eyes,
but what astonishes her even more is the strange woman, who hovers close behind him in her blubber.