Delivery Day

The Prompt is:
In "A Christmas Carol" there was a character named Ebeneezer Scrooge and after four apparition showed him the errors of his "Bah Humbug" ways he tried to redeem himself by spending a small fortune. The year is now 2004 but Ebeneezer is still around and he has a Platinum Credit Card... Write a Short Story about how the man reacts to the inevitable credit card bill.



Ebby sat at his desk looking down on the New York skyline and sipped the soothing mug of tea that his secretary had just brought in. It was "the day", and he'd come in early just to make sure all was in order. This tradition had gone on too long for him ever to take a chance that things weren't properly arranged and set-up.

He leaned back in his leather chair and surveyed the room around him, reflecting on the years of history it represented. Scrooge Investments was one of the top firms in New York, with a solid reputation for integrity. Ebb smiled at that, and reflected for a moment on the irony behind it.

The firm had been started over a hundred years ago in England, by his great, great, great...his mind boggled for a moment trying to figure out how many "greats" would be accurate...grandfather, Ebeneezer Scrooge; a one time well known pinch penny and miser. It had been moved to the States by his son Ebeneezer Jr. Here, the tradition of generosity and charity that had been behind the firm's establishment by Ebeneezer himself after that one legendary life changing Christmas, had been carried on from generation to generation. Ebby smiled at the thought of how blessed it truly was to give rather than receive. He did not doubt for a moment that a great deal of the firm's amazing success over the years was a direct result of the positive energy it created with the good deeds it performed throughout the world.

He was soon to turn 70, and knew that it would be time to hand the reins over to his son in the next few years. But not yet - he wasn't ready yet. This still meant too much to him, and kept him feeling too vital and involved to let it go. But even when he did turn over the day to day running of the firm, this day would still be his to orchestrate and lovingly see to. The yearly arrival of "the bill".

Every year, Scrooge Enterprises spent millions of dollars on charity. And Ebby was proud that it had been his idea to bring a little marketing savvy to the process; not to acheive recognition for the firm, but to enhance the charity itself. And it had worked. Brilliantly. Once a year, a huge semi that he personally arranged for, went to the bank processing center where the bank loaded it up with the symbolic statement. Pages and pages and pages of dollar amounts charged all over the world to help out the less fortunate.

Certainly the firm could have just written checks. But there was method to Ebby's supposed madness in charging it all. Ebby made a ceremony and spectacle out of the delivery and the payment of the bill; the media would be all over the steps of the Scrooge Tower as the semi rolled into view.

Using his immense influence and clout at the bank, he'd arranged to be charged only once a year, and in a bit of brilliance, had persuaded the bank president to pick up a large percentage of the total. Ebby had learned a long time ago that well directed public relations could reap many, many benefits in the corporate world. For the good of others, Ebby worked the system in a way that he knew made his ghostly ancestors proud.

He smiled as he remembered how, many years ago when the idea first came to him, the then Bank President, Frank Ely, had almost laughed him out of his office. But as Ebby had spun his vision of the good to be done, and the always sought after media coverage, Frank's humanity had won out and their handshake had sealed a rock-solid agreement. Frank had retired, but before he did, he'd seen to it that Credit Card day for Scrooge Enterprises was held to be a sacred tradition within the bank.

"We just heard that the truck is about 20 minutes away Mr. Scrooge", said Marie his secretary, bringing him a refill for his now empty cup.

Ebby thanked her and watched as she walked out the door. Taking another sip of tea, he closed his eyes and sighed. And when he opened them, he smiled as once again, as happened every year on this day, a grinning grey-haired apparition with a black top hat and watch chain appeared on the corner of his desk. His wife always told him it was his vivid imagination combined with the excitement of the day.

His heart told him differently.