My grandson and I went to I-Hop this morning. While cutting up one of my pancakes and a piece of sausage for him, I saw someone that I knew from my past... I will call him W.B. He lived down the hall from me in college and he seemed destined to be the one of us who would suceed in life. He had good looks, always dressed "to the nines", and knew how to turn a phrase. Ladies loved him. He was a business marketing major and made pretty good grades. He also played basketball, until he hurt his knee during our junior year.
Two years out of college, I ran into W.B. and he made me a "business proposition". He wanted me and a few others to invest in a business he was trying to get off of the ground. He was marketing a new cologne for men called... well, I won't even name it. We talked and he brought the cologne around for me to sample. I rubbed a little of it on my arm and took a sniff. I smiled and said, "You have a unique fragrance there." (It was the most horrible thing I'd ever smelled.) Still, I bought a bottle ($29.50... Who says that I don't support my friends?) and tossed it in the trash as soon as he was out of sight.
I stopped short of "investing" any of my cash in his venture... I didn't have any cash at the time to throw away. However, one of my college friends DID throw him some cash and they went into "business" together.
W.B. got married the next year to a beautiful young lady whose father owned a barber shop and a beauty parlor in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia (which was, at the time, a place where most of your middle class and well-to-do blacks resided). He also got on board and invested in this cologne. He started selling it in his shops. Like I said, the stuff smelled horrible and while I wouldn't tell him to his face, many other folks did and they wanted their money back. They began to complain long and loudly, forcing his wife's father to get rid of the product.
W.B. and his partner lost their shirts (literally) on this venture and his wife's father threatened to take him to court. The couple had sunk their life's savings into this venture and they had to give up the house they bought and move to an apartment. She left him not too long afterwords and my other friend pulled out of their partnership. The last time I saw W.B., he was putting all of his belongings in his car and heading towards the Holiday Inn near the outskirts of the city.
Now, back to the present... This morning when I saw him, I was hoping that he didn't see me but, it's hard to duck someone when you've got a toddler with you. Our conversation was kind of uneasy. We caught up on each other's lives. He said to me, "Wow, you got married, huh? And, you have a grandson to boot? Who would've thunk it?" I smiled and said, "Yeah, who would've thunk it?" Then, came the uneasy question... "So, what are you doing now?" He smiled and said, "Oh, I'm living with my mother up in Southwest Philly but, you know me, I got a few things working." I smiled, "Yeah? Not another cologne?" He pointed at me and said, "Nah, I'm out of that business. I sell pre-paid attorney and pre-paid medical services. Are you interested? Everybody needs a lawyer and a doctor." I said, "Uhhh, I'll let you know. Where can I contact you?" He said, "I manage my mom's wig shop during the day... at night you can find me here at this address" (it was a neighborhood bar). He looked at me, smiled, and said "I handle most of my business in the back."
After breakfast and this encounter, I walked towards my car with my grandson and headed for home. Needless to say, I don't ever intend to contact him (smile).
Two years out of college, I ran into W.B. and he made me a "business proposition". He wanted me and a few others to invest in a business he was trying to get off of the ground. He was marketing a new cologne for men called... well, I won't even name it. We talked and he brought the cologne around for me to sample. I rubbed a little of it on my arm and took a sniff. I smiled and said, "You have a unique fragrance there." (It was the most horrible thing I'd ever smelled.) Still, I bought a bottle ($29.50... Who says that I don't support my friends?) and tossed it in the trash as soon as he was out of sight.
I stopped short of "investing" any of my cash in his venture... I didn't have any cash at the time to throw away. However, one of my college friends DID throw him some cash and they went into "business" together.
W.B. got married the next year to a beautiful young lady whose father owned a barber shop and a beauty parlor in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia (which was, at the time, a place where most of your middle class and well-to-do blacks resided). He also got on board and invested in this cologne. He started selling it in his shops. Like I said, the stuff smelled horrible and while I wouldn't tell him to his face, many other folks did and they wanted their money back. They began to complain long and loudly, forcing his wife's father to get rid of the product.
W.B. and his partner lost their shirts (literally) on this venture and his wife's father threatened to take him to court. The couple had sunk their life's savings into this venture and they had to give up the house they bought and move to an apartment. She left him not too long afterwords and my other friend pulled out of their partnership. The last time I saw W.B., he was putting all of his belongings in his car and heading towards the Holiday Inn near the outskirts of the city.
Now, back to the present... This morning when I saw him, I was hoping that he didn't see me but, it's hard to duck someone when you've got a toddler with you. Our conversation was kind of uneasy. We caught up on each other's lives. He said to me, "Wow, you got married, huh? And, you have a grandson to boot? Who would've thunk it?" I smiled and said, "Yeah, who would've thunk it?" Then, came the uneasy question... "So, what are you doing now?" He smiled and said, "Oh, I'm living with my mother up in Southwest Philly but, you know me, I got a few things working." I smiled, "Yeah? Not another cologne?" He pointed at me and said, "Nah, I'm out of that business. I sell pre-paid attorney and pre-paid medical services. Are you interested? Everybody needs a lawyer and a doctor." I said, "Uhhh, I'll let you know. Where can I contact you?" He said, "I manage my mom's wig shop during the day... at night you can find me here at this address" (it was a neighborhood bar). He looked at me, smiled, and said "I handle most of my business in the back."
After breakfast and this encounter, I walked towards my car with my grandson and headed for home. Needless to say, I don't ever intend to contact him (smile).
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