Story – Come On Grandpa!

Timmy’s Dad, Stewart, was on a plane from NY to CA within hours of hearing his son Timmy had checked into a rehab center.

The call had come from his daughter Tina. It was a short, but intense call, filled with tears and broken hysterical sentences. Her speech was coming out in a staccato pattern like crying hyperventilating children often project.

Tina: “Dad, it’s (breathes in) really (breathes in) baaaa-aaa-add.”

Heavy sobbing, sniffles, deep breaths…

“Pleeeasee. (breathes in) Ca-ca-come (breathes in) as (breathes in) soon (breathes in) as pa-pa-pa-possible.” Sniff, sniff, sniff….Dad, ha-ha-hurr-reeeee.”

Heavy sobbing, sniffles, deep breaths…

This came as a complete shock to him as his son was a total straight edge.

Stewart thought, "Wasn’t that the case usually though? Someone you are close to each and everyday can hide even the most dangerous secrets from you while in plain sight."

Stewart made sure he did a few bumps (a few lines of cocaine), and mainlined his favorite “during the day” heroin just before he exited his car in the long term parking lot of JFK International. He had brought just enough with him so no drugs would be left in his car.

Ten years ago he had gotten arrested for possession with the intent to distribute because a large quantity of methamphetamine and black tar heroin had been discovered in his trunk during a traffic stop.

Even his lawyer didn’t believe that it was all for his exclusive consumption, but it was. The amounts he had been using at that time, and was still using, would have killed other people long ago.

He did 3 months of a 12 month sentence, all on house arrest.

But no matter how high or strung out he got, he never forgot that he had a felony drug conviction on his record. If he was caught with even a whiff of an illegal narcotic, his jail time would be long and hard. He was smart enough to not bring any of it into the airport.

He hoped his pre-flight dosing would be enough to keep him together for the entire flight, but six hours was a long time to not have his medicine.

Like many addicts, Stewart had rationalized that these illegal substances were his required prescribed medications. It was just impossible to get a prescription for them at the current time due to the extremely unfair federal drug laws. Stewart's head was filled with many other delusions. The main one being that he was close enough to Timmy to realize he was or was not an addict. He hardly spoke to his children, let alone saw them in person.

His CA drug connection was on call to meet him at the airport to give him a few weeks worth of his “medicinal necessities.”

He landed at LAX, met his “pharmacist” at the baggage carousel, and then got into an UBER to take the short drive to the rehab center.

It was still baffling to him that Timmy, of all of his children, had gotten addicted to anything.

The UBER driver had never heard of the Rehab Center Stewart gave him the address for. Tina’s instructions said “Pull up to the blue garage door and someone will open it for you.”

The building was very isolated. It did look like a stereotypical rehab facility though. There were only two cars in the parking lot.

They pulled up to the blue garage door and it opened.

Stewart exited the UBER, grabbed his bags out of the trunk, and walked inside.

He was immediately set upon by 4 men and quickly injected with something.

When he came to, he was lying on his back on a hospital type bed.

Timmy was sitting on a chair to the left and Tina was standing on the right.

Stewart said “What the hell is this?”

Timmy: “Dad, this is for your own good. You’re slowly killing yourself. This is called an intervention.”

Stewart: “What the fuck?!” He tried to get up but that is when he realized he was restrained.

Timmy: “Dr. Hanjani will be overseeing your withdrawal and hopefully your recover. You are his only patient. I have spared no expense to save your life. I rented out this entire facility for as long as it takes you to get better. We all knew you would never voluntarily step foot near a rehab center. I know this was a complete deception, but it is for your own good. We know you haven’t worked in six months. We know Joan left you a month ago because of your addiction. Your banker called a month ago and said you went through the last of your savings. You will either fully recover or die. But how you are living now is worse than death.”

Stewart’s head was swimming.

Stewart: “You fucking liars! I swear once I get out of here, you will all be dead! Tina! You called me crying like a baby!”

Dr. Hanjani enters the room.

Timmy: “Love you Dad. Hanjani is not the Dr’s real name of course. And during your stay here he, and all of his staff, will always be wearing a mask, to help you from later identifying them.”

Tina: “Love you Dad. I am 25. I lost you when I was ten. That was when you chose drugs over us. It put mom in an early grave. This is your chance to be our father again. I hope you embrace it. Yes, you may die, but that will be better for us knowing that you can no longer purposefully neglect us.”

Timmy and Tina exit the room.

One year later…..

Tina: “Dad, Stew #2 wants to have a catch today, but please throw underhand as he is just learning to use a mitt.”

Grandson Stewart (Stew #2): “Come on Grandpa!”

Grandson Stewart (Stew #2) runs out of the sliding glass door into the backyard.

Stew #1 hugs Tina and says “Thanks so much. Thank you for saving my life. Thank you for naming your son after me although I didn’t deserve it at the time.”

Tina says “I still can’t believe that you bought my fake crying last year. My performance was terrible….”

They both laugh long and hard and are enjoying lives and family memories they never thought possible.

Miracles do happen with enough love (and well executed good-intentioned lies.)

A small young voice bellows from the backyard.

“Come on Grandpa.”