At Least With Moose and Bambi There Was Still Honor Among Thieves...

Vindog11/18/2024 10:00 PM

Previously, Part 4: I Had a Fast Car and I Wanted a Ticket to Anywhere...

20th Century Fox. Shutterstock Images.

Bambi came out of Bendinelli’s with a big smile on his face. Moose had agreed to let me crash on their couch. Threatening to kill him the last time we spoke had done nothing to ruin our friendship.

I followed Bambi over to the apartment in Foxboro, and after I parked, I took the table lamp out of the GOAT, put the top up, and went inside carrying the lamp. Moose took one look at me and said, “Oh, so you've come bearing gifts…”

“Fuck you!” I snapped. “This is my lamp, and you still owe me money!”

He gulped, “How much money?”

Moose probably owed me and a lot of other people money, but given his generous and unexpected hospitality, I laughed and said I was kidding. I explained that I didn’t want to leave the lamp in the car overnight because I'd have to leave the convertible top down.

Considering the turbulent manner in which we parted ways after we left South Florida, I was surprised how easily we picked up where we left off. We drank a few beers, smoked some weed, and laughed our asses off, talking about Cindy, Mary, and Crazy Phil. We were in our 20s and didn't hold any grudges yet. There was no bad blood between us, just crazy memories and stories to tell that all seemed to begin with, "Remember when…"

Before Moose moved into my parents’ house in Sharon and our journey together began, I was good friends with his younger brother. Bambi and I graduated high school in '74. Moose was four years older than us and graduated high school with my sister. They were good friends.

I had done some pretty outrageous shit with Bambi. I used to call him “Bambis Flambis” because he had a very impressive line of bullshit, and he was good with the ladies. Growing up with Moose, he learned how to take care of himself and win people over, despite occasionally fucking people over. They both had the knack.

In many ways, including appearance, Bambi was a lot like Moose. He rented us the U-Haul trailer we took to South Florida. Then, he lost the paperwork, so there wasn't a record of the transaction, and no one could trace it. We hid the trailer in my father's warehouse and used it for the trip home. Bambi was more of a team player than Moose and a lot easier to get along with.

By the time I woke up, cleared my head, and sat up on the couch, Bambi had already made a few calls and found an affordable place for me to live in East Walpole by Bird Park. The owner of the house was a mechanic I worked with at Cook Brothers Getty when I was in high school, and after he got divorced and took possession of the house, he turned it into a rental property. For twenty-five bucks a week, I could get my own room on the second floor and share a bathroom with two other guys who also rented rooms. It wasn't great, but at least I was no longer a cellar-dweller.

I never found out what Jay and his younger brother told Len about the gram scale and the pound of weed they had stashed in the garage, but whatever lame-ass excuse they made to save their own skins got me evicted.

At least with Moose and Bambi, there was still honor among thieves. They would've never ratted out a friend like that…

Well, if you told me you were drowning
I would not lend a hand
I’ve seen your face before my friend
But I don’t know if you know who I am…