Kasher in the Rye: The True Tale of a White Boy from Oakland Who Became a Drug Addict, Criminal, Mental Patient, and Then Turned 16

by Moshe Kasher

I had opened the door when Mike called me over to him. “Hey, man, you got a second?” He smiled. “Ha, I got all the time in the world. I’ve literally got nowhere to be.” “Listen, bro, I just wanna tell you, man—I get it. I get what’s going on with you. I’m not trying to lecture you, I just want you to know that. Just want you to know I get it. I drank for twenty-five years and smoked my life away. I couldn’t stop. I hurt people. I get it.” He stopped smiling and looked at me in my eyes. Looked at me like he got it. Looked at me like I was his equal. An adult hadn’t spoken to me like that ever. “I’m not supposed to be telling you this. You know? We aren’t supposed to interject our opinions. Ha, I could be fired for this, but your mom isn’t gonna snitch on me.” He signed to my mom in the car, “You aren’t gonna snitch on me, are you?” My mom laughed her tears away and signed back, “No.” “Look, man, I just need to tell you, you aren’t a bad kid. Sorry, you aren’t a bad guy, shit, you aren’t a kid anymore. You aren’t bad. You’re sick. I was real sick once. But I got well. My mom died this year and she died at my place. I was with her. She forgave me, you get what I’m getting at?” I didn’t, but I did. He pulled out a ten-year AA chip. “I stopped drinking a while ago and got my shit back together. Just don’t let these people tell you you’re a bad guy, because you aren’t. You’re lost. But if you want help, it’s there. You can call me, we can hit a meeting, whatever. I’m only tellin...