My Memoirs - Citizen of the World

When I applied, inspectors came from Montreal to confirm that we
had the three years experience needed, an office, and good credit.
They were satisfied and we received the license. My wife and I
continued working very hard. She concentrated more on the travel
part and I continued selling Life Insurance. Things started to look
better and better. We decided that in order to be a complete Travel
Agency, we could not only sell International Travel, but Cruises
and Domestic Travel as well, which meant we needed to apply for
another license. I inquired in Washington about the requirements
needed to obtain the ATC license. They told me that, although I
had the IATA License, I only needed a surety bond in the amount
of 100 thousand dollars. I tried all the insurance companies, but it
was very difficult to obtain such a bond, even with my good credit.
After knocking on all doors, I became acquainted with Robert
Avila, a Portuguese-American and a prominent businessman with
many connections. One of his businesses was the student bus
transportation for most of the schools in the State of Rhode Island.
I went to his office and he immediately made a phone call to his
Insurance Agent who represented Aetna Insurance Co. A few
minutes later, I received my bond. Thanks to this very generous
man, I now had a full service Travel Agency. Bob Avila has been
a good friend ever since, for more than forty years now.
Becoming a Notary Public
I became a Notary Public, so that I could notarize official
documents; prepare Powers of Attorney, wills, etc. I felt that I had
realized my dream. Our children were prospering, and we were all
very happy. The problem was that my landlord, in Warren, noticed
that we were becoming successful and making money, so he
decided to act as if he were entitled to increase the rent. He raised
the rent twice in one year, but I told him that if he did it again, I
would move. He didn't believe me, and increased the rent again.
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