“So how do you tell?”
“Well,” he said, rubbing his chin, “probably the best way is to ask a friend whose judgment you trust.”
I closed my eyes and fought for patience.
“That’s what I THOUGHT I was doing, Nunzio. I’m asking YOU. Do YOU think I’m drinking too much?”
“That isn’t important,” he said, blandly. “It isn’t a question of if I think you’re drinkin’ too much, it’s if YOU think you’re drinkin’ too much.”
“NUNZIO,” I said through gritted teeth. “I’m asking what YOUR opinion is.”
He averted his eyes and shifted uncomfortably.
“Sorry, Boss. Like I say, this isn’t easy for me.”
He rubbed his chin again.
“One thing I WILL say is that I think you’re drinkin’ at the wrong time . . . and I don’t mean too early or late in the day. I mean at the wrong time in your life.”
“I don’t understand,” I frowned.
“Ya see, Boss, drinkin’ usually acts like a magnifyin’ glass. It exaggerates everything. Some people drink trying’ to change their mood, but they’re kiddin’ themselves. It don’t work that way. It don’t change what is, it emphasizes it. If you drink when you’re happy, then you get REAL happy. Know what I mean? But if you drink when you’re down, then you get REAL down, REAL fast.”
He gave another heavy sigh.
“Now, you’ve been goin’ through some rough times lately, and have some tough decisions to make. To me, that’s not a real good time to be drinkin’. What you need right now is a clear head. What you DON’T need is somethin’ to exaggerate any doubts you’ve got about yourself or your judgment.”
It was my turn to rub my chin thoughtfully.