Tag: vse

Swamped

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“Have you heard anything?” Eteo asked him
“No, nothing so far,” Richard admitted.
“When did you call last?”
“Yesterday afternoon. I guess they must still be working on it.”
“I wouldn’t assume that. I don’t like this at all. Why don’t you
take a quick flight down there and check things out for yourself?”
“Go to Texas?” Richard’s voice sounded alarmed.
“Why not? It’s your money they’re spending.”
There was an uncomfortable silence at the other end of the line
before Richard said, hesitantly, “I’m actually not that fond of airplanes
and flying.”
“Okay, send one of your directors.”
“There must be another way,” Richard replied. “Let me call the
finder, the man who brought me this deal. I’ll talk to him.”
“All right, but let me know what you find out. Who is it anyway?
Do I know him?”
“It’s Walter Cooper.”
“I know Walter. I could talk to him. Yes, it might be better that
way. Leave it to me. I’ll call him and get back to you,” Eteo said and
put the phone down. He noticed he was breathing fast. It upset him.
Then he saw the big trades of Platinum stock, big chunks all
bought by Nomura. He smiled and relaxed. The market looked clean
even beyond the three-dollar mark. He had hit a good one, he knew,
and if Mario’s Nostra is agreed on by this group, he had better keep
as much stock as he could for his accounts and give lots of it to his
key people, the ones who did most of his business. Eteo had a large
number of accounts, but only about fifteen percent of them traded
often. Those were the clients he needed to reward when a good issue
came along. Mario’s Nostra Ventures was beginning to look like it
could be one of them.
Eteo started making a list of where the big chunks of Nostra
shares should go, starting with Yannis, Angelo, Spiro and his brother
Michael, Herbert, and then Eteo’s personal accounts, Ariana’s,
Logan’s, and Mitch’s. George and Peter, whom Eteo had used as directors
of his shell companies a couple of times, should also be there…

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Swamped

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“I’m in, Mario … but on my terms.”
“Thank you, Eteo. I knew I could count on you … and yes, your
terms”
They clinked glasses and sipped their wine in silence.
“What prospectus would you like, Eteo?” Mario asked.
“How much do you need for your program?”
“Three hundred thousand. Some working capital for a year, minimum
things. I have no other obligations or debts.”
“Okay, let’s say a million and a half shares at fifty. Give me eight
cents commission and my warrants, which you’ll take out at a good
profit, say fifty cents?”
“Hey Eteo, that’s too much. I’ll cross them out at eighty,” Mario
interjected.
“You’ll cross them out at ninety, nothing less, and as early as possible.
If it starts running, I’m not pushing it down,” Eteo insisted.
“Deal,” Mario replied. “I’ll take care of the details, and I’ll have
the prospectus on your desk by the day after tomorrow.”
Mario took another sip of his wine, then asked, “By the way,
how’s Logan doing these days?”
“Learning the ropes, just like anybody else, Mario.”
“That’s great. I hear good things about him.”
“Thank you, Mario. How’s your family, the girls and Lynda?”
“They are all good, Eteo”
“Are you still living in Caulfield?”
“Yes, I’ve always like it there. I see Jimmy the carpenter quite
often.”
“Good old Jimmy. Well, say hello to Lynda for me. Don’t forget,
okay?”
“Of course.” Mario stood up. “Thank you, Eteo.” He shook Eteo’s
hand and kept it in his for a few extra seconds. “I hope we’ll see each
other more often from now on.”
“We shall, Mario. By the way, I like your jacket. From Georgio’s,
I suppose.”

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Swamped

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Then remembering his encounter with Frankie, he added,
“Oh, and just to remind you about Wheaton, we’ve been picking up
steadily there too, as you might have noticed. That’s the next one, I’m
sure of it. Don’t let it go without getting in.”
“I have my eyes on it, Eteo. Thanks. You’ve always followed
Frankie, I know.”
“Nothing but success with him, John, you know that.”
“Too true there,” John agreed. “I’ll clue in some people I know
to it.”
“Everyone who gets in early will make a good profit if they play
it right. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it in multiple dollars in a year
or so,” Eteo said. “That’s my gut feeling.”
“I’ll remember this, Eteo,” John replied, and with that he excused
himself to walk to the washroom. Eteo headed back to his office, but
before he reached it, Bradley Connors stopped him in the hallway.
“I didn’t see you at the dog and pony yesterday,” Bradley said.
“I had another meeting, but I sent Logan in my place. He has already
briefed me on it,” Eteo lied.
“I saw your son, but your presence would have been appreciated.
I wanted your input on this new company.”
“And as soon as I’ve studied the prospectus, you’ll have it,” Eteo
promised. “By the way, stay tuned to Wheaton, Frankie’s new deal. I
can only see it climbing.”
“I’ve heard that from others as well. Thank you, Eteo,” he said
and strolled off, looking pleased with himself.
Eteo hadn’t been back in his office for more than a minute when
Mario Messini called.
“Want to grab a bite later?” he asked. “My treat.”
“Sure,” Eteo replied. “What time?” Eteo tried to sound nonchalant,
but he was surprised.
“Da Carlo’s, noonish?”
“See you there at noon,” Eteo confirmed, then he added, “Just us
or more?”
“Just us Eteo, like old times,” Mario said and cracked a laugh.
At exactly twelve o’clock Eteo walked into Da Carlo’s. There was
no sign of Mario, so he took a table and ordered a glass of red wine.

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Swamped

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Today Eteo was walking alone because Ariana had spent a little
more time than usual with her mother. This gave him a chance to be
alone with his thoughts after the eventful afternoon with Rebecca the
day before. As always, his attention was attracted by the movements
of the sea swells as they broke against the rocks and turned them into
shining marbles. A faint smile appeared on his face, but his thoughts
soon ran in other directions. He thought about Richard’s problematic
drilling project, Mario’s new company, Nostra Ventures, Rebecca’s
beautiful body, and far on the other side of the globe his parents in
his beloved Crete. They had finally moved back there soon after Eteo
emigrated to Canada, selling their house in Athens where Eteo had
lived for more than ten years and building a new house in the village,
a small, functional house where the two of them could live the relaxed
life of retirees. His father had also bought a small boat, which
he used for fishing and to ferry tourists from place to place along the
Spatha Peninsula to earn extra money. They also took part in the
gathering of the olives and in that way earned all the oil they needed.
Eteo’s mother kept herself busy with traditional embroidery on a
loom, making beautiful articles for her grandchildren. And when
busy with her embroidery, Eteo imagined, she often thought about
the foreign land where her son lived and her eyes would fill with tears
and her heart with a tightness that could only be relieved by gazing
at the dark blue sea opposite her balcony and anticipating the day
when her son would come back home from that sea.
Imagining this, Eteo’s eyes got teary as he walked with the serene
waters of English Bay on his left, passing gently across the sand where
a few fishers worked their nets. He could see that they were probably
Vietnamese, new immigrants enjoying the warmth of the afternoon
and the smell of the sea while fishing for smelts, which were coming
near the shore to spawn. Eteo remembered how he used to do the
same back in his early days in Canada with his friend Zachary. Where
was Zachary now, he wondered.
On impulse he sat on a log and watched the fishers and their nets.
Suddenly he noticed that one net was shaking violently from one side
to the other as if a larger fish was caught in it.

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Swamped

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Eteocles has his slingshot with him. The tomato field
is a good half hour walk each way, and the path takes them through
an olive grove where Eteocles may be able to use his expertise in
shooting the round stones he carries in his pockets.
Anthony has his spade on his back but keeps watch for a good
target for his cousin, and just before they reach the beginning of the
grove he spots a skylark on the ground, more than likely close to its
nest. Eteocles sees it too and starts walking slowly and silently toward
the busy bird until he judges he is close enough. Then he aims, shoots,
and misses. The skylark takes off, chirping loudly as if mocking Eteocles,
but he doesn’t really mind. He enjoys the hunt even when it
doesn’t produce results.
“He’s still laughing,” Anthony says, referring to the skylark, and
both boys start laughing too.
They continue on their way and soon reach the tomato field. Anthony
goes to the edge of the field and opens the gate that lets water
into the first canal leading toward their tomatoes. Eteocles watches
the water slowly move like a huge, crawling monster little by little
taking over the dry soil and filling the ditch that runs alongside the
first row of tomatoes. Eventually the muddy water reaches the end
of the first ditch, and at that point Anthony directs the flow to the
second ditch and the thirsty tomato plants in the next row get their
share of Cretan refreshment. There are about thirty ditches to fill,
and the whole job takes about two hours, with two boys taking turns
in directing the water from one ditch to the next.
Halfway through they take a break to get a watermelon from a
neighbouring field. Anthony has his own special way of selecting the
best melon. He hits each melon with two fingers and selects the ripest
one by the sound it produces. Sure enough, when they slice it open,
it is deliciously ripe and full of sweetness. After sharing this treat, the
boys finish the watering, and around ten o’clock they go back to the
village.
It is almost time for their daily swim. All the village boys go to
the sea at least once a day. Everyone counts how many swims they
do, and the one with the highest number at the end of the summer is
written on a verbal log the boys keep in their minds…

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Swamped

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“But he claims you assured him the hole is good. The market is telling
him something else.”
“It is a good hole, Eteo. Why do you doubt it?”
Eteo had to pause for a moment to find smoother words than the
first ones that came to mind.
“Look, Richard. If they really had a good hole, they wouldn’t
make a cash call now. They would release the news that their hole
was good. Simple as that. Asking for more money so fast, I have to
tell you, Richard, it’s not a good sign. I don’t like it, and neither does
Bernard.”
“Don’t be so pessimistic, Eteo. We have a good hole, you’ll see.”
“I hope so Richard, I hope so. But looking at the market, if it
thought the hole was good, there would have been lots of buying orders
from the drillers themselves, you know that. We would have seen
them by now. I’m afraid your guy has got nothing and just wants to
milk the partners for as long as he can.”
Eteo paused and took a deep breath. Richard was silent too. Finally,
all he could say was, “It will be a good hole, you’ll see.”
“You know,” Eteo warned, “Bernard could be a bad partner if he
found out that anything was kept from him.”
“Why? What did he say to you?” Richard asked, sounding
alarmed now.
“I’m just advising, Richard, that Bernard could be a very negative
factor in the market if he felt cheated. He could try to undermine you
just for the principle of it. I know him.”
“Come on, Eteo. There aren’t any principles in this market, and
you know it. If my market picks up, he’ll make money on it too. Why
would he undermine me.”
“Then the question arises, how will you move your market with
a bad drill hole?”
“Don’t say that, Eteo. I have a good drill hole. You’ll see when the
news is out.”
“I hope so for your sake, Richard”
“Are you trying to warn me about something more specific, Eteo?
Is there something you’re not telling me?”

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Swamped

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Without pushing their luck any further, they went to the café and
had a soothing bowl of chicken soup, then said goodbye to the casino
hall and went up to their room to rest.
In the morning Eteo phoned home to see how the boys were
doing. Jonathan assured him they were all fine. Then he called Logan
at the office and got an update on the market, after which, satisfied
that everything was under control, he went downstairs with Ariana.
They strolled from one casino to the other for most of the day, stopping
here and there to gamble for a while, taking a break for coffee
and then for lunch, relaxing by the pool for an hour or so, and then
gambling some more in the afternoon.
For Eteo the most enjoyable thing about Las Vegas was the
chance to observe other people and their interactions and reactions
to all the sights and sounds of the place. He loved to just look around
him while Ariana played her slot machines in whichever casino they
went to.
On Friday night they went to the famous KA show at the MGM
Grand. It was the most elaborate and amazing show either of them
had ever seen. The story line was a simple fairy tale, but the presentation
was spectacular, mainly for its technological innovations and
the gymnastics of the actors. What impressed Ariana and Eteo the
most was when the stage turned completely vertical, huge levers and
axles moving it slowly from horizontal to vertical while the actors
continued to perform their elaborate choreography standing on arrows
shot on the stage. It was a combination of artistry, acrobatics,
and athleticism all at the same time and to a musical score that was
a phenomenal combination of modern and classic mixes that created
a unique atmosphere. As they left, Eteo could not resist buying a CD
of the music to enjoy at home.
There were thousands of visitors in Las Vegas, and everywhere
they went they were always among crowds of people coming and
going, laughing and drinking, partying and teasing drinking and eating
as they walked, as they sat on a barstool right on the strip, as they
entered one hotel, or as they exited from another. People drank and
partied everywhere: in the streets, the hallways of the hotels, the casinos,
the restaurants, the bars, the blackjack tables, the baccarat hall.

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Swamped

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“Well, don’t make it. There’s no need. Ariana is a woman I enjoy
being with, and that’s that.”
“I can’t believe you’ve gotten yourself involved with someone and
are even bringing her to the house and…” She left the sentence unfinished.
Eteo felt hot and flushed at hearing these words.
“You might have thought of that before you left.”
There was silence for several seconds. Eteo listened to her rapid
breathing, expecting the other shoe to fall at any moment. Finally he
said, “I’ve got to go, Roula. I’m very busy.”
“Don’t go, wait,” she pleaded. “You are not serious about this
woman, are you? In any case, you shouldn’t have her around my
sons.”
“As I said, Roula, where I have her is none of your business. You
have no right to tell me who I can bring to the house.”
“Oh God, have you forgotten all the years we lived together? How
could you?”
“You’re the one who left. Now leave me alone,” Eteo said and put
the phone down.
Now he really needed to relax, but his mind wouldn’t let him. He
turned toward the eastern horizon again, feeling as gloomy as the
cloudy sky. His reflection in the glass looked as sullen as the darkening
horizon.
His bitter thoughts were interrupted by Helena buzzing to let
him know Bernard was there to see him.
“Hello, Bernard. What brings you here?” Eteo asked as the
shaggy-haired man strode into the office
“Your associate,” Bernard barked without any preamble. “I see a
dead market, and I wonder what kind of hole I’ve gotten myself into
with your help.”
“What do you mean? You made a deal with him and he looked
after you. Why are you complaining to me?”
“I placed those shares because he gave me his word that he’s got
the well. I only hope he hasn’t double-crossed me. If he lied to me,
he can kiss his market goodbye for a long time.”
“I can’t say one way or the other, Bernard. He told me the hole is…

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Swamped

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…awkwardly. “It’s about Frances.”
“What about her?” Eteo replied, smiling.
“She’s crazy about you, Dad,” Logan finally said. “She has asked
me twice now about what she can do to get you to go out with her.”
Eteo laughed. “I’m aware of Frances, son. I’ll approach her when
the time comes, don’t worry about her.”
“Be careful though, Dad. She sleeps around, you know.”
“I’ll be careful. No worries, son.”
When Logan went back to his desk, Eteo sighed and began to
make some calls. Yanni. Spiro. Angelo. Tom. Nick. It was time to update
them on their accounts and let them know what he had in mind
to do for them. As usual, they all said it was up to him to choose what
to get into and when to sell their accounts. Eteo felt his chest expanding.
He knew he would make some good money with these clients.
He always made the most with the ones who just said, “Do what you
think is best.” Clients like Ariana who had said exactly that when she
opened her account and deposited a hundred thousand dollars in it.
He dialed her number.
“Hello, sweet baby” he said when she answered.
“Hello, my love,” she replied. “How is your working day?”
“Pretty good, sweet Ariana. How’s your mother?”
“She’s fine, though she’s in her own world these days, I’m afraid.”
“Want to meet for lunch? When I’m done here, I mean. We could
go to the White Spot on Lonsdale or the one at the Royal Park mall.”
“I’d love to, my love. Either place. Just come and get me when
you can.”
“Soon as I’m done, then. I’ll be at your place no later than 1:45.”
“I’ll be ready, baby.”
At exactly 1:40, Eteo pressed Ariana’s buzzer. She came down at
once, and his day turned more pleasant just as quickly. He kissed her,
led her to his car, opened the door for her, and drove to the White
Spot at Lonsdale and 23rd. Ariana ordered their legendary hamburger
with fries and Eteo the equally famous Mediterranean chicken
salad. They shared a half liter of red wine, the house Shiraz, a respectable
Okanagan product, and laughed as they clinked their
glasses, enjoyed their unassuming meals, and talked of simple things…

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Swamped

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…fifteen or so big commercial ships anchored in the bay, and on the
far side of the water at beautiful Stanley Park and further off the Kitsilano
district and the UBC lands to their right, the green thickets of
trees, the roofs of houses, the big apartment buildings, and above
them the airplanes descending slowly as they approached the airport
in flat, distant Richmond, all such familiar sights and yet as fresh and
fascinating every day as if never enjoyed before. Eteo and Ariana
seemed to register the view in the logbook of their souls, tuned to
the same sounds and echoes, to the same relaxation methods and to
the same fiery lovemaking, to the same thoughts and wishes. Their
souls were in tune.
The following Saturday Eteo picked Ariana up from her apartment
and drove to BC Place and the private room Pacific Trends had
rented for the year. A few other people were already there: the vice
president of Pacific Trends, Lucas Stonewall, and his girlfriend, Isabel,
the head trader John with his wife Ekaterina, the head of the accounting
department Dean Magnusen with his girlfriend and two other
women. While the introductions were in progress, Bradley came in
with his girlfriend, a woman of South Asian heritage called Pari.
Other guests soon followed, and in a few minutes the room was full.
The drinks flowed freely and everyone had something in their hands
while they chitchatted and laughed. Eteo sided up to Bradley and
proudly introduced Ariana to him
“So you’re the one who has brought a smile back to Eteo’s lips,”
Bradley quipped as he shook Ariana’s hand. “I’m very pleased to meet
you.”
Ariana only smiled and blushed at his comment.
Before the game started, Bradley took a moment to address them
all.
“I wanted to inform you that this week’s success goes to Eteo,
who introduced Pacific Trends to a new venture, Platinum Properties,
which has made the firm some good money already, and we hope
will make a lot more in the weeks and months to come. Cheers to
Eteo, then. This has been his week.”
“Not bad for a Cretan immigrant,” Bradley called out with a
laugh, “and yes, recommend Platinum to all your clients,”…

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