Hi Everyone! So last time I was telling you about the day when Ma told Pops that she had quit her job and bought that big van right? And that guy who was in the van came into our house, Ma introduced him to us as Stuart and said that he was one of the guys she takes care of at The Independent Living Centre where she now worked, it was one of those group homes for mentally and physically challenged people who are able to go out on daytrips and stuff. Pops just stood there looking dumbfounded. I could tell right away that he and Stuart were not going to be best buddies by the way they looked at each other. Stuart stuck his tongue out at Pops and Pops snarled at him in response. "Barney, be nice!" Ma told him. Stuart asked Ma if he could go get the others and she told him certainly. Now Pops started questioning Ma,"Others? What others? Babe, where did you get the money for that thing in the driveway?" Ma told him "Well Barn, I put aside some of the money from Papa and I had some saved up too. I really need the van Barney, for the "special guys". "Special guys?" Pops asked with a kind of creeped out tone to his voice, "What is so special about them may I ask, Babe?" Ma smiled a knowing smile, "Oh, you'll see Barney, you'll see." "I don't like the sound of that!" Pops grunted. "So Babe, I hope this job pays better than the hair salon?" Ma looked uncomfortable, "Actually Barney it pays just a little, tiny bit less..." Pops looked pissed now, "Oh just how much is a little bit Babe?" Before Ma could answer, Stuart came back in only this time he wasn't alone, 4 other guys piled in after him. Bruno started to giggle and Ma shot him a look. Two were in motorized wheelchairs and the other ones could walk but were all what we called back then, "handicapped". Sorry if I am not being politically correct-Ma liked to call them "differently-abled". :) Pops looked as though someone had pulled his pants down. My father has never been someone who is comfortable with "different" people so this was too much for him! Ma introduced the rest of the guys to us as Eddy, Arnold, Bobby, and Larry. They were actually pretty cool as it turned out, but Pops didn't think so It also turned out that Ma was making $4 an hour less, which to Pops was a big deal, especially since he had lost his job. He also announced that day his plans to open up his own barber shop in the basement, that was the story he told Ma to explain the barber pole he "found". Of course he had to listen to Nonna lecturing him about how he would never be a success and that he was a fool who...."ruined my daughter's life" once again. My little Italian grandmother with the big mouth-I will tell you about her next time.....ciao
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