Robot Rollcall
I recognize the people that have gathered in front of my father's house. As I scan them, I feel as if I'm doing a bizarre version of the opening theme to Mystery Science Theater 3000...you know, the part with the robot rollcall (Cam-bot/Gypsy/Tom Servo/Croooooooooooow!).
Number 2 is there and he's with M. I haven't been sure about their relationship for quite some time (Girlfriend??? Just friends??? Friend with benefits???) but she showed up here on the worst night of his life. Seems to me there is at least a strong friendship there.
Moondoggie and Gidget are there too. They are our tenants that live in the front of the duplex. They moved in 22 years ago after getting married when they were 23. Their teenage daughter isn't around on this night, she's at Downtown Disney. I would find out that Moondoogie actually found my father.
Mr. and Mrs. Stream are there too. They are friends of my grandmother. I have no idea what they are doing here.
Officier Macias is in his black and white, doing whatever cops do when they respond to a situation like this.
I ask Number 2 if he is okay.
"I'm okay. The cop wants to talk to you," he replies.
I pull him away from M for a second. "I know this sucks but we are going to get through this. I'm going to need you to help me make some decisions."
"Got it," says Number 2. "I'm gonna go burn one and walk down the street a bit. Go talk to the cop."
Number 2 starts smoking immediately and walks with M down the street. I go talk to the cop.
Officier Macias looks like he just got out of the academy. Very young, hispanic, and probably 6 to 8 inches shorter than me.
He shakes my hand and offers his condolences. It is surprisingly sincere. Officier Macias has concluded his investigation and concluded that there was no foul play. He doesn't mention anything about my father's guns. (There was a small arsenal in there. Think Ruby Ridge). He recommends that I do not go in and see my father. He had fallen and cut his head open pretty good.
Now I don't know about the rest of you but when a cop says, "Y'know, you probably don't want to see his remains," I had NO problem following his advice.
Speaking of his remains, Officier Macias mentioned that they had also started to get a little ripe. It would be unclear when exactly he died. He spoke with people the night before but nobody had talked to him on this day. The windows were closed and it was a warm day in Long Beach so he probably passed sometime that morning. I would later find eggshells in the kitchen sink. I think he had a chance to have a last breakfast.
Next steps were going to be to get a police report number from Officier Macias and to contact a mortuary service to take my father's remains. He had some work to attend to back at his cruiser so I turn my attention to the other people present.
Mr. and Mrs. Stream told me that they had just seen my father at a funeral of a 28 year old kid the day before. My father didn't know the kid but had gone to represent our family since my grandmother couldn't make it. They told us that if we needed anything that they were more than willing to help. I don't even really remember that they were leaving but the next thing I knew, they were gone.
Moondoggie and Gidget were still outside with us. She brought us chairs from their dining room but nobody was in the mood to sit. My father would call out to Gidget, "THERE GOES THE PURTIEST GIRL IN ALL OF LONG BEACH" whenever she went to the garage to take laundry to the dryer. They are not going to ask us tonight but I can already feel their angst about what are my brother and I going to do with this duplex. Gidget tells me that besides her parents house, it is the only home she's ever known. They pay next to nothing for the place. My father raised the rent twice in 22 years. I haven't talked to Number 2 yet about it but I already know that we're keeping the place.
I ask Number 2 to contact a mortuary. I need to involve him in this process enough so that he knows he held his own tonight but I need to make sure I don't put too much on him as well. Moondoggie brings him the yellow pages.
Another car pulls up. It's my father-in-law, Big Daddy (long story...I'll tell it another time). He doesn't say much. He never does. Since I started dating his daughter 12 years ago, he has always treated me like a son. Tonight, he extends that to my brother as well.
Officier Macias concludes his work and lets us know that he is going to leave. I still need to write that kid a letter to the Police Chief. He was everything that you would want a cop to be in that situation. Calm, caring, professional.
We wait for quite some time before the guys from the mortuary show up. Talking about just about anything except the fact that my father is dead on the floor inside.
Finally, a plain white van pulls up and two black men get out. They offer their condolences and get all of my contact information before going to work. We all stay outside while listening to the two men move around the house. All of the windows are open and I can pretty much hear everything. They are struggling to get him on the gurney (he was a big man...not a fat man...but a big man).
They come out to ask for help and Moondoggie volunteers. Finally, they get him on the gurney and they are coming out.
"I can't watch this," said Number 2 and he heads with M down the street.
I watch as they struggle to get the gurney out of the duplex. My father is leaving for the final time and he's going out feet first.
The gurney passes me and I say goodbye to my father for the last time.
"Bye, Pop."
VW
Number 2 is there and he's with M. I haven't been sure about their relationship for quite some time (Girlfriend??? Just friends??? Friend with benefits???) but she showed up here on the worst night of his life. Seems to me there is at least a strong friendship there.
Moondoggie and Gidget are there too. They are our tenants that live in the front of the duplex. They moved in 22 years ago after getting married when they were 23. Their teenage daughter isn't around on this night, she's at Downtown Disney. I would find out that Moondoogie actually found my father.
Mr. and Mrs. Stream are there too. They are friends of my grandmother. I have no idea what they are doing here.
Officier Macias is in his black and white, doing whatever cops do when they respond to a situation like this.
I ask Number 2 if he is okay.
"I'm okay. The cop wants to talk to you," he replies.
I pull him away from M for a second. "I know this sucks but we are going to get through this. I'm going to need you to help me make some decisions."
"Got it," says Number 2. "I'm gonna go burn one and walk down the street a bit. Go talk to the cop."
Number 2 starts smoking immediately and walks with M down the street. I go talk to the cop.
Officier Macias looks like he just got out of the academy. Very young, hispanic, and probably 6 to 8 inches shorter than me.
He shakes my hand and offers his condolences. It is surprisingly sincere. Officier Macias has concluded his investigation and concluded that there was no foul play. He doesn't mention anything about my father's guns. (There was a small arsenal in there. Think Ruby Ridge). He recommends that I do not go in and see my father. He had fallen and cut his head open pretty good.
Now I don't know about the rest of you but when a cop says, "Y'know, you probably don't want to see his remains," I had NO problem following his advice.
Speaking of his remains, Officier Macias mentioned that they had also started to get a little ripe. It would be unclear when exactly he died. He spoke with people the night before but nobody had talked to him on this day. The windows were closed and it was a warm day in Long Beach so he probably passed sometime that morning. I would later find eggshells in the kitchen sink. I think he had a chance to have a last breakfast.
Next steps were going to be to get a police report number from Officier Macias and to contact a mortuary service to take my father's remains. He had some work to attend to back at his cruiser so I turn my attention to the other people present.
Mr. and Mrs. Stream told me that they had just seen my father at a funeral of a 28 year old kid the day before. My father didn't know the kid but had gone to represent our family since my grandmother couldn't make it. They told us that if we needed anything that they were more than willing to help. I don't even really remember that they were leaving but the next thing I knew, they were gone.
Moondoggie and Gidget were still outside with us. She brought us chairs from their dining room but nobody was in the mood to sit. My father would call out to Gidget, "THERE GOES THE PURTIEST GIRL IN ALL OF LONG BEACH" whenever she went to the garage to take laundry to the dryer. They are not going to ask us tonight but I can already feel their angst about what are my brother and I going to do with this duplex. Gidget tells me that besides her parents house, it is the only home she's ever known. They pay next to nothing for the place. My father raised the rent twice in 22 years. I haven't talked to Number 2 yet about it but I already know that we're keeping the place.
I ask Number 2 to contact a mortuary. I need to involve him in this process enough so that he knows he held his own tonight but I need to make sure I don't put too much on him as well. Moondoggie brings him the yellow pages.
Another car pulls up. It's my father-in-law, Big Daddy (long story...I'll tell it another time). He doesn't say much. He never does. Since I started dating his daughter 12 years ago, he has always treated me like a son. Tonight, he extends that to my brother as well.
Officier Macias concludes his work and lets us know that he is going to leave. I still need to write that kid a letter to the Police Chief. He was everything that you would want a cop to be in that situation. Calm, caring, professional.
We wait for quite some time before the guys from the mortuary show up. Talking about just about anything except the fact that my father is dead on the floor inside.
Finally, a plain white van pulls up and two black men get out. They offer their condolences and get all of my contact information before going to work. We all stay outside while listening to the two men move around the house. All of the windows are open and I can pretty much hear everything. They are struggling to get him on the gurney (he was a big man...not a fat man...but a big man).
They come out to ask for help and Moondoggie volunteers. Finally, they get him on the gurney and they are coming out.
"I can't watch this," said Number 2 and he heads with M down the street.
I watch as they struggle to get the gurney out of the duplex. My father is leaving for the final time and he's going out feet first.
The gurney passes me and I say goodbye to my father for the last time.
"Bye, Pop."
VW
posted by JVW at 9:52 PM
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