By José Dominiguez, January 16, 2020 — Back in 1990, Marian and I had a little clothes store in Ciudad Juarez Mexico just in the middle of downtown. Many, many people passed by. Some people were only walking past the store, others looking for good prices, and many others [passing by] for no clear reason. But Richy had a very good reason. As a good wino, he was always looking for money — sometimes for booze, sometimes to cure his hangover. He was a tall and corpulent man in his late 50s. To us, he looked Irish because of his reddish hair. But surely we did not welcome his visit because when intoxicated always wanted to fight with my employee who always teased him. I decided instead of money to give him food. One day, he disappeared and later I knew he was in rehab. After some weeks he returned to me and teased me saying, “No, Mister Dominguez, you don’t have a good heart. Just at the moment when I needed a drink, you offered me a burrito. Shame on you.” Richy disappeared once again and he returned to his old hobby: alcohol.
He went to my store asking for money and he told me “Mr. Dominguez, I need money but don’t give me food I took already my breakfast. If you want to help me give money will you?”
“Oh, no Rich, you are going to buy wine.”
“Swear I won’t,” he replied.
“Look, I’m no fool, with the money you will get drunk sooner or later.” I said to him.
“Well,” he said, “Let’s make a deal. If I prove to you that I’m not going to buy booze, will you give me money?”
“Yes, I will,” I said. “It’s a deal.”
He smiled and taking his right hand to his shirt he uncovered a big bottle of wine concealed under his clothes. “You see?” He said. “Why am I going to buy liquor if I have a complete bottle?”
So I gave him some pesos and he departed very happily.