Rick and I worked together many years and both of us enjoyed playing pranks on other officers.

During part of my career with US Customs I was trying to learn how to speak just a few words of each language of the people from other countries visiting the United States. I learned a greeting and how to say, “Where are you going” in each language.

One day I noticed that Rick was studying a book on the Chinese language Cantonese, I asked him if he could write down how to say, “May I see your passports please”. Well Rick wrote it down for me and I practiced getting to the point that when I spoke it sounded correctly.

Two young girls from China came into the facility to get documents in their passports and I seized the opportunity to try out my ability to speak to them.

I spoke in Cantonese what I had learned from Rick, both girls stopped in their tracks and with an astonished look on their faces just stared at me.

At first I thought they were surprised that I could speak their language, so I again spoke the words to them hoping they would give me their passports.

After a few more attempts by me they remained frozen and in English asked if I was speaking to them?

I smiled and said Yes, that I was trying my best to ask for their passports in their language.

They said, “No, no, you ask us,  please take off all our clothes”.

It was right then I knew he had played a great joke on me and I turned around to see just about everyone including Rick laughing.

I’ll miss him and his humor.