Gango was a signatory for our bank account, I was another. Any withdraws requires two signatures. I took the Certificate of Death into the bank hoping that they would allow me to start the process of adding another person and more importantly withdraw money that was in the account. Not a chance.. The first thing I needed was an official letter from Kedesh (me) complete with letter head and rubber stamp (literally , nothing is official without a rubber stamp) telling the bank that we wanted to change the names on the account and withdraw the money. I was told if I did that I would get the money the next day. I come back the next day, Thursday, with my letter. I wait for a few hours. She asks me to bring 'Fransisco' in for him to sign. I have to stop and think 'who is Fransisco??' Then I remember that we had put one of our older boys, Chico, as a third signatory about 5 years ago to cover when I went to the states. I run around trying to find Chico, I see him every few months here or there, but don't really know where he lives or works. I contact a few other boys and they know and it is not far. I drop in his work and he is, 'up north somewhere' 'drilling wells in the bush' and 'He'll be back in a month or two, .. maybe'.
Back at the bank, I'm told this is going to be a long process and they would call and let me know when it would be ready. I call back Mon no answer.. Tues no answer. Tues night I get a call from the bank manager asking me to bring in Kedesh's official documents. I'm thinking this is really going to turn into a nightmare.
We go in Wed. a week has now gone by since the original request. I hand her the documents and she says 'no these are not the right documents' I'm tense now. I said 'I have been banking at this bank and signing checks for 10 to 15 years now. Why is there suddenly a problem?' I noticed she flinched at this comment, which I considered a good sign. She then took that documents back and said 'I will work on it, come back tomorrow'. It is always 'tomorrow' here.
We had a few other things to do while in town so we were doing a bit of running around and of course a up of coffee with pastries. About an hour later I get this call, it is the banker asking me to come back to the bank and write a letter that will 'resolve' the problem. Cool!!
On all my other visits she had been just talking to me in the middle of the lobby, this time I get called into an air conditioned conference room that is colder then it is out side... and it is the middle of the winter here.. She plops down a stack of documents and pulls one out in particular. I notice it has my signature on it, she confirms that. The document is the request, from I don't know how many years ago, that I be a signatory on our account. She then says 'this document never got registered'. I responded 'you mean I have never actually been a signatory on this account???'--- 'yes'.
She then asks me to write another letter, this letter is from 'John Wickes the director of Kedesh' asking the bank to allow John Wickes to sign checks!! She says 'this will need the rubber stamp on it'. No Problemo- got it with me!! This is just a hand written letter and not on the kedesh stationary and that --- magic rubber stamp!!
I walk out of the bank with 4000 dollars and didn't even have to stand in line!! Aint life grand!!


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