The Analyst - HackMD

# The Analyst **It’s October 2008, the US stock market has crashed, most investors are going bankrupt, hundreds of thousands of employees are losing jobs as firms can no longer afford to pay them their wages, the government (Federal Reserve) has just started bailing out companies to save them from impending disaster.** **Colin Moore is a data analyst working for J S Stanley Wealth Management, the largest firm in the states that suffered a massive blow due to the crash. Moreover, the company has been overlooked during the Reserves’ bailout process, Edgar Ford, Colin’s boss, has to be frugal with funds to ensure the survival of the firm.** **It’s the 10th of October, Colin Moore comes to work, fully expecting a tight and hectic schedule, he needs to make some serious money. As he arrives at the office, Edgar calls him in. Not knowing what to expect, Colin knocks on the door and walks in.** Colin: Hey boss, heard you wanted to talk about something? Edgar *(with a severe tone)*: Ah, good morning Colin, punctual as always, I see. *(ushers Colin inside)* come in, come in, have a seat. Need a drink? Coffee? Tea? Colin *(wary of the situation)*: No thanks boss, just want to start work as soon as I can, you know, with the current circumstances and all. Edgar *(now grim)*: I don’t know how to break this too you Colin, but we’re going to have to let you go, the company can no longer afford your salary, we’re trying to cut corners wherever we can, even if it means having to make an asset like you go *(sighs)*. I’m sorry again. Colin *(visibly shocked and losing his cool)*: But, ..but,.. .why me?! *raising his voice*, where did I mess up! I’m probably the only one in this godforsaken place that can recover all the money you sons of b*tches lost *(now fuming)*. That too, after all, I’ve done. Edgar *(trying his best here)*: Calm the hell down and hear me out before you throw yourself all over the place *(lights up a cigarette and offers one to Colin, he refuses)*. First off, yes, we’re going to have to let you go, now don’t blame me, higher-ups wanted a list of people fired, and I’m just executing their orders. *(Colin calms down a little and lets Edgar continue.)* Edgar *(diplomatically)*: I was getting to this; Because you’ve been very instrumental in the success of this firm, we recommended you to another brokerage firm as a small-time analyst. Sure, the pay doesn’t match, but any job right now is as sure as hell a blessing. So, my advice, take it. Colin *(empathetically)*: Alright boss *(sighs)* I’ll take up the offer, might as well. Edgar *(elated)*: Attaboy! Don’t worry about your insurance, the other company, Lawrence and Co. cover all that, and you start tomorrow at 8. Colin *(his inner pessimist kicking in)*: Alright boss, can’t thank you, but I’ll get going now. **Edgar and Colin shake hands and, Colin then proceeds to take his leave from the office. He walks out of the office giving it one last look before he drives home.** **When Colin gets home he realizes that he ought to tell his girlfriend Esther about the morning’s events and gives her a call.** Colin: Hey babe Esther *(annoyed)*: Hey, what’s up, I’m at work, so this better be quick. Colin *(acting like a wimp)*: I just wanted to tell you I just lost my job, but don’t worry, I got another one, the pay isn’t the same, but it’s still a job. Esther *(exacerbating)*: What! How can we afford that trip to Italy?! You promised we’d go by mid-October! Colin *(trying to appease her)*: I know babe, we’re probably going to have to cancel the Italy trip, but come home first, and we’ll talk about this. Esther *(miffed)*: Whatever, I’ll be home by seven, bye. **Esther hangs up the call leaving a stressed Colin on the other end of the line. After a quick lunch at Subway, Colin spends the rest of his day following up on the market crash. He finds out that significant investment company and greatest rival of J.S. Stanley Wealth, Wallace Berkshires Wealth, has been declared bankrupt. Colin also tries to learn more about Lawrence and Co. He finds out that it’s a small-time brokerage firm that engages with small orders and involves investment.** **He spends the rest of the day whiling away time. At 7, Esther gets home, and they discuss how they plan to handle the situation, the discussion soon turns into an argument which results in Colin sleeping on the couch.** **The next day, Colin gets suited up and ready to work and makes it to Lawrence and Co. at the strike of eight. He walks in and is greeted by a receptionist who ushers him into the Vice-President’s office. The meeting is brief and concise, Colin was given a few instructions on what stocks to focus on and which brokers to report.** **It all seems well and good until, one of the workers Dillion Anthony, comes up to Colin and starts a conversation.** Dillion *(cheerful)*: Hey there, I’m Dillion, senior stockbroker, in charge of Industrial stocks. Heard you’re a data analyst. Colin *(in a professional tone)*: Hey Dillion, I’m Colin, yeah, I’m a stock analyst, specialize in IT stocks. Dillion *(getting a little serious)*: Oh, that’s great! By the way, where’d you work before this? I assume the crash wasn’t easy *(in a matter of fact voice)* Colin *(casually)*: The crash was a b*tch, I was working at J S Stanley before this, got fired yesterday *(purses his lips and turns glum)*. Dillion: Hard luck I guess, anyways, welcome to Lawrence and Co, came here to tell you that you’ll be reporting to me, and I expect two reports on the current agroindustry situation by five today cool. *(smirks at the corner of his mouth)* Colin *(nervous)*: Yeah, alright, I’ll get right on it, but I might need a little more time, never really worked on agroindustry before. Dillion *(glaring daggers at Colin)*: Colin, Colin, you know I don’t care right, I need those reports by five today *(dead serious)* if I were you I’d stop asking questions and get to it. Colin *(nervous with a shade of anger)*: alright, alright, you’re the boss. **Dillion pats Colin on the shoulder and walks away. And Colin, now with a decent impression on Lawrence and Co. gets right to work.** **Colin finishes his reports at five and is then tasked with another barrage of work, which glues him to the chair until 8. He then heads home to find his girlfriend on the couch, clearly angry about something, but he’s too tired to figure out.** **He eats a cold dinner, plays chess with Esther for a bit, and passes out.** **The next day is the same, more work from his indifferent superior and unreasonable deadline. The day after that is the same as well, and the next day and the next, this cycle of coming home late and a heavy workload, begins to take a significant toll on Colin’s personal and work life. His reputation as an analyst plummets, and Esther is on the verge of breaking up. The only time Colin feels alright is after a drink, and so begin the series of events that ultimately bring about the fall of Colin Moore.** **2 months later, Esther walks in, to a tipsy Colin, She immediately rushes to the room and walks back out, half an hour later, with a suitcase.** Colin *(drunk)*: Heyyyyy, babe, where you *burps* going? Come have a drink *(grinning like an eight-year-old)* Esther *(with a disgusted look)*: Colin, I don’t think we can keep this up anymore, I think we should take a break, I’m going to my mother’s house, come see me when you’ve gotten yourself together. Colin *(gets up (or tries too) clearly in stupor)*: Buuuttt babe, I need *burp* you *(starts crying)* Esther *(annoyed)*: You piece of sh*t, I never even liked you, I just dated you because you made fat stacks, and now look at your disgusting face. Colin *(still in stupor)*: Whaaaat?! You *(burps)* know how much I’ve *(burps)* done for you, who brought you that dress?! Esther *(being uptight)*: You brought me this dress because you had too! You sad sack of sh*t! *Remember this; I went out with you for your MONEY.* Colin: F*ck you! *(flips her off)* **Esther rolls her eyes and walks out the door.** **In the following three weeks, the work doesn’t stop, Colin resorts to ‘other’ methods to cope with the stress, Colin requests Dillion to reduce his workload or at the very least to increase his wage but to no avail.** **At this point, Colin is at his wit’s end. He sees no other options for him; moreover, he finds out that Esther is getting married. Drowning in self-pity and ‘stimulants’ he gets the bright idea to jump off the building.** **He then grabs a pen and a piece of paper and starts writing…** “Ever since I was young, I always wanted to grow up to be a millionaire. After all the stories about those wall street honchos I knew, what would get me to that pedestal, I majored in statistics and probability all for that gaunt pedestal, along the way I had my fair share of good times, parties and the pleasures. Finally, I was on the highway to success, and I was picking up speed. Then I hid a bump in the road. No, it wasn’t a bump, it was a wall, an insurmountable wall, and no one saw it coming, when it hit, boy, did it hit hard. I don’t think I can ever recover from that accident; I lost everything. For my friends at JSS, if you’re reading this, I hope you all are doing well, I never figured out why they fired me, but I can’t change anything now. For my ‘friends’ at Lawrence and Co. f*ck you, I hope you all rot in the deepest depths of hell. And lastly for Esther, know that I always loved you, I never meant any harm it must’ve been the alcohol, it must’ve, you should’ve stuck with me, helped me out, if you’re reading this, this was your fault.” -------- ***Content by Leo Rodrigues*** ***Design by Satyaprakash***