ΦΡΑΠΕ ΚΑΙ ΛΑΙΚΑ

So, there was this homeless Greek guy named Yianni. Not to be confused with Mavro Johnny, no, this guy was really Greek. He kind of has a sad story.. It sounds like a movie script, but I assure you, it’s true. He was super smart, worked at… wait, before we go any further, please reread this story and talk like Jennifer Jason Leigh in this movie. Ok, where was I? He was a math wiz, worked at one of the big banks downtown. While he was going to school though, before this, he was working in Greektown. Once he finished school and got a big job, he still worked in Greektown on the weekends for the hell of it. Now, Urban Greektown legend has it that he was in love with a singer from the bouzoukia and when she cheated on him, he slowly went crazy. 

All this happened before my time, so the story isn’t that clear. The only way I remember Yianni was in his current state. He was disheveled, dirty clothes and always carried around this huge duffel bag and no one knew what was in it. To people walking down the street, it was odd to see him yelling at the pavement, but to us, it was normal. All of us down here fed him and gave him coffee and stuff. He never begged for money, but we always took care of him. a normal conversation would go something like this:

me: Yianni, what do you want me to get you?

Yianni: A Cheeseburger. But not from ____, they put drugs in them.

me: Ela re, they don’t..

Yianni: Yes they do.. well, for me they do, so don’t tell them it’s for me, tell them you want it.

One day, he came into the store and asked for a manila envelope. I grabbed one but it was ripped a little. He started freaking out saying how important this is.. so I went and got him another one. He then shoved about 300 handwritten pages into the envelope, asked for tape and a pen, shut it and wrote an address on it. He then tells me that, if he “doesn’t make it this weekend, send this to the address on the envelope.” I start getting a freaked out, thinking what the hell is going on.. I accept it and he leaves. About 30 min later, he comes back and says that it’s too much pressure for me and he took it back. Nothing ended up happening, I saw him that Monday and we never spoke about why he said that to me. I think he ended up going downstate or something, because he stopped coming around Greektown back in 2004 or 2005. For as many people down here that took care of him, no one knows where he went. 

it’s ok though, we have another old Greek semi-homeless guy who yells at the pavement now though. 

1. My wife.

2. Baseball, Music, Greece, My family and my small, small circle of friends. Oh, and Frappe, too.

This weekend was the biggest weekend for me and my lil shop.. I had been stressing out trying to prepare, hoping the weather would be decent (it was), and things went well. I actually took a legit day off today, did nothing besides watch movies (and iCarly lol don’t judge me).. well, I did some work, but I stayed home. Maybe it was due to the fact that I worked 30 + hours in two days on barely any sleep. 

I’m still waiting for an answer about something else that is kind of a big thing for me.. It’s been the cause of quite a bit of stress in my life for the last year and a half or so. Like, I haven’t been able to sleep much and been having weird dreams..

I hope it happens soon.