Rick's Story: A Theo Drama

This is a story of my friend Rick who later became our friend Rick.

For several years Jean and I have enjoyed going to The Wine Shoppe in North Myrtle Beach on Friday nights for their wine tasting which was from 5:00pm to 7:30pm. It was always great fun to meet with friends and to enjoy the comradery among the owners, their staff, and our friends.

A couple of years ago I became sensitive to alcohol which would trigger a reaction of dizziness for me. The doctor said it was Meniere’s disease that caused the dizziness; I learned that as long as I stayed away from alcohol I would be fine. As a result, our Friday night wine tasting turned into a social event with Jean able to do the tasting and me drinking coffee.

Since The Wine Shoppe did not serve coffee, I would cross the street to the “Turtle Mart” gas station which had a small food shop with hot coffee. Usually I sat there with my coffee just watching people, and then I would take my coffee back to be with Jean and the others. It was pleasant for me. Over time I got to know some of the staff behind the counter at the gas station.

Sometime in late September, 2019, I noticed a man sitting at one of the tables eating a sandwich and reading a book. His head was wrapped in what looked like a bandage and I could see there was some blood trickling down his neck. I also noticed that he had no nose. Where his nose should have been there was an open wound that was bloody around the two holes that were his nostrils. I thought he had been in some kind of accident and was surprised he was not still in the hospital. The man was difficult to look at. I had seen lepers in Vietnam and, to me, the man looked like a person with leprosy.

Over the next couple of weeks I would see him there and I started leaving $20 with Andy, the evening counter clerk, asking him to give it to the man but to not tell him who had given it. The staff had been trying to help by giving him day-old sandwiches for free.

After a few weeks, I asked Andy if he knew anything about the man, who continued to look like he should be in a hospital. Andy said he did not know much about him other than the fact that he was homeless and that he lived in the cab of his pickup truck. Andy said the man’s name was Rick and that he parked his truck at the gas station because it was open all night which meant he could come in to use the bathroom if needed.

The next time I saw Rick, I walked over and introduced myself to him. I noticed he was reading a history book and I asked about his interest in history. He promptly replied that history was his favorite subject and that he was able to get books from the library.

That was the beginning of our relationship. He told me a little of his life story and that he had been living in his truck for the past five months. He said that he is 66 years old and that he had a college degree in Police Science. He said that he had lived and worked in Denver Colorado for almost thirty years until his sister became sick with the same autoimmune disease he had. The disease was hereditary, and it was not contagious. He came out to be with his sister who was living alone in Little River SC. He stayed with her until she died in the late spring. His brother, who Rick said was an abusive alcoholic, was staying with his sister; and, after she died, Rick and his brother ran out of money so they both moved into Rick’s truck. Finally, Rick’s brother left to be with another sister who was living in the north western part of North Carolina.

That evening, Rick struck me as a really nice guy who had fallen on hard times and was making the best of it. He did not express bitterness or anger about his life situation. He was hopeful that eventually he would find some kind of work to do and that he would find a place to live. I asked him if he would like to read my history book on the Vietnam War, and he immediately replied that he would love to read it. I said that I would go to my car and bring back a signed copy for him.

When I gave Rick a copy of my book “THUNDER: Stories From the First Tour,” he was very appreciative and said he would read it right away.

The next week I found Rick at the gas station again. He was glad to see me and said how much he had enjoyed my book. I asked if he had any luck looking for a job or finding a place to live. Rick spent a lot of his time at the Good Will store in North Myrtle Beach and the library in North Myrtle Beach. He showed me some job announcements he was going to look into and some advertisements for apartments to rent.

I looked at the advertisements and asked if he would mind me trying to help him find a place to live. He was delighted for the offer to help but insisted that he did not want to be a bother. All of the advertisements in the Myrtle Beach area for an apartment were in the $700 to $1,000 range per month. Rick said that he was receiving $800 per month from social security to live on, but that was not enough to pay rent and still have enough for food.

After talking with Jean about Rick, we both decided we needed to do something. I brought Jean to meet Rick at the gas station. We told him we wanted to help. I wrote him a check for $1,000 which I hoped would help him with the first month of rent somewhere. Rick had a Wells Fargo account and he deposited the check that same day.

Rick had a WALMART track phone and he called to tell me that he would have to pay a month in advance to rent any place. I told him I understood so I sent him another check for $800 to help with getting a rental. He had a Post Office Box in North Myrtle Beach.

After investigating some of the rental advertisements it became apparent to me that Rick would have difficulty with the typical questions any landlord would ask such as your current address, amount of income, credit rating etc. In a few days, I received a letter from Rick with a cashier’s check for the full amount I had given him. In the letter he explained that he was not able to find an apartment to rent, so he felt he could not use the money I had given him. He wanted to return it.

I have included a copy of the letter below.

His letter was clearly a statement of his needs. Jean and I were amazed; and, as we prayed and talked about Rick’s situation, we both arrived at the conclusion that the best solution long term, was to purchase a small condo in the North Myrtle Beach area. At this point, Rick was receiving about $700 per month from social security which was not enough to pay rent and live on.

In our meeting with Rick, we both got a clear sense that Rick was dilutional about his circumstances. He talked about finding a job and someday getting married and having children. Maybe his fantasies and dilutions were a defense mechanism to get him through the difficulties of his life but it did not matter to us. He did not complain about his situation and in the almost three years of knowing him, he never complained. He maintained an incredibly positive and upbeat attitude toward life. It was an object lesson for me.

I had already found a first-floor small efficiency unit in a community called Possum Trot. The unit was old but it was within our reach in terms of cost. Interestingly, several months earlier, in our conversation, we wondered what plan God had for the resources we received from the sale of our Florida house.

From the beginning of our relationship, Jean and I have tried to remain God centered. In the earliest days of our dating, I would bring Jean three red roses every Friday evening. The three roses stood for Jean, me and God. It was an expression of our Faith and who we were. Throughout our dating period we would pray and make visits at a local chapel. Eventually we met a wonderful priest, Fr. Gilles M. “Gil” Genest who became a life long friend and spiritual counselor for Jean and me. His influence on us to develop a personal relationship with Jesus was the core of our Faith and guided us throughout our lives. It was in that Faith that we heard God’s invitation to help Rick.

I started looking seriously at how we could do this.

In Rick’s 10/17/19 letter he told me about a major problem he had. In January he was involved in a couple of small fender bender accidents with his truck and he had also missed a payment on his insurance, so he lost his car insurance. To reinstate it, the cost was more than he could afford. Because he did not have insurance, he could not renew his registration for his truck. He had been stopped by the police and was cited for driving an unregistered vehicle. Fortunately, they did not impound his truck but they gave him a court date for the offense.

I included a picture of Rick’s truck below.

For me, this was his most pressing need. Without his truck he had no transportation, and it was the place he was living with no prospects for relief. I decided to act, so I took him to the State Farm Insurance office to get insurance for his truck. He was shocked that I would do that. When we walked in, there was no one waiting and we were taken into an agent’s office immediately. The agent, Stephanie Williams, was a very nice and competent lady who tried to help us right away. After a few questions to Rick and her inquiries on the computer, it became apparent that if Rick could get insurance it would be expensive. When I told her that I would be paying, she looked at me with surprise on her face and asked how I would be paying for it. I said I could write a check or pay with a credit card. At that point she asked me a series of questions so she could check my credit worthiness. When she got a positive response from her system, I asked what the monthly charge would be. She hesitated and said that the best she could do for a policy that would meet South Carolina’s minimum requirements was $254 per month. I handed her my credit card, and Rick got his proof of insurance paperwork. Stephanie told me that my credit card would be charged each month for that amount and that I would need to bring proof of sale or other disposition of the truck to get it stopped.

We then went to the SC DMV to pay his vehicle property tax, show his proof of insurance, and get his updated registration. Rick was very appreciative to have all that done.

On Sunday the 20th of October, I was called by a real estate agent, Susan Ferguson from RE/MAX First Choice, about the condo I had found. She said she would be glad to help me. I said I would like to look at the unit the next day, Monday the 21st if she could arrange it. She called me later in the day to say we could look at the condo at 11:00.

When we looked at the condo it clearly needed a lot of work, and it was full of old, dirty furniture. I took pictures of it all so I could show Jean. I told the agent we were interested in buying the condo in a cash deal but that we were working on a short time line. Jean and I made an offer on the unit, and the next day the seller agreed to a price of $40,500.

When Jean saw the condition of the unit and the furnishings in the pictures, she said we needed to replace it all. I agreed and I knew we also needed to have the unit painted, as well as many other repairs. That started an amazing journey for us.

The journey was complicated by our need to travel to Rhode Island to attend the 50th anniversary celebration of Jean’s sister; we would be traveling from October 31st to November 6th. All that had to be done in the condo would have to be worked in around that trip.

Once we had a contract on the condo, the real estate agent was able to arrange a closing for Thursday, November 7th, the day after we returned. The closing was scheduled in Myrtle Beach at the office of LONG & MILLSAPS, P.A. In the meantime, we had to purchase all the furnishings for the condo, get the necessary inspections, and get all the work done before we could move Rick into the unit on Saturday, November 9th.

On Tuesday October 22nd I had called Rick to see how he was doing and he told me that he was in the hospital. He had experienced chest pains and went to the emergency room on Sunday the 20th. I was shocked and said I would come to visit him the next day, Wednesday the 23rd.

On the way to the hospital, I had to visit the office of the closing attorney to bring them a check for $1,000. I had been trying to think of what could be done for Rick to get him out of his truck while we were waiting to close on the condo. I decided to go down to the Riptide Beach Club to talk with the manager Susan. One of the timeshares we owned, which had rented every summer, had not rented that year. When I saw Susan, I asked if I could use the week that had not rented. She was sorry it had not rented but she was glad to give it to me right away. I told her I needed the unit for a friend of mine and that I actually needed two weeks. She said she could “comp” me an extra week so I could use the two weeks for my friend. I explained to Susan about Rick’s physical condition and that she might want to tell her staff about it so they would not be alarmed. I was so thankful that now I had a place for Rick to go to when he came out of the hospital.

When I went to visit Rick I was surprised to see him sitting there waiting to be discharged. He still had the “ports” hanging out of his two arms which the nursing staff had been using to administer medications. While the discharge nurse was talking to him, I went out to the hall and called Susan at the Riptide. I explained that I was at the hospital and that my friend was being discharged. I asked if there was any way I could bring him over that day. I told her I would be happy to pay for the extra days. She immediately responded that I could bring him over and his room would be ready and there would be no charges for his stay.

When Rick was discharged, I explained to him that I was going to take him to a very nice, beach-front resort where he could stay until we had a permanent place for him to stay. He was astonished. When I checked him in at the Riptide and took him into his room he was so pleased and happy to be there. He was amazed by it all and just kept saying thank you and that he didn’t deserve this and how could he ever pay us back. I told him there is no need to pay anything back and that Jean and I were happy that we could help.

After I brought Rick to his room, I took him grocery shopping. It was a delight to walk behind him watching as he picked up foods he liked and filled his cart. He likes to cook and being at the Riptide he would have an opportunity to cook for the first time in months. When we got to the register, the bill came to about $114. As I was reaching for my credit card, Rick said, “No, I still have the $200 cash you gave me last week and I will use that money to pay for the food.” It came to $114.00 for all the groceries.

I included a picture from that day below of Rick pushing a basket at the grocery store in Myrtle Beach SC. He still had on the “stocking hat” cover for his head which covered the open wounds on his head from the disease. His scalp was constantly “weeping” blood.

Rick enjoyed 2 ½ weeks in a very beautiful room. He told me one time when I called him that he loved to open the balcony door at night to hear the waves, and he loved to walk on the beach.

On Thursday, October 24th I went looking for where I might be able to purchase the furniture for the condo. I had already looked online at several places such as Ashley’s Furniture and Rooms To Go. I remembered that there was a small furniture place on highway 17 just as you entered Little River. As I was going down Rt. 17, I passed a shop advertising wicker furniture, so I thought I would stop there first. The lady who greeted me, whose name was Jill, was very pleasant and helpful. When I told her I was trying to furnish a small condo, she said while she would like my business, the products she had were not likely to meet my need. I asked for any recommendations, and she suggested I go to BJ’s Furniture in North Myrtle Beach which was located very close to POSSUM TROT. She said the owner of the business, Henry, was a good man and fair. She said I probably would be able to furnish the entire condo there at a reasonable price. I thanked Jill and headed for BJ’s.

When I walked into BJ’s, I was greeted by a lady named Dianne who showed me around the store. I explained what I was looking for and, as we looked at the different items, she decided to involve the owner of the business, Henry, who joined us. I told them that I was buying a small condo at POSSUM TROT and that it was for a friend of mine who had been ill and needed a place to stay. As we looked at the different items, Henry asked more questions about Rick and his situation. I told him that he was actually a homeless man who had been living in his pickup truck for the past five months; I told him that my wife and I were buying the condo so that he would have a place to live. I explained that we were on a short timeline and that I had to buy furniture to be delivered the day after closing, but that the condo needed to be painted and a number of repairs would need to be done. Henry said he knew just the man who could do all of the painting and the repairs. He said his friend, Will Smith, was “the best on the beach” and that he was sure he could help. Henry called Will who agreed to meet with me at BJ’S the next morning at 10:00.

As we went through the furniture, Henry would point out my best options to meet my needs; and, as Dianne was adding up the list, Henry kept knocking down the prices listed on the items. He also added free delivery. To say I was thankful and pleased is an understatement. I paid for all the furniture with my credit card and Henry agreed to deliver it all on Friday, November 8th.

On Friday October 25th I met with Will Smith and his wife Bobby at BJ’s. Henry introduced us and briefly explained to Will what I was trying to do and the level of urgency the project had. I had typed up a list of what I thought needed to be done, and I had some sample colors I picked up at Lowes for the paint. After looking at my list, Will asked if we could go and look at the condo. I had arranged to pick up the key ahead of time. Technically, as the buyer, I was not supposed to get a key without an agent with me but the sellers’ agent allowed me to have the key for the contractor. Although the seller would not allow me to put Rick in the unit before the closing they did allow me to paint the unit and make repairs before the closing.

When we went into the unit and I showed Will and Bobby what I hoped to have done, they were both a little hesitant on how quickly it needed to be done. When we looked at the bathroom I had on my list to paint the little cabinet under the sink. It was very old and deteriorated but I thought the paint could bring it back. The mirror needed to be replaced and the old linoleum was a mess.

After all the work was reviewed, Will said they could do the job which included painting the entire condo to include the ceilings, and inside all the cupboards. He said he would recommend totally tearing out the old sink and cabinet in the bathroom and replacing them. He said he could also replace the floor in the bathroom and a couple of other places that needed to be repaired. He said he would have it all done my noon on Friday, November 8th. We agreed on what I thought was a very reasonable rate. I thanked him and his wife and we all left the unit. Will kept the key so he could get in to do the work.

On Monday October 28th at 11:00 I met with the inspectors we had hired to look at the condo as part of the process of buying the unit. They were very thorough and professional as they looked at all parts of the condo. They pointed out what needed to be repaired and what would be in the report that would go to the selling agent and the sellers. Some of the items were more cosmetic but some, like a leaking water heater, required attention and repair before the closing date.

Once we got the official report we were able to work through our agent to get the necessary work scheduled for repair. We were on a very short timeline at that point. All the old furnishings needed to be removed; the cupboards needed to be emptied; the repairs and painting had to be completed; the unit needed to be thoroughly cleaned; and it all had to be done by the closing date of November 7th.

On Friday October 31st Jean and I depart from Myrtle Beach Airport for our one-week trip to New England. Before we left, we had a conference call with our children to let them know what was unfolding. Our concern was that, if anything happened to us, the plan for Rick needed to be completed. We had boxes of furnishings for the condo we had bought at WALMART and stored in garage and they needed to know what that was all about.

Jean and I returned from our trip to New England on Wednesday, November 6th. The closing was scheduled for the next day, Thursday November. 7th at noon. We scheduled a final walk-through of the condo for 11:00 with Susan our real estate agent.

On Thursday November 7th Jean, Susan and I arrived at the condo for our 11:00 final walk-through. What greeted us when we walked into the condo literally shocked us all. All the old furniture was in a pile in the middle of the floor with a plastic tarp over it. The bathroom sink had been torn out with all the plumbing removed and much of the floor had been torn up. There was an area of flooring in the bedroom that needed to be replaced. There were two men in the unit painting, and it looked like they had just barely begun their work. The ceiling had been painted but the overhead fan had been removed and was sitting in the bath tub along with a broken shower curtain rod and old shower curtain. The cabinet shelves were still full of old dishes, pots, pans and glasses.

As we looked at the condition of the condo, we became concerned that it would not be done by Saturday November 9th for Rick to move in. The furniture we purchased was supposed to be delivered the next day November 8th and the large number of items that Jean and I had purchased for the unit to include new dishes, pots, pans, bedding etc., could not be brought into the condo until the old furniture and items were removed, all the work had been completed, and the unit was cleaned. We took a deep breath and sat in our car and prayed.

Jean and I reiterated in prayer that this was God's Plan and not ours; He is in charge. Although we were the ones doing His work, we knew He was fully in control of all of it. We were just doing our part. The realtor who was with us during the condo inspection visit reassured us that she would contact the previous owner and say the furniture and other stuff needed to be removed that afternoon.  Then she, Jean, and I went to the Closing. 

We were at the Lawyers Office of LONG & MILLSAPS at noon where we met Scott Long who did the closing. All went smoothly and by 1:00 pm we were the owners of the condo, G124 at POSSUM TROT. During the meeting with the lawyer, Susan said to Scott, “ask them why the are buying the condo.” When he did, we briefly told him the story of meeting Rick who was homeless and living in the cab of his pickup truck. We told him, giving Rick’s physical condition, the only option we could see was to buy the condo as a place for Rick to live. Scott was shocked and asked if he could share the story with members of his church. We said yes but no names should be used and we did not want anyone else to know about it. He agreed.

I contacted Will Smith on Friday the 8th to say I would be at the condo at noon and would pay him the remainder of what I owed. He texted back that he would be finished by then. When I arrived at noon and walked into the condo, I could not believe how wonderful it looked. Everything had been completed. The bathroom with the new sink and cabinet along with a new floor was beautiful. There was a new mirror, light fixture and shower curtain rod with a new handicap bar on the side of the shower. All the kitchen cabinets had been painted along with all the doors and trim. The condo looked wonderful. I was amazed! Will and Bobby were standing there along with their daughter with big smiles on their faces. I thanked them for their work and gave them the balance due. I said I would be glad to pay for the extra work they did on the floor areas and Will insisted that I did not have to do that. He said that they were happy to help with this effort. He said they were pleased to help me as a Vietnam Veteran. They knew who the condo was being prepared for, Rick the homeless man.

I called Jean to tell her what the condo looked like. I took pictures of it also. At about 3:00 pm, Henry’s trucks from BJ’s Furniture showed up, and he and his men brought in all the furniture. They set up the bed and helped me bring in the bins and items I had packed into my car that we had bought for the condo. By 4:30 the condo had all the furniture in it.

That evening, after the wine tasting, Jean and I stopped by the condo to put some of the smaller items away and to make up the bed.

Jean and I went to the condo at about 9:00 am on Saturday November 9th. We put away some additional items and I left to go to pick up Rick at 10:00 so he could check out of the Riptide. We arrived at the condo at about 10:45. Rick was overwhelmed when he saw the condo and knew this would be his home. He looked exhausted but he was thrilled to be there. The selling agent had arranged to have a person come to clean the unit, and she showed up at about the same time. Karen Miller was a hard worker who got down on her hands and knees to scrub the floor and clean all the areas of the condo. She said she lived only a few minutes away and would be happy to stop in occasionally to check on Rick. She said her business was to clean properties for the real estate company that handled the selling of this unit. She worked hard for about an hour and when she left, Jean, Rick and I put away the dishes, pots, pans and other items that had to be put away.

I put a picture below of Jean and Rick that first day in the condo.

During the almost three years that followed, our involvement with Rick grew as Rick’s health continued to decline. We had many challengers which required patience, love and the Grace of God to get through.

Among the items we put, early on, in the condo was a picture of the “Devine Mercy” which we had purchased from the gift shop at our church Our Lady Star of the Sea in North Myrtle Beach. Jean found the picture and we had it Blessed by Fr. Andy at the church before we brought it in to the condo. I put a picture of the Divine Mercy in the condo below.

Without proselytizing, I often shared with him the Faith that Jean and I have and our belief that God had invited us to help Rick. Rick often said that we had “saved his life” and that he was appreciative for all we were doing for him. He had told me that he was going to commit suicide before I met him and he showed me the large knife he had purchased for that purpose. I often said that if God did not love him, we would not be in his life. I often reminded him that he was a “child of God.” When he would ask what he could do for us I always said to pray for us because that was what we needed most. Sometimes he would say to me, pointing to the Devine Mercy picture, that he prayed to “his Jesus” every morning for us.

There are many “chapters” and details in the Rick story that would take much more time than I am willing to spend here but, I can highlight some of them to give you a sense of the journey.

The first real crisis for me was when Rick reported in October of 2020 that there were a number of “bugs” in the condo. The HOA for the condo included a pest service and they came in once a month to spray for “bugs” mostly roaches. I suggested to him that he should mention the problem to the pest control guy the next time he showed up. It was a short time later that Rick pointed out the bugs to me that were crawling on his bed and other places in the condo. They were not roaches. My worst fears were realized when I called a pest control service that specialized in bed bugs to come and look at the situation. The technician from Harris Pest Control showed up on Friday October 9th, 2020 and immediately identified the problem as a “full blown” bed bug infestation. He said the only way to eliminate them was a heat treatment that required him to put an electric furnace in the unit along with a number of fans in order to heat the unit to over 130 degrees for 24 hours to kill all the bugs. He guaranteed his work and he said he could come back on Monday the 12th to do the work. It meant Rick had to get out of the unit and stay in a motel and that I had to move the TV out along with other electronic devices, turn of the A/C unit and unplug the refrigerator. I agreed to pay the $800 to get it done. The technician promised it would do the job and he would return as often as necessary to insure they were all dead.

He showed up on Monday at 11:00 am and “wired” his furnace directly into the electric panel. He said we needed to leave and not return until the next day a 11:00 am and he would open the unit and turn off the furnace. The next day I was there along with Rick when he arrived and opened the door. After he turned off the furnace, we went in. There were literally thousands of dead bedbugs on the floor and every flat surface you could see. I was amazed. The technician said that he does a lot of work in the Myrtle Beach area and, as bad as this looked, it was not the worst he had seen. He promised to return if we saw any live bugs again and he would bring a spray to kill them. He also agreed to go out to Rick’s truck and spray it. He said Rick could not get back into the truck for 24 hours. Rick and I spent the next two hours cleaning up dead bedbugs. My great concern is that I not bring any live one’s home on my clothing. It was a stressful time for me.

In fact, about a week later I did find one bedbug on the bedding of our bed. I immediately dragged all the bedding out into the garage along with the box spring and mattress and Jean and I went shopping for a new box spring and mattress that day which was delivered the next day. The delivery guys dragged away all the old bedding for us. Thankfully, after carefully checking for weeks after that, I never found any evidence of other bugs. While some would say we were lucky, we knew we were blessed.

Rick liked to go shopping in used clothing stores and my guess is that somewhere along the line he had picked up the bed bugs. According to the technician, they had been in the unit for months.

Rick had a 2002 Ford Ranger pickup truck. In late 2020 it was becoming obvious that Rick was having a more difficult time driving. He complained about his eyesight and hoped new glasses would help. I was concerned that it was not only his eye sight but I was aware that his reflexes were also fading. Because he depended on the truck to go shopping for his food and other items he needed, I decided to purchase a golf cart to have at the condo so when the inevitable happened and his truck got sold, he would have a way to get around in the North Myrle Beach area. The story of the golf cart is another detail I will not go into at great length here, but the bottom line was I paid $3,900 for a new gas-powered golf cart that Rick was unable to handle for many reasons. Having the golf cart right at the condo served the purpose of easing the “pain” of eventually selling his truck. Eventually, when I decided to sell the golf cart, I was able to sell it in two days for a cash deal of $4,200. Thank you, God!

Here is a picture of the golf cart.

After the golf cart, I tried to solve the transportation problem for Rick by purchasing an electric scooter. I took it to the parking lot at the condo to see if Rick could use it. After a couple of spins around the parking lot Rick decided he was too unstable on it and did not want to use it. After that, I took it home. I put a picture of Rick trying to ride the scooter below.

During the second week of February 2021, I was trying to deal with increasing insurance costs on Rick’s truck and decided I might be able to save some money by buying the truck and putting it under my insurance. I planned on suggesting that to Rick on a Monday but on that Sunday, he called to say he had another “minor” accident with his truck. He had hit a car on the side as he was entering an intersection and scrapped the side of the car. There were no injuries but the police had been called and the report reflected that it was Rick’s fault. For me, the decision was made that he had to sell the truck.

I remember when I told him that he had to sell the truck he curled up on his bed and started crying saying he had never been without a vehicle and just didn’t know how he could give up his truck. I said I could not keep paying his insurance so the truck had to go.

When Rick finally agreed to selling the truck, I started looking for how to sell it and what the asking price should be. After looking on line I came up with an estimate I thought would move the truck quickly. I did not think it was a good idea to put a “for sale” sign on the truck or advertise it in the local paper because the thought of someone showing up to look at the truck with Rick was of concern to me. I started looking for someone or company that would buy it as is. I found a used car company close to Possum Trot, Triple Star Auto Mart, Inc. I stopped by the dealership to see if they would be interested in buying the truck. The Owner Joey Vick, said he was interested and asked how much for the truck. I said the owner, Rick, would be happy with $500. That amount was well below the range I found on the web of $700 - $900 depending on condition and mileage. Rick’s truck had about 200,000 miles on it and a number of dents and dings on it. Joey said to bring the truck over so he could look at it and that he was interested.

I went back to the condo and had Rick follow me the 1 ½ miles to the dealership. When Rick pulled in beside me in the parking lot, he came very close to hitting my vehicle. When Joey came out, he looked the truck over and asked Rick to start it up. Joey noted my Vietnam War THUNDER hat and remarked that the Vietnam Vets did not get the respect they deserved. After Rick got out of the truck Joey said he would buy it for $500 and would write out the check to Rick immediately. He did and I took Rick to the bank so he could deposit it in his account.

Joey asked about the title and I said we would have to come back later with it. He was fine with that and said if he could get it in the next couple of days, he would be ok. He said he trusted me to return with the title because I was a Vietnam Vet. God is Good!

When I went back to the condo with Rick, he did not have any idea where the title was. His “records,” paper work, was chaotic. He had a long-term storage unit but had not been in it for a couple of years. He thought it might be in there but he was not sure. I said I would get a copy.

When I got home, I went on line to the South Carolina DMV website and with the personal information I had about Rick, date of birth, social security number, customer ID number, I was able to order a duplicate copy of the title which arrived in Rick’s mail box three days later. I a key to Rick’s mail box and had been picking up his mail for weeks, so I was able to get the title. After having Rick sign the title, I took it to Joey who was pleased to see me back with the document signed.

Rick had two storage units. One he had for several years which I have never seen the inside of and a more recent one located near the small airport in North Myrtle Beach. He used his debt card to pay the $50 per month for the longer-term unit but he had to go each month to pay the $70 per month for the other one. I decided I would pick up the $70 per month unit and pay it several months in advance. I asked Rick what was in it but he had difficulty remembering what he had in it. I asked if he could give me a key to look inside and he was happy for me to do that especially now that I was paying for it for him. I did, and it was filled with green trash bags filled with cloths and “stuff,” old pots, pans and many other small items that he no longer needed. It was also infested with bed bugs! Bed bugs can live for a year or more without betting fed. It was not pleasant for me to look in that storage unit.

I told Rick what I found and suggested that we get it all pickup and thrown out. He wanted to take one more look at it so I drove him there. We were very carefully about picking through the stuff. He found a couple of crock pots he wanted to keep and a couple of cooking pans. With great care, I removed them and made sure there were no bugs on them before I put them in my car. Rick was happy to let me call someone to get the unit cleaned out and turned back in.

I found a trash pickup service from Shallotte NC that agreed to meet me the next day at the storage unit to clean it out. The man who came with a trash tailer in the back of his pickup truck said he would take it all for $130. I thanked him and said I was happy to pay him cash. I said he should not go through any of the green bags but rather just take it all directly to the dump. I said there was a bug problem and gave him and extra $20 to take it all which he did. I went in to the office and terminated the rental contract. I was so grateful to have that all behind me. Thank you, God!

After his truck was sold, I became Rick’s transportation to doctors’ visits and many other places Rick needed to go. Those visits often came pretty often and many times I ended up waiting in the parking lot for an hour or more. Later, I was able to get Rick to call for a cab to take him to those visits which took a load off of me.

Because of Rick’s transportation problems I started grocery shopping for him about once a week. I printed up copies of shopping lists of those items he typically needed and provided space for him to write-in other items not printed on the list. I put a picture of Rick below filling out one of the shopping lists.

I would call him before I came to make sure he had filled out his shopping list. Even with that, he would forget to fill it out so we would do it together when I arrived.

I always called Rick a few hours before I arrived because some times, he would forget that I was coming. He would do the best he could to clean up the condo before I arrived. He usually had a lot of trash because of all the boxed food items such as frozen dinners and because he used a large amount of paper products, mostly paper towels, to dry up the blood from his head, face and neck. I would also purchase boxes of 36 X 36-inch medical waterproof pads from AMAZON which he would place on his bed, pillows and on the furniture. These pads came in 50 items to the box and I usually ordered two boxes at a time. All of this created a considerable amount of trash. He would load it all in green bags and drag them out to the parking lot where there was a dumpster, he could just through them into. I was very grateful that the dumpster was there and emptied frequently. If all we had was small trash containers it would have been difficult to handle the large volume of trash.

For the first couple of months, I went grocery shopping for Rick alone. Later, Jean would come along with me. When we arrived in the condo parking lot I would go in and get Rick’s list. I always checked his refrigerator and shelves to see what was there and compared what I saw with his list. When I got out to my van, Jean would take out a piece of paper and copy items off the list that she would get while I would shop for the rest of the list. We often chuckled that even though we both had many talents we both felt God wanted us to just “push the cart, fill it up and pay for it" for Rick.

A typical shopping trip would be about $120 - $130 per week to ten days. When we got back to the condo, I would load all the groceries in big COSTCO bags and carry it all in to the condo. Rick would offer to help me but I knew I could do it much faster just getting it done myself. He meant well but he was not strong enough to carry in any of the bags and he would have slowed me down in the process. He always insisted on helping with the costs. When I got home, I would take out the receipts and staple them to the shopping lists. After four or five weeks I would build a summary sheet for Rick which listed the current balance in his checking account and savings account. On the statement there was a place for Rick to sign which authorized me to withdraw a specific amount of money out of his account to help pay for the groceries and other items. All the expenses were itemized on the sheet. He could see the total expenses for the period and the amount he was paying which was usually $200 to $ 300 less than the total.

On the summary sheet I included the cost of his phone that we were paying, the cost of medical pads I got from AMAZON and any cash I had given him.

After Rick sold his truck and before I started shopping for him, we had gone to the Wells Fargo Bank in North Myrtle Beach and he put me on his checking account so I could track it for him and so I could transfer his payments to me for money we spent for him. He did not have checks for his account only a debt card which I did not want to use. I kept detailed records and receipts along with a signed by Rick summary sheet for any money transferred out of his account. Because Rick had a tendency be a hoarder and pack-rat, he often impulsively spent money using his debt card for items he did not need or use. Many stories about that. Since he could not go shopping anymore, we purchased what he needed and some things he wanted. As a result, his checking account grew to the point where he could pay for his own hearing aids $4,200 and still have several thousand dollars in his account.

Rick was on Medicare and Medicaid for his health issues and did not get billed for his doctor’s appointments that I am aware of.

Another great Blessing for Rick was the laundry located just down the hall from the condo. It had two washing machines and two dryers in it. The door required a code to open and sometimes I needed to remind Rick of the code. One of the tasks Jean and I did was to roll quarters to take to Rick so he could feed the machines. I also would go to the bank and literally beg them to give me rolls of quarters for Rick. They did not want to give them out because they always said there was shortage and they were saving them for commercial customers. I was usually able to get $30 - $40 worth. Rick did a lot of laundry because of the constant bleeding. The laundry was a not only a great Blessing because of its convenience, we did not have to pay any water bills for the condo, only an electric bill. If any of the laundry equipment failed all I had to do was call the management office and they would send out a repair man. Thank you, God!

I brought in a small wagon to help Rick get his laundry down the hall. That helped him a lot. I put a picture below of the wagon.

We are happy that our son John had an opportunity to meet Rick and last Thanksgiving he paid for a full Thanksgiving meal which we all delivered to Rick. Along with us that day was Jean’s nephew Joe Bolton. Below is a picture of Jack, Rick and Jean on that day.

On Rick’s 68th birthday, July 15th 2022 we brought Rick a birthday cake. I put a picture of the cake below.

On Wednesday, July 27th Jean had a medical appointment in Myrtle Beach. The next day, we were headed to Baltimore Maryland to visit with our four children.

I had called Rick on Monday to check on him and to see if he needed any additional food. He said he was fine and that he did not need anything. I told him we would be back on Tuesday and we would go grocery shopping when we returned. On Tuesday, I was thinking of Rick and wondered if he had enough of the medical pads to last him while we were gone. I tried called him but he did not answer. That was not unusual, he often did not pickup the phone but would call me back latter. I did not get a call back from him Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning I tried calling Rick again but was not able to reach him. I tried several more times before Jean and I left for her medical appointment. I put the box of medical pads in the car and told Jean that we may stop by the condo on the way home to give Rick the box. I said I would continue to try to reach him and if I did and he did not need the pads we would just go home and bring the pads to him when we returned.

It was unusual for Rick not to return my call. His phone was not set up for voice mail or texting but he would see my phone number and return the call usually saying “I’m sorry I missed your call, Jack.” While I was waiting for Jean, I tried calling Rick a number of times without any response from him. When Jean came out, I said we needed to stop by the condo because I am not able to reach Rick and I am concerned that something may have happened.

Rick never called me unless he needed something. He never called to complain or just to say hello or have a chat. I was the one who called him to check on him. We had many warm and friendly chats but it was always when I was with him not on the phone.

When I arrived at the condo, I knocked on the door several times and did not get a response from Rick. I used my key to open the door and found Rick on the floor of the condo. Initially he was not responsive. He was laying in a pool of blood and I thought he was dead. When I finally got a response from him, he said he had been laying on the floor for two days. He was very weak and could barely talk. He appeared to be badly dehydrated. I called the ambulance which arrived in about 15 minutes. Rick was taken to the emergency room at the Myrtle Beach Grand Strand Hospital. It was a challenging time of gathering some of Rick’s clothes, phone, charger and a few other items to bring to the hospital. I called his sister Jill Oakley who was very responsive to the situation and appreciative for all Jean and I have done for her brother.  Up to that time, we had never spoken although she said she knew about us. Rick remained in intensive care over the weekend and for the better part of the following week. He then was moved to a “stepdown” unit at the hospital. I visited him but he was sound asleep and I did not wake him.

Jean and I returned from Baltimore on Tuesday August 2nd and on Wednesday August 3rd I went back into the condo with my neighbors Bill and Deb to get the heavy lifting of cleaning the condo done. They were wonderful.  On Sunday August 7th Jean and I met Jill Oakley and her husband Don at a local restaurant. I brought with me Rick’s papers and mail that I found in the condo, also Rick’s glasses and all his meds. Jean and I spent two hours talking with Jill and Don and discussing next steps. They were both very gracious and paid for our meal. We agreed to meet on Tuesday the 9th at my storage building so I could give them the remainder of Rick’s personal items, clothes etc. It was two large boxes along with several bags I had taken out of the condo.

On Monday August 8th I met with a local real-estate agent, Chris, who came to the condo to see what it looked like. He had sold a number of condos in that building complex and had a good idea of what our unit might sell for. The unit needed work since the sprinkler system had leaked and needed to be repaired and there was a hole in the ceiling. The bathroom ceiling was badly water stained from a leak in the bathroom of the man who lived above our condo. There was still a good bit of clean out that had to be done. We agreed to have Chris represent us as our agent and signed the appropriate papers. He said the real-estate market was slowing down in the Myrtle Beach area but he was optimistic that the condo would sell quickly if I could get the necessary repairs done. He said he would price it at the low end of the market and thought we could get $79,900 for the unit. We have spent about $75,000 in the approximately three years of working with Rick.

On Tuesday, August 9th the sprinkler guys went into the condo and repaired the leak.  At noon, Jill and Don Oakley picked up Rick’s belongings and while they were with me, Jill received a number of calls from hospital staff as she tried to sort out next steps for Rick. In the end, it looked like Rick would probably stay in the hospital another couple of weeks and then be sent to a full care rehabilitation facility before finally being sent to something like a full care nursing home. Thankfully we have nothing to do with that, it is all Jill and her family sorting that out.

None of us knew Rick as a young man before he was ravaged by the hereditary disease which will probably end his life. His sister Jill graciously sent a picture of Rick as a young man with his grandmother. I put it below.

On that afternoon Chris called to say he was in contact with a man from Buffalo NY who was very interested in the condo and asked if I could send pictures which I did.  The unit had not been listed yet but our agent knew the man and let him know the condo was coming on the market. 

On Wednesday the 10th miraculously, I was able to get a handyman to do all the work needed to be done in the condo. He did not finish until 8 pm. The man upstairs paid for the painting of the bathroom ceiling and I paid $100 for the other work on the hole in the ceiling which was from the sprinkler repair.

At 8:30 August 11th Chris brought a friend of the man in Buffalo to see the unit. I received a call at 9:30 from Chris that the buyer wanted the unit and he was willing to pay the full amount in cash. He waived any inspections of the unit and wanted to close as soon as possible. Jean and I signed the agreements electronically and Chris set up the closing date for the following week. 

On Tuesday August 23rd Jean and I met at the real estate lawyer’s office and closed on the Possum Trot G-124 condo. It was the final step on our journey with Rick. He is now in the hands of his sister Jill, her husband Don and the medical staff at a full care facility. We pray daily for them all.

The Rick story is the latest in a long line of stories where Jean and I answered an “invitation” from God to help someone. It was always about helping someone without any expectation of a “return on the investment” but in fact, God has always abundantly showered us with Miracles and Blessings.

Over the years of our marriage, more than 57 years now, we have had many people live with us. In each case, we were responding to an “invitation” to help. Most of those who stayed with us had no other place to live at that point of their lives. Some stayed for months others stayed for years. In some cases, Roland Savoie and Joan Leonard, we invited them to stay for the rest of their life if they wanted to. We did not ask them to leave but, on their own, they decided to “move on.”

We have listed here the family members and “strangers” who lived in our home. We also listed some of the significant people we sponsored who became part of our life. While we were called to give, we also received from each in ways that cannot be measured, gifts of love and appreciation. It is the gratitude we feel on reflecting on these memories that brings us such joy at this stage of our life – the sunset years.

Family members –

David Savoie – Jean’s brother who came out of the seminary, he stayed for several months. We also gave him a car, our 1968 Ford station wagon.

Phyllis Savoie – Jean’s younger sister who came out of the convent, she stayed for several months.

Marion Savoie – Jean’s younger sister who stayed for a summer. She eloped from our house with Doug Henry without telling Jean which caused Jean great stress.

Annie Savoie – Jean’s youngest sister who stayed for a summer. While staying with us she met a Vietnamese refugee living with us Giao Dau. She and Giao eventually got married.

Charlene Bolton – Jean’s niece stayed with us for one summer while she was in high school.

Joan and Carl – Our daughter and her husband stayed with us for one year plus after they graduated from JMU and they were looking to purchase a house. We have happy memories of their time with us and their first-born child Matthew.

Joan Leonard – Jean’s twin sister who came out from Seattle Washington after selling her house and lived with us for three years until she got a job and was able to buy a house. We let her use our Toyota until she could buy her own car.

Joan Leonard – Jean’s twin sister stayed with us for two more years after she sold her house in Virginia. We wanted to give her an opportunity to save money so she could retire. Because she was working, she contributed $400 a month to the household while she was with us this time. Later, she chose to move to Florida to be near her son Sean.

iJoe and Heidi – Our youngest son Joe and his wife stayed with us for several months when they returned from Poland and were looking for jobs and a place to rent in Richmond VA.

Non- Family –

Le Quang Binh – A Vietnamese refugee stayed with us for about two years. We had answered the request from the Catholic Relief Services in 1975 to take in “hard to place” refugees. They were single men who could not speak English. He left to join family in Minnesota.

Giao Dau – A Vietnamese refugee who stayed with us for about one year. He met Jean’s sister Annie while staying with us. We helped Giao get admitted to the University of Rhode Island. Through our association with both Giao and Binh, we had many Vietnamese refugees, all men, come to our house to meet and prepare meals in our kitchen.

Akira Aizawa – Japanese student, lived with us full-time for three years and part-time for two years while he was at Longwood University. He contributed $200 per month toward the household while he was living with us full-time. He became like a son to us.

Sponsored or supported in some way –

Getachew, Tefera, Yilma Gizaw – all were Ethiopian officers we sponsored while we were in the military. Getachew and Tefera were at Fort Rucker Alabama and Yilma was while we were at Fort Benning Georgia.

Mark Walstead –  Jack met Mark in a bookstore in Wakefield RI. He was a desperate who was talking about committing suicide. We befriended him and brought him into our family and home. We gave him money to buy clothes and to buy a car so he could get a job. 

Rick Avey – The homeless man we supported and loved.

These are some of the stories in our lives of God’s incredible love for all of his children; He “invites” us in to participate in His plans for His people. Jean frequently commented through our many adventures with people, we called them “projects,” how reassuring and edifying it has been that every person who has come to know about these people were compassionate and eager to help in whatever way they could. We never took on a “project” without praying for discernment of what we should do. Our prayer has always been, “God, if this is Your Will make it go easy and if it is not Your Will, block it.” He has never failed us in that request.

Over our life, we have had wonderful spiritual mentors starting with our loving Faith filled parents. Later Fr. Gil Genest gifted us with his love and friendship. He was an integral part of our life and family and visited us in every place we lived. His gift of helping us to develop a personal relationship of Faith with Christ has made all the difference. He helped us through some very difficult times in our marriage especially during the two combat tours or the Vietnam War.

Today, Bishop Robert Barron’s daily gospel reflections helps to feed our Faith. His belief that we must all live in the Theo Drama of a God centered life rather than an Ego Drama of a self-centered life puts into perspective who we are and how we must live.

God’s invitations come with a quiet voice but it is miraculous to participate in his Grace and Power when we answer His call.

Love to all,
Jack and Jean Heslin