Angry man update - You never know

I wrote last week about this really angry man that came into the showroom. Demanding and surly. He said he wanted the cheapest counter-top we had because they weren't going to live long.

We got into confrontation on what would be required for a deposit and he said he wasn't giving a deposit and I said if he could find that deal somewhere else he should take it. He stormed out.

I was surprised when his wife called me and wanted me to come and measure today. It was a bit daunting to think about being on his territory and having another confrontation. But I put my fears aside and went to their house this afternoon.

When I got there he was sitting inside the garage smoking. It is 100 degrees today. He was breaking from cutting the grass at 3:00 in the afternoon. Did I mention it is 100 degrees today. He said hello and I ask if I should go to the front door he said yes and his wife opened the door.

I walked in and she immediately told me that her son had a brain embolism and died two weeks ago suddenly. She showed me a necklace she just picked up with his fingerprint on it, he was only 41.

No wonder he said they were all going to die soon. Their son had started renovating the kitchen for them and hadn't finished.

As I was leaving she thanked me for coming after what happened last weekend. She said he is handling things his own way. I waved goodbye to him as I was leaving.

Life is not fair. I don't have kids but it seems like that would be particularly hard to come to terms with losing a child. It is out of the natural order of things.

I thought I was glad I didn't refuse to come to her house. It made think about all the people you meet that are angry or rude. Something made them that way. Maybe something that happened that day or a week ago or even ten years ago, who knows.