Parties TWO

Parties have always been an important part of Feathers. The Golden Girls had Cheese cake, Feathers had parties. Whenever Hank felt down and lonely he would throw a party! Christmas brings out the best in everyone, except Hank. I was fired, the first time, two days before Christmas. Hank had a wicked sense of humor. The more pain you were in, the more he smiled. He hated to see anyone happy unless he was. He was kinda like the king in “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang.” I never met anyone like him, he hated with joy. Unfortunately, I have met many like him since. My Grandmother would say, “Don’t judge a person by how they treat you, see how they treat others.” Hank was nice to me, but could be so cruel to others. He had my friend Sam train me to bartend and then fired Sam and offered me his position. Sam actually made me take the job. I didn’t want to – I had principles back then…so long ago. I think that was the day I started to change. For better or worst depends on what point of view you judge from, if you judge.
Back to the parties- Hank made us all laugh the year he aluminum foiled the WHOLE bar! It was a riot! The whole bar! He took rolls and rolls of aluminum foil and just wrapped it around everything. Nothing was sacred, or safe from his aluminum foil wrath. I think he would have foiled the bartenders if they stood still too long. I wasn’t working at the bar yet, but I was a customer, but I remember the night-mare it created. What night-mare you ask? Well, besides the fact that he also used just as many stables to make sure the foil stayed in place and snagged on everyone’s shirts; the friction from the aluminum interfered with the sound system and we could not get one clear song-The mad rush to remove the foil was as chaotic as a group of orphans’ released to a free for all at “Toy’s R Us”. The music returned, but the walls were never the same.
I do remember that Hank always made sure that there was a birthday cake for you on your birthday and he made everyone buy you a present. Not cheap gifts either, I got tickets to Broadway shows, a camera, music boxes. The customers would bring in flowers, balloons and gifts for you. Hank made it very festive. I remember they threw me a surprise thirtieth birthday party. OMG! The whole back of the bar was filled with gifts for me! All for me!!!!! I mean we are talking fourth to fifty gifts! I mean we are talking I had to have an intermission during the opening of my gifts. It was gloriously insane! Johnny and me had our first dance that night…Johnny. He is a Chapter in itself…hat was also the last night I drank and drove. I was suppose to stay at someone’s place that night, but got so drunk I woke up on my parents couch. I have no idea how I got there. I checked the front of my car the next morning making sure there was no blood and that I hadn’t hit anyone. I never wanted that fear again and never have. That was the 80’s and it was a gift for all of us that survived.
Till Tomorrow Be-kind!