self-employed

neil has been working since mid-june on a HUGE waterfall near Panama City, FL.  we have one employee - from Mexico - Rey.  his wife just recently joined him in atlanta - after about 5 years of living apart since rey moved here.  about 1am tuesday rey got a call that his wife's brother had been murdered in Mexico so he left florida and returned to atlanta - to an inconsolable wife who was intent on going to mexico.  not easy and not cheap.  neil tried to explain the difficulties of going to mexico and trying to come back so rey said he would just go back to florida today and bring his wife.  neil hasn't heard from him since yesterday afternoon.  neil feels confident rey took his wife to mexico.  which, of course, puts him in quite a pickle with this job that he's a month behind on and needs to crunch to get it done.  neil's now scrambling to find someone to help him finish; he's not so sure he'll be hearing from rey for a while - if he ever does.  our thoughts are certainly with rey's wife.  what a horrible thing to go through.