Too frightened to enter, Dennis stood at the door on the front porch. Patricia, his wife received $25,000 as a birthday gift from her wealthy father. She trusted Dennis to take the money to the bank, but haphazardly, he loses it.


As an unemployed electrician and Patricia's shallow problem-solving skills, he thought investing the money was an opportunity of a life. Attending business school was all he dreamed about since finding out about Patricia's pregnancy, urging him to go on the tough choice to marry, ruining his dream.

As high school sweethearts, Patricia would quiz Dennis on marriage during their times in bed. Dennis would say, " It would bother me not to have financial security before marriage."

She would smile, then respond, "Oh, Sweetie," launching into an embrace, overlooking what he had confided. But Dennis remained silent even though her reaction disturbed him. As a result, he turned a blind eye to her reaction and understood all she preferred was coddling.

After recognizing the father-in-law's car in the driveway, Dennis considered getting back in his car, driving to the unfinished built expressway two miles from the house and dropping two hundred feet with him in the car. Just listening to his two daughters playing with their grandfather beyond the front door made him wither.

When his father-in-law was around, Dennis suppressed his thoughts and feelings around his wife and three kids. He believed it was impossible to win his father-in-law's approval, added with eight years of casting aside his dream. The brawny father-in-law purposely came around just to humiliate and to terrify him

Dennis rubbed his sweaty hands down his pant leg, too frightened to grab hold of the doorknob, he reflected on his troubling situation.

Last night, Patricia said, "Sweetie, you know what to do with the money," and gave it to him.

As Dennis stood in line at the bank, he encountered a man standing in front of him. The man was rattling on how he wished to double his money like the previous month.

Dennis divulged, "Now, I'd like to do that."

The man pointed to a well-dressed gentleman standing in the waiting area of the bank. He explained that the well-dressed gentleman will not help the same person twice. Obviously, he did not meet the requirement.

"He's a millionaire with an illness, giving away his fortune before he dies." The man said.

Dennis left the line, approached the gentleman. Then, he introduced himself and told him about his 6-month unemployment as an electrician and his yearning to win his father-in-law's favor.

"Can you help me?" Dennis asked.

The well-dressed gentleman approved of Dennis's reason for wanting to double his money. Also, Dennis would have to give the well-dressed man the $25,000 and wait in the waiting area until he returns with $50, 000. Otherwise, the banker would not let him into his safe deposit box.

Dennis argued, "It's your money. You can do whatever you want with it."

The well-dressed gentleman professed, "The bank is under notice from my wife. I have to show, putting money in my deposit box when actually, I'm taking money out." The well-dressed gentleman continued. "The bank employees believe I am under stress. But the real reason, I gain my wealth through unfavorable designs. I would like to die with a clear conscience when I meet my maker."

This moved Dennis to give the well-dressed gentleman the $25,000. Determine to join the business world, Dennis sat in the waiting area.

He stood on the porch, looking at the mailbox with Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Wainscot painted in bold white letters embellished in gold around the fringes. Dennis contemplated going to the garage, getting his hand saw, slicing his throat, quickly, and letting everyone find his body rather than admitting to his wife and ill-natured father-in-law a stranger at the bank swindled him. It is a better decision than facing up to his blunder.

Patricia glanced out the window, saw Dennis's car in the driveway. She stepped to the door to meet him. He jerked his head back, gazed and wanted to flee as she maintained her peaceful disposition.

The kids howled with laughter. They charged Dennis, pulled him into the house, and showed what granddad bought them on this visit.

Patricia collected the spirited girls, transferred them to another room to play so their daddy could sit and chat with their granddad.

While the father-in-law sat, gazing with a pouting bottom lip at Dennis, he babbled in a grumpy tone.

"My daughter told me you have banking ideas with her birthday gift. Tell me about those ideas, Dennis."

Clearing his windpipe, stumbling to get a word out, Dennis lamented, "Well . . . "

Patricia returned and interrupted, "Now, daddy. That is none of your business. You go too far sometimes."

He agreed. Granddad called out the girls, "Granddad will see you next time, " and leaves.

Dennis confessed to his wife he'd intended to impress her by meeting with a banker about the best way to invest the $25,000. But he did not get that far with the money because a stranger at the bank swindled him.  

Patricia gazed with an opened-mouth at Dennis, shook her head back and forth, and used her pet name, "Sweetie, dishonest people use banks too. Didn't you know?"