Many moons ago when spirit wolf first brought us Pokemon cards to sell it was the hottest item we had ever stocked. Literally the phone would ring 100 times a day with requests for them. I know this because we actually counted over the course of several days and did the math. The phone rang so much that I missed getting tickets to the new Cleveland Browns first game ever at the Football Hall of Fame. My ex-wife not being able to get a hold of me just gave them to a coworker thinking I wouldn't want to go. I have never forgiven her...anyhow during this time period we heard the most insane excuses for us to reserve the most sacred of Pokemon cards, the foil Charizard. Because of the demand for this piece of paper it was selling for close to $60 and we couldn't keep them in stock. As a result we would adhere to a strict first come first serve and no reserve policy. To get around that people would make up lies, stories, bribes or offer sexual favors (this actually happened) for us to set a foil Charizard back for them. Now the the setting has been established let me tell you about my friend and coworker Renee.
Renee is the son of a wealthy Indonesian businessman and was studying in the states with his brother and sister acquiring their MBA's. He was given a sizable allowance to cover food, rent, tuition and other living expenses. He never flaunted it but was very good to the people he cared about. Six very lucky souls were on his written list of the people he didn't hate. Once again, this is true. In his wallet was a folded ratty piece of paper that had been edited many times with six names on it. He was a man of his word. He also once told a person that if he were back in Indonesia with him he would kill him with a claw hammer. The other guy laughed until he realized Renee wasn't lying. Now that you know Renee here's a story about him and Pokemon...
It's late on a Sunday evening with about 15 minutes left till closing time. Renee and I got all of the chores done and there were no guests in the shop so we were just sitting reading the weeks new comics. The phone rings piercing the calm of a quiet Sunday. Renee reaches over picking up the phone with out looking away from his copy of Thor. This is only Renee speaking in the next run of dialogue and the only half of the conversation I could hear.
"Hello Comic Town, Renee speaking."
"Yes. Yes we have this Charizard."
"$50....no we don't reserve the cards."
"I don't care if some one wished it."
"Make..A...Wish? No, it does not matter."
"Even with a credit card we won't."
"That is a stupid wish. If you can grant wishes why didn't he wish to be cured."
"No, I understand that you are terrible shamans."
At this point I am very frightened as I watch Renee hang up the phone, calmly walk over to the showcase, pull the foil Charizard out, ring himself out with no discount, pay for it then once again far too calmly tear it into tiny pieces and throw them into the trash. He then sits back down and begins reading Thor again as if nothing happened.
"Renee, ummmm, who was that on the phone?"
"Some one wanting to reserve the Charizard."
"I figured out that part but who was it that was asking"
"Some bogus person claiming to be from some Make a Wish Foundation. Why tell a child that is dying from a blood disease that you can grant them a wish and then let him ask for a Pokemon card. So stupid."
"...oh...my...shit..."
Fortunately this was a person trying to scam a Charizard. I assume this based on the fact that we were never put on the news as the store that told the Make a Wish people they were stupid.
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