People of Starbucks

I get it wrong sometimes...

There are several little groups that meet at Starbucks. Attorneys, business people, women who just love wearing yoga pants and holding a cup of coffee in their hands, cops, nursing students , high school kids who think that those iced drinks are really coffee, and so on and so on. They all come together there because it's free to sit down and talk. Free WiFi and overpriced coffee is cool too.

I often see this one group of people here who run some kind of multi-level direct selling business. They set up meetings with potential clients, buy them a cup of coffee, and do their sales pitch. This particular group appears to be nearly all Mexican nationals. Very few in the group live here in the U.S. as far as I can tell (this Starbucks is along the border just 15 minutes from Mexico. They seem like really nice people and appear really dedicated to their business. As far as I can tell they try and get people to change some of their basic services like light, water, and cable to one particular company. They get a small percentage of whatever monthly fee the person pays from that point on. They then also try and convince people to do the same as they are doing, and in turn gain another percentage of the money the people under them make. This similar to what Mary Kay and Avon do. It is a generally accepted business practice, but there is controversy as it closely resembles a pyramid scheme.

The group consists of about 3 gentlemen in their late 40's and early 50's and about 5 to 10 other guys in their mid-twenties. Three women in their mid 40's also regularly make an appearance. The older people are obviously directors in the group and the younger kids are hard working recruits.

There is one particular kid in his early 20's (we'll call him Hector) who comes around a lot. Nice looking kid. Maybe 24, 5' 10" , thin as a stick, light brown curly hair, hazel eyes, and a real nice smile. He's married ( ring), has at least one young daughter (pink homemade bracelet on his left hand), a father in prison in the United States (wears a crucifix necklace of the type and quality made in prisons), has arthritis in his left knee (rubs it only when the air conditioning is on too damn low) and he's got some real job somewhere (I've seen him on weekdays but only after 5). His arthritis probably stems from an injury playing soccer in high school (has worn team shirt at least twice). He is always dressed well in nice well ironed shirts, slacks or jeans, and nice dress shoes or boots. He sometimes wears a dress jacket.

I don't like the guy. Yes, he's the hardest working guy in the group, but that is why I don't like him. He seems kind of pushy. I know you have to be to do that job and make money but that always rubs me the wrong way. I see the look on the faces of the people that he meets with. Most of them don't want what he is selling.

I don't like greedy people. I think people should make money to survive. Be comfortable even. But this need to have expensive things has always irked me. Hector tries to hard. He wants too much.

I notice that the directors in the group make a lot of money. Expensive cars, jewelry, and clothes. All the kids in the group aspire for the same thing.

Something bothered me though. After a few months I noticed that Hector didn't look any richer. He had 10 times the clients that the other guys did. He definitely worked the hardest and I know he got people to sign on as his recruits. Everyone else had new clothes, jewelry, and sunglasses. But not him. I noticed to that he wore nice clothes, but it was the same clothes. It seemed odd. Maybe he had too many debts when he started. Maybe he has family somewhere he sends the money too hard. I couldn't tell. It just seemed odd.

After a while I also noticed he seemed more stressed. Lost weight that he already couldn't afford to lose. Brought his own snacks instead of buying that expensive crap they sell at Starbucks. He seemed so tired. I thought maybe he spent all his money on partying too much. He was one of those guys that like staying out late.

But then one day I noticed something. He always brought this computer bag with him and left it on the floor next to his feet when he did his sales pitch. This time there was a folder sticking out. It was just the corner edge of this thick folder I had never seen him with before. There was an emblem on it and it looked familiar, but I could not put my finger on it. It bothered me that I could not figure it out but it was not important so I forgot about it. I went about my business of reading.

A couple of hours later I was done and it was time to leave. Hector was between me and the exit so I happened to be a little closer and saw the folder a little bit better. It still looked familiar. I also saw a small stack of cards that were tightly wrapped in a rubber band on the table. I first thought they were business cards but I saw his business cards on the other side of the table. These cards were a little bit longer than your standard business card. I left.

I put my computer in my car and I was about to get in when I stopped for a bit. It was on the tip of my brain. I had seen that emblem before. It was 3 red bent lines with a dot over it. I was about to take off when it came to me. I had it all wrong. That symbol was the emblem to MD Anderson Children's Cancer Center. Hector's little girl had cancer. That same little girl that gave him that pink bracelet to wear. The bracelet he could not say no to wearing. That thick folder is the one they give you at the hospital when they break the news to you.

Hector wasn't in a hurry to make money to throw it away on expensive things or to stay out late at night partying. He had a full time job and this side job to make money to keep up with expenses of having a child who is very sick. Of making her life comfortable. I had it so wrong.

I thought about it for a bit. I walked back in and saw that he had just finished up with the couple he was talking to (he didn't make the sale) . I saw the cards on table and asked him what he was raffling off (It could have been bbq plate sale but a raffle made more sense). It was for a chance to win a large screen TV. Five dollars a ticket. I bought 20 of them. His eyes lit up and he thanked me.

The tickets read "Benefit Raffle for 4 year old cancer patient ....".

I still see him around but not as much as before. He waves hello to me every time he sees me. Maybe things are better. But the most likely truth is that the money really doesn't matter anymore. Now he just needs to spend all of his time somewhere else.