“A covenant,” he said. “A promise. That Millbrook gets its bank. Forever. No matter who owns it.”
“Will they agree to that?”
“Not if I ask for it straight out,” George said. “They’ll say no. They’ll want the right to close branches. Cut staff. Consolidate. That’s what big banks do.” He tapped the papers. “So I’m not going to ask for it straight out. I’m going to tie it to something they’ll think is just sentimental.”
“What?”
He smiled. That same grin from the photograph.
“Account number 0001,” he said.
Here’s what George put in the merger agreement.
Section 14.3. Page 147. Buried between a paragraph about computer systems and a paragraph about parking lot maintenance.
In recognition of the founding of Farmers & Merchants Bank, the holder of Account Number 0001 shall retain the following rights in perpetuity, regardless of any change in ownership: No branch of Farmers & Merchants Bank located within the city limits of Millbrook, Iowa, shall be closed, consolidated, or reduced in staff without the prior written consent of the holder of Account Number 0001. Any action taken in violation of this section shall be considered void.
