I actually threw that in for a reason, I had a bad experience with a "helper" that I picked up one day in such a fashion.
I delivered a load of wood one day to an older couple.they were a little short on cash,but didn't complain about the cost of wood.I could see when I got there that they really didn't have a whole lot.
During conversation while unloading, the elderly guy mentioned that his son was in need of work and was rather skilled with a chainsaw.I asked the guy if his son was so skilled, why did they need to buy firewood?
He replied with what I thought was an acceptable answer.They had hocked their chainsaw intending to get it back when they got caught up on bills, but it never happened.Plus, they really didn't have any place to go and cut wood. I had a large clearing job coming up the next week, and thought maybe I could help them out by giving him a few days of work.
The guy called his son out, and in all honesty he looked like a real gem.6ft tall, 250lbs of muscle and appeared to be of at least average intelligence.I explained the job I had coming up, and we agreed on a time and hourly wages.I left feeling better knowing that maybe I had brightened their lives and I had some help.I had hoped to find some help before I started that job.
The following Monday,I picked the guy up bright and early and we headed out.It was cold and the heat was running full blast to keep me and the saws thawed out.After he climbed in, I noticed immediately that this guy was not the same guy I had met before.No longer talkative, but rather sat there with a menacing glare at his feet.Questions and chatter on my part was met with one word answers and grunts. Then I noticed the smell starting to envelope the cab of the truck.
Okay,we all have a little gas from time to time,and to be honest, it was a relief in some ways.My saws in the back seat had a tendency to burp gas fumes from the tank when they got to warm in the truck.I figured that a little extra from the passenger seat merrily stated the fact that he felt comfortable enough around me to let a few fly.No big deal.
By the time we got to the job site however, the smell was truly overwhelming.Eyes watering, I was relieved to spot the gate across the driveway,signaling the fact that there was a God kind enough to give me a reason to step out of the cab to open the gate.
I was relieved to get the work started, fresh air at last.I truly wondered how anyone could emit such fumes in such a short period of time, but I guess I just chalked that up to another of his "skills" that his dad had mentioned.When we stopped for lunch, I began to realize what a treat I was in for.I had the standard fare of a working guy, a sandwich or two that the wife had thoughtfully packaged up for the day.Mica, on the other hand, was used to a fare that I had never seen before.
As he unrolled his lunch, a very familiar smell began to overtake our stump perches.The birds quite singing, the squirrels disappeared, and a few buzzards began to circle overhead.I began to uneasily look around for the wood fairies, they generally showed up about this time.
At last the tinfoil was unraveled, and there to my shock and horror where two good sized catfish, raw as the day that they were yanked out of the local lake.Even through my watering eyes, I could tell that they had been hanging around long past their prime, but with a few dashes of ketchup old Mica swallowed them down, taking time once in awhile to spit out a few bones that were complaining about making the trip down his gullet.
Now,I understand the concept of sushi, but I really don't remember anything about sushi being not only raw but rotten as well.But apparently the taste and texture agreed with Mica, he did a thorough job of swallowing them down, complete with a good polishing of his fingers and tinfoil.Funny how even though I had been working for hours, my sandwiches no longer had any appeal.
We broke from lunch, and as he was leaning into the bed of the truck to put up his lunch box, I couldn't help but stare at his backside.A clear and very obvious testimony to his diet was rather apparent to his overalls, and I began to become concerned as to the condition of the upholstery in my truck.What was a guy supposed to do, have him sit on an old jacket on the way home?
The rest of the day passed without event, and the ride home was truly memorable.In fact, it invaded my sleep for weeks after that job was done.