The National Bank was the island’s treasury with the President of the bank as the island’s governor. There were less than five thousand permanent ...esidents on the island. There was no immigration to the islands and only temporary visas. The residents worked the resorts, casinos, airport and tourist shops. There were no personal taxes or property taxes. Heavy taxes on the tourists paid the bills. There were no taxes on the winnings at the casinos.Pirates Bank was a storage facility and accepted. Every one of them had been losers.Linda had gotten pregnant with Susan at her 14th birthday party. That was two weeks before she started her freshman year in high school. Life with her parents had become unbearable, and her grandma and let Linda live with her. Linda could have gotten an abortion. Her mom and dad had tried to force her to have an abortion, but she just couldn't do it. Susan's father was another freshman that just wanted to dip his wick into something or someone. It had been her. Thus we were sipping beers smoking and were having casual talks about our old daysI reminded her about her ex calling me and informing me about her marriage, she told me how bastard he was, he just needed sex every time, though his parents have accepted their relation and all, I complimented her you have become sexier than before, you have gained some extra pound in the right places, she said thank you.We were getting little high, the beers were showing their effect. We both were speaking,. When I hit Interstate 90, I headed East. I tried calling Carlo on my cell phone, but he didn't answer. It just rang and rang until a machine answered with static and squealing noises. I briefly thought about going back to my apartment, but I had the dress box with the return address in my trunk and no reason to stay in Chicago. I drove and drove and drove, well into the dark drizzley night. I was too wound up to even eat. When I couldn't stay awake any longer, I pulled into the service plaza,.