Mike Destefano: Franny’s Last Ride - The Moth

Summary

Summary of "Mike Destefano: Franny’s Last Ride" from The Moth Podcast

Release Date: February 16, 2009
Host: The Moth
Storyteller: Mike Destefano

Introduction

In the poignant episode titled "Franny’s Last Ride," comedian and storyteller Mike Destefano shares a deeply personal and emotional narrative about love, addiction, loss, and the quest for freedom. Delivered live at The Moth mainstage, Mike's story captivates listeners with its raw honesty and heartfelt moments, offering a glimpse into his tumultuous journey from heroin addiction to the profound love he found with Franny, and the tragic events that followed.

Early Life and Heroin Addiction

Mike opens his story by recounting his childhood fascination with freedom symbolized by Harley Davidson motorcycles. At the age of seven, he was enamored by men riding Harleys, yearning for the independence they represented.

"When I was a kid, I wanted to get a Harley really bad. I was about 7 and I saw these guys riding... I want to be free like those guys."
— Mike Destefano ([02:00])

However, his aspirations were derailed by substance abuse. In his teenage years, Mike began using heroin, a struggle that escalated to a near-fatal overdose at eighteen.

"When I was 18, my parents found me in the house, overdosed, almost dead."
— Mike Destefano ([04:05])

This pivotal moment led him to seek help through detox and rehabilitation, marking the beginning of his battle to overcome addiction.

Recovery and Meeting Franny

During his time in rehab, Mike met Franny, a fellow patient who had been through the program longer. Their bond grew as they supported each other through recovery.

"When I was in the rehab, I met Fran. She was a beautiful, beautiful girl. The first time I saw her, I was just like, wow, amazed."
— Mike Destefano ([06:20])

Their relationship blossomed post-rehab, providing Mike with stability and hope as he attended college and built a life with Franny.

Building a Life Together and Franny's Illness

Life with Franny was joyful yet shadowed by health challenges. Franny battled pneumocystic pneumonia, a complication associated with AIDS, which first emerged when Mike was eighteen.

"I took her to the hospital, and 12 hours later, they said that she had this pneumocystic pneumonia... and I didn't know what to do."
— Mike Destefano ([09:15])

Determined to provide a better environment for Franny, they relocated to Florida, hoping the warmer climate would aid her recovery. Despite their efforts, Franny's condition remained precarious, leading to repeated hospitalizations and intermittent returns to hospice care.

"She was thrown out of hospice for not dying, and only she could pull that off."
— Mike Destefano ([10:30])

The Harley’s Significance and the Final Ride

The Harley Davidson motorcycle, a symbol of Mike's childhood dreams and aspirations for freedom, becomes a central element in the climax of his story. On a day when Franny's health took another downturn, Mike obtained his long-desired Harley, intending it as a gift to bring joy to Franny.

"On a Thursday of that week, I was. My motorcycle, my Harley Davidson was ready to be picked up... So I drove the bike over to the hospice."
— Mike Destefano ([11:45])

Initially met with anger from Franny, Mike persisted, believing the bike would rekindle their shared dreams. Eventually, Franny accepted the Harley, leading to an unforgettable ride around the hospice parking lot.

"She said, can you start it up?... So I start the bike up... Can you just take me for a little ride?"
— Mike Destefano ([12:30])

What ensued was a moment of pure freedom and connection. Riding the Harley at high speeds on the highway, Mike and Franny experienced a transcendent sense of liberation, momentarily shedding the burdens of their addictions and impending loss.

"We were riding around this hospice with this morphine pole... And then I take her out on the street a little bit... She put her arm around my belly and started rubbing. And she said, can we go on the highway?"
— Mike Destefano ([13:00])

This ride symbolizes the culmination of Mike's promise to live fully for Franny, embracing the life they dreamed of together, even in the face of imminent loss.

Reflections and Conclusions

Mike concludes his story with reflections on the ephemeral nature of freedom and life. Despite the brevity of their final moments together, the ride with Franny remains a testament to their love and the fleeting joys that punctuate life's hardships.

"For 10 minutes... we were normal. And that wind just blew all the death off of us."
— Mike Destefano ([13:50])

Through his narrative, Mike Destefano invites listeners to contemplate the complexities of love, the struggles of addiction, and the profound impact of shared moments of freedom and happiness.

Closing Thoughts

Mike's story, rich with emotional depth and vivid imagery, exemplifies The Moth's mission to showcase true, personal stories that resonate with universal themes. "Franny’s Last Ride" is a moving exploration of human vulnerability, resilience, and the enduring power of love.

Notable Quotes with Speaker Attribution and Timestamps

"When I was a kid, I wanted to get a Harley really bad... I want to be free like those guys." — Mike Destefano ([02:00])
"When I was 18, my parents found me in the house, overdosed, almost dead." — Mike Destefano ([04:05])
"When I was in the rehab, I met Fran... I was just like, wow, amazed." — Mike Destefano ([06:20])
"She was thrown out of hospice for not dying, and only she could pull that off." — Mike Destefano ([10:30])
"Can you start it up?... So I start the bike up... Can you just take me for a little ride?" — Mike Destefano ([12:30])
"We were riding around this hospice with this morphine pole... And she said, can we go on the highway?" — Mike Destefano ([13:00])
"For 10 minutes... we were normal. And that wind just blew all the death off of us." — Mike Destefano ([13:50])

This detailed summary encapsulates the essence of Mike Destefano's "Franny’s Last Ride," highlighting the key moments and emotional beats of his storytelling performance on The Moth podcast.

Transcript

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Dan Kennedy (1:23)

Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy. The Moth features true stories told live without notes. All stories on the Moth Podcast are taken from our ongoing storytelling series in New York and Los Angeles and from our tour shows across the country. Visit themoth.org the story you're about to hear by Mike Destefano was recorded live at the Moth mainstage.

Mike Destefano (1:52)

When I was a kid, I wanted to get a Harley really bad. I was about 7 and I saw these guys riding. I was in my dad's car in the back and these dudes were driving by on his Harleys. And I remember looking at him and saying, I want to do that, man. You know, I want to be free like those guys. And, you know, I started doing heroin a few years later, so I couldn't really get a bike. I couldn't, you know, I couldn't get toothpaste and shit, you know, let alone a $15,000 motorcycle. When I was 18, my parents found me in the house, overdosed, almost dead. They took me to a hospital, and then they took me to a detox and into a rehab. When I was in the rehab, I met Fran. She was a beautiful, beautiful girl. The first time I saw her, I was just like, wow, amazed. And we started becoming really close and we went through the rehab. She had been there a long time before me, and she was finishing up and I was just starting out and she finished the rehab And I was still in there. And then I finished and we started dating. And life was pretty good, you know, it was hard to get off of heroin, but I was able to do it. And I went to college. I started in college, and Franny and I were together and dating and just having a good time. And one day she had a really bad fever. I took her to the hospital, and 12 hours later, they said that she had this pneumocystic pneumonia. I didn't know what it was, and they said it was from aids. And I didn't know what to do. I loved her and I wanted to be with her. New York got her sick a lot. She coughed a lot and had bronchitis all the time. So we moved to Florida. Like, when old people moved down there, we went down to retire. I figured that we would live as much as we could and do everything we could. And for some reason, I just wanted to make her life the greatest life. And we got married, and we were living in Florida. And I thought the. The warm air down there would help her heal and feel better, but it didn't. She went into the hospital one night, and the next morning the doctor told me that she had pneumonia again and that they couldn't really cure it and that she might have a few weeks to live. And that was the first time I was told that. And I was devastated. And she was devastated. They put her in a hospice, and like, two weeks later, they sent her out of the hospice because she started to get better. She was, like, thrown out of hospice for not dying, and only she could pull that off. She was a young Italian girl, and she was not interested in suffering and dying. Like, who is? But she was extra, not fucking into it. A few weeks later, she got sick again. I took her back to the hospital they put her in. Doctor told me the same thing. She's gonna. A few weeks and she's gonna be gone. So they put her back in hospice. A month and a half later, they sent her home again. And you know, our families, my parents. Her parents were happy about it. Oh, she's going to be better. But I knew how to start, you know, I know how the story's going to end. And a few weeks later, she ends up back in the hospital. And on a Thursday of that week, I was. My motorcycle, my Harley Davidson was ready to be picked up, you know, So I went that Thursday to get the bike, and it was beautiful. She was in the hospital, and I got a call that she went back to hospice. So the day I Got the bike. She was back in hospice. So I drove the bike over to the hospice, and I didn't know what to do. You know, do I even. Should I show her the bike? What the fuck do you do? So I went in, I brought the bike out front, and I went into the room and I said, franny, I want to show you something. And I brought her outside and showed her the bike. And she. She was mad, you know, she's like, what the fuck is that? I thought. I brought it to her because it was our dream together, and she was still very important to me, and I just thought that would make her happy. But it didn't. So the social worker came over to me and said, mike, you know, people are never dying. They live and then they die. And dying is in a moment. And she feels that you're treating her as if she's dying and you don't need her anymore and you don't love her anymore. And, you know, that wasn't the truth, you know, And I didn't know how to tell her it. I told her every day. We used to go out for dinners and stuff. She wanted to go out. I would take her out. She'd have her oxygen tank with her, and I'd take her to a restaurant, and I'd look around and there'd be. I'd see another couple with the husband and taking care of the wife, but they were 80, you know, we were 20. And so I went home and I didn't know what to do. And I came back to the hospice, and I brought a few of my work shirts with me because, like, she loved ironing for me. She was here now. She'd fucking yell. So I came back a couple hours later, and my shirts were all ironed, and she was walking around the hospice, dusting. Like, she would clean the place up. She was on a lot of morphine. And that. Some of you that never did it. It's wonderful, and it makes you feel excited about things, so. And then she saw me, and she's like, where's the bike? And, like. Like everything I wanted her to feel in the beginning, she felt. Because I asked her to iron my clothes. And I said, it's outside. Let's go see, you know? And I took her out, and she said, let me sit on it. So I put her on it, and then she said, can you start it up? And she's still alive, so she's still a woman. And this is not enough. I want that. So I start the bike up, and it's Rumbling, you know, it was a loud bike. It was gorgeous. And then she's. Well, can you just take me for a little ride? Like, just around the parking lot here? And I'm like, fuck. You know, fuck. I think she's gonna fall off the bat, you know, And I have to tell her family, you know. Yeah. She almost died of aids. But then I killed her on my bike. I promised her that, like, that the rest of my life would be. First of all, I was going to live for her. Like, I mean, really live. And I would always talk about her. I don't want to be here telling this story. I promised her I would. So now we're riding around the hospice, you know, and she got the morphine pole next door, you know, and we're junkies. You know, we were junkies. We were different. We were fucking freaks. We were people. People crossed the street when they saw me, you know, and her, she was a prostitute. She was a fucking drug addict. I mean, all the shit that. You know. You know what I'm talking about. Some of you, I can tell. So this was amazing, you know? So we're riding around this hospice with this morphine pole fucking channeling, and all the staff come out, and they're watching us, like, you know, and they're cheering us on. It's all these gay dudes and people that cared about people dying, you know? Yeah. None of my friends were there. You know, Frankie and Vinny, they didn't show up. So they're all like. And then I hear the pole fall, and I literally think she fell off the back, you know, she unhooked the morphine bag, which means I want to go out on the street a little bit. So I take her out on the street a little bit, and then she just put her arm around my belly and started rubbing. And she said, can we go on the highway? And I thought of all that we've been through and all this suffering, and I said, yeah, we could do that. So I was on. We got on i95 and added up to 80. She was just screaming happiness. Morphine bag was. And for 10 minutes, you know, that wind. Like, I always imagined the wind on a bike making you feel free, you know, it's so powerful. For 10 minutes, we were. We were normal. And that wind just blew all the death off of us. Here I am in Aspen. I want to be. You know, I want a special and HBO's and money, but nothing I'll ever do will be that grand. Thank you.