One Week in May

Knocking on the door I can hear Lily squealing on the other side. The door opens and the little blonde munchkin is grabbing my trouser leg and pulling me down. I sink to my hands and knees and she climbs on my back yelling, "giddup, giddup."

I shuffle past a bemused Claudija and into the living room. Finally tipping Lily off, I tickle her mercilessly then picked her up and give her a big sloppy kiss on the cheek.

What is it about your kids that cause you to become so deliriously idiotic? Lily is just so cute that some silly thing she might do will bring tears to my eyes. (Surreptitiously of course; after all I'm a bloke!)

I look back at Claudija who looks like she has been crying all afternoon.

"Nita is sad." Nita is Lily's pet name for her grandma. Claudija was Latvian by birth and Nita is lily's take on Latvian for Grandma.

We can't talk in front of Lily. Claudija calls Alf from the other room who takes Lily while we go into the study to talk privately. "You will be divorcing her won't you?"

"I don't know Claudija. I am seeing a lawyer. The first thing I need to know is what is going on. There are a few people who are depending on me, not the least Lily. At the moment I don't hate her. I am not indifferent, I am just confused. I just want to clear up this whole sorry mess."

"I think you are too good Alwyn, you are too soft. I can just imagine what she has been doing with this... this... I have been seeing it coming for months. Just let her have him. Walk away. We would support you. She is no longer our daughter. She has the morals of a pig. How could she neglect her daughter like she has done? She must love this man beyond distraction, if she can just come out and heartlessly sack the father of her beautiful daughter like she has. She was never; never like this before. She so loved children. Has she hidden this dark heart all this time?"

I was absolutely shocked at her mother's venom.

"Listen Claudija, I am not so quick to judge. This whole thing just does not compute. I am not letting her off the hook but I don't know what my feelings are. At the moment I am running on adrenalin because there is a lot to resolve and I need focus, not emotion.

I want to wait to see how I feel when the smoke clears. In the meantime I have to move ahead with the separation agreement. I am commissioning a private investigator tomorrow morning. I am a man who has to have verifiable evidence before I can make as big a decision that will affect Lily, Bridget and all our lives forever."

"Well I believe in my heart that where there is smoke there is fire. I pray to god. I don't need your evidence. She made those vows in church. She has broken them, period. That's not good enough for my daughter. She is the eldest I do not want her infecting our other daughters."

I am taken aback. I have to let it drop as I am starting to get angry with Claudija. I divert back to Lily, "let's get Lily fed, washed and ready to bed. I want to read her the new book I got for her last week."

********

Monday 6^th May 7 p.m.

I arrive at my parents and I am starting to feel exhausted. They can see that something is troubling me. I hold them off until after dinner before I let them in on my predicament. Our family is quite formal at dinner. My father's business is embedded in property and development. The name Gallimore is quite well know and in Christchurch represents old money.

My mother was from an old pioneering family, she had a career of her own as a nurse but these days she is more a part time nurse receptionist at a local medical centre. In her day she was a theatre nurse but is now more content to nurse dad and boss him around.

Although my Mum's name is Grace she is not religious at all, nor is Dad. They were both happy to see me married in Church but being agnostics I could have been married anywhere and they wouldn't mind. It was a good excuse for a lavish party as my mother put it.

I sit them down and over port and regale them with my sorry tale; their attitude is quite different from Bridget's parents. Bridget was always a little wary of her but Grace never held it against Bridget.

Mum hummed and hawed in a little expression of concern. She knew about the book group and detested them. Mum was never really a card carrying feminist. She just blamed the group. Mum thought Bridget had become too ambitious. She picked that the women had encouraged her to compete with me rather than see her family as a team. "If you are going to have a career in a marriage, you have to be quite clear what your objectives are. If you have a selfish objective you will doom yourself to lonely misery whatever brave face you put on the consequences."

'Sound like some experience there,' Thought I.

Later I am sitting in dad's study. He is sorting through the remnants of the vast vinyl record collection he once had.

"Here listen to this one I thought this might help your resolve." Dad was always into the lyrics of the songs he enjoyed. He has an old Spooky tooth album. "This one was written by Gary Wright, I find the lyrics very emotive. The song is 'Better by you, Better than me.'"

Dad plays it. The beginning catches my mood exactly. The power and resolve of the song reflect my determination. I could feel my teeth clenching, I wanted to punch the air. The repetition of the powerful guitar underscores the anthem qualities of the song. I feel I am marching into battle. ''Guess I'll learn to fight and kill, tell her not to wait until, find my blood upon her window sill, It's better by you better than me.' Metaphorical perhaps but it speaks for my heart.

Dad plays it again. "You know, I have never told you this. I used to play this at a very painful time of my life. You might not know it but your Mother and I nearly divorced before you were born. Well I won't go into details but we kind of fell out over little things.

After we were married Grace started to become infatuated with some chap who was playing her. She didn't really see it. Mum never went to bed with the chap but they had been doing a bit of kissing and cuddling behind my back. One day she came out with it and she wanted a divorce. I was floored. When she told me who it was I nearly choked. I knew him very well. He had the reputation of a rat. Grace did not know his history and he could be very charming. I told Grace flat no. I knew the guy and I told her she would make the biggest mistake of her life.

I said I would fight for her. I loved her too much. If she couldn't be with me she would be a fool to trust this guy. I demanded that we go to counselling. I said if we are having problems in our marriage we should try to sort them out before ditching it."

Unbeknown to us Grace is behind us listening while leaning on a door jamb. She speaks up, catching us by surprise. As we swung around she says with some emotion, "He's right you know. He fought for me. We started going to counselling, I didn't want to go but he insisted, he got my mother and father on side so I reluctantly went.

Charles found out I was going to counselling he just took off. I was heartbroken for a bit. After he was gone, one or two of my friends who had been afraid to tell me before, told me what Charles was like; I had not believed Al before then.

One of the things I discovered at counselling was the hate I was feeling toward Al was actually my love and frustration. It took a while but I discovered I had been a selfish bitch and had not really respected Al.

I had been trying to change Al from the qualities that attracted me in the first place. I began to realize what I would have lost and I have never looked back. I will never forget how he fought for me. When I had my epiphany I felt I really was not worthy of him and wondered why he bothered."

Dad chimed back. "Grace, don't put yourself down. To me you have always been perfection; if I lost you, what would I have. Sure we have had ups and downs. That little episode was the arrogance of youth and I was arrogant as well. I was not respecting you. I expected you to just be there. When I realized what I was about to lose I had to think very hard about your needs."

As I am leaving to go home; Mum kisses my cheek and says. "Don't give up on Bridget, be a man and fight for her. I know I am not her closest friend but I know what she was like before this happened. That to me is the real Bridget.

What she turned into is an aberration. Maybe it is mental health, I don't know, but as you heard tonight I have been there. May be her experience is more complicated and it sounds potentially horrendous but that just means that more than ever she will need a strong moral man to support her where others have failed."

**********

Tuesday 7th May 6 a.m.

"Hi Diane, glad to see everyone is here. I had a hell of a time tearing myself out of bed. I was up pretty late last night."

"I am not surprised you must have had a lot to think about. I know have and I guess everyone else."

A final couple of stragglers arrive.

"Ok; let the counsel of war begin. Wow; it seems like the whole team is here. Hi Heather, even you."

"What makes you think I wouldn't come?" Heather sounded a little hurt.

"Sorry. I am still feeling a little raw. Well, what do we know?"

A chorus of, "Nothing, Absolutely nothing."

"Nobody briefed you on why I was sacked?"

"Bridget just said you had resigned; did not say why. She did say that they had to realign for the Alliance. She said she would be leading the team."

"What, that's preposterous she has had no overseas experience, let alone construction. It's absurd, she is delusional, and she's living in la la land."

Suddenly I have a stunned table all silent and staring at me.

Somebody speaks up. "We didn't know we just assumed that she must have had some kind of experience."

I say, "Two people I know of involved in this are Anthony Schaefer and Julian Saks."

Somebody snorts. "Julian Saks is a prick."

I continue, "I have been in touch with KLCON. They will not touch Schaefer or Saks. I have no idea who else has been involved in this malarkey. It seems like if those two turkeys are running the show the Alliance is sunk. Heather what do you know?"

"Nothing much really; Bridget was gone by lunchtime. She flew back to Auckland. She asked me to dig out your contract and she took it with her."

"What, she sacked me and she had not even read my contract. Does that sound like incompetence to you? Actually I don't think it mattered, they just wanted me out of the way."

"Well they fucked up." someone mutters.

Heather added, "Oh um, Bridget was to return to give a presentation on what was happening."

"When?"

"She didn't say."

Diane speaks up, "Well I don't feel very inspired by all this. In fact I feel very insecure. The whole shemozzle is a cluster fuck. What happens if we all resign? They can't continue. As I understood the prime reason for Revecon taking over the GCON operation was the success of this unit. Then they shaft its leader. I'm for all of us resigning; that will bring them to the senses."

"There is a strategy there. I wonder how much in the bag this merger is. If they lose this team it may scupper the whole deal. " I continue, "I do have some options which I will put to KL CON. Let's see if we can transition out of this into something that might be a better arrangement."

I discuss the options and how we might expedite them. There is a round of thoughts from the entire group and a poll is taken to who would risk resigning. The whole team puts up their hand. There is further discussion to timeliness and all decide that as soon as they reach the office they will collectively put their resignations to Dean giving the obligatory months' notice. We will all meet again at five at the Divers Bar; a bar close to the office.

*********

Tuesday 7^th May 9 a.m.

I enter Alex's firm's office. The décor was minimal, all greys with some judicial artworks. A simple desk lay along the entire wall on the opposite side of the foyer from the lift. It is early morning but a bright eyed and smiling dark haired receptionist looks up from her desk. I ask for Alex and she notifies him while I fill in the entry log. Alex appears out of a maze of glass and he ushers me into a small conference room where there is already a team waiting for me. There are introductions all round. I take my forms out of my brief case and Alex motions to a young assistant who takes them and leaves to pass them on to the receptionist to process. Meanwhile Alex has me bringing the team up to date with my tale of woe.

There is silence when I finish. After a few seconds the Investigating team's rep speaks up. "I discussed your case with a couple of my colleagues," she began. "This case is already under investigation for a number of very serious reasons. It seems it was your wife that effectively blew the case wide open. I can't say much at this stage but can you get up to Auckland tomorrow morning?

I would like you to meet Schaefer's wife, she is instigating divorce proceedings against him. Also there will be the person who is providing her with the evidence. He can give you some details about your wife. In terms of your case, he should provide evidence that will help with your employment dispute and your wife's involvement in this."

One of the others speaks up. "Will you be proceeding with the separation agreement?"

"I certainly am; whatever the outcome this needs to proceed as soon as possible."

"Well we can present her with the documents on Thursday providing we know where she is."

"Can I ask why you are so keen to proceed before you have the complete picture?"

"Shock and awe! I am not naturally vindictive. This case is multi layered. I believe my wife has gotten herself out of her depth but it has been building up for a while. Underlying this is a lack of respect or empathy to me. Most of all it is entirely out of character and she has done the unthinkable in almost totally ignoring our daughter, Lily. Think of what I am doing as shock therapy."

"That's all very well but what of your wife's mental state. That could be quite fragile if what I have heard is true from the gentleman in Auckland who is assisting Schaefer's wife."

"She seemed pretty determined when she sacked me yesterday." That makes me sound bitter and I immediately regret saying it but it certainly shuts down that line of conversation.

The rest of the conversation does not elicit any new information. There is a reluctance to describe what evidence Schaefer's wife might have second hand. So once we have finished discussing process procedures and consequences, the two who were working on the separation agreement leave saying they would aim to deliver the draft separation agreement to Bridget on Thursday.

With that we turn to the employment side. It is Alex who first speaks; "I am going to be straight up from the start. This is not a simple employment dispute. There is already interest from several agencies. The serious fraud unit is investigating Schaefer and GCON. Be warned that they will be interested in you as well. There has been interest from the US for quite different reasons and the NZ police are currently working with the Australians."

"I have to ask, is it possible my wife has been working with one of these agencies?" I am being hopeful.

"No, however I don't think she is complicit, I suspect that she is a victim in all this. But, the police may not think so and again you may be a person of interest so watch your step and don't do anything rash. The police may want to interview you. You don't need to necessarily call for a lawyer; if they do as it might be best to appear the innocent.

However, if you think the questions are leading by all means ask to have one of us present. "

One of the others spoke. "Don't worry that this is some kind of international organized crime thing. We are not talking about Russian oligarchies or Columbian drug cartels. I suspect this is something swirling around our friend Schaefer and whoever he has managed to con."

I reply, "Yes, I have not met him but I saw him at a presentation. He seems to be somewhat of a suave gentleman. He has the Rolex watch, the tailored suits..."

The other carries on, "I have met him; you are right and he comes complete with the car and the confidence. He has a great deal of charisma. He comes across as the perfect gentleman; too perfect. In fact in New Zealand he just seems out of place which indicates a certain lack of situational awareness. You know when in Rome and all that. It's the hallmarks of a con artist. He can take gullible people in but that lack of social sensitivity is his Achilles heel. He made me uneasy. He uses his confidence to push; push; push."

After our discussion I return to my car, I make a visit to my bank then arrange for a locksmith to change the locks at the house. I am surprised at my lack of emotion when it came to Bridget. I have my list of to dos and am just working methodically through them. Focusing on solving my problems I keep our relationship in denial. The visit to the lawyers and their suggestion that the legal issues were wider than I had imagined leave me with a sense of intrigue. The meeting has given me a charge of adrenalin of a possible danger to Bridget and perhaps myself.

Returning to my home I sit in my study with my laptop jotting down the future options. One would be to just cut and run. I would have to get another job. I have no idea where I would be with the marriage and Lily. There is too much unknown about this option and I do not feel that is something that I would be in full control of.

Since my team is resigning on mass I feel an obligation to them. I wonder whether I can do a deal with KLCON. Either we can set up on our own and contract to KLCON or become a New Zealand subsidiary. This could also work if the Revecon- GCON deal sunk. This is sounding as though it could be a distinct possibility if there has been some less than legal issues happening.

The only other option would be to hitch ourselves to a New Zealand competitor of which I do know a couple. One who might be acceptable to KLCON, Mason Watts has already negotiated unsuccessfully with KLCON earlier.

********

Tuesday 7^th May 1 p.m.

I decide to put these options to KLCON in this afternoon's call and determine from their reaction, what would be attractive to them. I do not think that they will want drop us altogether at this late stage. After pondering over this with a sandwich and a cup of tea, I ring Zikri at KLCON from my kitchen table. It is early for him but he appeared unfazed. I fill him in on the latest. I outline the options as I see it.

He cannot give any answers but he asks me to E-mail him setting out the options and he will take it back to his executives for some analysis. He does say that if Schaefer is in any part of the alliance there will be no deal.

They have not been advised of the Revecon take over so they were not happy about these events and at this stage have not been in touch with the Philippines group so they will need some resolution quickly if the whole project is going to survive. As far as KLCON are concerned they feel their reputation is at stake and see the whole deal in the 'too big to fail' category.

When I click off I feel heartened by his response. It did not sound as though they had much option but to work through something with me and they will be motivated to do what it takes, to get my team on board one way or another.

I have just finalized my report and pressed send to Zikri when the phone rings again. The call I receive is a bombshell. It is from Julian Saks. He is obviously looking for some way to resuscitate the deal with KLCON and asks me if I can come to Melbourne on Thursday. I ask about the merger with Revecon and he said he is looking for a way to sink that even if it meant a group of them breaking away. He said he was distancing himself from Schaefer. I need to think about this so I say I will ring him back in a half hour.