Playing Stooge Again
So, my brother was out with a buddy of his last night and as I worked, he sat on his phone and ass-dialed me, allowing me to listen into his conversation a few times.
The vibrating phone soon got on my nerves, so I began ignoring the calls. Safely tucked into my hotel room bed, I was thankful that the calls had finally stopped.
I watched a bit of the basketball game and then picked up my phone again to see that I had missed yet another call from Jim. Thinking he had mistakenly dialed me again, I didn't call him back. Moments later, the phone came alive again with Jim's picture popping up.
"What!" I yelled.
"Cliff, this is Mike, Jim's friend. Thank God you answered."
"What's going on?" I asked.
My heart was in my throat already.
"Your brother got into a fight. He was arrested and I have credit problems. I can't help him make bail."
"Oh God, no!" I said. I was now at full attention, tossing the covers aside, thinking of how we could solve the problem and cursing Jim under my breath.
"He was sticking up for another guy and things got out of hand," Mike said. "He really didn't do anything wrong, but what can we do?"
"What can I do?" I asked. My voice was way too loud.
"They said they'd take a credit card to pay the bail."
"How much is it?" I asked.
I really didn't want to put any amount on a credit card. Especially for bail. Why couldn't he, just once, walk away? Why was he fighting at 42 years of age? What would Kathy say if I wired money to get him out of trouble?
"$2,500," Mike said. "Can you do it?"
I hesitated. I thought about calling my other brother, or my mother, or the chief of police, or Kathy...anyone but me.
"Why am I paying for his mistake?" I asked.
Mike laughed. Then I heard Jim laugh. Together they laughed their asses off.
"You see," Jim said. "I ain't worth twenty-five hundred to him!"
"You bastards!" I yelled.
My heart sunk back to its usual spot. Why would he do that to me, just for fun, to drive me crazy?
"You would've given Mike the credit card number," Jim said. "Wouldn't you?"
"Of course," I said. "I wasn't happy about it though."
The sound of Jim's laughter didn't fade for a long time as I tried to settle down and get to sleep.
Stooge.
What a freaking stooge.
The vibrating phone soon got on my nerves, so I began ignoring the calls. Safely tucked into my hotel room bed, I was thankful that the calls had finally stopped.
I watched a bit of the basketball game and then picked up my phone again to see that I had missed yet another call from Jim. Thinking he had mistakenly dialed me again, I didn't call him back. Moments later, the phone came alive again with Jim's picture popping up.
"What!" I yelled.
"Cliff, this is Mike, Jim's friend. Thank God you answered."
"What's going on?" I asked.
My heart was in my throat already.
"Your brother got into a fight. He was arrested and I have credit problems. I can't help him make bail."
"Oh God, no!" I said. I was now at full attention, tossing the covers aside, thinking of how we could solve the problem and cursing Jim under my breath.
"He was sticking up for another guy and things got out of hand," Mike said. "He really didn't do anything wrong, but what can we do?"
"What can I do?" I asked. My voice was way too loud.
"They said they'd take a credit card to pay the bail."
"How much is it?" I asked.
I really didn't want to put any amount on a credit card. Especially for bail. Why couldn't he, just once, walk away? Why was he fighting at 42 years of age? What would Kathy say if I wired money to get him out of trouble?
"$2,500," Mike said. "Can you do it?"
I hesitated. I thought about calling my other brother, or my mother, or the chief of police, or Kathy...anyone but me.
"Why am I paying for his mistake?" I asked.
Mike laughed. Then I heard Jim laugh. Together they laughed their asses off.
"You see," Jim said. "I ain't worth twenty-five hundred to him!"
"You bastards!" I yelled.
My heart sunk back to its usual spot. Why would he do that to me, just for fun, to drive me crazy?
"You would've given Mike the credit card number," Jim said. "Wouldn't you?"
"Of course," I said. "I wasn't happy about it though."
The sound of Jim's laughter didn't fade for a long time as I tried to settle down and get to sleep.
Stooge.
What a freaking stooge.
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