A Fantasy about Love Pt. 14

"This is not enough anymore, however, since if we stand still, we'll die. You probably have heard that we made an offer for NSW Trucks and that it has been accepted. This offers new challenges for us all, and I ask you to cooperate as well as you've been doing all these months. They have a much larger area than we have and we're thinking to relocate our cargo station to their place. That's not far away from here and there'll be no major problems for you to change your working place. If anybody sees any problem, please contact me or Miss Parker, who you all know. She'll not be here all the time, since we agreed with Mr. Simpson that she would stay with him for the next three months at least twice a week to understand better their operations."

They were listening attentively.

"We'll have a major challenge there. Their culture is different, their working rules are different, and their management has been relaxed, and I'm polite. We'll have to change all this to bring them up to our speed, and I count on you to help me. There'll be a similar meeting with them tomorrow afternoon, and I'd appreciate it if possible, all of you would come with me. There'll be questions and answers, but they'll trust more the opinion of a fellow trucker than a woman's voice, unfortunately, I must say."

There were more shouts. "We trust you, Maureen!" ... "We'll come with you, lady!"

Maureen laughed with them, satisfied with their support.

"I need some ideas from you how to integrate them into our group: a barbeque perhaps to start? Remember our no-alcohol policy: they might not like this, but this is our rule and they better follow it. They'll have to earn our trust, as we have to earn theirs. We've been successful because we have been working together, you and I, and I hope they'll join us."

Our people were well cared for and they knew it; they promised they would come to the next day's meeting at NSW Trucks. Maureen gave them the afternoon off as long as they finished the day's job by two o' clock. There was some moaning, but it was well¬-meaning.

At night Eileen called and told us that she could not come, so Maureen had to handle it on her own. She nodded: she knew that she could handle it.

The next day was the big event. Maureen was dressed up as the CEO of the Sydney Branch: white blouse, black narrow skirt reaching to her knees, and discrete jewelry, but certainly including her opal pendant. Jenny was similarly dressed up and the difference was the blue skirt. Both looked stunning. I would be standing in the background to be back up to my ladies, so it was the usual: dark blue suit (would I ever lose that habit?), white shirt, Hermès tie. The driver was waiting for us; we didn't want any chance of getting into a traffic mishap.

Jason Simpson was waiting for us as well as his iron lady. She still glared at me, but Jenny immediately ran interference. She stepped close to her, introduced herself and put on her charm. "Mrs. Schneider, I am Mary Ann Parker, and we'll work together the next weeks and months. I've heard from Mr. de Winter how your company depends on you for a perfect organization. I hope that you'll show me the ropes and that I'll learn a lot from you. I know what you've been doing here; I was Mr. de Winter's secretary for almost a year. He never hid that a part of his success came from my backup. Men can be awful when files and people are concerned - don't you agree?"

She smiled at her and I swear that I saw a tiny human reaction on her face. Probably I was wrong, because as soon as she looked at me the glare was back. "You can go in now." That lady would not stay for a long time on our premises.

Mr. Simpson was waiting for us, with five men at his side. He introduced them briefly: the logistics manager, HR, Finance, admin, and a different lawyer. He was the important man of the moment. Mr. Simpson also introduced us: Mrs. De Winter, the CEO of the new company, Miss Parker, her and for some time his assistant, and I, Mrs. Monahan's Executive Assistant. The lawyer gave us the documents that we should sign (I had received copies the previous night, but still ... ) and I read them once more. There were exact copies and I nodded to Maureen. There were five minutes of documents being exchanged for signature, and at the end, Maureen opened her attaché case and offered the Bearer cheque for nineteen million dollars. NSW Trucks was ours.

A bottle of champagne was opened, and we toasted to our success and Mr. Simpson's University Chair. Maureen told Mr. Simpson that she wanted to talk to staff in the afternoon and he called Mrs. Schneider. Again, her face was grim, and she didn't even look at me. Jason told her to arrange the meeting and with a last glare at me, she left.

I turned to Mr. Simpson. "Mr. Simpson" he interrupted me "can we go back to Jason, please? We'll be in frequent contacts and you know we Australians are not very much or formality."

I nodded and held out my hand. "Thank you, Jason. As you know, I am James. One thing puzzles me, however: why is your secretary so angry at me?"

He took me aside. "James, she's normally very reserved, but she's the last survivor of her family after the Holocaust. She hates Germans, and I believe that it's not personal against you, but against the fact that a German is close to her. Please forgive her; she rendered valuable services to me during all these years and in any case, she'll come with me to the University. You've to endure her only for a few more weeks and I'll talk to her to tone it down."

I told Jason that I could understand her problem, but that in business, private problems should stay private. He nodded and I left him to resolve this problem.

Maureen had invited everyone for lunch, and it seemed that there were no serious problems with his managers, at least not at this moment. It helped that they had generous portions of wine and good food. We went back and Maureen, Jenny and I sat with each manager to agree on the handover. It would have to be fast and again, it did not seem to cause problems. Three of the five were already waiting for their retirement and a generous package would help the transfer. The financial manager was still young and seemed to be competent; we offered him that he could stay for the next six months; if we all would be in agreement at that time, we would offer him a permanent position. The lawyer was a bit ancient but very astute, observant, and competent. We would try to keep him.

Finally, the staff meeting was called and as soon as everyone was assembled in the patio, Jason called for order; the silence was deafening.

"People, let's keep this short. You've certainly heard that NSW Trucks was sold today to NT, the competitor which has stolen so many contracts from us. Why the sale? I'm getting old, there's no heir and I did not want to see the company that I led so many years, simply vanish. Looking at NT and the success they have, I see a better future for all of us than just letting our life dribble away. Your rights are guaranteed, and you'll have the choice whether you want to stay or search for other jobs. For everyone leaving, a lump sum will be paid, calculated for each one according to his position, his salary and his time in the company. For the people who decide to stay and who are accepted by the new management, a different bonus will be calculated and once he or she is accepted, the new salary structure of NT will be applied. I will stay on part-time for at least three months, probably more, and I'll make certain that you can come to me with whatever complaint you might have. But ... People, the company is sold, and you will have to adapt to new management and new rules."

There was silence, not threatening, but resigned. Motivation would be one of our first management priorities.

"Let me introduce the new owners. Mrs. Maureen de Winter will be the CEO for the Sydney Branch of NT, Miss Parker is her Executive Assistant and will stay with me for the next three months at least two days a week to organize the hand-over, and Mr. de Winter, standing behind them, is the Executive Assistant to Mrs. Monahan, the owner of NT. I am sorry that I could not find a better solution, but at my age ... I hand the company over to a newer generation. Perhaps you have heard that NT is sponsoring a Chair for Logistics at the Sydney University and that I will be the person responsible for the Institute. So I will not retire and play golf, but I shall teach young people who want to learn how our business works. Thank you for all the support I received in past years and I wish you the best of luck."

There was long applause and he raised the microphone once more "At least you've one consolation, folks. The new CEO is much prettier than the old one!" They all laughed and applauded once more. At least the ice was broken.

Finally, Maureen stepped forward. "Ladies and gentlemen..." there was loud booing "...we are not ladies or gentlemen, we are truckers!"

Maureen shook her head. "You certainly are truckers, but in my eyes, you are also ladies and gentlemen, and I will treat you this way. At least as long as we'll work together, not against each other! In daily life, there will be always moments of stress, but it's my objective to resolve problems, not create them. This does not always work; even in NT there were certain moments when I was wondering what I was doing, but in the end, we always found a solution."

Now she put on her executive face: decisive, but fair.

"Let's talk about NT and NSW. NT has been very successful the last year because we put customer satisfaction above everything. If we had to work long hours, we did it; if we had to make the extra effort, we succeeded. I want the same attitude in NSW. There'll be changes so let's talk about you, our staff. Mr. Simpson said that anyone who wanted to leave will receive a bonus based on time in the company, position, and salary. I confirm this and we'll announce the next week how we'll calculate this. Mr. Simpson will work with us on this subject. I do hope that you will prefer to stay with us. I know that the salary is not everything, but it is important, so this is what we'll do. You'll receive a new work contract where the salary is the average salary of a trucker working in a comparable position in other companies."

There was silence - not threatening silence, but resigned acceptance.

"We have contracted an HR company called HAY, which has a lot of experience in this area. There will be bonuses for successfully reaching monthly or yearly objectives; for example, punctuality on the job, well dressed, customer comments, helping your colleagues. We know that including performance bonuses, we pay well above the average pay in our industry. You are seeing strange faces in the crowd: I asked my people from NT to come tonight and be available for questions. I know that in your minds their comments will weigh more than mine, but I hope that soon you believe my promises also."

They looked around, trying to identify their future colleagues. Some seemed to know each other, and groups were slowly forming.

"There are, however, some iron-clad rules in NT that will apply to you from the moment you sign the contract: No drugs under any circumstances and no alcohol when on the job. Breaking these rules will be a reason for dismissal. Part of the condition of working for NT is that all new employees, and for formal reasons you'll be treated as one, have to admit to a drug test and if you test positive, we will help you to recover. There is a time limit for our help and if it does not work out, you will lose your job. Another rule is that all NT staff will undergo random drug testing."

There was loud booing, and somebody shouted that the union would never allow this. Maureen waited for the shouts to diminish.

"Gentlemen - and ladies - this is a rule that has no exception. I was selected two months ago for testing: no exception. You'll have to decide what you prefer: whether you want to ruin your life or work for us. Unions are important, I know this, but under no circumstances will we concede on this rule. My colleagues at NT will tell you that we never had a strike and that we have a long list of people wanting to work with us, so I assume that this policy works. You will have three days to read the new contract and decide what you want to do. I expect all of you to cooperate until you have made your decision."

She turned to me. " James, do you want to say anything?"

I did not, but now I had to.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this will be a big change in life and not so much in your work, but in the way you'll live in the NT community. Think of the future when you make your decision, and think about obligations also, not only of rights. We will treat you right and expect you to do the same. I believe we've talked enough now, and I'd like to invite you all - you, your wives, husbands, partners, children - to come here on Saturday and we'll offer a delicious barbeque. I will also again invite our people from NT, and you can mingle and gossip about the new management, whether Labour will win the next election, whether the West Indies will beat Australia in cricket, and whether life is fair. Let me tell you: it's not. So see you on Saturday!"

There was muted applause and when we walked away, the noise level increased dramatically. At least there had been no violent reaction, no threats and I hoped that our people met enough people from NSW and made enough propaganda for NT, that by next week the problem makers were identified and the rest pacified.

We said goodbye to Jason and his management (and the dragon) and I promised to come back the next afternoon to talk to each one separately.

Maureen was satisfied. "This could have been worse, James. I believe that your intervention at the end calmed them down; the barbeque was a good idea and I'll ask our people on Monday morning what they thought. We'll give them a chance to come over and work with us, but I do want to know where trouble could come from. We also have to watch for interference from the union, but I leave this to your silver tongue."

I wondered how often my 'silver tongue' had gotten me in trouble but promised myself that I would be careful. At home, Maureen called Eileen and told her that everything had gone well and that early next week we would have enough information to reorganize NSW. Then the conversation turned to a much more serious matter: the trip to Germany and the 'Hochadelsball'.

I was certain that they had discussed this at length in Brisbane, but it seemed a repetition was necessary. Maureen had still to pick up her dress and the conversation ranged from jewelry: maximum, to dresses: stunning, to underwear: minimum. And etc., etc., and etc.

Eileen had bought the airline tickets already: she would fly first class and we business. I looked at Maureen and she shrugged her shoulders. "Mom probably knows what she is doing. If not, I upgrade."

I nodded and the details were available: a long flight with over 20 hours, one stopover in Singapore, and we would arrive in Munich on Thursday at noon. Singapore Airlines had these first-class cabins with a real bed and a little shower: luxury indeed. Business was not bad either, seats would incline horizontally, and the service was world-class. When I flew Singapore, I always wondered how they hired the stewardesses, as none seemed to be older than the very early 20s. Would they be fired when they got older? And where did they find them? All of them could have entered a beauty contest with good chances of winning. I assumed that this flight would be similarly attractive and was looking forward to it.

Maureen hung up. "Mom will come here on Tuesday night and we'll fly on Wednesday to arrive on Thursday at noon. Mom said that she took only one first call cabin because most of the time we would stay in hers and that she was still the CEO."

She was right, but her argumentation showed that she was slow in changing. There would problems selecting what to take on the trip: after all, four big luggage cases restricted them a lot! Maureen smiled and Jenny laughed. "I wish that I would have that problem one day!"

I got up and hugged her. "My love, you can have it anytime, but I believe that other matters are more important to you - at least now. I don't know, however, what will happen in a few years' time, when you have become accustomed to the idea that you have more money than you can spend in a reasonable way!"

She hugged back. "You will always be more important than anything else, my love."

Then I was told to go away and read a book: they were into makeup now. The capacity that women have to concentrate on the minimum details of unimportant matters always surprised me. They were so beautiful, that in my opinion (biased, I accept) makeup could not improve them. It seems, however, that a certain shade of red cannot go with Maureen's hair color, and that this blush does not work with that lipstick. I resigned myself and finally finished the book by that stupid Frenchman - he seemed to break every possible rule of logic and the way he juggled his assumptions and conclusions was either scary or imbecile - or both. Why had he become so famous, I don't know. He was very left-leaning and that certainly helped him in Academia and among the very young students, who had not entered real life yet.

The next two days went in a hurry: I had to organize the barbeque, Jenny stayed with Mr. Simpson, and Maureen got another contract. The weather was fine on Saturday and I was content that the caterer had prepared for hundreds of people. The meat was served all afternoon, there was a live band playing popular Australian songs, and the only complaint that I heard was about the absence of beer. I had warned them, however, that we would not serve alcohol on business activities, and I had been afraid that beer might stimulate the already exuberant Australian rough humor - and that could easily have gone wrong.

We mingled and I was the subject of several good-mannered comments about how lucky I had to work with such a good-looking wife, and her assistant wasn't ugly, either, but everything stayed within limits and when they were leaving, it seemed that they were satisfied. Allan joined us later for a few moments and told me that he thought the vibes were OK. Even Miss Schneider seemed to relax a bit; but only as long as she was not close to me.

We visited Ellen in the late afternoon and the joy in her eyes when she saw Maureen and Jenny was wonderful. Allan had arrived before us, told her about the staff meeting, and we stayed for afternoon tea. Maureen told Ellen about her dress, her probable makeup, the jewelry she would take along, and what Eileen had decided to wear.

She glanced at me. "What do you think, James?"

I told her that I had not seen the dress yet; it would be a surprise for me on the evening of the ball. We promised to send continuous updates so that she could follow us, because the time difference allowed her to see in the morning what happened at night. She was tiring early, and we left so that she could sleep. We wondered how long she could still be with us and decided that we would spend every moment possible at her side.

At home, there was the obligatory phone call to Eileen, but our mood was subdued thinking about Ellen. We went to sleep without any joy and when we woke up, our first thought was about what we could do for her. She was treated by the best physicians we had in Sydney and the only thing we could add was our presence and our love. We went back to her in the afternoon and Maureen showed her the jewelry she was taking along to Germany and they spent hours discussing fashion, dresses, designers, and especially friends, and the fun gossiping hour passed fast. We offered to cancel the trip to stay with her, but she insisted: it would be so much fun for Maureen. She was smiling when we left, and Allan was grateful.