Is the law thicker than blood?
My father showed up at my work today and it was definitely a surprise. A delightful one at first, which then quickly transitioned into a suspicious one. A mixed emotion that only my father can bring out in me. He is not one to show up just for the sake of visiting. There is always some underlying purpose. This time it was to ask me to open an account for him.
From anyone else, this would be a small favor to ask of me, since I do it all the time. But when my father asked me, we both knew exactly what he was really asking me to do. He wanted me to sign as if he cleared the ChexSystems, which is like a background check for banks, without really looking him up.
My father has not been able to open an account at any bank due to ChexSystems, which I would imagine shows a history of all sorts of account abuse. I thought of checking his name many times, but I couldn’t do it. I don’t want to see it.
Technically, I can go ahead and do this for him. It would be quick and easy. He’d sit down in front of my desk, and I’d open an account for him like I do for anyone else. He’d deposit the $3,000.00 in cash he showed me, that was stuffed in his wallet, and he’d walk out with his own bank account. My supervisor would review the accounts to see that all the information was inputted in our computer correctly, but she would never re-check everyone’s names through ChexSystems. Well, she never has anyway.
“So, can you do it for me?” My father looked at me with apologetic eyes, which were drooping at the ends with heavy wrinkles.
I knew how hard it was for him to ask me, since he spent so much of his life disguising himself as a hero only to me. Still, I thought of the series of favors he’d continue to ask me if I was to have his account at this bank. I thought of always knowing and stressing over his finances. I thought of all the debt my brother and I were already in because of him.
“Sorry Dad, I can’t.”
He left. I couldn’t think about anything else all day.
