Well, here it is...

I kinda knew there'd just haaaave to be something horrid to deal with soon. I just didn't expect it to be SO soon... or awful.

Earlier this evening, while Eric and I were riding, a guy here ordered dinner from Soprano's, a pizzaria up the road. When the stupid little lying bastard delivery driver got here to deliver Rick's dinner, he ran over one of my cats.

Twice.

Then fuckin' LIED ABOUT IT!!!!!

In front of witnesses, even, the dickhead.

I'd love to say "I don't beLEEVE this shit", but I'm afraid I most certainly do. It's ALWAYS some damned thing, is it not?

I know I have a half a ton of cats, but, fuck... ya know? It doesn't make this any easier. Doesn't make my heart break any less.

This cat was the one who spent 90% of her time on my shoulder while I'm here at the pooter. If she wasn't on my shoulder, she was on the back of the pooter, sleeping.

I stood up for her, though. When George told Eric and they both came and told me, I asked a few questions, then called Soprano's. Well, I actually called DOMINO'S first, because that's where the lying little fuck told George he was from, but then Eric went and asked Rick where he'd ordered from and we found out it was Soprano's. And, yes... Soprano's, as in has pictures of Tony Soprano and the rest of the cast all over the walls. Italian Soprano's... I like that and it does have a bit of bearing on the outcome, here...

First thing I asked was "Who did it?" Pizza delivery guy. "From where?" He said Domino's. "Did he stop?" Nope. "I'm calling Domino's...." I'll be calling them again tomorrow night at the same time to apologize yet again for the confusion, even though the manager of Domino's and I had pretty much figured it out by the time we hung up. I just wanna say sorry for the mess one more time. He was really cool about the whole thing. I heard him over the phone. He called his two drivers, "Hey, you two! Get over here... Either of you guys run over a cat on a farm tonight?" I was impressed with his attitude. I'm glad I stayed calm where I discussed it with him... really.

'Bout that time, Eric comes back with "Soprano's" and I called them. The way the guy who answered was acting, even giggling once which I jumped his shit for HARD, I figured I was being given the business. Not this time, Goddamn it. I hung up from them the first time, with the guy on the phone saying he'd call the owner NOW for me. In the meantime, I called the PD to ask what I can do next, when these goombahs blow me off, if they do. (I was PISSED.)

The dispatch offered to send a cop here, but I told him that was more than enough, that I really just needed to ask a question. I, even then, felt like a dork calling the cops over a friggin' CAT, but it's MY friggin' cat and I ain't gonna just let it go... So, he said he'd have a cop call.

Somewhere in this chunk of time, it did occur to me and I did say outloud to both George and Eric, that yes, I did know it could be lots worse and that if this is the karmic price I have to pay for all the good I've gotten lately, so be it, I'll pay it, but not quietly. I thanked God it wasn't Eric or my Dad (which I DID think it was for a brief moment, from the looks on Eric's and George's faces when they were walking up to tell me) or one of the mommy cats with kittens... I couldn't presume to choose which cat it 'should have been', but I did say "Of all the cats to kill..." The one who LIVED on yer shoulder, loving you every second of the day... it just sucks.

Meantime, they got the horses put up and we all went to Soprano's SANS Pusser Club, I'm proud to say. Didn't even cross my mind, except to occur to me that, for the first time, I truely didn't have the raging urge to have it in my hand. Odd. But, anyway, we went there.

I went in first, waited til the one customer left, then announced, "I'm the one whose cat was killed. Call the owner again because I'm staying right here til something gets DONE."

Guy picked up the phone and started dialing. Good boy.

Another wormy little fuck, who was then mopping the floor, owns up to being the driver, then proceeds to keep lying about EVERYTHING, up to and including George smelling like beer (he doesn't drink) and BILL having told him (the driver) that the way was clear of cats. Such bullshit I haven't heard since my last conversation with Jon... Jesus. He even yells, "Hey, I OFFERED him a free pizza!", as if that fixes everything. I snorted at him and said, "Let me guess... with cat-meat topping, you lying little psycho?"

Mean while, the owner finally answers. Seems he's dealing with his own hit-and-run, he tells me, apologizing for being hard to get hold of. "My car was hit in front of my house... a hit and run."

Me: "What a coincidence. Your car, my cat. You sure that wasn't your driver, too?"

Benny seems like a stand-up fellow. First he said he wasn't very sure how much longer this idiot was gonna be working for him, THEN he said later he'd "handle his driver his own way", which I looooved the sound of. Mind you, he said that of his own volition. I hadn't made any suggestions about how to 'handle' it, so it wasn't like he was 'correcting' me about who'd do what. He just said it. "I'll handle that driver my own way." I was so relieved at Benny's attitude, I started to cry right on his phone, in the store.... jeez.

He wants me to come back to Soprano's tomorrow to talk to him about it all and even offered to get me a gift certificate to a pet shop to get a new cat... lol, rueful, yes, but a laugh....

Benny said he'd been here too long, with too hard won a reputation to have this kinda shit going on. Praise God he sees it that way.

I am gonna go there tomorrow, if for no other reason than just to shake Benny's hand for acting like a MAN about it all. I told him on the phone that all I wanted was a little honesty and HONOR about it and I sure wasn't gettin' any from the driver... I got it from Benny, though. He really did make me feel better. So did the dispatcher for the cops when HE called back to apologize for a cop not having called yet.

First thing he said was, "I'm so sorry about your cat, but..." then explained how the guys had gotten busy on other stuff and how late was too late for one to call and I told him this story. He laughed and said, "Ya did good, then, 'cause I didn't get any calls about you." I laughed a little laugh too and told him that after I'd already called myself, I made damned sure he DIDN'T get any calls about me. I was cognizant of that, even in my rage. He told me, about three times, that if, at any time, I become dissatisfied with what's going on with this, to feel free to call back and they WILL get involved.

So cool. So kind. Thank God.

Now, I just miss my cat. I've lost it a few times and, as I type this, I've got full eyes again, but this helps too. Knowing that there are other people who care... thank you, you guys. Ahead of time, even. I can almost feel the hugs...

(Okay... that did it... one sec...)

Back... damn, I hate this. Times like this are when I most wish I was a little more like other people about this shit. A little tougher. Tell ya what, though... I promise you, I'm not missing out on one bit of the pain ya go through with having human kids. I KNOW how hard it hurts when your kid dies, or is killed. Just because my kid has four legs to your kid's two, doesn't make it any different. You people with kids are excused from believing this, but I swear, it's true.

Anyway... How was YOUR night?

Posted by: Stevie at 11:42 PM

Comments

Posted by: Tuning Spork at July 20, 2004 01:16 AM (1/f73)

Posted by: wes jackson at July 20, 2004 02:18 AM (nS8z2)

Posted by: AmyVegas at July 20, 2004 11:06 AM (lBFdX)

Posted by: Jaydee at July 20, 2004 11:58 AM (V1ZWN)

Posted by: Mad Mikey at July 20, 2004 01:42 PM (NmR1a)

Posted by: Stevie at July 20, 2004 04:29 PM (7raWZ)

Posted by: Mad Mikey at July 20, 2004 05:18 PM (NmR1a)

8 Well, that's a huge part of why we're all here, in't it?

Posted by: Tuning Spork at July 20, 2004 07:40 PM (dI0HC)

Posted by: Cait at July 21, 2004 10:01 AM (FkY8H)

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