Dianna Ch. 01

"Mrs. Bouvier," Mr. Davidson started to address Dianna, "Let me-"

Cutting him off, Dianna finished her thoughts. "Mrs. Bouvier is my mother. My name is Dianna, sir. Like I was saying, I understand you didn't cause this, but at least try and do something to make it right." Then she walked out of his office.

Honestly, Larry felt for all of his other Joseph's victims and he planned to find a way to help them, but he had to maintain the integrity of the bank. He thought about this dilemma until lunch, and decided to invite Savannah to join him to see what she thought of his plan.

After Savannah and Dianna left his office, Larry went over the bank by- laws to see if guidelines were written to help renters.

Larry discovered two things. Either the bank, could hire a managing company to run the property, maintain the building and collect rent, or they could simply sell the property. To cushion the blow, the bank could offer the tenants financial incentives to move.

However, the bank was required to give the renter proper notice of the lease termination. In 2009, Congress passed the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act in the wake of the sub-prime mortgage crisis, which now typically requires ninety days' notice. Before, tenants had thirty days at most, with some tenants receiving far less notice.

Just like that, Larry was relieved that the tenants could have more time. With the extra time in their apartments, they'd be able to find decent accommodations, and Larry wanted to make sure they found them personally. So, he made some more phone calls.

Savannah was furious with Larry and could not believe his callousness. During her break, she called several people she knew that were realtors and asked their advice on helping the tenants.

Before long, it was time for lunch. Savannah stood to leave when Larry appeared beside her desk and invited her to join him for lunch. Larry was having sandwiches delivered to his office to give him a chance to explain.

Savannah wanted to refuse, but reluctantly she joined him in his office. When she sat down, fury emanated from her body in waves. Larry knew she was upset and disappointed in him. He really liked her and hated that he'd cause her to view him in an unflattering light.

"Ms. Dew I need to talk to you about the meeting we had this morning." Larry said. "First of all let me apologize for being harsh with you this morning, but please give me a moment to explain.

It's not that I am unsympathetic to the plight of Mr. Yearly's tenants. However legally, I can't disregard the stipulations set forth by the bank. Those stipulations are that Joseph Yearly was delinquent on payments for his properties for six months or more, therefore the bank has the right to take possession of said properties."

Savannah glared at him as she folded her arms across her chest. She stayed silent and allowed him to finish speaking. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "However, in light of the situation that has arisen, I have spent all morning researching and talking to a friend of mine that runs a low-income housing program that is designed to helping people who need help find housing. Unfortunately, only a few of Yearly's tenants will qualify for this program.

Mr. George is over seventy-five and he qualifies for shelter in a senior citizens community. I spoke with Harvey Kingston, the owner of the bank, and he has agreed that Southcorp will cover his living expenses for the first year until another source of revenue can be found for him.

Latasha Black is only eighteen, and even with her job waitressing, she does not have enough income to qualify for a rental. However, if she qualifies for some government aid programs, she may still qualify."

"Mr. Davidson," Savannah interjected, "I talked with the director of FCD, an organization that helps young people get their feet back on the ground. Latasha is a perfect candidate for their program. They provide an education, housing, and counseling. They do have specific rules their members must follow. I will call Ms. Bouvier and Ms. Black later about this."

Larry Davidson pressed on, "The Lucas family qualifies, but both parents will need to work. With five small children, Mrs. Lucas may not be able to work right away."

Again Susannah came up with a suggestion, "Does she have to work outside the home? I mean what if she could do telemarketing or something along those lines. She can still work, just from a home office.

"Good idea, Ms. Dew." Larry acknowledged. "I think it might work.

"Now, Mrs. Sanchez must show that she is in the country legally and is not an illegal immigrant. I know that she is divorced, but has she attained citizenship status?" Larry finished.

Savannah was amazed. She had walked out of his office that morning thinking he did not care, clearly she was wrong.

"Now finally, Ms. Bouvier, I find, is a young woman of means. With her credit standings, and savings she has amassed, she actually qualifies for a loan to buy a home. She is an amazing and well accomplished young woman." Larry finished. "I want to call her directly to talk to her about possibly purchasing her own home. It would definitely benefit her to think about doing so. With her credit rating and work ethic, she'd have no problem securing a loan."

"Mr. Davidson", Savannah began taken aback, "I honestly thought you didn't care. But clearly, I was mistaken. Thank you. I will call Ms. Bouvier immediately as well as all of his other tenants."

"Ms. Dew, you don't have to call them right now. Let's enjoy our lunch" Larry stated, and as their sandwiches arrived from a local deli. He hid his smile as they ate their lunch.

When lunch was over, Savannah immediately called Dianna and the rest of the tenants to share the news that she found out.

Dianna was searching the realty section of the classified ads to try and find something to accommodate all of them when her phone rang.

"Hello." Dianna spoke into her phone.

Savannah breathed a sigh of relief, "Ms. Bouvier this is Savannah Dew from Southcorp Bank. I met with Mr. Davidson this afternoon, and we may have a solution to your problem. Would you be willing to come back to the bank this afternoon so we can present the information we've discovered?"

Dianna thought for a moment and decided that everyone involved should be there. "Ms. Dew, I truly appreciate what you are doing for us, but this time I would like to have the others accompany me to see what is being offered. Can we come in tomorrow at one o'clock?"

"Um, sure." Savannah replied. She was surprised that Dianna was not eagerly waiting to meet with them. "I'll inform Mr. Davidson. I'll call you back in a few minutes to confirm."

Dianna hung up and went back to trying to find a place for them to move. Savannah called right back. They had an appointment at the bank t two o'clock the next day. She'd inform everyone at her place when they met tonight.

The next day at two all of the tenants were waiting in the lobby at the bank. Savannah met them and guided everyone to Mr. Davidson's office.

After greeting and receiving brief introductions, Larry explained to each of the tenants what Southcorp was willing to do to help. All of the tenants were relieved and happy to finally have somewhere to go. The Lucas family and Ms. Sanchez would report to "Helping Hands" the next day to apply for housing.

Mr. George did not want to give up his independence and move to an assisted living facility. So at first, he resisted.

"I am not moving in an old folks home. "Mr. George declared staring at Larry Davidson.

"I can find my own place. For seventy-five years I've worked to support myself..." his voice cracked.

Seeing Mr. George so distraught spurred Dianna into action. She kneeled before him and held his hands."Mr. George, I know this is not ideal. I wish I could find a place for all of us.... You know you won't be able to find a safe place you can afford."

"Dianna, I will not-," Dianna cupped his wrinkly brown cheek and stared into the eyes of the only man that was ever a father to her.

"I know you don't want to go to an old folk's home, but I can't let you go on the streets. Mr. George, I will be there with you every day if I can. So will everyone else here. Just try it for a year. That's all we ask. It'll be alright." she said finally embracing the elderly man.

"Fine, for your peace of mind Dianna, I'll stay there. But young lady, you'd better visit." He said finally.

Dianna understood, Mr. George was seventy-five years young, and a place like that might stifled his freedom. But she'd rather he went to a facility than end up on the streets. Hopefully, she'd find a place where he could move in with her.

Latasha was another story. She grew up in foster care where everyone depended on welfare and didn't want to find herself trapped in that system. Ms. Dew assured her that FCD was not welfare, but a chance to get the resources she would need to gain true independence. Reluctantly, Latasha agreed to meet with the people there.

Another thing Larry and the people at "Helping Hands" did to help Joseph's victims was hire an attorney to sue him and get their money back.

******************************

Joseph showed up at his son's house on a Sunday morning a few weeks after visiting Vegas.

"Hey son, aren't you glad to see your old man?" Joseph greeted Bryce after not having seen him in over fifteen years. Bryce was eleven years old the last time he saw Joseph Yearly. Joseph was tired of taking care of a woman and her kid. He came home one day, and forced Bryce's mother to take their things and get out of his house.

He rented a truck for them and paid the driver to take them anywhere she wanted to go. Bryce recalled how his mother begged this man not to put her and their son out on the streets. Joseph looked at her with dark cold eyes and declared that he was not that boy's father. Defeated, Bryce's mother had the driver of the truck to take her back to her parent's home.

They lived with his grandmother until she passed away when he was eighteen.

His grandmother helped them get back on their feet and made him promise to finish college. When she died he learned that she left him over sixty thousand dollars in a trust for college.

Today, his mother still lived in his childhood home and he sent money each month to help her meet her expenses. He figured he'd never see Joseph again, so seeing him on his doorstep was a surprise.

"I don't have a father Joseph, remember. You said I'm not yours. What do you want? Why are you here?" Bryce asked angrily. He folded his arms across his chest to try and get a handle on his emotions.

He hated this evil man standing in front of him, and really didn't want to talk to him.

Joseph didn't think his boy would hate him, so he cleverly came up with a new scheme. He'd play sick, poor old man.

"Bryce, son, I've lost everything. I don't have anywhere to go. I just need a place to stay for a week or two until I pull myself together. I know I don't have the right to ask, but I miss you son and I need your help. Please let me stay for a while."

He sounded so old and tired that Bryce felt for him. "Two weeks, and then Joseph, you've got to go.

Unfortunately for Bryce, Joseph didn't leave in two weeks. One night Bryce awoke to the sound of screaming. He rushed into Joseph's room and found Joseph thrashing on his bed wildly. He called for help and Joseph was rushed to the hospital.

Bryce learnt from his doctors that Joseph was suffered a stroke and severe brain damage had resulted from it; within a week, he'd deteriorated and died.

Just like that he had to bury the man who was his father.

Joseph Yearly had passed away after living with his son in the city for less than a week. He'd actually filed bankruptcy before his demise, so unfortunately his former tenants could not get any of their money back. His son, Bryce, after learning about his deception, was appointed conservatorship over all of his father's affairs.

Bryce didn't know about his father's schemes until his tenants filed their lawsuit. A meeting was scheduled with Bryce and the rest of the tenants. He wanted to at least meet with them and apologize for his father's treachery. The meeting was at the local courthouse.

Bryce arrived thirty minutes early. When he entered, this gorgeous Nubian goddess was entering as well. He held the door for her to enter the courthouse. Dianna entered the courthouse and saw an African Adonis. He was tall, dark, and amazingly handsome.

Bryce really wanted to get to know the beautiful woman he'd just met, but he had to try and settle this last mess his Dad had made. He watched the young lady walk away and could not help but admire the sexy sway of her hips. Damn it, I should have at least introduced myself and gotten her name.

Walking away from the handsome man that held the door, Dianna added a swing to her hips. She felt his eyes on her and wanted to make sure that she gave him something to look at.

Legally he was not obligated to repay any of his father's victims, and financially he wasn't able to. He felt that the least he could do was apologize. He was grateful that they were willing to meet with him.

Dianna was surprised to learn that the handsome man that held the door for her was Bryce Yearly. Joseph was a small man in stature, light skinned, with a slender face and narrow facial features.

His son, Bryce, was handsome, the complete opposite of his father. He was a chocolate God. Standing at six foot seven inches tall dark, rich, smooth skin and deep chocolate eyes, Bryce Yearly was a dreamboat. When he spoke, his voice was a deep rich baritone that lulled a person into a relaxed state.

Dianna was mesmerized, but then she remembered that this man was the son of the man that put her and her family out on the street. Stiffening her spine, she willed herself to become indifferent to him and ignore the attraction she felt towards him. Bryce sensed the coolness of Dianna's attitude towards him and decided to back off and if he got a chance, he'd approach her later.

Bryce apologized to each and every one of Joseph's victims. He explained that although he wanted to, there was no way he could repay the money his father had stolen. He also explained to them that he father had recently passed away and the condition that led to his demise.

Dianna heart hurt when Bryce announced that he lost his father. Then she recalled this is the same man that hurt her family, so she buried any sympathy she may have felt for Bryce Yearly.

Most of the tenants empathized with Bryce and didn't hold his father's treacherous acts against him. They felt bad for him and over time many were able to let the anger go. Unfortunately, Dianna was not one of them She didn't begrudge the dead but to her, Joseph Yearly was just opportunistic.

After a few months, all of the tenants had settled into their new locations, but they all agreed to keep in touch.

Dianna bought a small house near the school so that Latasha could live with her. Dianna was used to living alone and did not relish the idea of having a roommate, but with Latasha there, it was easier for her to save her money because all of the expenses were evenly divided.

With encouragement and support from Dianna and the others, Latasha enrolled in some classes and start earning credits toward her degree. The FDC organization helped her find scholarships to cover her tuition as well as assisting her with her living expenses and finding work.

Dianna earned her degree in criminal Justice and secured her first job within that field at a local detention center. She interviewed for a supervisory position.

******************************

Thinking she's was working in an office, Dianna dressed for success. Wearing a sleek navy business suit, she arrived at her job thirty minutes early allowing time to get acclimated to her new surroundings.

The first night she was at work was exciting. She worked extremely hard, even willing to take on responsibilities that weren't really hers. She saw that some of the conditions at the detention center were not fair. All of the inmates were kids who were referred for various types of nefarious activities.

Dianna saw negligence, abuse, and lethargic uncaring adults. She started a documentation journal to record the problems that she saw, making sure she stayed on top the section she was assigned to supervise.

However, it was inferior job performance of the guards that was allowing the inmates to get hurt, sometimes seriously.

Paperwork for the infirmary increases at night when there were fewer guards on duty. After a few months, Dianna felt she'd gathered enough data, and requested a meeting with the director of the, Mr. Herbert Vice. "Mr. Vice, I want to thank you for-"

"Ms. Bouvier, let me explain things to you" Mr. Vice interrupted. "You have been with us for four months and I have over sixty complaints about your job performance from several of your co-workers."

Dianna was stunned, because she worked harder than anyone else in that place. She actually cared about the children living in the facility, whereas, others saw them as just a job.

"Mr. Vice," Dianna started to state, "I assure I have done my job to the best of my ability."

Looking at her with clear disdain, Mr. Vice addressed Dianna in a harsh cold tone, "Ms. Bouvier, I would advise you to stop talking right now before I dismiss you for insubordination."

Dianna was stunned. She'd done nothing to deserve such an attack on her character. She sat down and remained quiet as she listened to all of the things she was being accused of.

When Mr. Vice finished, Dianna said what she had to say.

"Mr. Vice, the way you and your employees treat these children is criminal. You all should be locked up. How dare you sit here and accuse me of not doing my job when clearly it's apparent that the other adults that work here are slothful, lazy and simply unprofessional. I will no longer sit quietly and allow this blatant mistreatment of these children to conti-"

"Ms. Bouvier, clear your area immediately. Your services are no longer required." Mr. Vice interjected angrily.

Mr. Vice called for the head of human resources to join their meeting. Mrs. Alford entered the office hesitantly.

"Mrs. Alford, as of today I am dismissing Ms. Bouvier on grounds of insubordination. Please clear her from payroll immediately. That will be all, thank you."

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Vice had security to make sure Dianna gathered her personal effects and escort her from the premises. She was angry and knew that the state office would be receiving a call from her about the facility post haste.

Dianna was furious and there was nothing she could do. She knew they fired her because they knew they weren't doing their jobs and she called them on it. However, her Momma told her,Crying over spilled milk is pointless. Clean it up and get a new glass.

Dianna spent the next couple of months looking for a job to no avail. One day, while standing in line at a local employment office, her case worker suggested she go into teaching.

Dianna Ch. 2

Dianna spent the next couple of months looking for a job to no avail. One day, while standing in line at a local employment office, her case worker suggested she go into teaching.

The state had a severe shortage of certified teachers, so they implemented a pilot program to recruit people who did not follow the traditional route into the field. Participants who participated had to work in a low-income poor performing school within the state for a period of three years.

At the end of the three year terms, they would receive a scholarship to any school of their choice, if they chose to stay in teaching and continue with their assigned school they would receive a stipend of five thousand dollars.