It was a bright, clear morning and I was sitting at my grandparent’s kitchen Table. My grandfather, who we all lovingly call Bop, was watching me before school in the morning. As usual we were playing a card game named Casino. Bop had always explained that this game was really helpful in learning to be quick with math skills. I just loved spending time with him before I got on the bus for school in the morning. As the game started, Bop started talking about Minnesota. He lived in and loved Minnesota before he moved to New York to help his father and mother.
“Back in Minnesota, I learned to play this game with a bunch who had been in the Army.”
Innocently I asked: “Did they play it so they could be quick at math too?”
Laughing, Bop said: “Well the game made the time go by quick while they were out enjoying the night. I never got into the drinking like they did, but it was a good time just the same.”
“Why didn’t you drink with them?”
“Never had a use for the stuff. I used to have a neighbor, I forget his name now and he loved to drink. Used to never be able to get all his hay in, well so we would go out and help him out when we could.”
“Why didn’t you just tell him to stop drinking, then he would be able to get all his work done”
Bop looked at me with his sparkly blue eyes: “You can’t just tell a man to change, they won’t do it. He is too proud, too set in his ways. Even if he might know it’s not right. Judge couldn’t even tell ‘em not to.”
“Well then you say you’re not going to help him anymore unless he stops!”
“That would just leave him a broke, homeless, drunk. You have to leave people be until they come to you. But, they won’t ask you for help. No, you just have to know that’s what they come for.”
Looking very confused I asked: “What do you mean? How can someone ask you for help without asking you? How would you know?”
“One night, while your grandmother was putting your mom and her sisters to bed, the phone rang and it was him. Well, he had been at it again and wanted me to come help him out. I couldn’t say no, although I never had to go pick him up before. I went out and there he sat all alone and drunk as a skunk.”
“So, you took him home so he would be able to get his hay the next morning?”
“That I did. He asked me if I might consider helping him out on the farm a bit. Some things needed fixin’ up.”
“That was nice of you to help him out Bop. Did you have to work extra hard to get your work done?”
Laughing, Bop said: “Well no! That’s what your mom and aunts were for!”
Bop never did answer my question, but the game ended and I won. I’m sure Bop let me win even though he claims to this day that he never let me win and I, at the age of 7, was his greatest opponent.
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