We got so many nice folks who decided to check in here today on opening day of the new place, I know I said I would wait until Monday but perhaps I should just go ahead and kickstart things tonight. Because the reality is many of these rants are not gonna come even close to the Swedish Fish so let's just curb the enthusiasm right now.
But something terrible happened and I don't know that it's really a rant but here is the set up 1st.
When I worked at Whole Foods(someone just jizzed in the back row) I met a really nice guy who was a department leader and had been in the system there for a few years, worked grocery at Publix before WF. He is about 10 years younger than me and he quickly became the younger brother I wished I had. My younger brother by 3.5 years does not speak to me but that's a rant for another time.
So this other guy and I became quick friends, I was new in town and he showed me around. Eventually his weirdo family got to be too much and he moved away to NC, left behind younger brother that unfortunately was much more into me than I was him. My good friend's younger brother is a bad seed, one of those people you just cannot help. You give him a few bucks and he will get in trouble and lie to you about what he did even as you are reading the arrest report.
So after my friend moved, his younger brother by about 3 years wanted to hang out more. I tried to push him away but it didn't help and what is frustrating is I tried to tell him the path he was on would lead to heartache. The path is he sells dope/weed and he isn't shy about it, doesn't hide it very well, he seems to relish in being a punk or a playa if you will. He decides to get married a few weeks ago to a very nice girl but calls me the week before and asks if I can be the best man, small ceremony, 20 people or less, I said OK.
My final words of wisdom for this kid at the after party was get clean, get off selling it, go to bartender school, card dealer school, pick a school but learn a trait and make an honest living and still have fun with it.
"OK MOP, I'm gonna do it you have my word"
3 weeks later...
I get a phone call from his wife telling me he was arrested and $5,000 was confiscated along with a sizable amount of weed. I said what do you want me to do? A few minutes later I get a phone call from his father, we get along real well and he is very aware his son is a bad seed. He asked me if I had some of the arrestee's $$$…I said HUH? He goes on to tell me that his son told him that he gave me money to put away for bail in case this happened. I said when did he tell you that?
He said that his son had told him at the wedding that I was holding some of the $$$…I said well Mr Smith that is a complete and total lie. He said I was afraid you were gonna say that. I went on to say if you want my advice, leave him in the slammer as he is facing 3 counts/felonies as far as I can see and that when he gets out he doesn't have a job, might as well let the state pick up his 3 meals a day for now. Plus he will need every penny he can scrape together to try and find a lawyer because this is not strike 1, not strike 2, but strike 3 and even though his probation ended some time ago, they are gonna come after him with guns blazing, in fact they did.
Well after that I get another phone call from the wife asking if can bail him out…2 charges with intent to sell/dist and another 1 they tacked on, $11,000 bail, I said I can't. I told her to star thinking about the next 50 years not the next 50 days and she started crying. I know I'm harsh but she might as well hear the truth.
This is why I don't like friends, they're always there when they need you. So I'm kind of burnt today and I probably am mildly hostile. This idiot was even dumb enough to tell the cops at the station to tell his wife to call Mr and Mrs MOP for the money to bail him out so for a while last night these family members thought I was lying about having his money