Last night went out for some wine and crackers. Don't ask. Met an old friend who, last time I checked had given up drinking and smoking. There he was puffing away and downing some of his, once famous for, whiskey on the rocks.
"Eddy!" I said." fallen back to you old ways now have we?" He gave me this look and went on to give me a story about how he met his ex-girlfriend that he has a four year old kid with. She has been married for 3 years now and has two children. From what I recall each time they met they'd fight about anything. Even the weather! But this time round she wanted to sit and talk to him about his daughter.
Said he had to do more in the way of school fees and stuff like that. Granted. He hasn't really been the role model father. The fatherhood itself was disputed from the start but he has been paying something every now and then. After her marriage he sort of backed out a little bit to give room. His words not mine.
He'd complain that the new hubby on the other side was a crook and a low life. Abusive. Always going to his office to ask for cash that never reached the stated purpose. He feels this all has to do with the couple trying to get some free money out of him and doesn't know what to do. I reminded him that he comes from a family of lawyers and they should be the people he is talking to. Not me. After all, am just another bachelor. Aint got no experience with that sort of thing. Sorry man. You barking up the wrong tree.
What struck me though, hard enough for me to put down here, was that my inadequacy to help with a parenting issue boiled down to that uncomfortable truth: I don't have a child. Not even an illegitimate one!
Rather than discourage him from drinking, I went ahead and bought him another shot. We suddenly both needed it. Ho so so sad!
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