Tottenhoe hurried away, Edwina returning to the plat form and her desk.
Prom her vantage point she watched the main doors swing open and the first arrivals pour in. Those who had been at the head of the line paused momentarily on entry, looked around curiously, then quickly moved forward as others behind pressed in. Within moments the central public area of the big branch bank was filled with a chattering, noisy crowd. The building, relatively quiet less than a minute earlier, had become a Babel. Edwina saw a tall heavyset black man wave some dollar bills and declare loudly, 'Ah want to put ma money in the bank.'
A security guard directed him, 'Over there for new account'.'
The guard pointed to a desk where a clerk a young girl sat waiting. She appeared nervous. The big man walked toward her, smiled reassuringly, and sat down. Immediately a press of others moved into a ragged line behind him, waiting for their turns.
It seemed as if the report about everyone having come to open an account had been accurate after all.
Edwina could see the big man leaning back expansively, still holding his dollar bills. His voice cut across the noise of other conversations and she heard him proclaim, 'Ah'm in no hurry. There's some things ah'd like yo' to explain.'
Two other desks were quickly manned by other clerks. With equal speed, long wide lines of people formed in front of them.
Normally, three members of staff were ample to handle new account business, but obviously were inadequate now. Edwina could see Tottenhoe on the far side of the bank and called him on the intercom. She instructed, 'Use more desks for new accounts and take all the staff you can spare to man them.'
Even leaning dose to the intercom, it was hard to hear above the noise.
Tottenhoe grumbled in reply, 'You realize we can't possibly process all these people today, and however many we do will tie us up completely.'
'I've an idea,' Edwina said, 'that's what someone has in mind. Just hurry the processing all you can.
Yet she knew however much they hurried it would still take ten to fifteen minutes to open any single new account. It always did. The paperwork required that time.
First, an application form called for details of residence, employment, social security, and family matters. A specimen signature was obtained. Then proof of identity was needed. After that, the new accounts clerk would take a documents to an officer of the bank for approval and initialing. Finally, a savings passbook was made out or a temporary checkbook issued.
Therefore the most new accounts that any bank employee could open in an hour were five, so the three clerks presently working might handle a total of ninety in one business day, if they kept going at top speed, which was unlikely.
Even tripling the present complement of clerks would permit very few more than two hundred and fifty accounts to be opened in a day, yet already, in the first few minutes of business, the bank was crammed with at least four hundred people, with still more flooding in, and the line outside, which Edwina rose to check, appeared as long as ever.
Still the noise within the bank increased. It had become an uproar.
A further problem was that the growing mass of arrivals in the central public area of the bank was preventing access to tellers' counters by other customers. Edwina could see a few of them outside, regarding the milling scene with consternation. While she watched, several gave up and walked away.
Inside the bank some of the newcomers were engaging tellers in conversation and the tellers, having nothing else to do because of the melee, chatted back.
Two assistant managers had gone to the central floor area and were trying to regulate the flood of people so as to clear some space at counters. They were having small success.
But still no hostility was evident. Everyone in the now jam-packed bank who was spoken to by members of the staff answered politely and with a smile. It seemed,
Edwina thought, as if all who were here had been briefed to be on best behavior. She decided it was time for her own intervention.
Edwina left the platform and a railed-ofE staff area and, with difficulty, made her way through the milling crowd to the main front door. Signaling two security guards who elbowed their way toward her, she instructed, 'That's enough people in the bank. Hold everyone else outside, letting a few in as the others leave. Except, of course, allow our regular customers to enter as they arrive.'
The older of the two guards put his head close to Edwina's to make himself heard. 'That won't be so easy, Mrs. D'Orsey. Some customers we'll recognize but a good many we won't. We get too many here each day to know 'em all.'
'Another thing,' the other guard put in, 'when anybody arrives, those outside are shouting, 'Back of the line' If we play favorites it could start a riot.'
Edwina assured him, 'Where won't be any riot. Just do your best.'
Turning back, Edwina spoke to several of those waiting. The surrounding constant conversations made it difficult to be heard and she raised her voice. 'I'm the manager. Would some of you please tell me why you've all come here today?'
'We're opening accounts,' a woman with a child beside her said. She giggled. 'Nothing wrong with that, is there?'
'And you guys put out them ads,' another voice injected. 'Ain't no amount too small to start one, is what they say.'
'That's true,' Edwina said, 'and the bank means it. But there has to be some reason why you all chose to come together.'
'You could say,' an elderly cadaverous man chimed in, “we're all from Forum East.' A younger voice added, 'Or want to be.' “what still doesn't tell me…' Edwina began.
'Perhaps I can explain, ma'am.' A middle-aged, distinguished-looking black man was bed shoved forward through the press of people.
'Please do.'
At the same moment Edwina was aware of a new figure beside her. Turning, she saw it was Nolan Wainwright. And at the main doorway several more security guards had arrived and were assisting the original two. She glanced interrogatively at the security chief who advised, 'Go ahead. You're doing okay.'
The man who had been thrust forward said, 'Good morning, ma'am. I didn't know there were lady bank managers.'
'Well, there are,' Edwina told him. 'And getting to be more of us all the time. I hope you believe in the equality of women, Mr…?'
'Orinda. Seth Orinda, ma'am. And I sure do believe in that, and lots of other things besides.'
'Is it one of the other things that brings you here today?' 'In a way, you could say that.' 'Exactly what way?' 'I think you know we're all from Forum East.' She acknowledged, 'I've been told that.'
'What we're doing might be called an act of hope.' The well-dressed spokesman mouthed his words carefully. They had been scripted and rehearsed. More people drew close, conversation stilling as they listened.
Orinda went on, 'This bank, so it says, doesn't have enough money to go on helping Forum East get built. Anyway, the bank has cut its lending cash in half and some of us think that other half will get chopped too, that's if someone doesn't beat a drum or take some action.'
Edwina said sharply, 'And taking action, I suppose, means bringing the business of this entire branch bank to a standstill.' As she spoke, she was aware of several new faces in the crowd and of open notebooks with racing pencils. She realized that reporters had arrived.
Obviously someone had alerted the press in advance, which explained the presence of the TV camera crew outside. Edwina wondered who had done it. Seth Orinda looked pained. 'What we're doing, ma'am,
is bringing all the money we poor folks can raise to help this bank through its time of trouble.'
'Yep,' another voice threw in, 'ain't that good neighborin' for sure?'
Nolan Wainwright snapped, 'that's nonsense! This bank is not in trouble.'
'If it ain't in trouble,' a woman asked, 'why'd it do what it done to Forum East?'
'The bank's position was made perfectly dear in its announcement,' Edwina answered. 'It's a question of priorities. Furthermore, the bank has said it hopes to resume the full financing later.' Even to herself the words
