The two men walked into the room filled with several new people who just arrived yesterday to the clinic. All looked bewildered and confused. They noticed one younger man sitting, looking out the window lost in thought. Jim turned to Sal, “Hey that one is taking it hard. Have you talked to him yet?”
Sal nodded his head.” Yep, that one is in a total state of denial and shock.” Jim inquired further, “what is his story?”
Sal, responded, “His name is Charlie. We talked for a few hours. This is what he told me.”
The two young men sat in their small studio apartment over a pizzeria in downtown Elizabethtown Kentucky, drinking a beer as they did every evening after a long day at work in the auto parts factory. These lifelong friends were inseparable. They grew up on the same street, went to the same schools, and played the same sports, and now these 26-year-old men work the same job and live together in their small cramped apartment. Chase was a good-looking young man, thin but muscular with dark brown hair, cut in a short and non-fashionable manner. An impulsive heavy drinker coupled with occasional drug use that historically landed him in trouble with school, family, and the law. Diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder, his mood swings often manifested itself with violence. He currently was on probation at work due to an altercation with a co-worker. His entanglements with the law started innocent and escalated to multiple DUI’s and an assault conviction for a barroom brawl.
Charlie, on the other hand, was different. Short and stocky with short blond hair. A follower and rarely a voice of reason for Chase, Charlie loved the excitement Chase created. He was always right by his side as his hero got into scrapes and Charlie was always coaching him to conquer the next challenge or lie himself out of a jam. Chase made Charlie's life exciting and dangerous and he enjoyed the thrills only Chase could deliver. In fact, almost every sexual encounter Charlie enjoyed was because of Chase's wild and crazy lifestyle. Charlie spent every day allowing Chase to be Chase and never attempted to pull him off the cliff when his friend was about to spiral out of control. The case could be made that Charlie was a silent but effective instigator for Chase. Unlike a normal person, no feelings of guilt crossed Charlie’s mind throughout the years. Would a good person really allow his great friend to continue such risky and destructive behavior? However, as always Chase led him to adventures that Charlie could never find on his own, so the game of following Chase to the brink continued.
The two inseparable friends were introduced to alcohol the same day. The two seventh grade boys were at Chase’s house one Saturday afternoon. Mom was out shopping and Dad was cutting the lawn. Bored they went the cupboard looking for a sweet treat. To their disappointment, all they found was soups and canned goods. However, Charlie noticed an old dusty bottle on the top shelf. Charley took it down and read the old and faded label. Sailor Jake’s Kentucky Bourbon. Charlie gave Chase that devilish look he always gave him when it was time to do something sneaky. Chase nervously shook his head back and forth indicating no, this was not a good idea. However, Chase tilted his head to the side and gave him that smile and that was all it took. The two boys quickly rushed out of the kitchen to the basement door and descended into the musty, unfinished basement.
Safely in the basement, Charlie held the bottle up to Chase and Chase took it and removed the cap. Nervously he placed the bottle to his lips and took a cautious sip. As the bourbon flowed from his lips, down his throat and into his stomach, he coughed and gagged at the burn in his throat and the harsh taste. Both boys laughed at the reaction. They spent the afternoon sipping the bourbon and laughing at the faces just small sips caused. It was a feeling Chase never felt before and it was awesome. Chase eventually noticed a feeling of lightheadedness and sleepiness coming over him and decided it would be best to lay down. Charlie convinced Chase to hide the bottle behind the water heater before they ascended the stairs. Chase passed out in his bed and when his mother asked why he was sleeping in the middle of day, he blurted out the excuse Charlie had coached him to say, that he was feeling a little sick to his stomach and wanted to rest. Mom felt his forehead and noticing no fever gave him some Pepto-Bismol and let him be.
The next day as Chase awoke; Charlie was sitting in the room working on a partially built model car that the two were working on recently. Charlie walked over to the bed and pulled the bottle out of his backpack and said, “Get dressed, we are going to the bridge.” Chase looked at the bottle and that sick feeling welled back. Charlie was un-phased, and opened the bottle and handed it to Chase. Chase took a sip and felt immediately better. They snuck the bottle out of the house and went to the old trestle bridge were all the cool kids hung out. Chase and Charlie would hang there but were never considered part of the in-crowd. However, this day would be different. Their gift of a bottle of bourbon made them immediately accepted as part of the crew. In fact, a few sips on the bottle transformed these two shy boys into confident young men who now had the courage to talk to the girls at the bridge. The boys who sat in their rooms building models became part of a new and vibrant social scene.
The middle school years saw Chase’s popularity grow and Charlie was just fine tagging along and enjoying the show. At that point, alcohol was an occasional boost to the social scene and nothing more. When the high school years began alcohol became a weekend must for Chase, Charlie and the crew. Chase did very well with the girls and Charlie became the sidekick. There were times Chase would question the partying lifestyle. His focus was on girls and parties and not on getting good grades. He saw others talking of college and their future and Chase was barely squeaking by academically. Chase would talk to Charlie about his concerns but Charlie always assured him that everything would be OK and to focus on the big keg party coming up. Every time Chase would begin to worry, Charlie was there with a drink and a new adventure for them. They cut more days of school senior year than they attended. However, graduation still came.
The first post high school summer came with Chase and Charlie getting jobs at the local carwash. They worked during the day and partied at night. Chase had a 1997 Ford pick-up that he bought for $400 off a family friend. They partied hard and took chances. The crew they hung with was the ones that did not go off to college after graduation. They drank and got into fights with the locals from across town. Money often was short and they had no issue distracting a storeowner to steal a few things here and there. The bars in this small town were local and struggled to stay open and had no problem serving the under aged teens. They lived life footloose and fancy free.
It was a warm summer Saturday night in their twentieth year when the first real trouble started. Oh, there were suspensions from school and grounding from the parents. However, now as adults, there was adult troubles and consequences to match. Chase was dating a girl named Jen. This was an on again/off again relationship because Chase had wandering eyes and when he was drunk would act on it. Finally Jen had has enough and broke things off with Chase. Chase was devastated but Charlie knew how to ease the pain and off to the local pub they went.Charlie assured Chase all he needed was a few drinks and a fresh girl to ease the pain. As Chase was drowning his sorrows, Jen rolled into the bar with Jim Frenz on her arm. Jim was a grade school friend who broke with the “in crowd” and won a scholarship the Purdue University. Charlie considered anyone who broke from the local crowd as a traitor and made sure to poke Chase as the couple walked in. Chase leapt immediately into action and without a thought landed a right straight to Jim’s nose. This of course led to an all-out ballroom brawl that landed Chase in jail. An 800-dollar fine and community service followed.
The bar incident was enough to convince Chase it was time to put the brakes on the booze and get his life together. However, Charlie spent hours convincing Chase that he was overreacting and this was clearly, the fault of Jim, Jen, the bar owner, and the court system. The only real solution was to find a new bar that was more reasonable and understanding. Chase put his reservations aside and again listened to his best friend Charlie.
Within two weeks of his conviction for assault, Chase got his first DUI, which landed him another night in jail, a suspended license and $1500 in court fees. Chase again confided in his only true friend Charlie stating that he thinks he may be an alcoholic and it may be time to give up the drinking and partying. Charlie, always there for Chase gave him some familiar counsel. He told Chase that he was just on a run of bad luck. These assholes just want to keep you down. We just need to be smarter and more careful. Noticing how stressed Chase was, Charlie suggested a few drink to calm him down and take the edge off. Charlie always new exactly what to say to Chase in these times of crisis. He would cast the blame someone else and drink away the worry and pain.
On month later, Chase got his second DUI and the additional charge of driving without a license. This landed him bigger court fees and 12 weekends in jail. The weekend jail was a gift from the judge so that he could keep his job at the auto parts factory. However, that gift was short lived when Chase was firedfor being drunk at work. Chase was now in danger of losing his apartment, car, and was facing the shame of moving back into his parent’s house. Chase was close to rock bottom and knew something had to change.
Despite Chase’s situation, Charlie never left his side. He was always there with a beer or shot to ease his pain. Appreciatinghis friends support, Chase told Charlie that he was an alcoholic and was checking himself into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. Charlie did everything to convince Chase that he was overreacting. All he needed was a drink and some time to let things settle down. If fact, Charlie suggested a bar run to chase some women and blow off steam. Nevertheless, Chase had made up his mind. He had to do something to change course. Chase new it would be hard. He used alcohol as a crutch to deal with everything. Giving up alcohol seemed like giving up a best friend.
The three days leading up to Chase’s entrance into the rehabilitation center, Charlie ensured Chase had plenty to drink. He convinced Chase that if he was going to quit, then go out with a bang. Charlie also spent that time trying to convince his friend to change his mind. This advice was ignored and Charlie checked himself into the rehabilitation center. Charlie was upset that his friend was trying to get sober and vowed talk to him every chance he could. When they spoke, Charlie did everything he could to get him to walk out of the center and forget this silly venture. The longer Chase was in the center, the less frequently the spoke. Charlie missed his friend dearly and could not wait until he got out so life would get back to normal.
After forty-five days, Chase walked out of the rehabilitation center and Charlie was waiting for him at the door. NoticingChase looked healthy and refreshed, Charlie complimented him on making it all the way through the program. He then went into a long diatribe about taking a break was a good thing. “Now, you can drink again but now you will not let it get out of control ever again. You learned your lesson so let us go celebrate. The bar is open and all the guys are waiting for you. Chase just smiled at Charlie “No my friend, we are going to an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting, I have to start my life of sobriety off on the right foot.”
Charlie and Chase walked three blocks and past two bars on the way to the AA club. Charlie tried to convince Chase to go into each bar they passed with no luck. Finally, they foundthemselves standing in front of an old brick one-story building. The sign simply read AA. Under the sign was a circle with a triangle in it. Written in the triangle on each side of the triangle were the words unity, service, and recovery. Charlie “Blurted what a croc of shit’, as Chase walked through the doors. People started coming up to Chase introducing themselves and shaking his hand. Everyone was very welcoming to Chase. Charliestarted to move towards Chase when a hand touched his shoulder. The man in his fifties, grey hair, potbellied, and a scruffy beard said, “We stand over here.” He motioned Charlie over to an equal size group in the back of the room. Charlie asked, what the hell is this?” A young woman is her twenties smiled and shook her head. The man inquired, you haven’t figured it out yet have you?” “Figured what out,” snapped Charlie. The whole group looked at Charlie and awaited the explanation.
My name is Brandon. “I am here with Jake. He is the fellow standing at the coffee pot. I am here waiting for the opportunity to get him away from this place and get him back to drinking like a man should. All of us back here are waiting for their someone to come to their senses.” The whole group nodded in unison. Charlie was confused. “Why would the people who run this place let you in here?”
“How could they stop us? We belong to our drunk, we can never be separated from them.” This is a “This is a freak show”, exclaimed Charlie as he began moving toward Chase. “It won’t do any good” exclaimed the woman who smiled earlier. “Charlie is with them, He can barely hear you right now.” Charlie gave her a crazy person gesture by spinning his finger around his temple and yelled, “Chase, let’s get the hell out of here.” Chase, in conversation, paused as if he lost his train of thought and then began talking again. “See”, said the woman, “you just screamed in a crowded room and no one heard you except your friend Chase. You do not exist. You are not a person. You are Alcohol. You are John Barleycorn. You are the disease of alcoholism living only inside of Chase. You exist only to make him drink. You are the giver of false hope. You are the stealer of hopes and dreams. You are only happy when his is drinking. Your sole purpose is to poison him and bring him to the grave.” Chase looked at the group. They were sitting and having their meeting. One person was sharing something her gratitude in her sobriety. Chase realized that his group were like ghosts in the room. Some were standing over their alcoholic whispering in their ear try to distract them. Others were just observing the meeting. Charlie felt sick to his stomach. He could not understand this reality.
“That is the story Charlie told me last night,” said the one man. “Pretty typical. Let’s go talk to him” responded the other. The two men walked over to Charlie and sat down. Charlie continued to stare out of the window as the spoke. “Charlie, we are here to help you. Up until now, your life has been easy. You were very successful in getting Chase to do your bidding. But everything has changed, he has found a solution and a better way to live and that life doesn’t include you.” Charlie looked over at the two men. “What am I supposed to do now? Do I find someone else?” “No, it doesn’t work that way,” replied one of the men. “You are and will always be a part of Chase. You live inside his head and will always be able to talk to him. The problem is he has found a program to silent your voice. The harder he works at his new life the dimmer your voice will become.” Charlie looked right at the two men and asked, “Is there no hope?” Smiling the man stated, “Oh, there is plenty of hope. You are the disease of alcoholism. You are extremely influential and powerful. As Chase works to get stronger in his sobriety, you need to be working just as hard to prepare for his moment of weakness. Talk to the others, there are many of us who have pulled their alcoholic out of sobriety. Sometime after years of patiently waiting. They stay sober through this fellowship called AA. They use the 12 steps and fellowship to remain sober. Watch for your alcoholic’s life to get better. Watch for him to think he has you licked. When he thinks he can do this sobriety thing, all by himself, then you must be ready to step in and convince him he can handle a drink. Once that happens, you got him. Watch for moments of tragedy or unexpected twists and turns in his life. That is another opportunity to strike. Be advised that he is being coached to reach out in times of crisis for support. Therefore, you have to be always ready.” Chase inquired, “How long does it normally take?” The two men looked at each other, paused and gave him the truth. “For some, it only takes a short while. For others it is a constant battle where the alcoholic goes through series of relapses and either eventually stays sober or gives up and drinks themselves to death. Finally, there are those who embrace Alcoholic Anonymous and will shove you so deep in the recesses of their soul you will never see the light of day. This is the bitter truth. You better get prepared for a battle because, if Chase truly embraces AA, you will be in for the fight of your life.”
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