A Legal Immigrant

[J0nny Ling0]

Yesterday, I had a delightful yet sobering experience. I had this "500 pound gorilla" (that's go-rilla, not gue-rilla-huge difference!) in my living room in the form of a 36 inch old style flat screen TV. Not the nice slender kind, but the old style with the deep and huge back on it like the old style tube tv's. We just bought a new house and have been moving over this Labor Day Weekend, and we decided to sell the dang thing and spring for a new tv, the flat and lightweight kind. The decision to sell it was made not only because it just plain takes up too much living room space, but because I dreaded lifting it again two more times-once to get it out of the house, and then again getting it into our new house. And so, after advertising with a sign out on the nearby street, we began to get a number of calls. I guess "36 inch flat screen TV-$100.00" was pretty attractive.

And so. This guy named Joaquin, thirty years old, was the first one to come and look at it. He liked it, would buy it, and said he'd be back at 4:00 in the afternoon with the money when he got off work. He works with a state organization called "REACH" which helps those unfortunate people who are handicapped in one way or another. Most REACH care recipients whom I have known have been kids. Kids with brain damage, or terminally ill cancer victims who get to the place where they need constant care. And so, after speaking my broken Spanish with him, and learning what country he was originally from, he left, because one of his "clients" as he so professionally put it, was out in his car. After he left, we continued to get phone calls for the TV because the sign was still out on the road. One woman who could see our U-Haul out front, came and found us, loved the TV and even offered $150.00 for it after learning that we had a buyer who would be back at 4:00. But I told her that no, I'd given my word to this guy, but if he didn't call or come back by 5:00, she could have it for $150.00

At 4:20, Joaquin came back and apologized for being late, but that he still had his client with him, and he had needed to help him with some things. And there the little feller was, in the truck that he had borrowed. The thin, blond haired boy was eight years old, but hadn't been able to speak since he was four years old due to the five tumors that he had in his neck and up near where his brain stem is. Joaquin said that he definitely could hear and understand, but was physically incapable of talking. I smiled to him, waved and said; "Hey there! Nice to see you!" He smiled, but there was definite sadness there, God bless his little heart. And so, Juaquin and I wrestled the "500 pound Gorilla" out of the house and to the truck and got it safely into the back. It probably only weighed about 250 pounds, but of course, as with most TVs there were no handles! What is with TV manufacturers and "no handles?!" And it is so big and awkward! But the job was done. So, Joaquin handed me a one hundred dollar bill and we shook hands. Then I said; "Glad you have so much brute strength Joaquin, because I'm gettin' too old for this stuff", for he, smaller than myself, handled his end even better than I did. He smiled, liking the compliment and said with his nice Nicaraguan accent; "Well, I guess that eight years in the Army was good for somethin!" And so I asked; "Where in the Army did you serve"? And he said that he'd done fifteen months in Iraq, and had been deployed not long after September 11, 2001. I asked if he had been part of the initial assault on Baghdad, and he said that he had. He'd been a regular infantryman, and when I asked, he replied softly that he had seen lots of action, as his gaze drifted over to the boy sitting in the front of his truck. I asked him if he had gained his US Citizenship after he had been honorably discharged, and he said that this was a fact.

And with that, I was struck deeply with a sense of pride in this fine young man. And my heart swelled with pride for my Country as well. I got kind of choked up and looked at him, extended my right hand and said; "You are fine young man and a Great American. Thank you ever so much for Serving and may God bless you abundantly" as we shook hands firmly looking at each other eye to eye...

Edited September 1, 2008 by Jonny Lingo

[Tom Strange]

that's a great story Jonny... (really)... donate that $100 to REACH! ...or give it back to Joaquin, really! I bet you could really make his eyes light up! ...and the dude could probably use it!

[J0nny Ling0]

Thanks Tom, really. And ya know, I thought of telling Joaquin that he could just have the TV, but I suspected that he would have been a bit proud to have accepted such charity. I did split the hundred with two of my kids who have been faithful at helping us move, while two of them who have been slackers didn't get a "cut". But also, this evening, I did give a really nice "single over double" bunk bed to Joaquin which I had been asking $100.00 for, because he is such a fine guy. He was ready to pay the $100.00, but was really happy to get "such a deal". And so, life has it's blessings, and good things like this happen. Hey Tom, take care buddy. Like I said on that other thread, I'll be off line for awhile. But thanks for enjoying my stowree, which happened as it was written. Ya know, I just like to write, and the best way for me to make a "point" is to tell a story in anecdote form. That's just me. Take care,

JL

[Tom Strange]

Good for you! I bet that Joaquin really appreciated that gesture... humans caring for humans is good (said in Mongo voice)

And good for rewarding the workers and teaching the slackers a lesson!