THIS
IS
RICHARD
MESEROLE
PART IV
"...HE WAS ON THE TOP AND I WAS ON THE
BOTTOM. AFTER GOING UP FOUR STAIRS THE REFRIGERATOR SLIPPED
FROM HIS HANDS AND CAME RIGHT DOWN ON TOP OF ME. AFTER
BEING IN THE HOSPITAL FOR TWO WEEKS I WAS TOLD I WOULD
NEVER WALK AGAIN......."
IT IS NOW 1956 AND I WAS 31 AND UP POPS (JON) OUR SECOND
SON WHILE CONTINUING DOING WORK FOR SULTAN I DECIDED
TO BRANCH OUT WITH MY OWN COMPANY AS I WAS GETTING
REFERRALS FROM SULTANS CUSTOMERS I STARTED MY
COMPANY (INTERIORS BY RICHARD) I STARTED TO GET SO MANY
CALLS THAT I HIRED TWO MORE MEN AND FINALLY STARTED
TO WORK WITH A UNLISTED PHONE NUMBER. WORKING ON
RECOMMENDATIONS ONLY, MONEY IN THE BANK, INCREASING
EVERY WEEK, NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE THE DAYS OF
HOLLYWOOD, REAPPEAR. ONLY THIS TIME WITH A FAMILY. I
BOUGHT A 12 ROOM HOME IN BRENTWOOD, LONG ISLAND, THEN
CAME ALONG TWO MORE DAUGHTERS (RHONDA AND
CAROLEIGH) 13 MONTHS APART. CHILDREN WERE GOING TO
PRIVATE SCHOOLS, HAD TWO CARS, AND TREATED MY
WIFE, MOTHER-IN-LAW, SISTER-IN-LAWS LIKE THEY WERE THE
QUEEN OF ENGLAND. I FELT LIKE THE DREAM OF THE FAMILY
LIFE WAS NOW MINE FOREVER. THEN THE SECOND DISASTER IN
MY LIFE COMES KNOCKING AT MY LIFE'S DOOR. I ALWAYS
MADE IT A POINT TO CHECK OUT A JOB BEFORE HAVING THE
CUSTOMER SIGN THE COMPLETION PAPERS FOR THE BANK. I
WENT TO CHECK OUT A SEAR'S KITCHEN REMODELING AND
THE CUSTOMER TOLD ME THAT SEAR'S HAD LEFT THE
REFRIGERATOR DOWNSTAIRS OF THIS SPLIT LEVEL HOME. HE ASKED ME IF
I COULD HELP HIM BRING UP THE REFRIGERATOR TO THE KITCHEN ON THE
NEXT LEVEL. I AGREED. HE WAS ON THE TOP AND I WAS ON THE
BOTTOM. AFTER GOING UP FOUR STAIRS THE REFRIGERATOR SLIPPED
FROM HIS HANDS AND CAME RIGHT DOWN ON TOP OF ME. AFTER
BEING IN THE HOSPITAL FOR TWO WEEKS I WAS TOLD I WOULD
NEVER WALK AGAIN. I AM NOW 36 YEARS OLD, WITH A WIFE
AND FIVE CHILDREN AND CRIPPLED. WITHIN SIX MONTHS I LOST
OR HAD TO SELL EVERYTHING I HAD. CUSTOMERS ONLY
WANTED TO DEAL WITH ME AND I COULD NOT SERVICE THEM
ANYMORE. MY LEFT SIDE WAS LIKE A BIG BUBBLE AS MY
NERVES WERE ALL PINCHED TOGETHER. I HAD A THERAPIST
COME AND WORKED ON ME WITH NO AVAIL. I HAD A FRIEND
NAMED SAM WHO WOULD COME AND BRING MONEY TO ME
EVERY WEEK SO THAT I COULD PAY THE RENT AND BILLS FOR
THE APT. WE HAD TO MOVE INTO. TO EXPLAIN THE HELL, PAIN
AND EXPERIENCES THAT I WENT THRU FROM AGE 36-38 WOULD
ALONE MAKE ANOTHER STORY. ONE DAY JUST BEFORE MY 38TH
BIRTHDAY MY FRIEND SAM CAME TO THE APT WITH A BLACK
WOMAN FROM THE BAYOU. SHE WAS A WOMAN OF VOODOO. SHE
DISROBED ME, TURNED ON THE SHOWER, LIFTED ME
INTO THE TUB FACE DOWN AND KICKED ME IN THE BACK. THE
PAIN WAS TERRIBLE, SHE THEN PICKED ME UP, HELD ME
AGAINST THE WALL AND KICKED ME AGAIN, THE PAIN NOW
WAS TWICE AS BAD AS THE FIRST, THEN IN A FLASH THE PAIN
WENT AWAY AND THE BUBBLE IN MY SIDE RESIDED AND I WAS
ABLE TO WALK. A MIRACLE BY GOD OR BY VOO-DOO?
THREE DAYS LATER MY FRIEND SAM CAME, TOLD ME HE HAD
MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH MY FATHER-IN-LAW, HE WOULD
TAKE IN MY WIFE AND CHILDREN AS HE WAS SENDING ME TO
CHICAGO TO LEARN THE CARPET CLEANING TRADE. HE FELT
THAT I WOULD PICK UP THE TRADE VERY FAST AND GET BACK
ON MY FEET AGAIN. THE FURNITURE WAS PICKED UP AND
STORED AND MY FAMILY WENT TO MY IN-LAWS AND I
TOOK A TRAIN TO CHICAGO. WHEN ARRIVING THERE I WENT TO
THE HOTEL THAT SAM HAD RESERVED FOR ME. IT WAS A
SUNDAY NIGHT. I CALLED A MAN NAMED MR. BECK. HE TOLD ME
HE WOULD PICK ME UP AT 7 AM. IN THE MORNING. I WENT TO
WORK FOR $2.00 A HOUR FOR BECK'S SUNNYSIDE CLEANERS AS
A TRAINEE. MY WIFE WOULD FLY TO CHICAGO ONCE A
MONTH, THANKS TO SAM TO VISIT ME. IN ABOUT 11 MONTHS I
HAD TAKEN TO THE CLEANING BUSINESS LIKE A DUCK TAKES
TO WATER. MR. BECK THEN INFORMED ME HE WAS GOING TO
GIVE ME A POSITION AS A SUB-CONTRACTOR WITH A STARTING
SALARY OF $700.00 PER WEEK. MY WIFE ARRIVED AND WE
RENTED A APT. AND MADE PLANS FOR HER AND THE CHILDREN
TO COME TO CHICAGO. THIS WAS ON A SUNDAY. MY WIFE FLEW
BACK THAT NIGHT AND AT 7 AM MR. BECK'S SON INFORMED ME
THAT MR. BECK HAD DIED OF A HEART ATTACK SUN NIGHT AND
HE COULD NOT HONOR HIS DADS PROPOSITION TO
ME. GOODBYE TO THE JOB, APT AND CHICAGO. ON MY RETURN
TO NEW YORK WE TOOK A CHEAP 3 BEDROOM APT. HAD THE
FURNITURE DELIVERED THAT WAS IN STORAGE. MY WIFE HAD
HELD FROM ME THAT MY FRIEND SAM WAS DEAD, KILLED IN A
SHOOT-OUT IN HIS BAR. THIS REALLY UPSET ME, BUT I HAD TO
GO ON FOR MY SAKE AND THE SAKE OF MY FAMILY.
I TOOK A POSITION AS A TROUBLE SHOOTER FOR
SERVICEMASTER OF N.Y. AT $500.00 PER WEEK AND THE USE OF
A VAN. MY JOB WAS TO TALK TO DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS AND
CORRECT THE IMPROPER WORK THAT CREWS WERE SENT OUT
TO CLEAN. AS I HAD A PLEASANT PERSONALITY AND HAD THE
KNOW-HOW OF HOW TO TALK TO PEOPLE MY JOB WAS AN
ASSET TO THE COMPANY. BUT THE MONEY WAS NOT SUFFICIENT
FOR THE NEEDS OF MY FAMILY. I WANTED MORE MONEY TO DO
MORE THINGS FOR MY WIFE AND CHILDREN. I LEFT
SERVICEMASTER AND TOOK A POSITION AS A MANGER OF
UNIVERSAL SERVICES THEY CLEANED THE CARPETS AND
FURNITURE FOR OVER 300 BANKS AND VARIOUS BUSINESS'S
PLUS CLEANED HOMES FOR THE INS. CO. WHEN A OIL FURNACE
WOULD BACK FIRE AND THROW SOOT ALL OVER THE HOUSE. I
WAS NOW MAKING $800.00 PER WEEK, A $300.00 PER WEEK
PETTY CASH ACCOUNT, A NEW STATION WAGON. I HAD
CONTROL OF 32 MEN WHO WORKED IN CREWS OF 2. MY DUTIES
WERE TO SCHEDULE THE WORK AND CHECK THE CONTRACTS
AND TO CHECK ON THE WORK PERFORM BY THE CREWS ALSO
TO MEET WITH THE PERSONNEL WITH WHOM WE HAD THE
CONTRACTS WITH. I WOULD TAKE THEM TO LUNCH OR DINNER
WHILE SOME WOULD WANT SPECIAL GIFTS. I LEARNED A LOT
AND MET A LOT OF BUSINESS PEOPLE OF INFLUENCE.
THE OWNER WAS A MAKE BELIEVE PLAYBOY, WITH ME
HANDLING A LOT FOR HIM HE HAD TIME TO PLAY AROUND. HE
WENT ON A TRIP TO LAS VEGAS AND CAME BACK WITH
A SHOWGIRL. HE LEFT HIS WIFE AND 3 CHILDREN AND MOVED
INTO A BIG HOUSE WITH THE SHOWGIRL. I AS A FAMILY MAN I
WAS VERY DISGUSTED WITH HIM AND LOST ALL
RESPECT FOR HIM. I DECIDED TO LEAVE THE CO. AND GO INTO
BUSINESS FOR MY SELF. NOW WITH 60 HOURS OF ENERGY
TUCKED UNDER MY BELT AND THE DESIRE TO MAKE
MONEY FOR THE FAMILY AND MAKE MY NAME
UNFORGETTABLE TO WHOM EVER I MET. TOOK MY
PERSONALITY, MY BRAIN, MY TALKING ABILITY AND MY KNOW-
HOW OF THE CLEANING BUSINESS, I NOW WAS READY TO PUT
MY DESIRES TO WORK.