I heard this story recently and wanted to share it with y'all. There was a young guy about 23 years old named...we'll call him...Jason, who was looking for a roommate. See, he had moved to his parent's home town leaving the only hometown he'd every really known to escape the crime in the area. He had been mugged twice, one of his best friends had his throat slit, another friend had been beat to death because he refused to join MS-13 gang to just highlight some of the things he'd been exposed to. The last one was the last straw. He moved in with his brother, Larry, and Larry's girlfriend, Kelly, in a pretty safe college town. They lived happily until Larry and Kelly left town to start the next chapter in the lives they had planned for a long time. That left Jason needing a roommate for a great house that he and his dog really loved. One Sunday night after scoring from the drug dealers down the street, Dufus sees Jason's "For Rent" sign in the window and knocks on the door. Jason lets Dufus come in and see the house, no problem yet. After staying for FIVE hours, Jason finally gets rid of Dufus by telling him to call the real estate agent the next day. Jason knew he could not live with Dufus, that their personalities were not meant to be and that Dufus would drive him nuts. Dufus says he's going to be in Houston a couple of days so Jason figures he has some time to go by and see Darlene at the agency to give her a heads-up not to let Dufus sign a lease. By the time he gets there on Tuesday, Darlene has an application completed by Dufus, has been okayed, and Dufus has signed a lease. Only it's not legal until Dufus pays the rent and deposit which he hasn't done yet. Jason and Darlene agree not to rent to Dufus. Jason gets a call Tuesday night that Dufus wants to come by and show his girlfriend the place. Jason calls his mom to see how to handle things; they get a script together. Dufus comes over and instead of using the script, Jason is honest and tells him it's just not going to work out and there is someone else who is going to move in. Dufus immediately gets abusive and hostile and tells Jason that he's moving in with him or he'll regret it. Dufus starts looking around for a weapon so Jason invites him back into the house so Dufus can see him retrieve his pistol (and the law is on his side if he shoots Dufus inside rather than outside) and tells him to get out. More words are exchanged but Dufus left after making further threats. When Jason calls his mom again he is on his way, with his pistol, to stay at a relative's house. He has spoken with his father and has been a brave soldier but, with his mother, that gives way to the huge wave of emotions he's overtaken by because he'd had to come closer than ever to shooting someone, albeit in self-defense, and all that it would mean. His father had always told him not to pick up a gun unless you fully intend to shoot it if you need to. Jason's mother and father talked and decided that Jason's father, John, would come to him first thing in the morning to help him work out what to do. After a visit with Darlene, they decided that the only thing to be done was for Jason to move to his father's house, leaving town, his house, and his great job. He would loose either way. If he kept Dufus out, there was no telling what he might do to retaliate and who wants to be looking behind their backs all the time or have to involved lawyers and police? If he moved somewhere else, Dufus had told Jason he want HIM to be his roommate as he couldn't afford the rent by himself and didn't know any one to rent to, Dufus knew where he worked and would probably dog him there. One for karma...stuck with all the rent. All Jason's parents could tell him is that, yes, it's bizarre and, yes, bizarre things happen to people sometimes but there could be a good reason behind all this that Jason might never see but is still there. Jason is taking it in stride; his boss was great about it, of course, the guys at work feel bad for him but who would do differently? Someone who is more of a risk-taker, I reckon. If Jason were my son, I'd be very proud of him and how he's handled all this. It is bizarre that one day is normal and the next day a nut-job bully has taken your life away...but not completely away...thank The Lord.
Friday, August 28, 2009
A Story
I heard this story recently and wanted to share it with y'all. There was a young guy about 23 years old named...we'll call him...Jason, who was looking for a roommate. See, he had moved to his parent's home town leaving the only hometown he'd every really known to escape the crime in the area. He had been mugged twice, one of his best friends had his throat slit, another friend had been beat to death because he refused to join MS-13 gang to just highlight some of the things he'd been exposed to. The last one was the last straw. He moved in with his brother, Larry, and Larry's girlfriend, Kelly, in a pretty safe college town. They lived happily until Larry and Kelly left town to start the next chapter in the lives they had planned for a long time. That left Jason needing a roommate for a great house that he and his dog really loved. One Sunday night after scoring from the drug dealers down the street, Dufus sees Jason's "For Rent" sign in the window and knocks on the door. Jason lets Dufus come in and see the house, no problem yet. After staying for FIVE hours, Jason finally gets rid of Dufus by telling him to call the real estate agent the next day. Jason knew he could not live with Dufus, that their personalities were not meant to be and that Dufus would drive him nuts. Dufus says he's going to be in Houston a couple of days so Jason figures he has some time to go by and see Darlene at the agency to give her a heads-up not to let Dufus sign a lease. By the time he gets there on Tuesday, Darlene has an application completed by Dufus, has been okayed, and Dufus has signed a lease. Only it's not legal until Dufus pays the rent and deposit which he hasn't done yet. Jason and Darlene agree not to rent to Dufus. Jason gets a call Tuesday night that Dufus wants to come by and show his girlfriend the place. Jason calls his mom to see how to handle things; they get a script together. Dufus comes over and instead of using the script, Jason is honest and tells him it's just not going to work out and there is someone else who is going to move in. Dufus immediately gets abusive and hostile and tells Jason that he's moving in with him or he'll regret it. Dufus starts looking around for a weapon so Jason invites him back into the house so Dufus can see him retrieve his pistol (and the law is on his side if he shoots Dufus inside rather than outside) and tells him to get out. More words are exchanged but Dufus left after making further threats. When Jason calls his mom again he is on his way, with his pistol, to stay at a relative's house. He has spoken with his father and has been a brave soldier but, with his mother, that gives way to the huge wave of emotions he's overtaken by because he'd had to come closer than ever to shooting someone, albeit in self-defense, and all that it would mean. His father had always told him not to pick up a gun unless you fully intend to shoot it if you need to. Jason's mother and father talked and decided that Jason's father, John, would come to him first thing in the morning to help him work out what to do. After a visit with Darlene, they decided that the only thing to be done was for Jason to move to his father's house, leaving town, his house, and his great job. He would loose either way. If he kept Dufus out, there was no telling what he might do to retaliate and who wants to be looking behind their backs all the time or have to involved lawyers and police? If he moved somewhere else, Dufus had told Jason he want HIM to be his roommate as he couldn't afford the rent by himself and didn't know any one to rent to, Dufus knew where he worked and would probably dog him there. One for karma...stuck with all the rent. All Jason's parents could tell him is that, yes, it's bizarre and, yes, bizarre things happen to people sometimes but there could be a good reason behind all this that Jason might never see but is still there. Jason is taking it in stride; his boss was great about it, of course, the guys at work feel bad for him but who would do differently? Someone who is more of a risk-taker, I reckon. If Jason were my son, I'd be very proud of him and how he's handled all this. It is bizarre that one day is normal and the next day a nut-job bully has taken your life away...but not completely away...thank The Lord.
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