BOB APODACA, YOU OWE ME!

#1 Son was all excited! A real live New York Met was coming to town, and was speaking in the school auditorium.

“Dad, Bob Apodaca is coming to speak at the school!”

“You want to go?”

Of course, since I’m his father he didn’t say I was a dumb ass for asking.

Off we went: the kid and me to see Bob Apodaca. The place is crawling with Mets fans and closet Yankee fans. As we enter we are given large posters of guess who. You haven’t been paying attention: BOB APODACA! Pay attention!

Mr. Apodaca gives a nice little talk to the kids, and their fathers, and promises he will autograph the posters. Somewhere in between his saying that and our leaving, we missed out on the autograph! I tell #1 Son to try to go back stage and I’ll try out here to find him to give us an autograph. I know neither of us will succeed, but who knows. While #1 Son is gone, I sign the poster and disguise my penmanship to fool him.

#1 Son comes back, looking very disappointed, and I give him the poster I signed, hoping to fool him but make a bad situation good in his eyes, he is like a toothless pit bull, he doesn’t bite! He tells me it’s fake, and I am now feeling lower than he is. I let my kid down.

Where do you send a father like me? A monumental screw up and it is all my fault. Today, whenever he is home, I remember that night in the school building, the poster and Bob Apodaca.

BOB APODACA, YOU OWE ME!

What? You thought this story had a happy ending?