The wife has a group of close girlfriends since she was in grammar school. Just as I have several friends from grammar school. Nobody can call you on your shit like people who know you from when you were eating paste in kindergarten. These girls get together a couple of times a year to stay in touch and talk about what is going on in their lives. They all went to Catholic school together but what is even more interesting is that their mothers went to grammar school together too! That was what Brooklyn used to be like!
There are two sets of sisters. On set moved to Jersey and the other set moved out on the Island. Now one of the girls husbands has been sick. He was getting chemo but he seemed to be recovering. So we were really shocked two weeks ago to get a call that one of the other girls husbands had died. We all went out to Jersey for the wake and the funeral and it was pretty tough. This was out of the blue. It was very sad as the guy was only 57.
Well Monday we got a call. The other guy was dying and only had hours to live. He passed on Tuesday. We jumped in the car and went out there to be with the family. I got a bunch of cold cuts and bread and pastries from all the good stores in Brooklyn for them because so many people were coming to pay their respects at the house. We were there all day and have been going back for the wake. They are burying him on Saturday morning.
It is really really tough as they have young kids and they were a very close couple. They did everything together. It will be very tough for the wife to go on alone. So they really need their friends at a time like this. Lisa is a very maternal figure to them as she envelopes them in a hug and just listens. I help with the food and the financial questions. We need to be there for them.
The most fucked up thing is that these two girls and Lisa are very close. And about five or six douche bags have come up to me and said "Be careful Jim these things happen in threes." Can you punch somebody in the face at a wake?
I guess at an Irish wake but these guys are guineas. So once again I have to swallow it and not do what I want to do. Some people just don't know what to do. You can't teach them. You just have to ignore them.
Anyway I am not ignoring youse guys. Just busy. So carry on. Play nice.
