charles to the rescue!

I haven’t seen him in i don’t know how long now.  we talk on the phone, as everybody knows, yet we never visit.  today, he made a huge difference in my day, and we even had a chance to visit in person.

i had gone to poodle corner to deliver an order i had been trying to collect for for a week with no luck.  i walked in and nobody was in the reception area - not one human soul, but there were at least a dozen canine guests in cages barking and growling their heads off at me.  the door has one of those bells on it that i thought would alert somebody of another presence so i waited at the desk.  and waited.  and waited.  i called out, but got absolutely no response.  well, my stubborn streak set in and i decided to sit it out and did - for 45 minutes.  aha! this customer was obviously avoiding me.  she had found me on the internet, and maybe she really was a crank.  and so after 45 minutes and a polite note to let her know i had been there, i went to the car.  which did not start.  damn damn damn. 

nothing i tried worked, and i was in strange territory with no one to call and no chance of even getting a human to the desk at poodle corner. and so i walked back in, reached over the counter at the reception desk and did the only logical thing. i called charles.

he knows i’m hopelessly lost when it comes to directions, but he figured out where i was and said - I’m on the way!  and in less than 15 minutes, my knight in a forest green dodge truck was there, being his usual gruff and grumpy self. 

you killed it, didn’t you? he pointed towards the car.

well yes, you know i did.

he tried to get it started but couldn’t.  he tried again, still didn’t work.  and so i was forced to go back into poodle corner, opened a door marked staff only (sometimes you have to break the rules) to let them know i was leaving my hunk of junk in their parking lot, but would return with a roll-back to get it.

and there she was - NANCY!  the customer i had never seen and could not pin down.  oddly, she was as pleased to see me as i was to see her.  she got her order, asked for more (which i just happened to have with me) and we were both happy.

and then i hopped way up into that dodge truck and charles brought me home. on the way, we got caught up a little.  he complained about having to go on deliveries with me (not really) and i gave him a free shower gel, which he eyed dubiously.

when we reached my house, he pulled out some computer textbooks and some student software and gave them to me. and i gave him a copy of e.e. cummings poetry.

not sure when or even if i’ll ever see him again, but he certainly saved me today in more ways than one.  now if he would only let me do the same for him in some way, i’d feel better.

i love my friend.  i really do.