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The Husbandry Of DespairThis story may contain adult content. |
| Written by John Talleos | |
| Thursday, 19 June 2008 | |
One year ago Eddie and his young wife Mariah attended thanksgiving dinner at Mariah's mothers home. Eddie was sure to keep inventory of all in attendance. Mariah's two brothers, cousins and uncles. No one matched Eddie's success and he knows it. He won't boast or carry himself in an arrogant fashion as much as he would love to. It's a temptation that is not easy for him to keep in check so his modesty oozes with intentional insincerity. When Mariah's brother Roger lamented about working the next day or he won't get payed Eddie chimed in "I heard that, I wish I could take a day off sit around do nothing watch TV." Mariah knew that Eddie not only doesn't waste time but abhors it and often ridicules it in others. No one picked up on it but Mariah. She knows that Eddie was throwing a slight at Roger. After the meal Mariah's other brother Danny walks out to smoke. Somewhat of an enigma to Eddie, quiet unpretentious and in spite of his modest career as a truck driver for a road paving company Danny is smartly dressed with Kaki like dress pants casual shoes that are fashionable and a sweater of top shelf quality, isn't it Polo? Eddie doesn't smoke but likes to have one on some occasions and walks outside to bum a cigarette from Danny. "Dude can I bum one" "'Absolutely" "So what’s going on dude?" If anything Eddie is friendly and will always broach a conversation. "Not too much still hauling asphalt." "Cool." Small talk about day to day life. Danny is not terribly interested in talking about his but will answer questions. If Eddie is sizing up Danny for his own personal inventory Danny is also doing the same to Eddie but Danny has something up his sleeve and sees an opportunity. "Dude you think you have a way I could get rid of some doe." This is a surprise question for Eddie, but it's business right up his alley. "You kidding, dude whatever you want to do definitely." They set a time for both to meet the next day at Eddie's office. Back in the house the family is cutting pies and cakes and serving coffee and Mariah has an announcement. "Okay guys I want you all to be the first to know, come here my smoky husband I want you besides me when I make this announcement. Okay here goes. I just heard from my doctor yesterday that we are expecting our first baby." An elated moment for the family especially for Mariah's mother and father. Now Eddie and Mariah could spend their money on something other than his and hers BMWs' every six months. On the way home Eddie and Mariah are smitten and happily making plans about small renovations and room colors. The conversation ends then Eddie asks: "Your brother Danny does alright at Mustofs' paving huh?" "I guess. He drives a truck, he's single." "I'm suppose to meet him tomorrow, he wants to invest." "Oh? Hum. He was always the smart one. Maybe he wants to buy a house." "Maybe." Eddie doesn't mention the get-rid-of-a-lot-of-money part. Probably doesn't mean much anyway. Maybe he wants to renovate a home, to Eddie what could he have five six grand? It's not Eddie money but he'll humor him. Danny drives up to Eddie's office. His vehicle is a full size American pick-up lifted from the ground four wheel drive shinny black chrome wheels. Eddie sees him coming out his truck from his desk. He greets him at the door. Eddie sits at his desk and Danny on the other side. "Think we can talk in private Ed?" "Sure, lets go in the conference room. Annie hold my calls." Not that there would be many of them at five in the afternoon Friday after Thanksgiving, but an executive touch for Danny's sake. "So what ya got for me Dan." "Well I got some money and I don't know where to go with it." "Cool, you want to get a house maybe." "I don't know I was hoping you'd tell me." "What kind of money?" "Alright before I tell you anything you got to promise it doesn't leave here." "Okay. What's this all about?" "I have about fifty g's. For now." "For now? I'd say you got some doe. Do you mind me asking you how you got a hold of fifty. Fifty? Dude, whatever your doing I want in on it." "Well I wasn't looking at that angle." "Alright, lets get something clear. You got fifty, right?" "With more on the way." Eddie laughs then goes on. "Okay your sittin large and getting larger, the big big question is, um, well let me put it this way, is it tax uh, did you pay, is it after taxes?" "No." "Okay, that could be a problem." "I know. There's nothing you could do?" "Didn't say there was nothing I could do Danny boy just said we have to be smart here, you can't just lay down all that wood without getting into trouble." "I know that." "Let me think. Do you want to, uh, clean the money or do you want it to grow what do you have in mind?" "You tell me." "Have to think about this one. Don't worry we'll do something believe me. What's your gig dude you gotta tell me if we're going to be in business." "I guess I could tell you. A friend of mine is a pharmacist, he gets all the goods you name it vics' ******* oxys' downers on and on he also get Viagra, Cialis all that ****. So I know some guys at work who like that **** and I'm talking to my buddy and he says we could supply that stuff, you know a little on the side and so I start selling some pain killers to guys and then they know people and you know the business gets bigger little by little and so my buddy says that we could really kick it in gear because he could make some kind of deal with the distributor and so stuff gets sent in larger qualities at this other location, not the pharmacy. So now we have major supply and I start branching off big time. I got guys under me who are selling, I don't meet any users, they do and so now we got a real good thing going." "Dude, no ****." "Yea. But this can't leave this room." "Come on, dude..." "No I mean it." "Look on my babies..." "I don't care, swear on anything, you can't say nothing." "Look if we're going to do something of course." And that was the start of Eddies new cash cow. Money that was made by Danny was filtered to a real estate investor and in a somewhat complicated arrangement Danny was made a partner by being a contractor of sorts and when enough clean money was available Danny became a legitimate partner with the investor till Danny became an investor himself. A perfect and savvy move it was to go to Eddie. Eddie got his cuts as Danny's relationship with the investor grew. Danny cleaned money coming in growing it when it was and gradually did more and more legitimate business. As he was busy making money in real estate he gradually did less of the pill pushing. The business of the pills was still going strong but now Eddie was in the fold. Eddie was now a partner with Danny's pharmacist buddy and took over what Danny was doing and was able to grow the operation many times over in sophistication and organization. It was at a bachelor party of one of Eddie's loan originators. A bit over done. A large hall was rented, gambling tables were set up blackjack, craps, poker tables with a healthy rake all very profitable for the groom the usual Eddie touch since he arrange it all. Danny is playing poker. By now he knows a good many of the people in attendance. At poker he watch's Eddie and his buddies. He knows they're not quite right. A little too stupid. Later on a limo takes the groom and a select few including Eddie back to the office. Danny is invited but takes his own truck. At the office are three women scantily clothed for the occasion. Music, booze and something else in the conference room. Whatever it was Eddie was going to it and so were the other originators of the office along with the women sometimes with the women. All closed door behind them. Danny is quiet. He's not comfortable, just wants to make an appearance but he doesn't like what he is seeing. "Gluttony. Kids out of control." He thinks to himself about Eddie. "I hope he's not out of control with the **** he's selling." Danny makes his way out his visit is over he finds Eddie to say goodbye. "Dude I'm on my way out dude." "Nah bullshit where you going?" Eddie is drunk but his eyes are red and so he's more than drunk. Up close Danny confirms it to himself. "You alright?" "You have no idea." "I think I do." "Dude your the man, no, your the ******* fucking man." He says this with his arm around him. "When I say your the man, dude your not going anywhere come on do a shot with me get your ass over here." "No I want to catch some more poker don't want to get too messed up." "Alright, dude I'm going to come over later and take all your money show you how ****** up I am." "Whatever, you working tomorrow?" "Everyday day night 28 ******* 9 dude." "I'll see you tomorrow." And he means it. He wouldn't care about Eddie but he's his sister's husband. He wants to make sure this isn't a problem. He was in the business he knows problem and now he's feeling some responsibility. It's the next day Saturday afternoon Danny drives by the office. Eddie isn't in the office. No one is. Could be nothing. Monday Danny drives to the office late afternoon. He sees Eddies car. He drives besides it goes into the office but it's locked and no one is there. He goes back to his truck and looks at Eddies car. It's dirty. Inside it's a mess with white paper and folders on the seats, in the back is a child seat with papers on it. As he drives away he notices the back tire has a small donut tire. Now he's worried. Too many signs. Where is he? As time goes by Eddie is missing from family events and when he is present is not the same. As time goes by Mariah throws Eddy out of the house and Danny loses contact with him. He learns from his parents and real estate partner that Eddie got messed up on drugs, lost his business and then his family. It's been two years since the stag and Danny is working on a new construction home he's building, sweeping the floors when he receives a call on his cell. Its Eddie. "Where you been?" " ****** up dude." "I know. You disappeared from everything no one knows where you are you don't visit your kid, what the **** dude." There's nothing but quiet. "You there?" "Yea I'm here, what can I say." "You in town?" "Yea, can you help me out." "What do you need?" "Everything." "Where are you?" "A room in the south end." "In town?" "Yea." He tells Danny where he is. Its a one bedroom apartment. A mess. Socks paper strewn about on matted carpet. A couch, living room chair, coffee table, TV and nothing else. Its hot. A window has a fan inserted that is useless. The coffee table is full of ashes beer bottles an open beige paper that once wrapped a sandwich maybe a grinder. Eddie is sitting on the couch. "Where you been." "Gone. I lost it all, everything." "What happened." "Started doing ****." "I heard." "Started doing some pills for fun then stronger pills, oxys' everything. Then none of that was strong enough went to heroine then finally crack." "No." "Yea. Now here I am. Getting thrown out any day now. I don't know what to do." His eyes start to well up with tears. Then repeats loudly "I don't know what to do!" Looking at Danny with eyes of desperation. Nothing Danny has ever seen. It was frightening. "Okay, alright calm down." "What am I going to doo!" He puts his hands over his eyes crying. "What am I going to do oh God help me noo." Danny gets up. Looks over the mess. Thinks to himself. "This is my fault. My fault." "Alright Ed get up come on." "Where we going?" "Get you cleaned up." He gets up. Wipes his face with his sleeve then the bottom of his shirt. "I need to pack." "No you don't. Your not keeping anything from this life." Eddie looks at him. "Your right." They walk to the door. Before they leave Danny tells Eddie. "Take a look at this place one last time. You want it?" "Come on Dan. I got work to do." Copyright 2008 John Talleos |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 20 June 2008 ) |
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