These are some people who have died (who have died)

When I was back in Detroit I found out that my old manager, Marco, from the Cass Cafe had passed away. He had cancer. I hadn't seen him since probably 2000 or 2001, but still it was a shock to hear this news.

Things about Marco

1. It was claimed that he hired waitresses based on their cuteness (being hired at the Cass Cafe was a huge boost for my tiny ego, that bit is more about me though)
2. Once, about 12 hours into a 14hour shift, he made me cry when he told me to get the fuck out of his way.
3. He wore his hair in a long white pony tail.
4. Every now and again he would yell out "Shot time for my girls!" and all the waitress would rin to the bar where he would pour us shots.
5. He offered me and Renee a raise one year if we would stay and help clean the Cass from top to bottom on Labor Day (from $2.25 an hour to $2.50 an hour) but then after we did all the work he said he just promised us free pizza from Pizza Papalis. I threatened to quit and he backed down.
6. He had a daughter none of us knew about until she just showed up one day, age 16, asking if Mark was around.
7. When she moved in he totally cleaned up his act and tried really hard to be a good dad. I don't know how successful he was.
8. One Hallowe'en he ordered us all to dress up if we were working. He asked me what I was going to be and I said 'I'm gonna be a fucking waitress, Marco.' And he said, 'Don't be a smart ass Kohl.' And I said, 'Just you wait!' When I showed up in an old orange Saunder's dress, Cat's eye glasses, red wig and support hose he laughed so hard he nearly cried.
9. He was a mad scientist that year.
10. He was a total lech, always leering at girls and making inappropriate comments, but he was also sweet in his own way.
11. He always made the hooker who came in to use the pay phone buy a coke in a to go cup before she could make her business calls but he never gave her a hard time.
12. He was always kind to crazy Gamey who came in every day for coffee.
13. One night when we were dead slow he came up with a game for us to play we each had to list out all the alternative names we could think of for the penis. He totally won, he had over 40. My favorite was The Captain.

It is always strange to add another name to the list of people I will certainly never see again. It is hard for me to remove the hope and ambivalence surrounding my memories of these people, the idea that there will be one more time when we will laugh with or bitch at each other.

He was certainly too young to die and I am sure he is missed by many.