When Bad things turn out to be Good!!!

 Bloggers, as I have said many times before, I have woke-up to many of a day or gone to sleep to many of a night, only to be totally taken by surprised by circumstances that I was not looking for nor hoping for. As a Hermit sort of guy now I avoid public spaces as much as possible because I have enough personal experience to know that something is going to go terribly wrong soon enough as I walk along the road of life or road to my bed. I mean the phrase that states .... happens is so very true. For example, have you ever been down the highway coming back from a nearby beach with the wife in the front seat and kids in the backseats and you are driving back home. Well, as the driver... did you ever take the wrong turn after your wife insisted that you better make a correction before we end up in a different region of our State. Well, I have! And as an Infantry Navigator in the U.S. Army and a Squad leader have you ever been held in such high esteem by your Commanders and those under you and felt that you were It! Well, one day in a mock war training situation at Fort Hood, Texas, I was assigned a serious mission, and I felt cocky because all my men kept talking loud to all around us that they would follow Sgt. G. (Me) anywhere because I was the best Leader in the Company. Well, I was so full of pride that even the Graders were smiling at me. And towards the end of the mission, I wondered why I hadn't encountered the enemy that was supposed to be at the coordinance that I was following yet? And all my men are puzzled as they look at my distorted puzzled face and asked me, "Sgt. G. what is wrong? Then the Graders come up to me and said, "You still have a few minutes to make contact with your enemy and finish your mission if you want to make any corrections." So, just like I did at the Highway coming back from Corpus Christi almost 50 miles of course from my hometown, my wife laughs at me too. So, there were good things that happened in these situations. But coming back from Corpus I did pull off the dark highway and did finally ask for directions at a filling station in some small town. I mean things do happen that take us by surprise all the time. The Scenarios are endless and varied just like the billions of people on earth for these bad things that can go wrong. I had another "One of those Things" happen to me just a couple of days ago. And this is why I tell my daughter that I don't need any more entertainment from T.V. or Movies, etc. I personally have too much entertainment and drama dished out to me on a Silver Platter every day. whether I like it or not. Like I said before..., just fighting family of Witches where I am at is enough to keep me alert for the rest of my life. And then to think that I still desire to be entertained by a woman companion, ah, I just don't know any more about that especially watching all the hassles of people fighting for things after the divorce. Heck, as I was saying, just the other day I am sitting here in my old chair writing when a White unmarked car pulls up in my driveway and honks. I looked out there and I got suspicious, but I went to the front door and looked out. It was then that a Police Officer in uniform is waving me to come out to him. However, I teasingly yell out to him and say that he has the wrong address, and I laugh. Then he pulls a hand full of white papers and yells, "Are you Ruben Natal Gutierrez?" And it was then that I was shaken up a little, but continue my joking and said, "Ah no, I already paid at the office." However, he motions me down to his car and tells me that I am being served for delinquent School taxes. And so, I asked him on what property because I only have the present one that I live in. And he gives me the address and I say to him that I don't even live there. He said that it didn't matter because it was my family's, and he was only serving me the papers. Then as he was leaving, he asked me if I was from San Marcos, and I said that I was. This Officer was a middle aged Mexican American man. And then he says to me, "I think I know you." Then I asked him, who is your family? And he said, "The Garza's." Then I said, well, I don't think I know them. And so, I asked him to mention some of the names of his family to see if it would jar my head a little and help me recall. Then he went down a list of men's names until he got to the last one. Then he made a comment to describe the last one mentioned and my light came on immediately and I shouted loud in excitement and said, "Oh yeah, I know Mikeh!" And his face lite up also and then I began to tell him the stories about how Mikeh and me knew each other for many years. I told him how I had picked his dad's house for home renovation under a program long ago and how Mikeh had played a role in that situation. I told him of our long-time friendship for many years until his death in 2020. Mike was a special needs guy and, but he could function and do small work like lawn work. He liked to joke, and he liked females. And he loved to dance he said. And just like Mexicans, we laughed a lot when we would meet. And I told him how Mike and I spent more time together since late in 2014 when I attended the Church on Mitchell Street in San Marcos. I told the Officer that Mike would ask me for work at times or rides, and for food at times, and I would always take him to the stores. And I would buy him out of my pocket, the things he would ask for. I asked this Officer if Mike had ever talked about me to them? And he said that Mike would always talk about a friend of his who would give him rides at any time of the day or night, but that he, the officer, couldn't remember the friend's name. The Officer's said that Mike would tell them that his friend would take him wherever he wanted and then drop him of there, especially when he wanted to go hang out at the bars and dance with the women there. Mike didn't drink alcohol or do drugs, he just loved to flirt with women when the opportunity presented itself. And it was me that he was talking about and although Mike wanted to pay me, I never bill friends for rides or fuel. Mike was a great friend. Many times, after Church yard work in the evenings as the sun was going down, we both would sit out front and tease each other sometimes. At other times he did suffer emotional pain because of his situation at home or about other things. Nevertheless, to keep us in good spirits, I remember many times asking him however, "Mike, who do you think will get the Woman first between the two of us?" He had been singled all his life, and my wife had just died, and so he would laugh and say, "I am!' Then I would say, "No Mike, I am." It would go on like that for years until one day I asked if he had found the woman for him. And he nodded and smiled giddily and said that he had. So, I asked him, "Where is she?" And he said that he had her on a lay away plan and once he paid in full that they were going to get married. I laughed, and said, well, how many more yards do you have to mow grass for before you have all the money to pay for her? He said by next year. Then one day as we sat there together looking west again, Mike said to me, "Ruben, I have paid for my woman in full today and I am taking her out from lay away." And again, I laughed and said, well, where does she live.  And he said, over by the hospital. I didn't know of any houses in that area, so I said, you mean in an apartment. And he laughs and said, yes. And then he says to me, can you take me to see her right now. So, I then ask him, "Mike what apartments?" And he tells me matter of factly with all seriousness and says... the Nursing Home next to the hospital. It was then that both of us busted out laughing but he was serious. Then I said, Mike, I can't take you there. Then he said, well, I will take the bus in the morning to go see her because she has her own house, and I am going to get her out and then we will get married and live in her house. Then later one evening he tells me that the woman at the nursing home had died. So, here we both were sitting again facing the setting sun in the west and asking each other, "Who do you think will get the woman between us first!" So, as I related this story to the Officer..., you should have seen his face and eyes well up with pride as he extended his big hand to mine and said Thanks to me and rode away after having served me another part of unexpected and unneeded problems to my tail end of what is left for all of us to deal with. So good things do come out of bad circumstances. Mike and I never gave up Hope or Faith that one day we would have a good woman, one apiece. The Sun has set for Mike Garza however, and his dream for a good woman never materialized, but he will remain a great memory for me as I sit now and watch the sun sets alone. And I hope to never forget him. And I told the Officer who is his brother that I still dream of Mike. So Let Us Sleep On That for now. Thanks again.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Respectfully,                                                                                                                                                Ruben N. Gutierrez