“How is your father doing now?” I asked B., the son of the owner of Transport Company A., as I ushered him into the consultation room at our bank branch. “Fine! Very well!” replied B. “I just got back from the hospital, and he’s already full of plans!”

As soon as we sat opposite each other, he placed a stack of transfer forms on the table in front of me. Just to be sure, I checked the company’s account on the screen of my terminal: The balance was, relative to the credit limit, exceptionally low, and the somewhat shaky signatures at the bottom of the forms were unmistakably Sr.’s.

“Father is going to do things differently. He doesn’t want to drive anymore, certainly not abroad!” said B. “He now thinks that my brothers and I should become partners!” “That’s sensible!” I agreed, “so that will be a partnership agreement, to the accountant and then to the Chamber of Commerce.”

B. nodded and continued: “Father wants to phase out the trips to Italy and Spain. That’s for safety reasons. For the cars. For the cargo and for the drivers. That stolen truck in Italy still bothers him. And all that hassle with the insurance…”

He explained, “We still have a few good clients in Southern Europe. We’re going to focus much more on Germany and the Scandinavian countries now.”

“Yes,” said B. with conviction, “you won’t find a better planner than him. And his network…” He clicked his tongue in admiration. “No,” he said proudly, “luckily, Dad is still the heart of our company!” He offered a cautious smile: “When he was working, he hated a bypass, and now he has got four of his own!”