‹ Prequel: I Love Ya
Sequel: Everything ›
Recovery
Sponsor
“Hi, my name is Brent,” a nervous middle aged man said.
“Hi Brent,” the room chorused imperfectly.
“H-hi… um… I’ve been addict since I was sixteen and I’m…. six days sober,” he raised his chin proudly. “I can think now, sort of,” he blinked rapidly. “I’m on my way to recovery.”
He went on to tell why he began to take drugs, and it was the same thing over and over again. Theresa sat in the middle of the small crowd gathered in school’s auditorium. Funny, how a bunch of addicts gathered in a school for children. She found it ironic, but it made sense. It was the last place where they were all innocent. Where they were all free of guilt and all of the responsibilities that came with being adult.
It wasn’t her first time there. She was sober for the past five years of her life. She spend a great deal of her teenage years drowned in alcohol and drugs. Now she was much better than she ever was. She frowned when she heard someone tapping their shoe.
She looked around her and in the way back she noticed someone new.
She came to every single meeting, and she never seen him before. He wore dark clothes along with a baseball cap and sunglasses. If he was trying to hide, well he wasn’t doing a very good job. He had his arms around himself and he tapped his foot impatiently.
Theresa turned back to the front. She heard movement behind her. The new comer was by the coffee and donut table, but the donuts were stale. She nearly laughed when he tried to bite one and he couldn’t. He looked at her direction. Even through the glasses she could see he was looking at her. She just smiled and turned back around.
Brent finished his story. Everyone clapped their hands. The host came up to the podium.
“Any new comers?” he asked.
No one said anything. She looked behind her to see if the new comer was there, but he was gone. First timers always did that.
The meeting adjourned. She got up and went for the coffee. The donuts were awful, but the coffee was great. She got a styrofoam cup and filled it with coffee.
“Hey, Theresa,” the host said. His name was Wilber and he was sober for the past ten years. He was also her former sponsor.
“Hi, Wilber,” she smiled politely at him. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” he nodded.
“How are the kids?”
“I get them on the weekends and they’re happy to see their daddy sober,” he grinned.
“You tell those kids I said hi,” she chuckled and he did too.
“Of course. I’ll do that. Listen, have you thought about sponsoring anyone?” he asked.
“You think I’m ready?” she asked surprised.
He chuckled. “You come to every meeting.”
“I still get cravings,” she gulped.
“But you’re sober,” he said. “The addiction will always be there. A constant demon we fight, but as long as we live to see another battle we’re good.”
She smiled warmly. “I miss your Yoda talk.”
He chuckled. “You should really consider sponsoring someone, Theresa. You can pass down my Yoda talk.”
She laughed. She poured some cream in her coffee. She stirred it until it was done. She said goodbyes to a couple of friends and then headed to her car. She was the first to leave so the parking lot was full of cars, but she noticed that the newcomer was by his car.
She noticed it was a brand new car. That kind of car didn’t belong around the place where she lived. All of the cars in the parking lot were from before year 2000, including hers. So, the newcomer’s car stuck out like a sore thumb.
The newcomer was smoking. He threw it to the ground and stomped it out. She approached him carefully. She had to be careful. Sometimes freaks like to pick on addicts.
“Hello,” she said softly. His head perked up in surprise, “I saw you inside, why did you leave?”
He got inside of his car. She sighed. He was running away, but she also knew he would be back. She watched as the new Charger drove away.
She ran hand through her redish brown hair. She headed to her car and went home.
She made her home into her own personal studio. She had canvases everywhere. It was mostly random things that she drew. Some where inspired by music and some by people.
She changed out of her clothes and into a large shirt that reached her knees.
She went to bed and fell asleep.
Three days later
“Hi, my name is Karen, and I’m a heroin addict,” a woman around her late twenties said.
“Hi Karen,” everyone else said back.
“Hi,” she chuckled and then her smile faltered a bit, “I’ve been an addict since I was eighteen. I started in college…”
Theresa tried to hear the story of the woman, but she heard the impatient tapping again. She turned around and sure enough the newcomer was in the back. He wore different dark clothes, but it was the same baseball cap and glasses.
He looked like was ready to pounce any second. At least he made it through the end, unlike the last time when he left so early.
Five minutes later, Karen was done with her story.
Wilber went to the podium. “Any new comers want to get their chip?”
“I do,” a voice said that intrigued Theresa. It was the newcomer’s. He stood up and went to the front and got his chip.
“Would you like to share you story? You have three minutes,” Wilber said it in a way no one could resist. Heck, Theresa didn’t resist five years ago.
The newcomer looked like he was seriously considering leaving, but he went behind the podium.
“Hat and glasses off,” Wilber said with a kind smile, but it was an order.
“Right,” the newcomer said and removed his baseball cap and glasses.
He had long hair. It was disheveled. It looked like the kind of hair that was supposed to be styled, but since he wore a cap it was put down. His eyes were a light brown, like chocolate. He had a goatee, that maybe on someone else it would’ve looked ridiculous, but it seemed to suit him.
“Uh, hi,” he waved his hand. She saw a flash of tattoos on his hand. He wore a long sleeve jacket, but she now could see some traces of tattoos, “my name is… Elwin and um… I’m addicted… to alcohol. I’ve been drinking since I was fifteen and recently it got worse so… here I am. I… uh… promised my family that I would do this, so here I am. That’s all.”
Everyone stayed quiet for a second. No one knew if he was done. Theresa started to clap her hands and the rest followed.
“Admitting there is a problem is the first step, son,” Wilber told Elwin.
The meeting ended.
Elwin nodded and then went to the table for a coffee.
Wilber approached Theresa.
“I think he’s going to need help,” he said to her. “Don’t you?”
“Yes, he has yet to admit why he has an alcohol problem,” she mumbled.
“You should consider him,” Wilber winked and smirked at her.
She decided to go for it. If anyone knew about alcohol, it was her. She saw him pick up a bad donut. It was overdue.
“Oh, I wouldn’t eat that if I were you,” she said and took the donut away from him. “It’s been in storage for weeks, but the coffee is always fresh.”
He looked at her and half smiled. “Thanks for the sage advice.”
“No problem,” she said. She got a cup and used the other pot to serve herself coffee. “I remember you from last time.”
He cleared his throat. “I just came to see what it was about.”
“Are you here on your own free will, or did your wife tell you it was the last straw?” she asked jokingly. He noticed and smirked.
“Fiancée, actually,” he corrected. “She said I need to sober up or she’d dump me.”
“Look, I’ve been sober for five years, alcohol too,” she started unsure on how to offer, so she just went for it. “I’m free to be someone’s sponsor… that’s if… you’re willing to stay.”
He licked his lips and stared at her. Then he mumbled something. “She doesn’t know who I am.”
“What?” she asked.
“Uh, nothing… this sponsor, what is their job?”
She sighed. “Well, you tell me the real story as to why your fiancée forced you here, and I talk to you about your problems. I try to help you. But… I have to ask something first.”
“Sure.”
“Do you want to get better?” she asked seriously. “I’m not going to help someone who is just here to please their girlfriend or fiancée. Do you, Elwin, do you want to get better?”
He stayed quiet for a minute.
Then he finally answered. “Yes.”
She grinned. “Then give me your number and I’ll give you mine. We can set up a coffee meeting one of these days and we can have a serious talk. My name is Theresa.”
“Hi Brent,” the room chorused imperfectly.
“H-hi… um… I’ve been addict since I was sixteen and I’m…. six days sober,” he raised his chin proudly. “I can think now, sort of,” he blinked rapidly. “I’m on my way to recovery.”
He went on to tell why he began to take drugs, and it was the same thing over and over again. Theresa sat in the middle of the small crowd gathered in school’s auditorium. Funny, how a bunch of addicts gathered in a school for children. She found it ironic, but it made sense. It was the last place where they were all innocent. Where they were all free of guilt and all of the responsibilities that came with being adult.
It wasn’t her first time there. She was sober for the past five years of her life. She spend a great deal of her teenage years drowned in alcohol and drugs. Now she was much better than she ever was. She frowned when she heard someone tapping their shoe.
She looked around her and in the way back she noticed someone new.
She came to every single meeting, and she never seen him before. He wore dark clothes along with a baseball cap and sunglasses. If he was trying to hide, well he wasn’t doing a very good job. He had his arms around himself and he tapped his foot impatiently.
Theresa turned back to the front. She heard movement behind her. The new comer was by the coffee and donut table, but the donuts were stale. She nearly laughed when he tried to bite one and he couldn’t. He looked at her direction. Even through the glasses she could see he was looking at her. She just smiled and turned back around.
Brent finished his story. Everyone clapped their hands. The host came up to the podium.
“Any new comers?” he asked.
No one said anything. She looked behind her to see if the new comer was there, but he was gone. First timers always did that.
The meeting adjourned. She got up and went for the coffee. The donuts were awful, but the coffee was great. She got a styrofoam cup and filled it with coffee.
“Hey, Theresa,” the host said. His name was Wilber and he was sober for the past ten years. He was also her former sponsor.
“Hi, Wilber,” she smiled politely at him. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” he nodded.
“How are the kids?”
“I get them on the weekends and they’re happy to see their daddy sober,” he grinned.
“You tell those kids I said hi,” she chuckled and he did too.
“Of course. I’ll do that. Listen, have you thought about sponsoring anyone?” he asked.
“You think I’m ready?” she asked surprised.
He chuckled. “You come to every meeting.”
“I still get cravings,” she gulped.
“But you’re sober,” he said. “The addiction will always be there. A constant demon we fight, but as long as we live to see another battle we’re good.”
She smiled warmly. “I miss your Yoda talk.”
He chuckled. “You should really consider sponsoring someone, Theresa. You can pass down my Yoda talk.”
She laughed. She poured some cream in her coffee. She stirred it until it was done. She said goodbyes to a couple of friends and then headed to her car. She was the first to leave so the parking lot was full of cars, but she noticed that the newcomer was by his car.
She noticed it was a brand new car. That kind of car didn’t belong around the place where she lived. All of the cars in the parking lot were from before year 2000, including hers. So, the newcomer’s car stuck out like a sore thumb.
The newcomer was smoking. He threw it to the ground and stomped it out. She approached him carefully. She had to be careful. Sometimes freaks like to pick on addicts.
“Hello,” she said softly. His head perked up in surprise, “I saw you inside, why did you leave?”
He got inside of his car. She sighed. He was running away, but she also knew he would be back. She watched as the new Charger drove away.
She ran hand through her redish brown hair. She headed to her car and went home.
She made her home into her own personal studio. She had canvases everywhere. It was mostly random things that she drew. Some where inspired by music and some by people.
She changed out of her clothes and into a large shirt that reached her knees.
She went to bed and fell asleep.
Three days later
“Hi, my name is Karen, and I’m a heroin addict,” a woman around her late twenties said.
“Hi Karen,” everyone else said back.
“Hi,” she chuckled and then her smile faltered a bit, “I’ve been an addict since I was eighteen. I started in college…”
Theresa tried to hear the story of the woman, but she heard the impatient tapping again. She turned around and sure enough the newcomer was in the back. He wore different dark clothes, but it was the same baseball cap and glasses.
He looked like was ready to pounce any second. At least he made it through the end, unlike the last time when he left so early.
Five minutes later, Karen was done with her story.
Wilber went to the podium. “Any new comers want to get their chip?”
“I do,” a voice said that intrigued Theresa. It was the newcomer’s. He stood up and went to the front and got his chip.
“Would you like to share you story? You have three minutes,” Wilber said it in a way no one could resist. Heck, Theresa didn’t resist five years ago.
The newcomer looked like he was seriously considering leaving, but he went behind the podium.
“Hat and glasses off,” Wilber said with a kind smile, but it was an order.
“Right,” the newcomer said and removed his baseball cap and glasses.
He had long hair. It was disheveled. It looked like the kind of hair that was supposed to be styled, but since he wore a cap it was put down. His eyes were a light brown, like chocolate. He had a goatee, that maybe on someone else it would’ve looked ridiculous, but it seemed to suit him.
“Uh, hi,” he waved his hand. She saw a flash of tattoos on his hand. He wore a long sleeve jacket, but she now could see some traces of tattoos, “my name is… Elwin and um… I’m addicted… to alcohol. I’ve been drinking since I was fifteen and recently it got worse so… here I am. I… uh… promised my family that I would do this, so here I am. That’s all.”
Everyone stayed quiet for a second. No one knew if he was done. Theresa started to clap her hands and the rest followed.
“Admitting there is a problem is the first step, son,” Wilber told Elwin.
The meeting ended.
Elwin nodded and then went to the table for a coffee.
Wilber approached Theresa.
“I think he’s going to need help,” he said to her. “Don’t you?”
“Yes, he has yet to admit why he has an alcohol problem,” she mumbled.
“You should consider him,” Wilber winked and smirked at her.
She decided to go for it. If anyone knew about alcohol, it was her. She saw him pick up a bad donut. It was overdue.
“Oh, I wouldn’t eat that if I were you,” she said and took the donut away from him. “It’s been in storage for weeks, but the coffee is always fresh.”
He looked at her and half smiled. “Thanks for the sage advice.”
“No problem,” she said. She got a cup and used the other pot to serve herself coffee. “I remember you from last time.”
He cleared his throat. “I just came to see what it was about.”
“Are you here on your own free will, or did your wife tell you it was the last straw?” she asked jokingly. He noticed and smirked.
“Fiancée, actually,” he corrected. “She said I need to sober up or she’d dump me.”
“Look, I’ve been sober for five years, alcohol too,” she started unsure on how to offer, so she just went for it. “I’m free to be someone’s sponsor… that’s if… you’re willing to stay.”
He licked his lips and stared at her. Then he mumbled something. “She doesn’t know who I am.”
“What?” she asked.
“Uh, nothing… this sponsor, what is their job?”
She sighed. “Well, you tell me the real story as to why your fiancée forced you here, and I talk to you about your problems. I try to help you. But… I have to ask something first.”
“Sure.”
“Do you want to get better?” she asked seriously. “I’m not going to help someone who is just here to please their girlfriend or fiancée. Do you, Elwin, do you want to get better?”
He stayed quiet for a minute.
Then he finally answered. “Yes.”
She grinned. “Then give me your number and I’ll give you mine. We can set up a coffee meeting one of these days and we can have a serious talk. My name is Theresa.”