THE COCONUT MONKEY

I think it was 1974, and I was starting a business for myself during the oil embargo and the downturn in the US economy. While planning to incorporate, I also needed to contact an accountant to get my books set up and my tax liabilities in proper order.

I found this young accountant setting up shop, about my age, by finding his card placed at a local diner. Forty some odd years later, I am still using him.

Ron was then and still is a very personal man, warming up to him was very easy, and trusting him even easier, and he has looked out for my interest ever since. He has made sure in al these past years to see that I got whatever was coming to me and that I always was above board with the IRS.

That first day, on his desk was a carved coconut of a monkey, something that held my interest that day, and did forever more when I would visit his office at tax time or to do business with him. It was cleverly carved and a nice looking monkey as coconut monkeys go.

Now that TLW (The Little Woman) fills out the questionnaire that he sends us every year to help him make our taxes, and save us the trip into Nassau County, inevitably he will call with a question, and I can’t answer it. I would have to call TLW and straighten it out, or direct Ron to call her himself. This has gone on year after year, and finally, this year he went straight to TLW! We kidded about it, but I don’t really blame him. However this year I was ready for him since I took the time to read the preliminary paper work, and he goes right to TLW!

The next morning, TLW tells me to call Ron to give him some info. I do, and when he answers he says: “I went right to the top this time!”

“Yes you did Ron!”

We talk and suddenly I realize how long we have been working together and I ask:

“Ron, do you still have the coconut monkey?”

“ Haha, nah, the cleaning people dropped it one day and it broke, about three years ago!”

Late February became the Coconut Monkey time of the year or tax time. Will it ever be the same without the coconut monkey? The one you see is NOT the coconut monkey, apparently it is irreplaceable!