the bugman (lyn)

Since August, I have been sharing my life with a few bugs.  Overnight, almost every night, two to three little black bugs make their way into my bathtub.

The exterminator has been here several times, but the bugs keep returning.  In frustration, my handyman gives me the name and number of the exterminator, and says, “The owner says to call him directly.”  I do.  No more middleman.  Perfect.

Anthony, one of the day doormen, tells me about Bob.  He used to be an airline pilot, and was once hijacked.  Starting an exterminating company was something he did after he had left his flying career.

So Bob the exterminator comes today.  He is well dressed, tan, and looks exactly like Alec Baldwin.  I tell him this, and he responds, “I’m told that all the time.  I even sound like him.”  He does.

He sprays around the bathroom with a few different cans.  “It’s only a few bugs.  Roaches, I think.  Don’t worry.  We’ll get rid of them.”  I believe him. 

Before he leaves, Bob tells me a story about spraying Robert DeNiro’s house.  “He’s reclusive, though, didn’t see much of him.”  Then he asks, “Do you live here alone?”  “No, my son lives with me but he’s at college now.”  “Oh, what college?”  “Cornell,” I tell him.  He then tells me a story about his cousin who is 52 (he’s 56) and had gone to Cornell.  “Ya, he went to work at Intel, and retired at 39.  Bought thousands of shares of their stock when it was selling for a $1.” 

Anthony is right; Bob is a nice guy.  He leaves, but a few minutes later he knocks on my door.  “Hey, I just wanted to tell you, I have a daughter who is a junior at George Washington University.  Last summer she got an internship at Morgan Stanley.  They picked her out of thousands.”  I congratulate him, knowing how big an accomplishment it is to get one of these highly competitive jobs.  Then he says, “I don’t want you to think I am just an exterminator.  I used to be a pilot.”

His coming back touched me.  He was saying, “Don’t judge me by what you see me do here.  I’ve been successful at other things too.  I raised a great girl.  I had a great career.  I am more than what you see.”

Maybe the bugs will come back, and Bob will too.  I am sure he has a lifetime of good stories to tell.