It's A Wonderful Christmas Carol

Potter needs to know one last thing. Sam could be the only escape that George has and this will let him know if there is an escape hatch or not. “I can’t get a hold of him. He’s in Europe, “confesses George.

Potter now has to know one last thing, and then he can complete his goal. “What about all your other friend?”

“They don’t have that kind of money, Mr. Potter. You know that. You’re the only one in town that can help me.”

The tie is cast my friends, and like a cat playing with her prey, Potter knows the time for the kill has come. And like a cat, he enjoys this role, relishing in it. “I see,” begins Potter. “I’ve suddenly become quite important. What kind of security would I have, George? Have you got any stocks?”

George on the other side of the table senses that the situation is dire but he is trying to hold out.

It is what dreamers do; they dream and hope that a solution in his mind’s eye can come true. “No sir.”

“Bonds? Real estate? Collateral of any kind?

George reaches into his pocket and takes out his life insurance policy. His stake in the world tied to this document and now he has to share it with the one man he would never under normal circumstance want to. “I have some life insurance,” states George. “A fifteen thousand dollar policy.”

“And how much is your equity in it?”

“Five hundred dollars.”

It is done. Potter knows every detail about the fiscal condition of George Bailey. He can see from looking at him his mental condition and knows he has a broken man before him. There are words he has always wanted to say, and now the time for such statements is upon him. “Look at you.” Smirks Potter.

“You use to be so cocky! You were going to go out and conquer the world. You once called me a warped, frustrated old man. What are you but a warped, frustrated young man? A miserable little clerk crawling in here on your hands and knees and begging for help. No securities, no stock, no bonds, nothing but a miserable life five hundred dollar equity in a life insurance policy. You’re worth more dead than alive!”

Potter can see the anguish in George’s eyes. He hit a nerve and knows it. One more twist of the knife and his work is done. “Why don’t you go to the riff-raff you love so much and ask them to let you have eight thousand dollars? You know why? Because they’d run you out of town on a rail.”

“That’s not…”

“But I’ll tell you what I’m going to do for you, George. Since the state examiner is still here, as a stockholder of the Building and Load, I’m going to swear out a warrant for your arrest. Misappropriation of funds, manipulation, malfeasance…”

IT’S A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS CAROL Story ©2010 ROBERT L. ROBINSON, JR Based with love and respect on characters created by Charles Dickens and Frank Capra