Bad Hair Day

"What the fuck is up with your hair?" Big Ed asks me at 6:01 AM.

"I know. I almost didn't make it here today Ed. I figured getting here was more important than my hair. I go to court today." I say. "Today's the day I find out when the repo man comes and takes all my stuff."

In fact it's a miracle I made it in for coffee today at all. I slept fitfully anticipating todays court appearance fearing and welcoming it at the same time. I opened my eyes at 5:36 AM threw on dirty clothes, pulled my hair back and dashed out the door.

"Well, good luck with that." He dully wishes me and turns back to the group. "Where the fuck is Teddy?"

"Doing a drive-by I bet." Gino says.

"What's a drive-by?" Chandler asks.

"A fuckin drive-by is when you got a restraining order on you from your ex-wife and you keep driving by her house to see what she's up to." Gino explains.

"I bet the fucker slept in his car." Ed says nodding his head knowingly.

"Call him. That fuck ain't gonna relapse on us." Three of the guys pull out their cell phones and it is a race to see who can reach him.

"Got him." says Connecticut Nick holding up his cell phone. "Where the fuck are you? Everybody's asking." Nick listens shaking his head and rolling his eyes to the group then hangs up.

"He overslept. He'll meet us at the meeting." Nick reports.

"Like fuck he will." says Ed. "Who's going to his house?"

Mark gets up and leaves and Ed's wife arrives. The baristas have her drink ready and hand it to her right as she enters the store. Ed pays for it when he gets here so she can get her drink and go.

"Where's Baby Huey?" she asks leaning over kissing her husband and sits on his lap in the overstuffed brown chair. The men laugh. This is a new nickname Terry.

"Baby Huey. I like it! Mark went to get him." Ed replies.

"Okay fellas, all you gotta do is give me a hundred bucks each and then you're set for the cruise in March." Ed's bride says. "We leave from Ft. Lauderdale on Friday and we'll return late on Sunday so you'll still be able to get up and have coffee on Monday. It's a deal and it will be fun." She finishes her speech, gets up, leans over and kisses her husband again and leaves Starbucks.

"Okay. Who's not going?" Big Ed asks. The men shake their heads. They're all going.

Connecticut Nick says he's not going and all eyes fall onto him.

"What you mean you ain't going?" Ed asks.

"I ain't going. That's all." says Nick defiantly.

"What. This about the cat?" Ed asks. The men laugh and start shouting out taunting reasons why Nick won't join them on their cruise.

"You gonna miss yer mommy?"
"What, you don't wanna sleep with Baby Huey?"
"Ya know it ain't so bad being with a guy."

Nick shakes his head and waves the taunts from his peers away with his hands as if he were swatting at flies.

Mark returns and reports, "He's getting ready. He ain't drunk. He'll be at the meeting."

"Oh man, I pity the guy who relapses on my watch!" Ed says and the men laugh.

It's true. I see how tightly Ed keeps watch on his flock. And part of me wishes that I were one of his sheep keeping a protective eye over me, watching the road that is unfolding ahead of me and instructing me on each step. How lucky these men are to have a shepherd to keep them on the path to recovery.

So many of Big Ed's characteristics remind me of my father. Dad was big in AA. He was big where ever he was at 6'5" and well over 400 lbs, he was a gentle giant once he got sober. Dad met his AA buddies every morning for coffee and breakfast at a little Greek place in Newport Richey before the first meeting of the day. His group came from a similar background; regular guys working to keep it together taking it day by day. Dad sponsored most of them too. And if his breakfast group hadn't driven over to see where he was that first and only morning when he missed breakfast, his body would not have been found for weeks.

This community behavior makes me look at my independent nature. Witnessing their interactions challenges my old beliefs. Sure, the testosterone levels are high but I learn so much from these guys and what I want to bring to my life.

Keep up the good work Ed.