Mr. Wannabe

One bright summer morning four-year-old Dennis bounded into the kitchen and announced to his parents that he wanted to be a cowboy when he grew up. His father rose from the breakfast table, shook his head, and replied, “Good luck with that son,” then grabbed his lunch box and headed off to work at the factory. Understanding that every young child needs support and encouragement, his mother told him that he could be whatever he set his mind to.

All thoughts of riding the range soon vanished immediately after he watched his first episode of Star Trek. Soaring through the blackness of space locked in a never-ending quest for new discoveries held his imagination captive through much of his childhood. His father was less impressed with Dennis becoming a spaceman than a cowboy. In conversations with his wife, he would repeatedly say that their son needed to get a grip on reality. It was reality that gripped Dennis while he was in middle school. Math and science are the two main subjects needed for a career with NASA and he was barely passing either one. His teachers spent hours tutoring him in both subjects, but Dennis considered studying boring and decided to move on to something that would give him instant gratification.

The most popular kids in high school were the ones who played sports. At supper one night, Dennis announced that he was trying out for the football team.

His mother replied, “That’s nice dear, but it’s a dangerous sport and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

His father asked, “What position are you trying out for? I’ve never seen you watch the game.”

“I wannabe the quarterback, or maybe a running back.”

His father smiled and replied, “Someone your size would be better off trying out for the band.”

Later that evening Dennis and his dad went out in the backyard for a game of catch. After a half hour of wobbly short passes that never found their mark, fumbled catches, and a total lack of understanding of the game, his father repeated the word “band” and walked back inside. Much to everyone’s surprise, Dennis did make the team as the equipment manager. The girls in his class were not impressed. Their only interest in him was as a means to meet the real stars.

He graduated near the bottom of his class so attending college in the fall was out of the question. His father offered to find a job for him at the factory where he worked, but Dennis would not hear of it. “I wannabe a boss, not a worker. Maybe I’ll start my own company. I wannabe an entrepreneur.”

“It takes money to start your own business, son and you don’t have any. And before you ask, I don’t have any to lend you.”

“That’s okay, Dad, I know where to get money and it won’t be working in that dirty factory.”

Several weeks passed and much to everyone’s amazement Dennis bought a small storefront and began selling used unclaimed bicycles that were given to him by the police lost and found department. It was the perfect arrangement. The police didn’t have to store unclaimed bikes, and Dennis had the perfect front for his real business, selling drugs. This business might have continued for years if Mr. Wannabe had remained under control, but that was not the case.

Dennis wasn’t happy running his little operation. He wanted to expand his company, take it statewide, and eventually have bike shops across the nation. Unfortunately, what Dennis saw as a wonderful opportunity others saw as a threat to their livelihood. He was warned, but Mr. Wannabe’s need for more came first.

Several days passed and the bike shop remained closed. Dennis’s family contacted the police, and an intensive investigation failed to find Dennis. Mr. Wannabe was no more.