Mood: not sure
Topic: "Mooman" (3)
Others noticed it and subtly brought it to the attention of Supervisor Frodo. The Mooman had a problem, and it was getting worse. Frodo sat down with him and discussed the issue, perhaps more as a friend than as an employer, but the Mooman admitted to a problem with alcohol. He made all of the promises, and used all of the words Frodo expected to hear. No one, least of all Frodo, believed him for a nanosecond.
Mooman had been an engineering graduate of Georgia Tech who also had a flair for music. His rock-and-roll band evidently had a level of success, and appeared behind several prominent performers of the era. Tales of "Mama Cass," and raucous behavior filled many hours of conversation, and Frodo always felt that Mooman was talking of the times when his problem began. For he married, and had young boys, whose demands were for a sedentary lifestyle and regular paychecks. Mooman forsook his dreams in order to get a "real job," but he took his problem along with him.
Frodo and Sam had great affection for the Mooman and his family, and days and nights at "Lake Lovey" were treated as normal respite from the toil of Mount Doom. His fellow workers also had affection for the Mooman, but none realized that they were being used, until it became obvious. Soon, Mooman began to leave work early, and his associates were instructed to be evasive if his wife should call. He regaled them with stories of "Big Red," the couch who beckoned him to afternoon siestas when he should be at work. He made them laugh when he called late one afternoon to warn them of an impending snowstorm, only to call back several minutes later to acknowledge that he'd been watching a cable station from Chicago. Drunks are like that, they win your trust with humor.
Eventually Mooman's wife came to Frodo seeking his assistance. Mooman's family had sought the services of a professional psychologist, and had decided that an "intervention" was a necessary course of action. Because of Mooman's relationship with Frodo, and the discussions that they had had, they asked Frodo to participate. In order to help them, and his friend, Frodo agreed to do something he had never done before.
The surprise confrontation began with no subtlety whatsoever, and it went all downhill from there, for Frodo. Although the "intervention" ended exactly as the family wanted, Mooman denied ever having told Frodo that he had a drinking problem. When Mooman left the room that day, he was admitted into a rehab program and he would never say another word to Frodo. He took his materials with him and abandoned his position. Not long afterwards, Mooman's wife filed for divorce, and the Mooman would attempt an entirely new life, virtually all alone.
Sometime later an old friend called to tell Frodo that the Mooman was dead. Frodo immediately called Mooman's former family just as they were returning from his funeral. Frodo was too late to even tell the Mooman good-bye. They told Frodo that Mooman had fallen off of the proverbial wagon, and was found with a half-empty half-gallon bottle of scotch next to his body. His heart gave out as he was swigging directly from the bottle.
Frodo doesn't think of those days often, and that is why he writes of them today. He still feels dirty, and used. His experience with "intervention" showed that although the short-term objective was achieved, the preconceived ideas of the family added Frodo as credibility and justification for what they had already decided upon. Frodo did his friend no service, and it is a process in which Frodo never again will choose to participate.
All Frodo did was put an end to the music. He will not make that mistake again.