Really a sad story from a dear old friend I met for lunch, involving other people we were all friends with.
This friend, Bill whom I had lost touch with since @1997 calls me out of the blue after Christmas and asks do I remember him? Well, of course I do! I've known this guy since I was 15 years old, he's 3 years older. I really like the guy, plus he could buy beer, had a car and introduced me to some of his friends at the time. There were all slightly older, very cool. At that time he had a '63 primer-gray nova wagon with a hot 327 and a 4-speed, we'd all pile in, drink beer, smoke weed and generally tear up the back roads looking for something to get into.................and that's just what a lot of kids did back in the mid-70's in my area. Of course I could write a book
just in those teenage years with the guys then, but I'll save that for another time.
Our friendship grew over the years and we always stayed in touch. When Bill was approaching his late 20's he married this local girl, somewhat attractive, but had money and a really nice home in a nice area. That only lasted 2 years or so. Turns out she was complete bi-polar and on all kinds of meds then, he couldn't fix her, so he divorced her.
Bill dates for a while, he was very good looking, hard worker, modest and very easy going, owned his own small house in the country.... so women flocked to him. He eventually meets this 'wild' girl from West Va, who was also a hairdresser...................................so 2 strikes right away....but I digress.
They get married in 1995, her second as well and she immediately talks him into moving west, selling the small house, going into debt for a much larger home on 5 acres. She wants to be closer to her family in West Va which was still 3+ hours away.
@2 years in at that home, she talks him into selling and moving into this 1 stop light town, where she grew up, start his own auto repair shop (he had always worked as a Technician for other indie shops). So he sells his home, actually makes a little money in the deal believe it or not, buys a vacant auto repair shop with a second story in that town. They live in the apartment above, he starts his business below and she starts her own 'salon' in what used to be 1st floor 'office'
So I went to see him just before they left and and had a private conversation with him. was he sure this is what
he wanted? Was he
sure it would work out?
He assured me it would, but at the same time her friends were there at the 'going away' party and the guys said he was making a BIG mistake doing this.
That was the last time I saw or spoke to him, always wondering if things really did work out for them both?............................................. ..............Well I found out the answer over New years when we had lunch together.
My cell phone rang with an odd number last week, I normally let it go to voicemail, but picked up anyway. The voice on the other end asked my name, did I grow up near The Plains, was my dad John? I said it was, and then he said....... 'do you remember me; Bill Al******?' YES of course!
2 of Bill's sisters live near me, and he was staying with them over the Holidays and he wanted to get in touch with me to catch up. So his sister Goolg'd me and he started calling numbers. We talked for a long time and I offered to meet for lunch, which we did a few days later at a local restaurant.
First impressions were he had aged quite a bit, he's now 65 now, but I guess we all want to remember people as they looked when we were all young. He was still in good shape though. After a few beers, I asked him how things are, how is everyone, how is Peggy (his wife)? He paused and said...............I can't stand to even look at her anymore, we don't speak, we're divorcing as soon as the weather breaks
He said as soon they moved into her 1 stop light town, he was working 12+ hour days, she only worked sporadically as high style in West Va is not a high priority. After 9 years of him slaving for pennies, she eventually just quit trying to do much of anything, just sat around and smoked weed and somehow managed to get on disability
In the same time frame they had tried to have kids and she could not. So She talks him into adopting a baby from a girl she knew who was on drugs before and during the pregnancy. The child is, of course unfortunately, has some mental and physical disabilities. He's 21 now, and I'm not sure if he will ever be self-reliant.
Current chapter: They sold the building, bought 8 acres just outside of town, he started working for the state, but at very low pay. He purchased a small stick built home that was just under roof and framed. He had to finish everything himself. That was @7 years ago. Now he's done. He hates his life, can't retire anytime soon, and has to give half of everything he's worked for to her. He is very uncertain what is next after his divorce..............very sad ........