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Stories from the Verse
Con Version
Chapter 191: Takano 143
Table of Contents
Previous chapter: Brown 352
As usual, paychecks were passed out on Thursday afternoon. Vashti had looked at the envelope and said, “What’s this?” Derek explained.
“That’s your pay.”
“Pay? No gold?”
“It’s a piece of paper that says the company promises to pay you. You take it to the bank to collect.”
“And they give you gold?”
Brian entered the discussion. “Americans haven’t owned gold for a couple decades. The government owns all the gold, and gives people paper that represents ownership of gold. We trade the paper with each other to buy things and pay for work.”
“Weird,” she said, and shrugged. “So, we go to the bank and trade these papers for other papers that we can then give to other people to buy things from them, and the gold always stays where it is.”
“Very like that,” Brian said.
“So, when do we go?”
“Tomorrow during our lunch break,” Tommy said. “We can’t go now because it’s not quitting time, and anyway the bank closes at three so we’d have a hard time getting there in time.”
That was Thursday; Friday at lunchtime Tommy took the couple in hand and said, “Let’s get you to the bank, and then we’ll grab lunch. Pizza on me?” They rushed, and were among the first to reach the bank. Tommy showed them how to fill out a deposit ticket and endorse a check--something Vashti had never done and Derek had only done decades before with birthday and Christmas presents--and soon they were at the counter. They deposited Vashti’s check but cashed Derek’s; he said he had a few things to buy over the weekend, and he wasn’t sure whether one day’s pay would cover them but he felt they were important.
“Shopping!” Tommy exclaimed. “Tomorrow? I’d love to go with you; let me know what you need, and we’ll find the right store.”
“Well, I’m not sure what I need,” Derek said, “but I’ll think more about it overnight, and sure, you can take us shopping tomorrow.”
That settled, they grabbed pizza and headed back to work.
As to the old stories that have long been here:
