this is a story
written by my dad
about the events that took place on saturday
my cat kevkev disappeared about a week ago
most of you know my cat and know how much she rules
well in trying to get her back from these people who found we traveled to hell.
seriously. this lady was psycho and my dad does a very good job in telling this story.
he is an excellent writer
this is a good read.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
IT HAPPENED JUST LIKE THIS……
I left work around noon or so, went home and read the paper and got caught up on the news. Damara was just getting up after pulling another all-nighter, one of many lately, at the store. The day before, we got confirmation that her sister, VaNessa, was placed at the top of the immediate list for a liver and/or kidney transplant. Damara, as the rest of the family, is really hurting over VaNessa’s situation. VaNessa continues to slip in and out of “doing better”, then backsliding into critical care for the past three weeks in Chicago hospitals.
Liz just called to tell us that there was a notice at the store saying someone in the area found a cat fitting the description of our house cat that got out and hadn’t come back since a week ago Thursday. Liz asks Damara to please call the number. Damara agrees and calls the number.
I was sitting in the kitchen and not really paying much attention to what is transpiring on the phone. I can surmise that the people are glad we called and actually say they wanted to keep the cat, but they had three of their own already. When I hear Damara chuckling about that, I kind of yell out in the background, “You can keep the cat if you want!” I hear Damara tell the person on the phone, “My husband just joked that you can keep the cat if you want, but he always says that.” Damara tells me it is the husband of the lady who took in our cat that she is talking to on the phone. At that point everything seemed to be going OK and I figured we’d just go over and get the stupid cat. The husband then tells Damara his wife took the cat to the vet to be sure it had all its shots, etc. This surprised us, but at least they took care of the cat. He said the vet told them the cat was in great shape and appeared to be well taken care of. We knew that already though.
The husband then turned the phone over to his wife and things started to turn from good into bad. I wasn’t even realizing what was happening. I could her Damara responding to a line of questions as to why we let the cat outside in the first place in the winter. I thought to myself, “Huh? It’s a cat. Cats eat mice. Cats are animals.” Damara said the cat has never run away and has been a good cat. She told the lady she let the cat out a week ago Thursday when she had to leave to go to Chicago to see her sister, VaNessa, in the hospital and waited for the cat but it never returned. I would have thought that was a good enough answer. Apparently not, as the situation deteriorated into a proverbial nightmare.
This line of questioning by the lady on the phone was getting tiresome as I could hear Damara continuing to tell the lady we take good care of our pets. The lady berated Damara and told her she couldn’t believe that we are so cruel to let a cat outdoors in the cold of winter. She continued on also telling Damara that she doesn’t want us to have the cat back because we “obviously” don’t care about animals. She tells Damara she would rather find a better home for the cat. She asks Damara, “Would you let your dogs out running around? Why do you let your cat out with no leash?” I mean it was really getting ugly. I could tell Damara was about at her breaking point. .
Damara’s frustration had peeked when she broke down into tears and began crying on the phone, telling the lady she had to leave that day in a hurry to see her sister in Chicago, who may be dying of liver & kidney disease. The lady then tells Damara, “That’s a separate issue from your cat!” She continues on and on. It is unbelievable.
Damara is crying and I then take the phone from her and ask the lady, “Just what is going on here? We just want our cat back, that’s all. My wife is in tears over your giving her the 3rd degree about this cat.” The lady then tells me, “You’re correct! I am giving you the 3rd degree” I then ask her why she can talk to my wife so cold? My wife has told you her sister may be dying and she left in a hurry that day. The cat just didn’t come back and Damara had to leave for Chicago.” She repeats to me, “I understand your wife’s sister’s problem, but this is a separate issue involving the treatment of your pet.” I just could not believe this lady was so cold and cruel on the phone.
I just couldn’t believe the whole situation. I had never talked to anyone who could talk so cold to a human, yet care more about this stupid cat. I continue the conversation…..
“Lady, what is the problem here, really?” She says, “Your wife said you didn’t want the cat, so obviously you aren’t going to take care of it if I give it back to you!”. I tell her, “Lady, its my daughters cat. She wants it back. I always joke about not wanting our pets. How can we make this happen today?” She asks me the same stupid questions she’d asked Damara. I then continue to say, “How can we get our cat back?” She answers, “I’m not sure if I want you people to have it back. Give me your number and I will call you back.” I mean she talked to both Damara and I like we were trash. I had never been talked to like that, let alone over an animal, in a very long time. I mean who the hell takes a strange cat to the vet and gets it shots, when even the vet told her the cat was in great shape?
Can you believe this lady? I mean she was an absolute bitch on the phone and may God forgive for writing it on paper, but He knows it’s the truth. He’s my witness! A few minutes later, she calls back and says, “Bring the $93.50 I spent on the cat at the vet, to my house, IN CASH! And you can have the cat back, but you must promise me you will take it to the vet to get it de-clawed!” I get the address and in my mind I swear I am going to give her the money and ring the Fu%^$$ng cat’s neck right in front of her!
Liz gets home. It’s 3 o’clock. I tell her she’s coming along as we’re going into the depths of Hell to get her cat back. On the way over in the Jeep I am rehearsing over and over how I am going to chew this lady’s ass out for talking to us on the phone that way and treating us like we’re sub-human because our stupid cat got away from us. I am also praying that it isn’t our cat she found, but someone else’s. Then I would really tell her ass off! But, I am also thinking it could be a good customer and then what would I do? I tell myself, to tell her off anyway. It’s the principal of the thing after all. I was so pissed off and still am as I write this. Its tough to have a business and have to compromise your emotions and values sometimes because of it.
We get to the house on Old Farm Road. We ring the doorbell. Then she appears. Good Lord! Yes, it is one of our good customers. Now what the hell do I do? She had made some complaints about a few things in the past at the store, which we worked out, as this lady is/was a good customer. I was in total shock and stunned at this point because I had always viewed this person as sane. I found out in fifteen minutes of hell on our phone that this lady is actually “borderline psychotic” and values animals more than any human. She invites us in and we reluctantly enter her home. Her husband appears and then I recognize him as a very frequent customer, but I have never seen them together in the store. Secretly I think I know why. Damara said he was very nice to her on the phone and he seemed nice to me also. The lady knows who I am, but her husband asks, “Do I know you from somewhere?” I say, “Yes, we own and operate Jubilee Foods!” I could almost see his slight embarrassment as he says, “Oh, Yes” in a monotone voice that I take as an “Ooops! Uh-Oh!”. He apologized and I did to, but I still don’t know why I did. I had nothing to apologize for.
His wife brings the cat and gives it to Liz. We owe them $93.50, but I hand 6 twenty dollar bills to the lady and say, “Keep the change for your trouble!” She said adamantly, “NO! You’re not going to do that!” and then she took one of the twenties and gave it to Liz. I just wanted the hell out of that place. She then goes somewhere to get change and tells her husband not to let us leave until she gets back. So we’re all standing there very awkwardly until she returns. She returns with the change. I do thank her for taking care of the cat, but the whole time I just want to tell her how horrible she is for making Damara break down to tears on the phone over what should have been a simple thing. We’ve found so many pets for people in our neighborhood over the years and they have of ours. That’s the way it works. Pets get out and have to found from time to time. We’ve never drilled or questioned anyone and no one has ever done that to us either. So in the end, I ignore my anger, compromise myself and leave. Then again, I took the high road. She took the LOW ROAD!
I get Liz and the cat back to our house. We all feel like we’ve been in some kind of battle. We’re stunned, angry and in shock all over this lady’s cold and calash treatment of us.
An hour or so after I get back home I notice something on the couch and I get a wet towel to wipe it off. I had just steam cleaned the furniture Friday night and one of the pets, you know, the ones we so horribly abuse, just left a “lick spot” on the clean sofa. I get a wet washcloth and wipe very hard to clean it up. I am so angry and I am wiping it so hard while pushing down on the pillow even harder, I snap something in my left ring finger. My fingertip now won’t straighten out. It hurt just a little and I did feel a “snap” when it happened, but not a real sharp pain, so I just kind of ignore it.
A few hours later we get a call that VaNessa is on the operating table and having her liver removed because they found a donor. This is at 7PM and it will be a 6-12 hour operation. They are also going to put in one new kidney, so she’ll actually have three. They do that because if your other kidneys come out of it all OK, they can remove the donor one. But also, sometimes the drugs you take to accept the new kidney can kill your real ones. It was so surreal and unbelievable. Hours later at 2 AM Sunday morning, Damara gets another call that VaNessa goes into cardiac arrest during the surgery and they have to “hand massage” her heart to keep her alive. They already had opened up anyway.
This morning, Sunday, we get a call that VaNessa has made it through surgery and is in recovery. Valentines Day is just three days away and I know Damara can’t even think straight right now. All I can still hear in my head, over and over again, is this lady saying to Damara and then me, “Your sister’s problem is a separate issue! This concerns your cat!” I mean how cold and cruel can someone be?
I don’t care if I ever see this lady in the store again and if I do, I am equally afraid I will ask her leave. Damara wants to “meet” her also and I know, rightfully so, that Damara will “tell it like it is”. I know we’re hurting very bad for business, but that’s life.
A few years ago, I fired a meat manager, Bill, shortly after this customer complained about him. Bill needed to go anyway, but I remember Bill telling me how this customer treated him like shit and I didn’t believe him. Now I do. My whole perception of this customer went out the window and I now know she is a very cold and cruel person. I feel sorry for her husband as I could tell he was somewhat embarrassed as he found out who I was.
Also Saturday night I go back in to work around 10pm to get Zach started on the floors. I look at sales and we did $12,389 FOR A SATURDAY? It was the worse non-holiday Saturday in ten years! It was just perfect. It just capped a very crappy day.
Life goes on and so do we here at Jubilee Foods. We all have days and times like these, but I just wanted to share my weekend with you a little. I hope yours was better.
Thanks,
Roger
Ps. It’s a little hard to type right know with a crooked fingertip, but hey, at least I have fingers, right? I am so glad I am “me” and not like the “cat lady”. Unbelievable!
Please pray for VaNessa Martin and the whole Martin family right now. They need all the prayers and hope that we can give them. They have a long way to go. With your prayers and God’s help, the healing process will begin.
about the events that took place on saturday
my cat kevkev disappeared about a week ago
most of you know my cat and know how much she rules
well in trying to get her back from these people who found we traveled to hell.
seriously. this lady was psycho and my dad does a very good job in telling this story.
he is an excellent writer
this is a good read.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
IT HAPPENED JUST LIKE THIS……
I left work around noon or so, went home and read the paper and got caught up on the news. Damara was just getting up after pulling another all-nighter, one of many lately, at the store. The day before, we got confirmation that her sister, VaNessa, was placed at the top of the immediate list for a liver and/or kidney transplant. Damara, as the rest of the family, is really hurting over VaNessa’s situation. VaNessa continues to slip in and out of “doing better”, then backsliding into critical care for the past three weeks in Chicago hospitals.
Liz just called to tell us that there was a notice at the store saying someone in the area found a cat fitting the description of our house cat that got out and hadn’t come back since a week ago Thursday. Liz asks Damara to please call the number. Damara agrees and calls the number.
I was sitting in the kitchen and not really paying much attention to what is transpiring on the phone. I can surmise that the people are glad we called and actually say they wanted to keep the cat, but they had three of their own already. When I hear Damara chuckling about that, I kind of yell out in the background, “You can keep the cat if you want!” I hear Damara tell the person on the phone, “My husband just joked that you can keep the cat if you want, but he always says that.” Damara tells me it is the husband of the lady who took in our cat that she is talking to on the phone. At that point everything seemed to be going OK and I figured we’d just go over and get the stupid cat. The husband then tells Damara his wife took the cat to the vet to be sure it had all its shots, etc. This surprised us, but at least they took care of the cat. He said the vet told them the cat was in great shape and appeared to be well taken care of. We knew that already though.
The husband then turned the phone over to his wife and things started to turn from good into bad. I wasn’t even realizing what was happening. I could her Damara responding to a line of questions as to why we let the cat outside in the first place in the winter. I thought to myself, “Huh? It’s a cat. Cats eat mice. Cats are animals.” Damara said the cat has never run away and has been a good cat. She told the lady she let the cat out a week ago Thursday when she had to leave to go to Chicago to see her sister, VaNessa, in the hospital and waited for the cat but it never returned. I would have thought that was a good enough answer. Apparently not, as the situation deteriorated into a proverbial nightmare.
This line of questioning by the lady on the phone was getting tiresome as I could hear Damara continuing to tell the lady we take good care of our pets. The lady berated Damara and told her she couldn’t believe that we are so cruel to let a cat outdoors in the cold of winter. She continued on also telling Damara that she doesn’t want us to have the cat back because we “obviously” don’t care about animals. She tells Damara she would rather find a better home for the cat. She asks Damara, “Would you let your dogs out running around? Why do you let your cat out with no leash?” I mean it was really getting ugly. I could tell Damara was about at her breaking point. .
Damara’s frustration had peeked when she broke down into tears and began crying on the phone, telling the lady she had to leave that day in a hurry to see her sister in Chicago, who may be dying of liver & kidney disease. The lady then tells Damara, “That’s a separate issue from your cat!” She continues on and on. It is unbelievable.
Damara is crying and I then take the phone from her and ask the lady, “Just what is going on here? We just want our cat back, that’s all. My wife is in tears over your giving her the 3rd degree about this cat.” The lady then tells me, “You’re correct! I am giving you the 3rd degree” I then ask her why she can talk to my wife so cold? My wife has told you her sister may be dying and she left in a hurry that day. The cat just didn’t come back and Damara had to leave for Chicago.” She repeats to me, “I understand your wife’s sister’s problem, but this is a separate issue involving the treatment of your pet.” I just could not believe this lady was so cold and cruel on the phone.
I just couldn’t believe the whole situation. I had never talked to anyone who could talk so cold to a human, yet care more about this stupid cat. I continue the conversation…..
“Lady, what is the problem here, really?” She says, “Your wife said you didn’t want the cat, so obviously you aren’t going to take care of it if I give it back to you!”. I tell her, “Lady, its my daughters cat. She wants it back. I always joke about not wanting our pets. How can we make this happen today?” She asks me the same stupid questions she’d asked Damara. I then continue to say, “How can we get our cat back?” She answers, “I’m not sure if I want you people to have it back. Give me your number and I will call you back.” I mean she talked to both Damara and I like we were trash. I had never been talked to like that, let alone over an animal, in a very long time. I mean who the hell takes a strange cat to the vet and gets it shots, when even the vet told her the cat was in great shape?
Can you believe this lady? I mean she was an absolute bitch on the phone and may God forgive for writing it on paper, but He knows it’s the truth. He’s my witness! A few minutes later, she calls back and says, “Bring the $93.50 I spent on the cat at the vet, to my house, IN CASH! And you can have the cat back, but you must promise me you will take it to the vet to get it de-clawed!” I get the address and in my mind I swear I am going to give her the money and ring the Fu%^$$ng cat’s neck right in front of her!
Liz gets home. It’s 3 o’clock. I tell her she’s coming along as we’re going into the depths of Hell to get her cat back. On the way over in the Jeep I am rehearsing over and over how I am going to chew this lady’s ass out for talking to us on the phone that way and treating us like we’re sub-human because our stupid cat got away from us. I am also praying that it isn’t our cat she found, but someone else’s. Then I would really tell her ass off! But, I am also thinking it could be a good customer and then what would I do? I tell myself, to tell her off anyway. It’s the principal of the thing after all. I was so pissed off and still am as I write this. Its tough to have a business and have to compromise your emotions and values sometimes because of it.
We get to the house on Old Farm Road. We ring the doorbell. Then she appears. Good Lord! Yes, it is one of our good customers. Now what the hell do I do? She had made some complaints about a few things in the past at the store, which we worked out, as this lady is/was a good customer. I was in total shock and stunned at this point because I had always viewed this person as sane. I found out in fifteen minutes of hell on our phone that this lady is actually “borderline psychotic” and values animals more than any human. She invites us in and we reluctantly enter her home. Her husband appears and then I recognize him as a very frequent customer, but I have never seen them together in the store. Secretly I think I know why. Damara said he was very nice to her on the phone and he seemed nice to me also. The lady knows who I am, but her husband asks, “Do I know you from somewhere?” I say, “Yes, we own and operate Jubilee Foods!” I could almost see his slight embarrassment as he says, “Oh, Yes” in a monotone voice that I take as an “Ooops! Uh-Oh!”. He apologized and I did to, but I still don’t know why I did. I had nothing to apologize for.
His wife brings the cat and gives it to Liz. We owe them $93.50, but I hand 6 twenty dollar bills to the lady and say, “Keep the change for your trouble!” She said adamantly, “NO! You’re not going to do that!” and then she took one of the twenties and gave it to Liz. I just wanted the hell out of that place. She then goes somewhere to get change and tells her husband not to let us leave until she gets back. So we’re all standing there very awkwardly until she returns. She returns with the change. I do thank her for taking care of the cat, but the whole time I just want to tell her how horrible she is for making Damara break down to tears on the phone over what should have been a simple thing. We’ve found so many pets for people in our neighborhood over the years and they have of ours. That’s the way it works. Pets get out and have to found from time to time. We’ve never drilled or questioned anyone and no one has ever done that to us either. So in the end, I ignore my anger, compromise myself and leave. Then again, I took the high road. She took the LOW ROAD!
I get Liz and the cat back to our house. We all feel like we’ve been in some kind of battle. We’re stunned, angry and in shock all over this lady’s cold and calash treatment of us.
An hour or so after I get back home I notice something on the couch and I get a wet towel to wipe it off. I had just steam cleaned the furniture Friday night and one of the pets, you know, the ones we so horribly abuse, just left a “lick spot” on the clean sofa. I get a wet washcloth and wipe very hard to clean it up. I am so angry and I am wiping it so hard while pushing down on the pillow even harder, I snap something in my left ring finger. My fingertip now won’t straighten out. It hurt just a little and I did feel a “snap” when it happened, but not a real sharp pain, so I just kind of ignore it.
A few hours later we get a call that VaNessa is on the operating table and having her liver removed because they found a donor. This is at 7PM and it will be a 6-12 hour operation. They are also going to put in one new kidney, so she’ll actually have three. They do that because if your other kidneys come out of it all OK, they can remove the donor one. But also, sometimes the drugs you take to accept the new kidney can kill your real ones. It was so surreal and unbelievable. Hours later at 2 AM Sunday morning, Damara gets another call that VaNessa goes into cardiac arrest during the surgery and they have to “hand massage” her heart to keep her alive. They already had opened up anyway.
This morning, Sunday, we get a call that VaNessa has made it through surgery and is in recovery. Valentines Day is just three days away and I know Damara can’t even think straight right now. All I can still hear in my head, over and over again, is this lady saying to Damara and then me, “Your sister’s problem is a separate issue! This concerns your cat!” I mean how cold and cruel can someone be?
I don’t care if I ever see this lady in the store again and if I do, I am equally afraid I will ask her leave. Damara wants to “meet” her also and I know, rightfully so, that Damara will “tell it like it is”. I know we’re hurting very bad for business, but that’s life.
A few years ago, I fired a meat manager, Bill, shortly after this customer complained about him. Bill needed to go anyway, but I remember Bill telling me how this customer treated him like shit and I didn’t believe him. Now I do. My whole perception of this customer went out the window and I now know she is a very cold and cruel person. I feel sorry for her husband as I could tell he was somewhat embarrassed as he found out who I was.
Also Saturday night I go back in to work around 10pm to get Zach started on the floors. I look at sales and we did $12,389 FOR A SATURDAY? It was the worse non-holiday Saturday in ten years! It was just perfect. It just capped a very crappy day.
Life goes on and so do we here at Jubilee Foods. We all have days and times like these, but I just wanted to share my weekend with you a little. I hope yours was better.
Thanks,
Roger
Ps. It’s a little hard to type right know with a crooked fingertip, but hey, at least I have fingers, right? I am so glad I am “me” and not like the “cat lady”. Unbelievable!
Please pray for VaNessa Martin and the whole Martin family right now. They need all the prayers and hope that we can give them. They have a long way to go. With your prayers and God’s help, the healing process will begin.