it was some time in 2003 that i realized that i was doing way more driving than i wanted to for my job...putting all those miles on my car was not making me happy...but...alas...i had an expense account...and so i used a portion of that to rent a car...sometimes i rented for the week..sometimes for the whole month...there were times that i would drive 300 to 500 miles in one day...so this set-up really worked for me...
i soon became close to the owner of the local avis office..his name was zul...and he treated me like family...he always saved my favorite cars for me...the newest & the latest...he would have sweets for me...invite me over for family dinners...and always interested in my life and adventures...
one of zul's employees was a man named herb...herb was in his 70's...and we hit it off...we had this banter between the two of us...he used to always tease me that it was a good thing we weren't married to each other...because we would find ourselves bickering like we had been together forever...herb had the most incredible memory of restaurants...i could tell him any place that i was driving to that day to meet with potential clients...and he would tell me what restaurant i should eat at...we became close friends...
i stopped working at this company in 2005...but my relationship with the avis crew continued...we kept in touch...still had dinners together...still checked in...and shared in incredible moments...like when zul & his wife brought their new adopted baby girl home...it was an honor to share that moment with them...
but the closest relationship was herb & i...since 2003, herb & i have met for coffee @ 5 pm at a restaurant called il fornaio every week...always once a week...but sometimes 2 or 3 times...depending on our schedules...occasionally we would meet for breakfast or lunch...but our "time" together was 5pm coffee...sometimes herb's wife would meet us...but most times...it was our time...and everyone knew it...
a few months ago...herb purchased a home in kansas city to be closer to his children & grand children...as happy as i was for him...i knew that our coffee time would be coming to an end...
what i didn't expect...was how hard this was on herb (his wife told me that he would always talk about his conversatons with elena to everyone)
it has now been a little over a month that herb is gone...i haven't been back to il fornaio since...just isn't the same...we had our special table...the staff always kept open for us...and we talked about everything...from relationships to computers to restaurants to politics...
herb called yesterday and left a message...it was so great to hear his voice...he wanted me to know that there would never be another that could take my place for coffee @ 5pm..
whether that be true or not...it was nice to hear...
herb is happy to be with family...and it is where he should be...but there is a part of me that still...once in a while...comes across something...and i think...oh...this will be a good discussion for herb & i over coffee...
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