Life and Island Times July 15 2016 – Maverick

This one is from early 2016.

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Marlow had been pulled in many directions during the past three weeks. So much so, he was worn down beyond exhaustion to the point of illness. He was beset with things both legal and financial in his public and private lives across family, friends and acquaintances.

His and W’s regular Saturday morning activity for the Cooking With Love program came as respite with its assembling and delivering meals and groceries across the island to the needy and hungry. It was something that they could do and share together. It always energized them, since they received more than they gave with the interaction with the program’s clients.

What happened when they were about to depart on their delivery routes would change everything for Marlow.

One of Marlow’s former neighbors, Heather, brought in a handicapped, hungry and homeless veteran. Maverick claimed he was a Merchant Marine river rat who had operated in the Mekong River delta in Vietnam with the US Navy back in the 60s.

US Navy river rat PBRs in the Mekong River Delta in Vietnam during the 60s

Maverick woofed down that day’s meal of meat and bean chili over rice, salad and chocolate pudding with all of his worldly possessions stuffed into a worn four-wheel cart next to him. He was bearded, grey haired, slightly built 5 foot six’ish and possessed of darting eyes and a rambling style of conversation.

Maverick

These last two made figuring out what the local veterans and social service organizations could do for him a difficult task. Heather had made some headway earlier with two pages of notes. So as they photographed him, his identification papers and hospital bracelets, Marlow gently bored in.

Some of Maverick’s river rat story did not jibe with Marlow’s memories of Vietnam, but most of it made sense. Maverick’s journey from Wisconsin transfixed his listeners. Most shrank away as he rambled on, since his tale was full of bad behavior, jail time and hospital visits.

Heather’s diminutive frame belied a caring, gentle, tough-as-nails, data first approach and inner strength that made Marlow’s part a breeze. They needed to secure the documentation that proved he was a veteran to provide him the full range of financial, medical and shelter benefits.

They concluded with a written note card for Maverick that they made him read aloud back to them twice to fix hopefully its arrangements into his short term memory. Maverick and Marlow would meet the coming Tuesday to get him his DD 214 and begin seeking treatment, a fixed address other than the mangroves around the island and a regular food supply.

Maverick’s wrist bands

After this chance meeting, Marlow felt something begin to settle over him. It initially came on like a warm, peaceful fog. An internal and deeper clarity soon followed.

He had always treated the three most basic human needs for food, security/shelter, and love as separate distinct entities that existed in a loose hierarchical relationship. Maverick made it clear that Marlow had been dead mistaken. These elements were so mingled and intertwined in our lives that one could not correctly think about one without the other. So when Marlow had written in the past about meals, hotels, his W, hunger, privation and assistance to those in need, he had gotten it all wrong.

What he had been really writing was about love and the hunger for it, and the warmth and love of it and the hunger for it.

He had some serious reviewing to do about himself, W and life.

Copyright © 2016 From My Isle Seat