Friday, December 16, 2011

Herbie

Not Herbie, too skinny.
Herbie and I were friends and we worked as field agents for the same insurance company.. We both lived in Philadelphia but our territories  were in different sections of upstate Pennsylvania.  Then Herbie and his family moved upstate, near Mauch Chunk, so he could be closer to his territory.. They lived there for a couple of years when Herbie decided to move the family to Florida.  He asked me to work with him during his last week so it would be easier for him make the move.  The real problem and reason was for me to drive his girlfriend back to Philadelphia while he took his family to the Philadelphia airport.  Then he would drive the family car down to Florida, with his girlfriend.
Its his last day at the office and Herbie asks me to loan him a few hundred bucks.   I tell him I'm stretched and just cant do it, while he persists in his pleas, and finally he says, "Here I'll give you a check, but don't deposit it until Thursday", pulling out a check as he is talking.  I say,
"What the hell is wrong with you?"  And a few other things.. "I was with you yesterday at the bank ,when you closed your account."  Result?  Herb  drives down to Florida with his girlfriend but without any money from me.
My wife Rae, and his wife Flossie, were friends.  Flossie had many friends, including one special one, Bess, who still lived in Mauch Chunk in upstate Pennsylvania.  She was always mentioning Bess in favorable and glowing terms.  Eventually someone from Mauch Chunk comes to Miami Beach for a vacation.  She accidentally finds out that not only does Herbie have a girlfriend, but they also have a couple of kids.  When she gets back home, she tells the 'girls' what she found out.  She tells Bess who makes them all promise not to say anything to Flossie because, quote, "It will kill her".
Much later Bess goes to a family function in Philadelphia.  Its a long way from Mauch Chunk, and while dining and conversing with the  other quests at her table, Herbie's name comes up.  Bess refers to him as, "that rat''.
As happens when the weather gets colder people want to vacation in Miami Beach and one of Flossie's old friends while dining with Flossie, tells her that Bess called Herbie a rat.  So, Flossie calls Bess.  Bess makes all kinds of excuses but does not tell her why she said what she said..
The result . . . . to this day as far as I know,  they never talk or see each other again.

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