《The Human Effect》


 The Solitary Man

    We were sitting around after the day¡¯s work on Friday in the local dive we called our bar. The place had been slapped together over time by an old timer who never updated the place. It was boxy because when the owner had added additional space he had cheaply cut into a wall. The four of us were listening to Bill Chapman explain again how he had just discovered that his wife of 25 years had had an affair a while back. He had heard one of his coworkers at the mill talking about with another employee while he was using one of the stalls in the bathroom. Bill could not figure out how to confront his wife about it.


    The other three had offered him their support and pointed out repeatedly the cost of a divorce if he decided to go that route. Thankfully because I was single none of them asked me for my two cents. While listening to the advice that was being given, I learned that none of them had a clue about it and were relying on what others had told them. Little did the four of them realize that the man sitting with them was still paying the price for what his wife had done to him.


    The four of them had been lifelong friends and I had been invited into their group shortly after I had arrived in their small town once they learned I had been in the marines. All five of us had a bond because we all had served at different times.


    I had come to the town of Spuzzum on the west coast after throwing a dart at a map on the wall over ten years ago. Upon my arrival using a newly formed offshore LLC I had bought out the only grocery store for miles and had expanded it. Spuzzum back then was a logging town with a village population around a thousand. The nearest town was more than a good half-hour away. The closest thing we had to a city was Port which was a two hour drive from here at least.


    Within a year I had built up the business, got it licensed thanks to a cooperative mayor to carry alcoholic beverages and had tripled its size. The pay at the pump gas bar came later. The store carried all the basics. I now had eight full-time staff and six part-time including a butcher. It took me a year before starting to build a log home on a section of land I had bought from a tax sale on the outskirts of town. My four friends had spent hours helping me to design it.


    Thanks to the fact that they all worked at the mill I had been able to buy the raw logs debarked directly at wholesale prices saving myself a ton of money. As a result, I now had a three-bedroom 3800 square foot two-level log home that overlooked the village and the coast.


    The only problem they had with me was the fact that as far as they knew I had never married and since my arrival, I had never dated. The rumor mill labeled me as a clothes closet man¡¯s man although no one had ever seen me make a pass at anyone. The woman folk respected me but soon learned I was a bachelor and would remain as such. I was someone that all could trust, and they did. Everybody had a lot of questions about me but soon learned that I was a very private man who would not disclose much about my past.


    I had set up the LLC so that the company paid all the taxes. Anything I took out for personal use came out of retained equity so when I filed my personal taxes it showed no income. I paid for everything in cash or by debit card. I did not even own a personal credit card. The only different thing is that I now went by my second name instead of using my first. The sign at the entrance to our village said, ¡°Next stop Japan.¡± No one knew I had come from the state of New York to off the Washington coast because of what had happened in my past. I often wondered what kind of idiot would name a place Spuzzum.


    After the second beer, we broke it up because Bill''s eldest Son was arriving home from university that night bringing with him his fianc¨¦. Bill''s wife had gone to Seattle to pick them up. We were all invited over for a barbecue on Saturday to celebrate his graduation and engagement. Bill wanted to be sober and waiting when they got there. After all, he did not want his future daughter in law getting the idea when he met her for the first time that he was nothing but the town drunk. Steven, his oldest had been hired by one of the biggest investment firms in New York, so we all knew just how proud Bill was.


    ********


    I was the last to arrive as usual afraid once again that one of my friend¡¯s wives would have brought someone along in their ongoing attempts to set me up. They treated it as a game because they were dying to know whether I was gay or straight. There not knowing only fueled their curiosity. So, I tended to be the last to arrive and the first to leave. Connie Bill''s wife saw me drive up in my old 1940 restored ford truck. I considered it my pride and joy.


    ¡°You got to meet Steven¡¯s girlfriend who¡¯s a redhead,¡± Connie said. ¡°Jennifer is twenty-two years old, has two sisters and three brothers. I fell in love with her the moment I met her. One look at her makes it clear that she¡¯s someone you want to know. I''ve learned already that she has a heart of gold. I wanted to warn you because we both know that when you see a redhead you get quiet, distant, and sad. I have often wondered if it was a redhead that scared you in the past. I don''t know because you won''t open up to reveal anything about you past. Grab a cold beer before joining us in the back yard.¡±


    After grabbing a cold bud, I headed out to their back yard to discover that the whole crew was there with all their kids and a few extra guests. Steven saw me right away and ran over to give me a big hug. After thanking me again for the hundredth time for covering the cost of his education he led me into the crowd so he could introduce his girlfriend to me. When he called her, Jennifer turned towards me.


    My face went pure white. I became stiff and tense. To all attending I looked like I was seeing a ghost. My first inclination was to run. The path of the walk-in life forced upon me was about to be exposed. I wasn''t sure if I could stay to face it.


    Jennifer is in all ways a mini version of her mother who I had always thought looked stunning. Jennifer was one of a set of identical triplets all brought into the world within twenty minutes. The last time I had seen her was the morning of the day I had caught her mother and my brother in our master bed making out like two dogs in heat. I was so nervous I couldn''t speak.


    She like her mother was a natural redhead with a body that oozed her sexuality. At five foot six, she was smoking hot and had the curves in all the right spots. Like her mother, the shape of her ass and hips was her greatest asset. Too much looking at her could cause a man to walk around with a permanent hard-on.


    When she saw me standing there her baby blue eyes lit up as if they were inflamed. Immediately her tears started to flow but it was the biggest smile coming from her face that informed me they were ones of extreme joy. I was on the verge of losing it big time because the pain, the grief, and loss were once again staring me in the face. Seeing her as a beautiful adult with that warm smile made me realize once again just how much of my children''s life I had been forced to miss.


    ¡°Oh my God! I don''t believe it.¡± Jennifer screamed through her sobs while expressing her emotional joy as she rushed towards me. ¡°Your alive! I knew it! My heart never would allow me to believe that you were dead. We were all led to believe by the family that you had committed suicide and no matter how hard they tried to convince me I would not accept it.¡±


    The silence became so loud that we could hear the breeze. Everyone had a look of shock on their faces. No one had a clue what to say. They had to be wondering what this was about as Jennifer rushed into my arms. Everyone was dealing with a bit of shock and awe.


    Steven, breaking it asked, ¡°you know Charlie how?¡±


    ¡°Charles full name is Johnathan Charles Barnes the 3<sup>rd</sup>,¡± Jennifer said between her sobs. ¡°I know because he''s my


    dad. I would recognize his face anywhere. The family has always explained that he committed suicide because of economic problems but I knew in my gut that something did not seem right. When we asked about him my Uncle James, my step


    father always got very quiet. He only did that when he had something to hide. As we grew up, we discovered it was his way of not admitting or facing the truth.¡±


    I wrapped my arms around her frame squeezing her tight as she buried her face into my neck. The tears flowed from both of us. It had been 15 years since I had held one of my daughters like this. At that time, she had been seven years old. At that moment the love I had held hidden for so long exploded. Our emotions let go. Everyone heard our sobs.


    Knowing everyone was expecting an explanation I thought my words over carefully while trying to calm us both down. I have to say it took us both a few minutes to get ourselves back together. For me I had to take the time to come to terms of having one of my daughters back in my life.


    ¡°I was banished by my family so they could keep their lies and secrets hidden. To them, at that time it was very important to keep the family name, its public political image, and honor beyond reproach. I was forced against my wishes to sign a non-disclosure agreement and disappear. This came about because earlier I had walked into my home to discover my older brother making love to my wife, who is Jennifer''s Mother. I had just returned unexpectedly that day after dropping the girls off at school because I had forgotten my briefcase which contained files I needed. I watched him possess and claim his ownership of my wife before I left,¡± I explained.


    ¡°My brother and my wife never knew I was there until the very end of their making out. I captured their loving making in a video with my cell before I confronted them. They laughed about me catching them as if it was nothing. In tears, I walked out. They showed no guilt or remorse. After showing my video of them to the Judge my grandfather, her family, and mine decided they needed to clean up the mess so that they all could protect their important political careers. It was also done so that my brother the chosen one could marry my wife,¡± I said through tears.


    ¡°Marrying a widow woman with three daughters would be an added plus for him in his political run. Time has proven that it was. For over fifteen years to those who know the family truth including her mother I have been the walking dead. Now I am just Charlie Barnes nothing more nothing less. If fate had not stepped in no one would have known the truth,¡± I said sternly. ¡°In my wildest dreams, I never saw the truth coming out.¡±


    Everyone was stunned. A few looked like they were going to throw up. I noticed that Connie was looking down towards the ground trying to hide her own shame. I could see that she was trying to hide her flowing tears. She was beginning to comprehend for the first time the consequences of her own conduct from the eyes of another who had lived it from the other side. Little did she realize that once the Jeanie was let out of its bottle nothing would ever be the same.


    No one unless they had gone through the struggle and separation would understand the hidden pain. Holding my daughter in my arms for the first time in years made me face the consequences of unintentional consequences of a family¡¯s hidden truths. At that moment I felt ashamed. It was then that my tears once again started to flow. For me and my daughter, our mutual healing had begun.


    *********


    There were only two things that meant anything in life according to my grandfather. That was money and power. The rest was just plain bull shit. He had both. My first mistake was that had I went to talk to him after catching my wife and my brother. I was emotionally distraught. At that time the Judge was being considered for the supreme court and a scandal would have ruined any chance he had. By the time I had finished telling him what I had discovered he had already begun scheming with his legal mind to resolve it in such a way that the events would never see daylight. He watched the video and to the end of his life, I have never heard him curse so much.


    His first phone call was to my wife''s Joan''s father a Senator from Maine. He explained to Raymond Thompson what I had caught and recorded. I texted him the video file. Joan''s father''s anger made it clear he was not impressed. He said he would catch a private jet out. They both agreed that nothing would be done until the three of us talked it all out.


    Before making the next call, he turned on a program that would record the conversation he was about to make. With a cold look of sternness, he called my wife. Listening to one side of a conversation where the names slut, whore, bitch, and any other degrading names you could think of would have seemed comical if I had not thought of using them myself.


    He came down on her with the weight of a ton of bricks making it clear that she and my idiot brother had been acting like immature teenagers.


    ¡°If this gets out your fathers¡¯ career is over and so is mine. None of this would be happening Joan if you had learned how to keep your legs crossed,¡± he said. ¡°It would not have been a problem, but James is family, and the mass media will eat it up.¡±


    My Grandfather said, ¡°the reporters will be claiming incest on the front page.¡±


    Putting his finger over his lips to signal for me to be quiet he put the phone on the speaker then asked Joan if her three daughters were actually mine. She said yes.


    My Grandfather said, ¡°well how do you know for sure. Perhaps since you have proven yourself to be nothing but another man¡¯s slut, we should have blood tests done to make sure.¡±


    Joan became animated. In anger, she responded, ¡°the affair with James did not start until three years ago making it clear that there had been no others.¡±


    The Judge responded with a forcefulness I had never seen before saying, ¡°why should anyone believe anything you say?¡±


    She pointed out that she was on the pill because she did not want more children. He replied with his legal mind, so as far as we know James may not have been the only lover you had on the side. My Grandfather then asked do you love John. She said yes, I have always loved him, but it has now changed. I used to love him the way a woman should love her husband but now it¡¯s more like a sister who loves her brother.


    Those words ripped my heart out. The Judge could see my pain. It was if she had stabbed me in the heart. The judge now in a rage witnessed my pain and tears. Joan said I guess James and I are at fault for that. If I have worked as hard at the marriage as John did this would never have happened. James saw my sexual attraction for him before John and I married and deliberately pursued me after he moved in.


    Joan went on to explain that they had allowed their physical attraction towards each other to lead them. It over boiled and I finally ended up giving in to his constant attention. With Jim staying with us as he began to start his civilian life while John was on his many business trips our desires drove us too where are now. At first, it was strictly physical. We did not realize it until it was too late that we had fallen in love. By then we did not want to have it end it. We were satisfied in keeping it hidden from his brother. We didn''t think it out. I believe it was not our intention to hurt John! We had not decided what we were going to do until John caught us.


    Sadly, I could tell from the sound of her voice she had no guilt or remorse. There was nothing, not even a little regret. She was not even ashamed that they had been caught. My grandfather saw the tears running down my cheek. Their destroying of my world was now complete. My Grandfather then asked do you love James again just to verify? Joan said yes after John caught us, he walked out. James asked me to become his wife and I agreed. My Grandfather replied so James has taken away from his younger brother his wife, children, and his life. What kind of man could do that to his younger brother? What kind of woman would allow that to happen? How could either of you do that to another human being? Do you think John deserved this? Bitch!


    Joan said we won''t deny John his right to see the kids when our schedule allows it because James is planning a run for political office. So, whatever we end up doing it has to be handled quietly and delicately. Publicly James will have to become their new father. John will be a distant uncle. As you well know the courts are still reluctant to give sole custody to the father. My grandfather then said I guess the only thing I have left to say to James, or you are that after we have resolved this matter, I never want to hear from either one of you again. In my eyes both James and you are dead. He then slammed the phone down in anger.


    I had never seen him that mad. Looking at me after being silent for quite a few my grandfather said, ¡°Remember the hurt, the pain, and your loss. They have for all intention have made it very clear that you have been written out of their and your own children''s lives. It would be better for all right now if you were dead because that''s how they view you. What they flush down the toilet means more to them than you. Do you think they set themselves up deliberately to get caught?¡±


    ¡°From my eyes, it sure looks like they did. If that is true, then that is cold. The day will come when your chance at revenge will come. When it does show them no mercy, take no prisoners but leave them ruined and alive,¡± he added. ¡°Remember dogs always return to their own vomit. Dammit! I would not have believed it, but she is truly a conniving dirty bitch. She should have become a politician. I wish it was legal to kill because I would kill your brother myself.¡±


    With that, my grandfather drove his fist into the wall breaking his hand.


    ********


    ¡°Remember Jennifer. It was never my choice. The two families decided it would be best for all after listening to the phone call your mother had with the Judge. Joan and James had put both sides of the family¡¯s careers and lifestyle on the line. I understood that they had to be protected too,¡± I said while still holding her in my arms. ¡°I can play that conversation to you later that will explain a lot of things but right now we need to calm down and enjoy the rest of this special day.¡±


    Jennifer lifted her head off my shoulder, kissed me then as she separated herself from me, she took my hand. Turning to her future husband she said ¡°Steven my love, thank you for bringing me here. It brought my father back into my life. Dad, do not leave before talking to me okay.¡±


    Kissing her tenderly on the cheek I agreed, with that over the barbecue was back on. After gulping the rest of the warm bud down I let out a big burp. Everybody roared. I heard Jennifer comment now that''s the dad I know he used to recite the whole alphabet in a long, big burp. Bill and I headed back to get a couple of cold ones. Jennifer was never away from Steven but the whole time I was there her eyes were always on me.


    ¡°You amaze me.¡± Bill said, ¡°here I was crying in my beer last night because of my wife admitting in the privacy of our bedroom that she had gotten chased, caught, and slipped. Hell, she even admitted she didn''t love the asshole. Add to that is the fact that it was only a onetime thing. You sat there not saying a word, now I understand why. What you went through makes me feel that what I am dealing with is nothing but toast crumbs. It''s given me a whole new point of view. How you handled it I will never understand but I now see why you walk alone. Are you willing now to give me some advice?¡±


    I laughed and replied ¡°Make Connie go through marriage counseling with you. Tell her you need to understand what led her to do what she did before you can fully forgive her. Each session will reinforce in her own mind the shame


    and quilt she is experiencing. I noticed it when I explained why I hadn''t seen Jennifer in so long. Connie still loves you that''s why she feels her quilt so much. It will be a time period that will allow both of you to bring this situation to a closure where the healing and forgiveness will last. Oh, I approve of your son¡¯s choice for a wife.¡±


    That made us both roar and we returned to join the party. We had all pretty much cleaned up everything that Bill and Connie had prepared when Bill stood up with Connie standing at his side getting everyone''s attention.


    ¡°Most of you don''t know this but our son Steven graduated debt-free thanks to a private scholarship provided by our good friend and my son''s future father in law Charlie. Jennifer welcome to the family. If you have half the character and wisdom your father has my son is definitely a blessed man,¡± Bill said.


    Connie said, ¡°to my new daughter and my son remember always in your journey as man and wife that your only human. At times there will be situations caused by the other that you feel can''t overcome. Bill and I had thought we had reached that point, but we found some very wise advice. As a result, we will be seeking some outside professional help. Remember it¡¯s easy to say I''m sorry but not so easy to get over something if you don''t understand why it happened. Never


    let your pride get in the way in your marriage.¡±


    Everyone said that they agreed. Then proposed another toast for them. Later as I was making the rounds to say goodbye Connie came over to me and planted a kiss on my cheek then whispered thank you for getting my husband to give us a second chance. We will be seeking counseling to try to work it out. My family owes you big time. I looked around for Jennifer, but she was nowhere to been seen. So, I entered the house to head to the front door when I notice the two suitcases by the front door.


    ¡°I hope you not leaving without me, Dad!¡± My daughter said. ¡°Steve agrees with me that since we are home that I


    should stay with you. It will give us a chance to get to know each other again. After all, we both expect my real father to be the one that walks me down the Aisle.¡±


    I lost it again.


    It was a hoot watching her drive the old ford home. She had never driven a standard in her life. I just watched while mentally figuring out the cost for a new transmission because she kept using the clutch as a brake and inexperience caused her to grind the gears. The double S curved gravel driveway up the hill to my house blew her mind, she stalled out at least five times. It made me laugh yet it was a simple memory I would treasure the rest of my life.


    ********


    As soon as we got into my home, I started up the wood stove to take the evening chill off the place. Then gave her a royal tour after planting her suitcases in what was now going to be her room. By the time we had done the tour, she was in love with my log home.


    Each of the bedrooms was designed like they were all master bedrooms with each having their own bathrooms. The open kitchen with an island facing the open space, with a pantry off to the side, open dining room and living room made the space appear huge leaving the office room, half bathroom, and stairs at the very end. We had left the office /computer room to the last so I could let her play the conversation my grandfather had recorded so many years ago.


    After listening to it she asked if she could get a copy of it, so I copied it to a stick and gave it to her. I also copied the video of them making love. She noticed that the files were originally made two days before my reported death. I left her there grieving knowing she was experiencing the gambit of emotion from love right through to hate. The raw truth of hearing the voice of someone you love with their own mouth proving everything they had told you in your life was nothing but lies had to destroy one¡¯s trust and faith.


    I had gone into the kitchen poured us each a glass of wine and was sitting on the couch facing the window watching the village lights below when she finally came out to join me. I could notice the puffiness of her tear swollen eyes. She sat down beside me, so I took her and held her in my arms holding her not saying a word. The glasses were almost empty before my daughter spoke.


    ¡°All my life I have been told they drew closer as they grieved your death until they realized they had fallen in love and then they got married. It was the biggest wedding that year in the state,¡± Jennifer said. ¡°My own mother''s voice proves everything they said about that time was nothing but a lie. I still am having difficulty understanding the coldness of both towards you. I ask myself if it was done out of hate even though Mother claimed she loved you till you died. It is forcing me to wonder if anything they said to us was true!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to take time for you to work it out. Hell, I still don''t understand it all. Even worse there may not be an acceptable answer as to why?¡± I replied. ¡°Their marriage may not even be legal. If that comes out James reelection bid to the senate will go down. I have a copy of the non-disclosure agreement I had to sign with the judge and your mother¡¯s father. It details what I had to do and why it had to be done. I will give you a copy before you leave.¡±


    ¡°They stole us children, from you and changed our lives in ways we will never know,¡± Jen replied. ¡°It¡¯s like they were acting as if they were Gods. The one thing I don''t understand is why you let them.¡±


    ¡°First of all, they had made me a cuckold. My Grandfather believed until his dying day that they had it all planned. They counted on the fact that the rest of the family on both sides had too much to lose and would do anything to cover it up. Their family''s own long term conduct proved them right. So, for your mother and my brother, there was no downside. As a result, they got to keep everything,¡± I said before pausing to take a sip.


    ¡°My former business lost a lot of its reserved cash. My ex took the corporation public and converted my equity into shares to raise the needed capital to keep it going. Out of sight out of mind as far as the public was sought. Both the judge and your mother''s father transferred offshore money into a new LLC set up for me in my name only to help me restart my life far away,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Joan and James knew the family with enough money could find a way to make everything disappear. They relied on that fact. Time proves that they counted on it. So now everything I do now is done through the LLC, so I have no personal income to declare. This was done to make it harder for anyone to trace me. The international corporation is in a tax-free haven and every cent I draw comes from retained earnings. My computer room is where I management LLC''s many investments which have done very well,¡± I explained.


    ¡°My grandfather told me the day would come when the truth would come out, but I had to promise him that I would wait until it did. Only then would I become free. He said it would be the truth of what happened that would take the two of them down. Now with you knowing when I walk you down the aisle, many will see my face. There is no way they can hide it. Their past will begin to unwind. It will become a very public scandal. The business here gives me the appearance of having a normal life,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Our wedding is set for the sixth of August. They have already rented the hall, booked the church, and have sent out the wedding invitations. Grandfather Barnes was to walk me down the aisle but when he hears about our conversation, he will gladly give up his spot for you,¡± Jen said. ¡°With my connections back home in the mass media, I want to have the information on the stick released the last Sunday before my wedding and have the search for your death certificate begin. I want those two to pay for what they have done. Do I have your permission to tell your father that your alive when the conversation is finally released? So why didn''t you remarry and build a new life?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can tell my dad, although I believe he might already know that I am still alive. The answer to the second question is quite simple your mother and I have not gotten a divorce,¡± I replied. ¡°I may not be legally dead, so I was not free to remarry. In my heart, I could not deliberately allow my wants and needs to hurt another. The price I had to pay was to lead a single life. The morals, principles, and standards I have would not allow me to be like them.¡±


    It had finally sunk in because Jen''s face showed the element of surprise. For the first time in her life, she saw the


    difference between her mother, my brother, and me. It had to register in her mind that the difference was like night and day.


    ¡°Dad you have been imprisoned, they stripped you of your life and your children. They made it impossible for you to have a new family. You were put in a box and forced to play their games by their rules. You are free but it''s restricted just the same. Does that make sense,¡± Jen asked?


    ¡°Yes, it does but that it was also my mistake because I could have refused to go along,¡± I replied. ¡°Instead, I decided to put the needs of the whole two families first.¡±


    I left her, walked back into the computer room, and pulled down a huge binder from the shelving built into the wall. Returning to her I placed the binder in front of her and told her to start to look at it while I refilled our glasses. Jen was amazed. It was a binder book filled with all her life memories. Every announcement, every public appearance, every play she played in, copies of her report cards, as I had captured everything I could in her walk of life. I had gotten it all. She was surprised by how much she had forgotten.


    We talked into the wee hours of the morning as she shared her thoughts on those memories I had never shared. She went to bed with the knowledge that she had always been loved by me. I told her that I had a binder just as full for each of her sisters that I hoped one day I would be able to share with them. She stayed for two weeks spitting her time with the Stevens family and me. By the time she left, we were closer than we''d ever been. I felt blessed to have her back in my life.


    ********


    On the last Friday of July, the order went out from me to buy short the stock of the company I had formerly owned. Its current value was one hundred and twenty-nine dollars a share. I was gambling with my future. By the end of the day, I owned over a million shares. Jennifer''s mother was the current CEO. All my original shares should be in my trust for my children until they reached the age of twenty five. That was the way it had been set up, but it could have been changed. When I had left fifteen years ago, they had estimated the value of the company to have a market value of about forty five dollars a share.


    Bill, Connie, and I would be flying out the following Thursday via a private jet I had booked. Jennifer had kept her vow of secrecy but called me daily to keep me informed as to what was going on using Steven''s phone. My stockbroker had been informed to continue to buy shares each day until the fifth of August and only sell the shares that were bought at the highest value to cover the margins needed on that market day.


    The conversation between the former deceased Judge and my wife hit the airwaves Sunday morning along with the video of Joan giving up her body and soul to my brother. An online adult web site crashed because the video became that hot. The democratic media sucked it up big time. By the end of the day, there was an all-out search for my death certificate, a record of a divorce, and any related documentation concerning the settlement of my estate. Questions were raised about how I was supposed to have died. Had I been murdered?


    It was seven o''clock on the west coast when my daughter called eleven pm in New York. She thought the news coverage was a blast. Her mother and stepfather were in panic mode. Jennifer''s sisters Judy and Joanne had been trying to get clarification from their mother about it all. Joan and James were refusing to answer any of their questions. One of the questions they asked was is our father still alive?


    Jen then said the second bombshell would be released overnight. Those who had it read it said it appeared that I was made by the family with James and Joan''s Barnes direction to have been forced to disappear. The accounts the funds the family promised me appeared to have been sent to an account that had never existed, adding speculation that I had been set up to be killed. She then said she was going to call my father into his office and hand him the cell. I could hear his office door closed as my father said Hello.


    I replied, ¡°Hi Dad.¡±


    ¡°John is that really you?¡± he asked quietly.¡± how are you son?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. I''m good, Jen can fill you in. How is mom? How much do you know?¡± I replied.


    ¡°We learned about the whole mess about a week after the release of the story of your suicide and why they felt it was necessary. We are a bit older but we''re both quite healthy all things considering. You will be proud to see how well your daughters have turned out. But tell me how Jen figure it out,¡± my dad asked?


    ¡°She found me by accident. It turns out her intended is the son of a good friend. His family threw a barbecue to introduce her and to celebrate his graduation from university. When Steven took me over to her, she turned to face me, and she recognized me right away. We have been in contact ever since,¡± I said. ¡°I need to remain hidden until the wedding so I''m flying in Thursday night with the groom¡¯s parents and family. Do you think I can remain safely hidden if I get a helicopter to drop me off at your estate?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the landing pad has the lights on and we will give the staff an extra few paid days off. Your mom will be thrilled to cook the two of us a few meals. Just let Jen know your time of arrival,¡± my dad said.


    After a few words, he let me know he wasn''t going to tell my mom he wanted it to be a complete surprise.


    ********


    Early Monday morning in the European Markets according to Fox Business News share values of my former company had dropped over twenty dollars. On Monday morning just at the opening, I picked up another million shares for a hundred dollars each. Once again buying them short. That afternoon after watching values continuing to drop, I put in a buy order of 4 million shares at thirty five dollars a share trying to get it to bottom out and to sell off all the shares I currently owned at 65 dollars a share.


    The mass media hysteria with CNN taking the lead was destroying James and Joan Barnes while taking down anything associated with them. Incest, possible murder and the making of a cuckold ruled the printed page. James Barnes being a republican allowed CNN''s Anderson Cooper to rant and rave like a lunatic milking it for all it was worth. CNN''s ratings were huge. They had a huge crowd of reporters parked at their front gates. Based on what the mass media had proved the FBI announced an investigation into my disappearance.


    On Thursday Morning my former corporation announced that their CEO Joan Barnes had accepted a buyout. Everyone knew she had been forced out. Her association with the corporation was destroying them. The stock share value began to stabilize at thirty five dollars a share.


    On Friday afternoon the stock began to climb but the personal problems for my brother James Barnes began to evolve. He was now facing a Senate ethics investigation. There were calls hourly within the senate and the mass media for him to resign. In his only public appearance, he restated the story that Joan and he had become involved seriously only after my reported suicide and that the conversation between the former judge and his wife had to have been manufactured. The video of them making out had to have been created later.


    CNN announced they were going to do a voice audit to see if the voices of both parties on the conversation could be verified. They uncovered tape of James publicly announcing that I had committed suicide was being replayed multiple times a day and the media brought out the point that to date no death certificate had been found.


    On Friday Joan''s father announced his sudden retirement from the senate due to ongoing health problems. His daughter''s own long term conduct had taken him down. For him, it had gotten too hot. The shares of my former company closed on Friday at the fifty nine dollar mark . My purchase of the shares at thirty five dollars had been confirmed. During that short week because of the publicity concerning James and Joan Barnes I had increased my net worth by millions


    At dusk, on Thursday night the helicopter began its descent. As it lowered itself down, I could see my parents walking out of the back of their house to greet it. After the pilot shut down, I got out underneath the twirling blades and picked up the suitcases he had gotten out. As soon as I cleared the rotating blades, I straightened myself up allowing my mother to see my face.


    My dad had to hold her as the tears and shock buckled her knees. It had been over fifteen years since I had seen their faces. Mom kept crying my baby has come home. She spent the next two days acting like an overprotecting mother hen while trying to fatten me up because to her I looked so lean. Home-cooked meals never tasted so good.


    ********


    At five minutes to two on Saturday Jennifer stepped out of the door of the church which signaled for me to leave the limo. As I walked up the steps towards her a CNN reporter caught me on live camera and asked me who I was? I turned and said with a straight face saying, ¡°I''m the walking dead.¡±


    I then walked up to stand beside the bride. Jennifer looked stunning. After giving each other kisses on the cheek we walked in arm in arm. Each one of our faces showing our pride. The cameraman had captured it all.


    I caught Joan''s image from the backside and man her ass still looked good as she led the bridal party down the aisle to the front. She didn''t look half bad from behind, it made me wonder if she looked as good from the front. She still had an ass a man would die for. Next came the ring bearers and the flower girls who made sure to drop rose petals as they walked. Joanne was next then Judy was just ahead of us.


    I told Jennifer to relax which caused Judy to look back. I guess hearing a strange voice captured her attention. I raised my index finger to my mouth letting her know to remain quiet. Judy mouthed to her sister you found dad fighting the tears that wanted to flow just before entering the main area of the church. Jennifer just nodded her head her face shining in joy. Looking up towards Steven I noticed that everyone had to be asking themselves where was the best man? Little did they know he was walking his bride down the aisle.


    I watched Joan take her seat beside a man I assumed must be James. If it was, time had really changed him, he now had the typical dad body with a bald spot on his head. Both Jennifer and I watched Joanne ascend the steps taking her place then turning towards us. The look of shock on her face I will never forget.


    As the tears started flowing, she put her hand over her mouth to hold in her screams. It was almost as if she believed I could not be real. Then Judy stood beside her holding her hand while whispering in her ear. She too joined her sister in shedding her tears. I let go of my daughter and watched her climb the steps until she stood beside Steven.


    ¡°Who gives this lady away,¡± the father said?


    I said, ¡°her mother and I do,¡± then I went and stood beside Steven''s side.


    It was a beautiful ceremony. Many would say it was the most emotional ceremony they had ever seen because the tears of joy flowed from my three daughters'' faces. I could not help noticing that my daughters¡¯ mother and my brother''s faces were completely white. Neither one of them could look me in the eyes. During the whole ceremony, their eyes were looking down.


    Over the evening festivities, I got asked numerous times how I had come to be my son in laws best man. Had I introduced the two? When we signed the form for registration for the marriage certificate the catholic father was shocked when I signed my formal name. Almost all the witnesses of this marriage who had known about me now knew that I was still alive. Though nothing was said I could tell that cell phones were being used all over the place. We would later learn there had been three live feeds revealing my existence to the world.


    ********


    The judge and the senator by the end of that day had set the plans into play. Both saw the situation as a mess that would scandalize the two families in every way. Having served in the marines until just after the birth of the triplets it was decided I would get called back in. Joan¡¯s father using his influence got me sent to West Point. So, after graduating I spent three years where I was hidden in plain sight fighting the Taliban with brothers in arms. There wasn''t a mission that I would not volunteer for. They said I had been driven. I got the reputation of being very hardcore. The more dangerous the mission was the ones I would volunteer our team for, but it was a faulty set of body armor that finally did that in. As a result, I had eight bullet scars across the front of my chest. I had barely escaped with my life.


    After getting my discharge papers I was a Major no more. I had gone to the Cayman Islands to reorganize my accounts before deciding what to do with the rest of my life. The Judge and my grandmother had met me there on the family estate. It was my grandmother¡¯s idea that If I could not figure out what to do, I should make it a chance of discovery by throwing a dart on a map and see where it led. That stupid suggestion had brought me here.


    ********


    The congratulatory line was a hoot. Judy and Joanne stood on each side of me. They milked the introducing of me to everyone for all it was worth. Pride was glowing from their faces. Yet I did not feel comfortable in a tuxedo. Joan and James were the last to pass through. Steven was polite but Joan wasn''t because she appeared to be in total shock.


    ¡°Mother!¡± Jennifer said, ¡°you should know Dad did not find me I found him. It was me who had all the information about what you both did released to the mass media. Dad reluctantly allowed me copies of it so I could prove to my sisters what truly had happened. He had no clue as to what the three of us decided to do. What James and you did to all of us is unforgivable. I decided it had to be set straight. I had to prove he was not the failure you both made him out to be.¡±


    Joan was furious. Her anger made her want to scream but held her tongue and walked away without saying a word to me. Joan had to be asking herself is my daughter trying to destroy my life. James stood for a few looking at me before saying anything.


    ¡°We need to talk; we need to work this out, John!¡± James said softly looking at me while trying to figure me out.


    ¡°Working on that as we speak. But you know I was there listening via speaker when the Judge and Joan talked,¡± I replied without offering my hand. James looked at me in shock as if he had no clue.


    ¡°I will show you both as much consideration as you both showed me. Which we all know was none. You made your bed now live with it,¡± I said with a stone-cold voice. ¡°I''ll enjoy watching the fallout.¡±


    We stood there watching the couple as they headed out the door. My three daughters saw a big smile on my face. Steve said Oh somethings up. I just laughed knowing that as soon as they got off the church steps the two of them would be served. Joan was being served for divorce on the grounds of adultery. James for alienation of affection. It would be captured by the mass media again. The nightmare for them was going to get a lot worse.


    It was time for us to get to the park for the pictures for their wedding albums so we the bridal party climbed into a big limo. On the way over while sharing a glass of champagne Jennifer explained everything to her two sisters who were holding onto me tight. They were surprised to learn that Jen had stayed with me for two weeks while she got to know her in-laws. My three daughters had grown up to be very beautiful ladies. They made me proud. Jen explained how we had gone through all the things I had collected about her throughout the years.


    Jen said she got the impression that I knew more about her than she remembered about herself. Then she said he has one on each of you just as thick. It proved to me Jen said that he never stopped loving us.


    The only awkward moment during the photo shoot was the one with all the parents. All five of us. We got around it


    by having Connie and Bill between the rest of us and the fact that they could not get three of us to smile. James and Joan,


    we¡¯re not in a good mood because they knew their world was collapsing fast. My identity was now out, and the mass media was having a field day. The walking dead was alive! Became the mass media cry. Everything they thought they knew was being rehashed. Like the democratic media always did everything was being taken to the extreme.


    The bridal dinner was over the top then it came for the toast. As the best man and father of the bride, I threaded it with tact. I explained it honestly telling how thanks to his good parents who I considered best friends we had developed a close bond and that I saw him as the son I never had. I went on to explain some of the comical situations we put ourselves in and how they had drawn us closer. I admitted that I was taken by complete surprise when he introduced me to his bride. I finished it off by saying I hoped they had the wisdom to catch on to and hold on to all their dreams. My mother''s face glowed with pride.


    When Steven stood up, I almost lost it. He started out by saying It¡¯s rare that a groom can say that his father in law is his best friend. Jennifer''s father paid for my post-secondary education and has advised me through a lot of rough times. It was a shock to us all that day in June when I discovered that John was Jennifer''s real dad. I''ll never forget my own fathers¡¯ words when he said I had to be a blessed man to have Jennifer becoming my wife. To both of my fathers, I want to say thank you for making me the man I am. When the bride and groom started their dance, they owned the room. To this day I have never seen a more beautiful bride. Judy and Joanne kept me on the dance floor, both wanting to share as much time with me as possible. Outside of my mother, they controlled all my time.


    The master of Ceremonies came out on stage to announce it was time for the bride and her father to dance. Before we do that with the bride and grooms¡¯ approval, I would like to give General David Bloomberg the mike.


    The General stepped forward. He said he was here to give three metals to hard hat Charlie. I had to laugh.


    ¡°Hard hat Charlie was a major in charge of a platoon of seals who earned his name during his last mission,¡± he said. ¡°They had gone into a mission that is still classified today only to learn upon arrival it had been an enemy¡¯s trap. Our intelligence of the situation had been totally wrong. The two platoons sent with his team were also trapped. They were surrounded. Man, for a man when under the review of the botched mission said it was like a modern-day Custer''s last stand. After two days of heavy fighting with our forces near exhaustion, word came down the line to load up their bazookas to the max and pass them down the line. An average Marine can carry one of them with all their gear. Hard hat Charlie had taken off all his clothing and gear. He had nothing on but his bulletproof vest, his helmet, boots, and his underwear,¡± Everybody roared.


    ¡°Everyone around him told him he was crazy, but he said to his second in command. Win or lose if we don''t gamble, we are all going to die. Since to all I love I am already the walking dead at least I will die with my boots on. He did not expect to live but did it because as he said I must give my men a fighting chance,¡± The General explained. ¡°He loaded up his body with two of these bazookas after throwing a bunch into a clearing. He put his helmet on stuck a cigar in his mouth, stood up, moved into a clearing, and let those babies rip. His first hit was on an ammo reserve of the enemy¡¯s which caused multiple explosions to spread everywhere because of the weapons it contained. The panic he created end up sending the well-hidden enemy scrambling. After firing a few more shells he turned around and ripped out a few more shells into pre-selected enemies sites up the hillside.¡±


    ¡°He was hit twenty-three times while still firing before he went down but only eight of them were serious. The enemies back because of his actions were broken they ran like the dogs they were,¡± he said. ¡°Each man who served with him to this day swears he alone saved all their lives from the Taliban. So, I am here to present two purple hearts and one silver star to Major Johnathan Charles Barnes the 3<sup>rd</sup>. My only regret is that I could not do it in front of his men.¡±


    I walked up and the general pinned them on then saluted me. My parents and three daughters were very proud.


    My daughter Jen finally led me to the floor for the father-daughter dance. She had chosen an old sixties song ¡°Your daddy''s home.¡± It was a very emotional dance for the two of us. When they announced the son and mother dance I went over and got my mother joining Steven and Connie on the floor. You could clearly see how much it meant to her. It was written all over her face.


    Later when the bride and groom disappeared to change into their going away outfits, I put out a surprise. When they returned Jen found an envelope laying where she sat addressed to the bride and groom. Inside was a cashier¡¯s bank draft made out to the two of them for two million dollars with a note that said follow your dreams. Jen saw it and started to bawl. My signature was on the draft.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ********


    I slept in until almost noon on Sunday Morning having gotten to bed at about 6 am. After the wedding reception was over Judy and Joanne had dragged me to an all-night Chinese restaurant for a midnight meal. Both girls wanted their first private time with their dad. Before we called it a night, we had exchanged phone numbers, current address, and my darling daughters had arranged to spend a couple of weeks with me back home.


    After a shit, a shave, and a shower I had gotten dressed in my usual attire blue jeans, a white T-shirt, with a blue jean long sleeve shirt left unbutton hanging down the sides with black socks and cheap Walmart running shoes. Brand names and high fashion did not impress me much. I felt the richest when dressing like this driving my old Ford truck. I was just a simple man who lived a simple life. I came down the stairs to find a house full.


    Mom and dad, Bill and Connie, the rest of their brood all seven of them, and my two daughters. Connie was telling my daughters how I had saved their marriage and had explained how for over ten years all our friends had tried to figure out if I was gay or straight. Your father though not a religious man had the patience of Job. He never gave any one of us a


    hassle when we would try to set him up. We were all totally stunned when Jen called him dad because we had no clue. Until


    then we thought the most important thing in his life was his two black female cats. After saying hello to all I went to the


    kitchen to grab a coffee and to light up a smoke.


    Mom joined me asking me what I wanted to eat so I told her six pancakes, three soft eggs with runny yolks, and four slices of bacon. She was thrilled to death and started pulling out her pans. The cooking staff got out of her way they knew she was cooking for her son. Dad came in as I sat there to catch me up with what was going on. It seemed the mass media was having a field day.


    The headline on the New York Times was the walking dead is alive. CNN had been telling the story of my historic military record and had interviewed some that I had served with. Most of them said they were surprised that I had lived after being taken down. My dad had to laugh when one of them remarked the one thing you never said to Charlie was that it can''t be done because he would always find a way to do it. He seemed to enjoy getting his superiors pissed off. As a leader, he would only push his team as much as he pushed himself. Under his direction, we all became better men.


    It was out that Joan was married to two brothers and with no record of a divorce. I had to have been one of the longest publicly known cuck''s. They said that Senator James Barnes had bought himself one expensive whore, when he crawled between her legs. I couldn''t hide my smile.


    CNN had an afternoon special promoting that lifestyle. Feminists were cheering her, praising her for the lifestyle she had led but even their comments were being condemned. A news crew had been sent to interview people in our little town. Most had nothing but good to say but it was amazing how things got ratcheted up just for five minutes of fame. Dad laughed and said the media has blown this up and really made this a mess. The way they screw things up by the time this is done the country will think you¡¯re a saint and you won''t have even said a word. Both Joan and James are screwed.


    I got up and refilled my coffee just before mom brought me my plate then sat across from me watching me eat. She still was working up to the point that she could accept that the baby of the family had come home.


    ********


    ¡°Dad,¡± Joanne said. ¡°Your brother is claiming he had no knowledge of what mom had said to the judge because he


    had gone looking for you. Do you think that might be true?¡±


    ¡°Who knows,¡± I replied. ¡°We know that for three years she was doing him on the side behind my back. There is no way we as humans can remember everything we said or didn''t say. They had to have discussed the consequences of being


    caught and what they would do if that had happened. Your mother felt secure enough in saying what she did that day. She was mentally prepared for what happened. Her own choice of words proves that. Either way, they expected the family would handle it. The two of them used us all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God,¡± Joanne said. ¡°You looked at it not in a personal way but in the way, it affected everyone in the circle around them, that paints a different picture. So, who worked it all out, Mother or James?¡±


    ¡°James has never been a leader even in the marines he played it safe. Your mother and I are both go-getters willing to take risks, so it had to be her,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Jenifer told me that your gift last night if managed properly, would set them up for life. She would not tell me how much it was, but she asked me to tell you that they are investing it for five years because they don''t want to be in a situation where they just flutter it away,¡± Joanne said softly.


    ¡°Just so you know the threads of what was done is just beginning to unravel. No one knows what will come in the end. You never know until it''s revealed what people with money and power will do. On Saturday your mother was served. It¡¯s time we got divorced,¡± I said. ¡°Your sister is being very wise. When your sister and you get married you will get the same amount.¡±


    ¡°When did she received the papers, ¡°Joanne asked?


    ¡°The moment she left the church. James got served too. I''m suing him for alienation of affection. Either way, their screwed. I got the family''s trust frozen because I am not dead! Everything in it will be dissected by the lawyers. If they put their own money in because of what was done I may get theirs too,¡± I said. ¡°James will have to pay a few million to settle the suit.¡±


    Joanne looked at me without speaking for a moment then said, ¡°Shit the house their living in is owned by the trust.


    I think everything is. They may be fucked.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a mess that''s for sure, I feel sorry for us all. Lawyers are going to end up taking a lot regardless. This was done to protect those who no longer need protection. Sadly, it¡¯s always the innocent that get hurt,¡± I said.


    Judy had been listening to the conversation. I could tell she had something on her mind so when she asked me if she could talk to me privately, I was not surprised. With dad''s permission, we slipped into his office.


    ¡°Dad! Judy said. ¡°I''ve got a female friend whose ex-boyfriend has been abusive in the past. She''s got court orders out against him, and he has been jailed a couple of times. He''s set to be released again next week and we''re both afraid he''s going to come after her again. She''s an Rn. I work with her, and we share an apartment. She has started an eight-week holiday and has some money in the bank. Mentally and emotionally if it wasn''t for her work, she would be a complete wreck. She needs to be in a spot where she feels safe and secure. I think she needs to get away. She was at the wedding last night and for the first time in a long time, she showed a lot of interest in a man who she said ¡°walked tall and carried a small stick. Would It be okay if I introduced her to you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it is. But you know we fly home tomorrow so what are you really trying to get me to do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°From what Joanne has told us about her two weeks with you and what you both did I want you to take her back home with you. It sounds like the perfect situation for her to be able to completely heal. Bill and Connie are great people so I know she will fit right in,¡± Judy said. ¡°If you won''t do it for her, will you, do it for me.¡±


    ¡°She''s that important to you.¡± I said, ¡°so, who is the man she is interested in?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she is I see her almost like an older sister who should have been married to a good man long ago. The man she is interested in is you,¡± She laughed. ¡°With your past, I know you can keep her safe.¡±


    ¡°Darling daughter are you trying to set me up,¡± I laughed back. ¡°Remember I''ve reached the age where I''m old.¡±


    ¡°You can answer that for yourself she''ll be here in an hour,¡± she said with a great big grin. ¡°Remember dad age does not matter.¡±


    The things a man will do for his daughters.


    ********


    Joan and I had married right after she got out of high school. Her father had introduced me to her when he was doing an overseas tour, I was in my second year, and she was the fifth teen. For me, it was love at first sight. I joined the marines with my father¡¯s influence and permission at sixteen. It took to it like a fish and water and excelled. My drill Sargent said I was old before my time. Being mentally tough and determined allowed me to move up the chain faster. The only thing I found difficult was continuing my education while living in the barracks. Thankfully schoolwork had always been easy for me. I graduated with my degree in three years instead of five. I had six years in when the twins were born and got my first discharge when they were two.


    I considered myself a young forty four-year-old father. My dad always said I was an overachiever. He was willing to fianc¨¦ my company and away I went. Thanks to the age of computers in four years my brokerage company went North America wide. I was always traveling because of business. I must admit that I was too much hands-on.


    Dad and I were in the back yard shooting a few hoops when Judy came out with her friend. As we watched them


    walk towards us I noticed Judy''s girlfriend had long natural blonde hair. Dad said she has a set of hips just like your mom. Good breeding stock he said with a chuckle and added I love them when they''re built for comfort and not for speed. I learned that Barbara Ellen Patterson was thirty-three, had never been married and had grown up in a small town in Ohio.


    She was five foot nine, which made her three inches shorter than me. She had broad shoulders a decent rack and could play a dam good game of hoops. She and my dad made mincemeat out of Judy and me. After a couple of games, the ice had been broken and we began chatting like we were old friends. After talking for a few with her for quite a while, I excused myself and went into my dad¡¯s office to make a few phone calls. I finally opened the door and yelled to Barbara and Judy to come in. I told Barbara that I had one of the directors of the local hospital where I lived on the line who wanted to talk to her. While she talked to him Judy and I went out into the hall.


    ¡°What''s going on dad,¡± Judy asked.


    I replied. ¡°She''s being offered a full-time position in the emergency department starting in a month if her references check out, which based on what you''ve told me I assume that they will. If she accepts, she can catch a ride with me when I fly home tomorrow and stay with me till she finds a place. It will be up to you to forward to her or get rid of anything she can''t take with her. The pay won''t be as high, but the cost of living is lower.¡±


    Judy hugged me and gave me a great big kiss on the cheek. ¡°Thanks, Dad. I knew you would come through. I had discussed this with Joanne, and she thought you would too. You have made it possible that she can finally put the past in the past by giving her something we had not thought of a fresh start. Thank you for setting her free.¡±


    Barbara accepted the position. The change that came over her was amazing. Her true natural warmth and loving


    nature started coming out. It was a joy for all of us to see. My Dad is a lawyer who drew up a power of attorney which would allow Judy to act on Barbara''s behalf. I suggested to Barbara that she set up a new email account and text it to all that she wanted to stay connected with informing them that she would be sending them her new phone number via that and she will let them know whats going on via the new email account that within a week. Barb, Judy, and Joanne were thrilled. They soon rushed out the door to help Barbara prepare to go.


    ********


    The plane took off at four and landed at Port just before eight. Connie and Barbara bonded on the way. Bill and I talked about how impressed he was by my parents and my daughters. He advised me to be careful because Barb was the marrying kind. The stock value on my former company was now at back to a hundred and three.


    Tomorrow Morning CNN would receive a couriered envelope containing my death certificate and the location of my grave. It was just after nine pm when we arrived in Spuzzum. I drove by the small hospital so Barbra could see it where she would be working before heading back out of town to my home. The farther we got away from the east coast the happier Barbra seemed to be. As I drove the truck up my driveway, I realized I needed to get a second vehicle.


    Spuzzum''s population was now about three thousand. It was evolving into a small tourist town. Seeing my home


    for the first time she said I haven''t been in a log home since I was a small child. Before taking our luggage in we walked out


    on the front yard so she could get a view of how my home looked over the village below with the log mill, the boats in the


    docks, and how the view of the Pacific Ocean was unending. It was a postcard image, and she was in love with it. I told her


    that dusk would come between nine thirty and ten. As we entered the house, I told her she was the second person I had ever stay at my home. Neither of us knew at that time that she would never leave.


    I was up before Barbara Tuesday morning. It still amazes me when I reflect on the morning how refreshed and beautiful, she looked as she walked down the stairs. It was if she had stepped out of the clouds into the sunshine. With no makeup on she oozed of country dressed in blue jeans with a tank top. She would fit right in.


    ¡°Coffee''s in the urn sleepyhead,¡± I said, ¡°sugars on the counter, half and half is in the carton in the fridge.¡±


    ¡°And good morning to you to,¡± She replied. ¡°Anything new in Charlie''s world today?''


    ¡°Let¡¯s turn on CNN and find out,¡± I said with a smile.


    I flicked on the TV with the remote as I watched her pour herself a cup then checked out what was in the fridge and the cupboards. She stated we needed to do a major grocery shopping if she was going to do any cooking. I heard her say to herself it¡¯s a beautiful house, but it needs a woman''s touch to change it from the bachelor pad to a home. It reminded me of something my mother would say.


    CNN was having a field day after receiving the death certificate they had discovered that the signature on it was from a doctor who had a questionable past. He was currently serving time because of Medicare fraud. A news crew had been dispatched to the gravesite in an area known to have been used often by the mob. When Barb saw me smiling, she said you knew. I had to admit I did. I then said the judge when he protected himself set this up long ago. After he died, I inherited his estate in the Cayman''s I realized that he was going to make them pay. I had the caretaker mail this information in. She laughed and said that Judy, Joe. and she had spent most of Sunday night and Monday morning discussing everything about the whole situation. They were all in agreement that Joan and James were getting what they deserved. All of your daughters appear to hate what their mother did.


    ¡°Your daughter made it perfectly clear that if I did anything to hurt you, I would be held accountable by her. All three of them think you walk on water. I had to promise Judy daily reports on how we''re getting along,¡± Barbra said. ¡°When I told her Saturday night what I thought about you after the general had said his little bit she started to plan. I asked her why she was doing what she was doing, and she said my dad¡¯s a good man who needs a good honest woman in his life. Then on Sunday I learned how easy it was thanks to you to start a new life.¡±


    ¡°After our coffee''s let''s drive over to Port Townsend so you can get your Washington state driver¡¯s license. Apply for your nursing license and we can do a major grocery shopping if that''s okay. They have a golden corral there so we can have an early lunch,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sound like the plan for the day if we can work in stopping at the hospital so I can go to the human resources department and fill out an official application,¡± she replied handing me her phone. ¡°I need to get you to put our legal address into the memo¡¯s, so I have it.¡±


    After stopping for a coffee before we got on the road, she asked me if she could drive. I let her and she had a smile a mile wide. She handled the clutch like she had been doing it all her life. When I said I was surprised at how well she was doing she told me she had been driving tractors since she was nine. If you¡¯re in the country and are not driving a standard, it¡¯s like saying that you''ll never amount to much.


    After lunch, we hit the hospital and got that done then the state local office where she was told her new licenses would arrive within a week. ATT then Walmart. The groceries we bought filled the truck we had overloaded it. I hadn''t expected the new copper nonstick pots and pans, a complete set of dishes for twelve or the new silverware. Her explanation was that my measly kitchenware showed I just did not cook which was true. While she was in the hospital''s hr. department, I had called my insurance provider, so our last stop was at the local jeep dealership where I picked up a Jeep four by four fully loaded brand new. My insurance dealer faxed over proof of insurance so we could drive it home. She drove it home following me all the way.


    When we got home, she let me unload the groceries then told me to get out of her way and to leave her alone so she could properly set the kitchen up. As soon as the dawn dishwater soap was unpacked it was used. She washed down every cabinet before she unpacked a single thing. It was as if she was setting up a new house. I watched her in amazement as she organized the kitchen making it her own. I should have seen the warning signs, but I was blind. I went into the living room and turned on the news.


    If It wasn''t so sad, I would have laughed. They had found my gravesite and were asking if I was alive who was buried there. It would take the FBI to answer that. I heard Barbra''s cell phone ring and I listened and was able to glean that it was Judy getting an update. So, I yelled tell Judy you haven''t raped me yet. Barb did and then yelled back your daughter says you can be a real asshole. I laughed. I knew I was too old for her and that was that. It was almost ten before she was done. To celebrate I poured us both a large glass of homemade blackberry wine and we watched the twinkling of the town lights below until we went to our separate beds.


    I awoke to the smell of bacon being fried. When I came down the coffee was made. Barbara was wearing a homemade full-length housecoat with a matching nightgown. I commented that it was hand-stitched and asked how long it had taken for her to make it. She said two months but how did you know? I replied because you can''t buy that quality in any store. She smiled and said I like a man who notices little things. Breakfast was almost ready.


    Six pancakes, three runny eggs and four slices of bacon for me with warmed pure maple syrup. I asked how you knew that was my favorite. She said your mother told me, but you can place the eggs on your own pancakes she laughed. So, I asked her what else did my mother tell you? She smiles saying that''s for me to know and you to find out. I smiled and said to myself I could get used to this. I told her I was going to check-in at the store and pick up the plates when I paid the taxes on the jeep. She said that was fine because she had found the tape measure in my toolbox in the pantry and was going to measure for blinds and curtains. Before I left, she gave me a kiss on the cheek and said just remember dinner is at six and always will be when I am not working. Then it hit me, she was trying to make this a home not just a place to sleep.


    I returned at noon and put the plates on the jeep before heading inside. Barbara told me the good news the FBI was digging up my gravesite that very afternoon. We both wondered what they would find. It had been found out that my death certificate had been issued the day before I had reenlisted. CNN was carrying it live. I received a text from the lawyers asking me to call. It turned out that Joan wanted a quick divorce and the Trust situation dealt with separately. She would not fight the grounds of adultery. They felt if they went that way the time period required for the divorce to be granted would be waved because she was already remarried. I told them to go ahead.


    Barb said I was making the right move. She said she was done measuring and that we needed to discuss rod-style materials and price. I said why? She replied because this town is growing, and it won''t be long till there will be other homes built that may allow them a direct view into your home. Also finishing off the house will add value. For the next four hours, we discussed each room and ordered the items online. After spending ten grand I asked her if she expected me to hang them when they came in and she said yes that''s a man¡¯s job, but I will help. She figured she better check in with Judy and we were glad that she did.


    Judy had inside knowledge of what the found in the coffin. Wrapped and taped in bubble wrap for protection was a federal express sealed envelope. Once it was opened it contained a note saying Next time James and Joan when you try to kill someone make sure the person you hire is competent. It was signed by me. When I heard that I roared. When Barb got


    off the phone she asked for an explanation, so I told her that before I left to report the Judge had me sign a bunch of blank pages as if I was signing a letter. What they found must have been one of them.


    Barb was just going to start supper when I got a phone call to let me know all my friends and their wives were on their way to welcome Barb to the neighborhood. I told her not to bother starting anything because we were about to have a house full. They wanted to welcome Barb to our village and group. Apparently, Connie had spread the word that I had brought a classy lady back with me and my daughters had approved. All the ladies wanted to meet the lady who had been able to get my attention. They would joke all night that they had to see it to believe it. Charlie had finally found a girlfriend.


    Within ten minutes the group all arrived. I proudly introduced Barb to them all. We were having a potluck dinner country style. Fried chicken, baked bean, nacho''s and cheese, potatoes chips, fry¡¯s coleslaw salad fresh buns two cases of beer and pecan pie. All the ladies loved Barb''s selection of dishes. After introductions, she soon fit right in talking with the ladies about the curtains, blinds, and rods she had ordered saying that they should arrive on Friday. It was decided that Saturday afternoon we would all get together and put them up, but she insisted they bring nothing because she would prepare a meal for us all.


    Early Thursday Morning saw us going to the Ace superstore in Port. Barb wanted a big propane barbecue, a deep oil fryer, and a smoker with the needed tanks. We ended up buying a patio set that would sit eight with eight extra chairs and had it arranged to be delivered the next day. I bought precut lumber to build a couple of tables.


    Friday morning, I started building her an outside cedar table that when collapsed would stand against the back outside wall. When pulled out and being used it would be used as the main counter for people getting their food. I stained it to match the stain of our log home and protected it in the same way. She loved it. Thank God Ace hardware pre-assembled it saved a lot of time.


    Saturday at noon they brought their ladders and the five of us guys soon had the rods set up in all the rooms. We let the ladies put the curtains up. I had to admit in front of them all that Barb had a great sense of design and style. That made her smile. What we had done made the house look that much better and I admitted it. I laughed because Barb blushed. Bill pointed out that I was going to need a garage and a storage room for the patio stuff before the winter weather set in. I had to


    admit that he was right but if I was going to do it right, I wanted a protected pathway with a mudroom for coats and boots all made with logs. Barb said we need room for two freezers. I groaned. Connie caught it and said are you already planning for more kids. I blushed and everybody roared. Connie said poor Charlie he''s already henpecked and don''t know it. Everybody roared again.


    Barb had smoked and slow-cooked twenty pounds of ribs, had a huge potato salad and had made a quick shredded pickled cabbage relish and a regular salad. It was a hit with everyone, so all the ladies had to find out how


    the cabbage was done. To reward her for all her hard work I made her breakfast on Sunday than with friends we took a cruise up the coast. Seeing her enjoyment in what we were doing I made a note to take her to Seattle to do some whale


    watching and to spend a day at their market. When Judy called Barb, she admitted privately to Judy that she was in love.


    The problem I was too, but I would never make a move I was too old, and I saw myself as to set in my ways.


    ********


    It had been an interesting week we had over three evenings designed and laid out the plans. My four best friends


    enjoyed expressing in their banter with me about me being in love. No matter how hard I argued they knew I held a losing hand. The rock removal company would be coming next week to start leveling off the additional space needed. By the time they were done, we would have the county approval for a four-bay garage, a built-in storage area in the back with an in-law apartment on top and a sixteen-foot walkway to the huge mudroom for Barb.


    James and Joan had been called into the FBI rumor had it that it wasn''t going well. The polls had his reelection chances going down the drain. The FBI had shrunk it down to two possible suspects who may have been hired to carry it out the attempted execution of me. It was difficult for them because of the lack of proof. They both were under investigation.


    Friday, I got an interesting phone call from the President of the company I had founded he wanted to know as a major shareholder If I would be interested in becoming the new CEO. I asked If I could have a week to think about it, he said yes. Somehow it leaked out and the shares rallied on the news. Rising to the level of one hundred and thirty nine dollars.


    Then late Saturday a very loud thunderstorm with lightning moved in. I did not know it, but It would cause our relationship to change forever. It hit in the middle of the night. I was laying in my bed listening to the heavy downpour hit my home''s metal roof when my bedroom door opened. That was when a flash of huge lightning hit. Barb walked in wearing a very slim almost see-through low-cut nightie which barely covered her private parts. She was a sight to behold. Her silhouette with the sheet lightning behind her encased her in a band of gold giving me a vision of her I would see in my dreams.


    I pretended to be asleep as she pulled the sheets back and crawled in beside me. Her body trembling in fright. As soon as the next thunder boomed its echo bouncing off the walls her body was tight against mine. I could smell the sweet scent of fresh soap coming from her body because she had showered before going to bed. The scent of lavender filled my nose. Flesh against flesh gave me an instant hard-on. Turning sideways she slid her leg over mine, wrapped her arm around my chest and laid her neck upon my shoulder. I hadn''t been this close to a woman in years. I was a nervous wreck. As she raised her head to give me a kiss on the cheek, I turned my head to hers and our lips met. A gentle kiss turned in a slow lingering tongue exchanging kiss. Once started we could not stop. Emotions were fueling our desires. Our cold hands exploring each other¡¯s bodies. Each other¡¯s pleasures we sought.


    We took it slow until she felt my stiffness standing out then she pulled my sleepwear bottoms down. Pushing me back on my back she mounted me then lowered herself down drawing me into the warmth of her tight mound. Joining our bodes making us one as we discovered our own personal dance. It was a night of wonders and whispers as both of us were making up for the lost time. It wasn''t just sex we were making love. She was claiming me, marking me, taking my mind heart and soul. In the afterglow, we admitted to each other our feelings of love.


    It was almost ten am when hunger demanded we get out of bed. I went down and put the coffee on dressing in just my pajama bottoms. While waiting for it to brew I called my daughter Judy


    ¡°Dad,¡± Judy said with surprise. ¡°It''s good to hear your voice.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I need to ask you a question. What did Barb say to you during Jen''s wedding?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That the moment she saw you at the wedding party it was love at first sight. It seems the more she learned about


    you that night the more it reinforced to her that her feelings were real. She watched you all night. Ever since your arrival back home she has been on cloud nine. Whatever you plan to do, do not hurt her.¡± Judy asked.


    I chuckled and said, ¡°Just between us, she slept in my bed last night. This morning we admitted to each other that we were in love.¡±


    Judy got emotional so I said I would let her talk to her later. The coffee pot was almost ready, so I cleaned the urn and put hot water in it and our cups to warm them up. I had just finished that when the doorbell rang. It was fed ex with a special delivery from my lawyer. It was my divorce certificate. The court had waved the waiting period because of the extenuating circumstances. I was a free man. Barbara was coming downstairs her face glowed with contentment. Her cell phone rang so she answered it. Within seconds she burst out laughing. After a few, she ended the call.


    ¡°That was Judy,¡± she said. ¡°She said she had a question for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and what was that?¡± I asked


    .


    ¡°She asked if it was okay If she started calling me mom,¡± she replied before giving me another kiss. ¡°You just had to tell her. Didn''t you? ¡°I laughed.


    Barb said I had to tell her that I had to make the first move because you never would. She was right. I had seen myself as too old to be in love again. I poured us both our morning coffee and walked over to the kitchen table after mixing mine the way I liked it. Barb liked hers black so after grabbing her cup she headed over towards me but stopped when she saw the letter from my lawyer. Picking it up she read it. The second page was the certificate. She looked at me with tears of joy. I got up and held her in my arms.


    ¡°Is it time for you to meet my parents? ¡°She asked.


    When I said yes, she called her mother to ask her if they still did the family get together on the family farm during


    Labor Day weekend. When she said yes. She told her that she would be coming home for it. Her mother was thrilled. Instead of doing it she explained on Monday they would be doing it on Saturday because others had plans for that Monday. Judy and Joanne were both out before the end of summer. We spent one day just going through their binders. Both daughters and Barb were surprised how much I had on my daughter¡¯s life.


    ********


    We flew into Cuyahoga County Airport where we had a car rental waiting in a small private Jet. Then with our luggage, we went and booked ourselves into a holiday Inn. It was a beautiful September day. The plane was booked to pick us up the following Tuesday. Barb hadn''t been home in two years but had warned me that both her father and two brothers had been in the service. Since I was the first man in her adult life, she was bringing home I would sure to be grilled to make sure I was good enough for their only daughter.


    When we left the Inn the next morning, she drove us to the farm. We were early I figured because we were the third vehicle in the yard. Her mother ran out of the porch eager to greet us before we had shut off the car. She was in shock her only daughter was with a man. Her father hearing the voices came out to see what the fuss was about. I was shocked. Her father was Bull Frog Patterson my old drill Sargent. The first words out of his mouth were well shit. I had thought like all the new recruits that he was nothing but an asshole. He had ridden my ass hard.


    ¡°Barb what are you doing with this wimp? He cost me over a thousand dollars¡± he said with a laugh while holding his hand out to me, ¡°I was supposed to break him and get him to drop out. So, I threw all the shit I could think of at him, and he excelled despite me becoming one of the best dam marines I''ve ever trained. That man when he must be is as hard as a rock. He cost me a thousand in bets because I never thought he''d last. He proved to me the hard way that I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Bull Frog.¡± I said as Barb and her mom looked at me surprised, ¡°I won''t pull any punches. I came to have a man to man talk with Barbara¡¯s father because I wanted to ask him for his daughters¡¯ hand. I had no clue that he was you.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Mrs. Patterson asked?


    ¡°Yes, ma''am!¡± I replied firmly. Noticing that Bull had a smile a mile wide.


    ¡°You got it John.¡± was his only reply. ¡°My only daughter couldn''t come home with a better man!¡±


    With that said I got down on one knee and pulled the ring box out of my pocket. In front of her parents, I asked her to marry me. Barb completely surprised said yes. So, I stood up and slid the ring on praying it would fit. It did. Then I gave her a big kiss. After congratulations and a great big warm welcome to the family hug by her mom and dad. Bull said let me get the keys to the truck and we will go a quick beer run. It will give us a chance to talk. Barb''s mom was bawling for two reasons her daughter had come home with a man that her father approved of and had gotten engaged right on the spot.


    Bull''s and my first stop were the local legion to have a couple of drafts. He asked if I had gotten the divorce and I said I had. I explained how I had met his daughter and how we came to be. He knew I had come from money so had no need to ask. Of course, he had to introduce me to everyone and explain quite proudly that I was his future son in law.


    Someone asked me how he got the name Bull Frog. I said let me explain, He was our drill Sargent for basic training, and it was his job to weed us out. Since I had joined at the age of 16 with my parent¡¯s approval, he felt that I really did not want to be there. He came down on me as hard as he could. Every little screw up by me meant an extra something being added on me by him. He was riding my ass extra hard. It was like he wanted me out.


    My fellow recruits knew it and wondered why. One night in the barracks one of the guys said man you are taking the shit big time. What do you think of him? I said Well he reminds me of a Bullfrog sitting on a log trying to catch bugs. The problem is that in his eye''s I''m the bug. They guys loved it and started calling him Bull Frog and it''s stuck.


    We dropped a couple hundred picking up the beer and rye. I knew if he had his way, I was going to be so drunk by the end of the day that I would not be able to drive. By the time we got back the yard was full of cars. We took some of the beer and rye into the house then drove his truck around the house and parked it to use the beer as needed. Barb and her mom were there to greet us. Barb slid her hand into mine.


    A voice in the crowd yelled, ¡°Son of a bitch, Hard Hat Charlie is that you.¡±


    I looked up and said ¡°Measly Mike! Old dog, how in the hell are you? Man, it¡¯s good to see you brother!¡±


    Within seconds we were giving each other a big brotherly hug. We both knew instantly we were still good buds.


    Bull looked at us and said, ¡°you know each other?¡±


    ¡°He''s the best tach man I ever had underneath me,¡± I replied with a big grin. ¡°Bull Frog trained me I. I didn''t know that he was Barbara''s dad.¡±


    Bull said. ¡°John why did he call you Hard hat Charlie.¡±


    ¡°When I reenlisted, I started using my second name and made it to a major before I was discharged,¡± I replied. ¡°I got that name from my seal team on what would end up being my last mission.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the hard-ass Charlie that saved my son''s life.¡± he summed up. Mike and I both said yes.


    Barb walked up and stood beside me and whistled to get everyone''s attention. She introduced me to all as her


    boyfriend. Then said my mother has gotten something to say before we carry on with this party. Turning to me she whispered I''m keeping the keys because If I know my dad and brother, you¡¯re going to be too goddamn drunk to drive.


    Barb''s mom Gloria spoke. ¡°I wish to officially announce the engagement of my only daughter Barbara to retired


    Major Johnathan Charles Barnes. She came home because Charles wanted our approval before he asked our daughter. My


    husband trained him and said he was one of the best he ever had. It took at the most twenty seconds for him to give his


    blessing. As soon as he got it, he got down and proposed right in front of us.¡±


    Everybody seemed stunned but Mike said. ¡°you''re going to be my brother in law.¡± and repeated it as if he was


    trying to convince himself that it was true. For the next hour, Barb introduced to me her extended family. Barb admitted to me it had been a long time since she had seen her family look so proud. By the way, she was right they got me drunk.


    I don''t know how we made it back to the hotel. Hell, I did not remember half the night. I had to ask my future wife to be if I had made a fool of myself. She summed it up by saying you outlasted the other two idiots. That didn''t impress me


    much as I struggled to get out of bed. Man, I was feeling rough. Barb said it served me right. I swore to myself that it would be the last time. During breakfast, Barb took an image of her ring on a whim using her cell and texted Judy sending her the picture as an attachment. She texted you can call me mom if you agree to be my maid of honor. Less than ten minutes later we were on a conference call. Barb and I and my three very excited daughters. They were all thrilled.


    We learned James and Joan were dealing with the FBI on multiple levels and facing various possible charges. Their defense bills were climbing. Both of their careers were destroyed. James had DNA tests done on his three sons and found that they were all his. I guess with all he was going through and had done it had created doubts in his own mind. It looked like their marriage may have been strained to its limit. My three daughters felt it would be lucky to last another year. The money that paid it for it all had been traced back to James. Who with the legal authority given to him after my faked death by Joan had it paid for it via the Trust? It proved that their plans had been started long before I caught them.


    Little did we know that in his warped mind everything happening to him was my fault. He still claimed he was being framed. Most thought he had lost all credibility. My Trust which had still not been settled was worth millions now and the lawyers would be fighting over it for months. I told them the court had put into the hand of a trustee until settlement came. The only problem we were facing right now was that my three daughters wanted us to fly to New York for a family celebration. We ended up agreeing to come as soon as Barb¡¯s work schedule would allow it. All the girls were pushing for a date.


    ********


    I worked it out with the board with my future brides¡¯ approval to accept the position of CEO. Meetings would be held on the second and fourth Friday of each month and secured conference calls three days a week. I wanted to limit my time away from Barb. She had become my world. Barb started her first day at the hospital and soon fit right in. Working in


    the ER in a small town allowed a lot of free time at times so she began taking courses to further her career. She worked four


    12-hour days one week and 3 the next. Her hours were from 6 to 6 so I would be sure to have meals ready to serve by the time she came home. Our friends got a hoot out of how domesticated I was becoming. It made me wonder if they had ever had a clue about a bachelor¡¯s life.


    After her first three weeks, we flew out that Thursday night to New York so I could attend a press conference the following morning to announce my assuming my position on the board. It was after that media event I learned that the court had ruled because of all the changes made to my trust was made after the report of my false death were made illegally. The court ruled that I would have to pay James and Joan nineteen percent of its current value and if they wanted any of the personal property, they would have to buy it back at market value if I agreed to sell it. It was a huge blow for them. I instructed my lawyers to work out the details of the split providing they got to keep their family home.


    After the conference, Barb and I went home to my parents where we learned my three daughters and Steven would be joining us on Saturday. Mom and Dad wanted their own version of welcome to the family. Although she had the staff, she cooked the meals. Barb and I had one big problem we had to solve. Where we would get married and how we could satisfy our friends and family? By the end of the day with my parent''s help, we decided to get married in Ohio, have a second reception back here with family and their friends and a get together with the crew back home after it was all done.


    I would ask Barb''s brother measly Mike to be my best man. Judy was Barb''s maid of honor Jen and Joe would be the ladies in waiting. Steven and her other brother would finish out the wedding party. We set the date for the last Saturday in December because it had always been Barb''s wish to be a December bride.


    We had just finished a delicious family dinner made by my mom when there was a knock at the front door. When my dad returned from answering it, we got a big surprise it was my former wife asking to talk to me. My gut told me no way. So did my parents. Barb said you must forgive her before you''ll be free from the past. Connie told me about her affair and how your wisdom won them both over. It''s time you applied your own wisdom to yourself. I went to Dad''s office for a few before calling Joan in.


    ¡°Joan.¡± I said ¡°Before we begin, I want you to hear the last words I heard from you years ago. I was sitting in the Judge''s office when he talked to you. Pay attention to the tone of your voice and what you said back then. Just so you know I just emailed a statement to CNN confirming that I was there when the judge recorded it and listened to the conversation via speakers while you two were talking.¡±


    Joan''s face went white. She now understood that I knew the whole truth. The mass media had never played the


    whole chat. I excused myself to get a strong drink so that she could have the privacy to hear her own words as I heard them that fateful day. I came back with a scotch and water listening outside of the door until the conversation between the judge


    and she was done before going back into Dad''s office.


    ¡°Imagine if you can that conversation from my side as I listened to you deliberately write me out of my daughter''s


    lives. Try to see from my view the betrayal, the hurt, the pain, and the tears. Consider the price we all had to pay because you became my older brothers, high-class whore. I have asked many times what James did during the three years he lived with us besides fucking you behind my back. What was it you famously told our daughter that the story about their dad''s death was sad but true, but we can be thankful because it brought Uncle James to all of you? ¡°I said coldly with a firm voice.


    ¡°Did you ever say anything in our relationship that was one hundred percent true. Jennifer, Judy, and Joanne have all heard the same thing. They have all even seen the date it was recorded and know it was before my reported death. The result is they are now questioning everything James and you ever said to them. Their listening to that tape has destroyed forever any trust they had for the two of you for good,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Time appears to have proven that I was nothing more to James and you then a tool for you to use to an end. When Jennifer found me, I knew I could not be the walking dead anymore. It was time for me to reclaim my name, my family, and my life. The family¡¯s secrets had to end, ¡°I stated.


    Joan looked shell shocked. My words had torn her apart like arrows of steel. Everything I said pointed right at her


    and my brother. The tears were now flowing like soft spring rain. I had to wonder if it was caused by remorse or the shame of being caught. I got up from behind my dad¡¯s desk handing her a box of tissues. Taking my drink in my hand I left saying I would leave her so she could gather her thoughts.


    Barb and my parents were in the living room when I walked in. My mom was showing Barb all the photo''s she had collected over the years.


    ¡°By the looks of your face I can guess it''s not going well, ¡°my father said.


    ¡°Well, she heard her own words to the Judge and his response. Before I gave her a chance to speak, I told her to imagine how I must have felt considering I was listening to the conversation on his speakerphone at the time. I asked her a few questions and she lost it so I''m giving her time to collect her thoughts before we talk. I told her that her daughters had heard it all to and saw that the conversation had taken place days before my reported death. I pointed out that her own words had destroyed any trust her daughters had in both. I came out because I did not want to watch her tears,¡± I replied. ¡°She can no longer deny her own past or her lies.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Barb asked me in genuine concern.


    ¡°Just stating the facts,¡± I said. ¡°It has given me an inner peace I have not felt in a long time. The rage, the anger, I once had is gone. I can now accept whatever happens to come.¡±


    ¡°It looks like Barb was right then,¡± said Mom.


    After refilling my drink, I walked back into the office and sat down. Lighting a cigarette, I waited for her to begin.


    ¡°We saw you catching us as the brass ring. Finally, we would get what we had always dreamed of. The chance to live our lives beyond the closed doors. When the Judge called James was in the kitchen with me. We both saw him interfering in what was not his business. His anger and rage drove my thoughts and my response. I really had not given my comments much thought,¡± Joan said softly.


    ¡°You know the Judge was right. Your father had been texted the video I took before the Judge called him. Your father asked us to do nothing until he got there. Within the hour he was in his plane flying down. When he heard the conversation, he himself went into shock. They both felt as I did that you both had set everyone up. If it came out their careers were over, their reputations damaged beyond repair. When Jennifer heard it, she demanded we get our DNA tested to verify that what we believed was true. Thankfully she was my biological daughter. Both would have killed both of you if it would have been legal,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Your comments made it clear that everything you two were doing was deliberate. Now you know why to this day your own father has had little to do with you. He told the whole family when he went home what had to be done and why? The question I have is what gave you the right to write me out of our children''s life. I have to ask because our daughters want to know,¡± I said as I stood up because her tears were again starting to flow and walked out.


    ¡°What are your thoughts so far,¡± Barb asked.


    ¡°She''s trying to justify her actions nothing more nothing less. She has shown no remorse. Hasn''t apologized. I feel the only thing she is sorry for it the fact that it has all come out!¡± I spoke.


    Just looking at the three of them told me all I needed to know. They were as shocked as I was. We were all trying to figure out why she had come.


    ¡°We are both looking at doing time,¡± Joan said when I came back into the room. ¡°The FBI has got us on charges of lying to them at least, tax evasion, faking a death, theft, and a couple more all involving your trust. Our lawyers are trying to work out a plea deal as we speak before were officially charged. James and I both feel if you spoke up, they might not be as harsh.¡±


    ¡°Sadly, to this point, they have not asked me a word. Why would they, I was in the forces oversea fighting for our freedom while others played their games,¡± I said with a smile on my face. ¡°I really can''t help you can I. You made your bed you lie in it. This is James and your mess. I have often asked myself if you were ever really in love with me. I now know


    you weren''t. I guess you''ll finally learn the hard way that there are consequences for your conduct that money can''t buy you


    out of. You haven''t changed. I had hope of you apologizing for what you had done, but you didn''t. You came to try to save your own skin. It''s always been about you and what you wanted so please allow me the pleasure of escorting you out. I guess you''ll both go to jail claiming it¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    I could not stop laughing as she left the house.


    ********


    Mom and Dad were being just that Barb and I had to sleep in separate beds. It made me realize just how attached Barb and I had become. There is nothing like the warmth of a body next to you in the middle of the night from a loved one


    that can calm a troubled soul. It was a night of tossing and turning. It made me appreciate just how much we had become one. It was about two when Barb sneaked into my room. When she said I couldn''t sleep without you it brought a smile to my face. I responded saying its moments like this that make us feel young.


    As she climbed in beside me, I drew her into my arms. When she saw the tears in my eyes, she had to ask me why? I responded I finally understood what it meant to have a loving wife. It became a memory we would share and cherish the rest of our lives. I guess my words hit home because Barb started to cry. I calmed her down with gentle kisses.


    ¡°I need to know right now,¡± she asked. ¡°How do you feel about us having kids?


    I paused before speaking then said, ¡°Kids have a unique way of keeping the old young at heart. If you can accept the fact that I will be in my sixties before the last of our brood is out of the house. I see no problem if we have more than


    one,¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s time we started working on one,¡± she said, and we did.


    Dad was already up when I went down. The whole bottom floor had the smell of fresh perked coffee in the air. It brought back memories of my childhood to mind. It had always been his routine to perk coffee when he was off. I had to agree coffee made like that was richer more favorable than today''s drip stuff.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Dad said as I walked in to get a cup and join him at the table. ¡°I want to thank Barb and you for ruining a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± was my reply.


    ¡°Your Mom had to wake me up when Barb slipped your room to ask me what I thought we should do,¡± he laughed. ¡°I told her that you were both old enough to know what you were doing. I''m going to enjoy teasing her about it for weeks.¡±


    ¡°Tell mom that Barb and I really don''t sleep well when we''re apart we learned that thanks to her last night,¡± I replied, ¡°and let her know we are planning for her to have a couple more grandkids within a couple of years. Barb wants them close because of her age.


    Dad commented, ¡°I guess we will be looking for a home in Spuzzum. With me, semi-retiring your mother will want to spend a lot of time being a grandmother again.¡±


    Jennifer and Steve were the first to show up. Barb and I hadn''t seen them since their wedding, and it gave us a chance to catch up. They both were tickled pink to be part of our bridal party. They told us about what they did on their honeymoon. Barb explained what happened when I met her parents making sure to mention that I was a happy drunk. Then embarrassed me by showing them all a video clip of her father, brother, and I singing a barracks song drunk. The girls roared over that one, even my dad cracked a smile. Steve got a kick out of the fact that Barb''s dad had been my drill Sargent and her brother one of my grunts.


    Judy and Joanne showed up around an hour later. Judy went over the moon when Barb asked her to be our maid of honor until then she hadn''t taken it seriously. They spent quite a while catching up with all the gossip from where she used to work and their mutual friends. Mom had to brag in joy about our plans to have children. Then, of course, Jennifer had to tell her sisters about my famous video so of course, I ended up getting teased a lot about that. Steve got Barb


    to send him a copy so he could forward it to his dad.


    Barb said let them know that we''re engaged she said. With the building of the addition and her new job we had been so busy, we haven''t seen them since the first of the month. It should be finished by the end of the month. She explained that it was a four-bay garage with a huge separate storage section behind and a three-bedroom apartment above. We have a fully enclosed walkway to the mudroom that will be attached to the house. It took them a week to level off the area before they could build. At the same time, we doubled the size of our leveled back yard and enlarged the patio. We hope to have it stained and sealed to match the house if the weather holds out. The excess soil and rock we removed were used to expand the level area in the front.


    It was then that I broke the news to my daughter that I had talked to their mother last night. They all became quiet. Using dad¡¯s internet and Barbs laptop I played the audio clip of our chat through dad''s TV. I watched as they listened in earnest to the judges and Joan, then her and my conversation. Afterward, I could tell my daughters were stunned.


    ¡°I don''t believe it. There was no explanation, no guilt or remorse. Yet she came expecting you to bail them out because she felt you owed them,¡± Joanne said. ¡°You asked her questions which she completely ignored. It¡¯s sad that she so self-centered that she cannot see what her own conduct has done. In her world, it appears that it is all about her. Was she always like that?¡±


    I thought for a few then said. ¡°Before the birth of the three of you, I would have to say no. I remember my first


    leave home after your birth. Even though I was only home for three months I could tell that something about her had


    changed. I wrote it off at first as her being overstressed, tired and worn out because the three of you were a handful at


    times. That was when I hired your first full-time nanny and decided to leave the army so I could be home to help her with


    you all. By the time I got out, you were almost three. We were strangers to each other but soon she started to warm up. Now I see that for her it was all a front.


    ¡°During that year James had moved in and had gotten a job. He started his civilian life and I with Dad''s help started building my company. I guess that my relationship with her during that time was just a fa?ade she hid behind as she built her future with him. That is why I asked her if she had ever been truthful to me,¡± I said truthfully.


    ¡°It sounds like she had a mental break down caused by extreme depression after our birth that she never got help


    for,¡± Judy said. ¡°Both Barb and I have seen that quite often in our line of work. One of the classic symptoms is a personality change it¡¯s a way the mind helps them to cope. That may explain what happened but not her actions. Sad to say after all that has been done this the final straw. My mother and are done.¡±


    Both of her sisters agreed. I thought this is just something else she can blame me for. I didn''t know at that time how accurate that would turn out to be. To change the mood Barb decided to get the ladies to help her choose the color of their dresses. I butted in saying I would be wearing black. When I got asked why I said because black is the color for those grieving because of a loss. Jennifer''s had to ask what I would be losing. I said my freedom. That got a big groan.


    My dad saw me grab a beer and head outside to try to work out my thoughts. He knew I had a lot on my mind. So, he joined me.


    ¡°Son I know it''s hard to face. Don''t try to second guess yourself and what you did. You made the best decisions for all of us at that time based on what you knew. There is no good in looking back. Life is just too short. Count your blessing. Three beautiful daughters who make their grandfathers very proud. They carry your morals, principles, and standards well. A future wife who has a heart of gold. My father and mother split their estate between me and you while writing James out. You served your country and saved many lives. You took the high road always in your walk-in life even though you for a while lost it all. Today you stand tall and proud free to live your life as you see fit,¡± he explained


    ¡°Your daughters just wrote their mother out of their lives. They made hard choices just like you.¡± My dad said with wisdom. ¡°With the same knowledge. That should tell you that what you did was not wrong. It was your conduct and your conduct alone that brought your daughter¡¯s home. They understand that regardless of the cost you did what you did for the benefit of us all. That says it all.¡±


    My dad had always been able to find a way to make me feel proud. His intelligent words seemed to always get me out of the fog allowing me to have a clear vision.


    ¡°Just think you may end up with grandchildren older than their uncle and Aunts,¡± he added with a laugh. ¡°Few get a second chance to do it better a second time. Focus yourself on what coming and leave the crumbs of your past behind.¡±


    With a smile on my face, we walked back in and joined the rest of the family as they continued the planning of my wedding. Barb, my mom, and three daughters were now dealing with what type of flowers and why. Would it be a church service or just a justice of the peace? Would it have a Christmas theme? I shook my head, so Dad and I spent the rest of the afternoon playing crib for a penny a point double for skunks. I ended up losing $4.65. Let them go at it he said and just show up at the wedding. It¡¯s the easiest way to stay out of trouble. He was right.


    ********


    On Sunday before we left my mother had Barb call her mother to inform them that we would be getting married there. She was thrilled. Barb also made it clear that her future mother in law wanted to be involved in the organization of things. Dad heard my mom say on the phone saying don''t worry about the cost it¡¯s my husband and I wedding present to


    these two and rolled his eyes. The two mothers argued about it, but my mother won out. When she put her foot down there was no other way. Ever since her teenage years, her closed female friends had always called her sarge. They did agree that


    everything had to be approved by Barb. It reinforced in my mind I was marrying my mom because Barb was the same way.


    The way things were coming together made me question whether Joan and I had really been in love. As we flew home Barb mentioned her parents were flying out. Mom wanted to discuss some locations, what to have on the menu, which band to hire and whatever else she could think of to make it more complicated. They wanted to see what kind of life we lead daily. We didn''t even have to pick them up. Bull was renting a truck so they could do day trips from our house as they toured the island. It was something he had always wanted to do and now they had the chance. Just over two months until the wedding Time was catching up to us fast.


    ********


    We returned home to find the dive had burned down so Tuesday morning found me sitting with the owner. He had no insurance and was not going to rebuild. I offered him reasonable value for the property, and we negotiated his liquor license until we worked out a deal provided the local council would approve. Within three days the mayor provided the approval. By the end of the week, they began construction on the site. The contractors and builders were excited. They were building a back to back restaurant and bar taking a city block using in part more logs from the mill. With a concrete floor the two-business sharing a common concrete interior wall everyone was impressed. Using plans approved by the village they said they would have the outside completed in two weeks. Former staff agreed to work in the bar and were thrilled by its new name ¡°Bullfrog''s.¡±


    Using the nearest real estate agent, we had the restaurant space leased before they were done. I hired a firm out of


    Seattle to design the layout of the Bar and to set it up. I paid extra to have it done in a rush. I got Barb to have her mother scan her favorite picture of Bull in uniform and email it to us. I used that image to have a glass company design the main entrance glass doors with his full image sketched on each door. In front of his waist on each door was the bar''s name. Barb had ordered the furniture for the new apartment. During the month she and our moms had pretty much-settled everything about the wedding. The day before her parents arrived everything was done. That Thursday night the new bar had its grand opening. It was more successful than the old one had ever been. Everyone raved about our bar food menu. It made Barb smile because she had planned out the items giving them their unique names. We had 31 days until the wedding.


    Barb''s parents would arrive around five that Friday night, so I was surprised to find out that morning that Barb


    wanted me to drive her over to the regional airport in Port insisting we drive the Jeep. We had to be there at two. I asked her why? She said it was a surprise. We got inside the airport at ten to two in the afternoon and watched a small six-seater jet fly in. I learned a new thing I did not know that my dad flew his own plane. They both looked great.


    We had gotten my parents settled in and were sharing beers when Barb''s parents arrived. After getting them settled it was too late to start dinner, so we drove them down to our new bar. I took Barbs parents in my old Ford truck and let him drive. My future mother in law said my truck reminded her of his truck when they were first dating. Barb followed us in the jeep which had become her pride and joy. When we got to the bar boy was Bull surprised. Seeing his full image on the main doors twice blew him away. My dad standing beside me whispered softly well done. I said Bull when you walk in, I want you to scream the order like you did when you wanted us recruits in formation. He said okay to humor me and did.


    Walking in after opening the door he let loose with his order in a roar as if we were all standing there in front of him. Sixteen former marines quickly fell into formation and saluted him one more time. He had trained every one of them. He walked down the line and shook their hands greeting them one by one with their full names. Gloria looked at me with her face glowing in pride and said you know you will have to carry him home. I nodded and laughed. Barb kissed me and said I love you then told her mother that she had no idea that I had named our new bar after her dad. Charlie had refused to tell me because he wanted it to be a surprise.


    Bull lost when he saw the plague on the wall above the bar. It said, ¡°named after the toughest Drill Sargent of them all Bull Frog Patterson.¡± We all tried Barb¡¯s menu that night and agreed for a bar the food was great. Dad and I had to carry Bull up the stairs to his bed. His former recruits got him piss eyed drunk. It would be discussed for weeks how much nicer he was when he wasn''t in command. Bull would say for years it was the second time in his life he''d been shocked and awed. The first was when I asked for his daughters¡¯ hands.


    Gloria, my parents, and we were relaxing in the living room reflecting on the day''s events when she dropped the news. Bull was being pushed into retirement after 40 years of service and was at a crossroad in his life. Mike was taking over the family farm at the end of the year and they were planning to move into town. Bull was taking it hard. He still had too much piss and vinegar in him to retire. I looked into Barb''s eyes and saw her growing concern.


    ¡°You know Barb,¡± I said, ¡°If he lived here, he would be the perfect choice to manage the bar.¡±


    Gloria said. ¡°But where would we live there''s not much available.¡±


    ¡°Mom,¡± Barb said with a huge smile. ¡°We have the in-law suite. If Dad will go for it. It''s yours. I should warn you though the thunderstorms here can be loud and wild.¡±


    Her Mom looked at her and spoke. ¡°How do you manage them? Ever since you were a small child when we had a bad storm you would crawl into our bed.¡±


    A smile came across Barb''s face as she looked at me in her knowing way. ¡°Charlie has helped me make them one of my favorite things,¡± she said with a huge grin.


    My parents caught the inner meaning, and both started to laugh.


    --------------


    Over the next few days as Gloria and Bull toured the island, my parents, John and Silva spent their time looking for a new residence. We still had not disclosed to Bull our plans. Gloria wanted to see how he saw the area before we made the official offer to him. The furniture finally arrived Barb and I was busy unpacking it and setting it all out when Barb noticed an official-looking car coming around the last curve in the driveway. So, we both went out to meet it.


    It was the FBI looking for me. They wanted to talk to me alone, but I made it clear since I had nothing to hide from my future wife, I would prefer to talk with her there. So, we found ourselves sitting at the kitchen table sharing a coffee.


    The agent who had identified himself as a Peter McCormick had some troubling news. There had been two arrests last week. My brother James was under arrest for fraud, tax evasion falsifying a death attempted murder theft re my trust and 3<sup>rd</sup>-degree assault on his wife. He had been denied bail. Joan had filed for divorce and was facing a bunch of charges herself but had been granted bail because of their kids. The problem was that an informer had come forward to disclose that James had been trying to get information about who could be hired to do a contract kill and may have succeeded. They wanted my schedule and plans for the next two months while the situation was being investigated. I noticed Barb''s face turn white.


    They were taking it seriously because the trust had a clause that said if I got divorced and died within six months of the date my trust would be controlled by my former wife. Lawyers had agreed that until the trust was split and approved by the court, I could not legally change anything in it. Agents had been assigned to the area to investigate things on this end. They made it clear that I could not change my daily agenda in any way. Barb and I understood they were taking the matter very seriously. After they left, we sat and discussed how we were going to break it to my parents and what steps could we take to protect ourselves.


    It was the last Saturday the six of us would be together until the wedding. My parents had found a five-acre lot outside of Port and had finalized the deal. Their real estate agent had linked them to a local contractor who had agreed to


    build them a log home a bit bigger than ours on a four-foot crawl space. They had ordered a custom kit online. It would be


    delivered to the building site in three weeks. Bull was not looking forward to heading back home. He had found the slower pace of our small-town living inviting. Barb her parents and I were sitting in the living room my parents were out.


    I asked him¡± Bud how much will you be taking from the farm when you move to town.¡±


    He answered. ¡°We really haven''t given it much thought. Honestly, I don''t like the thought of having neighbors 200 yards next to me. Why?¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡± Barb said. ¡°Charlie and I were wondering if you would consider moving here and managing the bar for us. You both could live in the in-law suite rent-free. The salary would start at sixty thousand a year.¡±


    To say he was shocked would be understating it, but he promised to think about it. We told him to take his time and let us know when he decided. Gloria later told her daughter she thought it was a done deal because Bull was very proud of that bar. He just must except in his mind what was already in his heart. So, they talked about what Gloria wanted to bring with her as they worked in the kitchen preparing a big dinner.


    The four of us watched them drive off heading back to Ohio. As we headed back into the house. I told my parents we needed to talk. It broke my mother''s heart when I told them about the FBI''s stop. She blamed herself for not raising James'' right. I gave her the advice the judge had given me and pointed out that he had led a good life until he got involved with my former wife. Remember Mom you taught us to associate with those who would build us up not take us down. It''s standing for my morals and principals that you raised us with that have kept me balanced and strong. They were what made me the man I am. James just threw away his.


    ¡°Well, Mom and Dad,¡± Barb said. ¡°I got some good news that may cheer you up, but you have to promise me that you will keep it to yourselves!¡±


    I looked at Barb with a puzzled look wondering what she had to say. My parents said that they would agree.


    ¡°My doctor figures by the time we get married I will only have 32 weeks to go,¡± Barb said with glee. ¡°If it¡¯s a girl it will be Gloria Elizabeth a boy Johnathan Charles Barnes the 4<sup>th</sup>.¡±


    I thought my mother would scream. I almost fainted.


    ********


    So here it was a day before my wedding Bull Frog, Measly Mike, my dad, and all the rest of the males of my bridal party after going through the rehearsal were in the legion sharing a few drinks. The females were all somewhere else throwing Barb a bridal party. Bull was saying goodbye to a lot of his friends and getting a lot of rubbing their noses in its in. He was leaving Ohio and moving to Washington State to manage a bar named after him. James''s plan had been foiled the contractor for the kill caught after pleading guilty he got a hard twenty. Joan had gotten a deal for time served and a 5-year parole by agreeing to testify against her husband. His trial would start in the new year. The trust had been settled Joan had put the estate she lived in with her three sons up for sale and had filed for divorce.


    ----------------


    The last two of our four children start Kindergarten next month. Johnathan came first Gloria ten months after and then the twins Silva and Wilford (Bullfrog''s real name). Jennifer and Steven have a boy and a girl. Judy married a marine from Maine who works in the corporation under me. Joanne married Measly Mike they opened a bullfrog''s bar near the farm. Life is better the second time around.

 Lies, Truths, or Perception Part 1

    (Does it Matter?)


    Prologue


    Have you ever stood still for a moment in a busy retail New York Store and watched the masses walk around you? I suggest you all try it. It will show you just how unimportant you are in the scheme of things. You¡¯re like an ant on a busy sidewalk. Masses of people from all levels of society pass you by, like your nonexistent.


    Did you know that little ant, you may have stepped on the way into the store was most likely a worker sent out to do the bidding of its queen? Assigned to do a task that fills a need. When it doesn¡¯t return the Queen will send out another worker and will keep doing so until the assignment is completed. The Queen will use as many workers as possible that are required to get what she wants to be accomplished done, no matter how many are lost. Outside of your own reality that is how important you really are. You¡¯re just a bug waiting to be squat.


    Back in the day, God help you if you¡¯re in a busy store that has a five minute special on that was announced via a sound system on a busy night. I hope you''re prepared and suited up for battle because instantly a bunch of boobs will ascend on you trying to get the right one, the right size, the right color, all for the right price. Not one of these boobs will be in heat. All will have come for a battle that is to be won. Many comedy movies¡¯ have had scenes like this.


    They will push, shove, kick, and even bite the unknown bitch that gets in their way. It¡¯s an amazing sight. It really is. To see so many different shapes, sizes, and curves of asses sticking up towards your face as the boobs dig through the special discount bin is a sight that one may never be able to get rid of. Having bent over to shove their faces directly into the bin looking for the right one wearing God know what can be quite a fright.


    If you¡¯re an ass man, it may be a delightful sight. At moments like this, a bunch of female hogs in a pig pen is more desirable than these bitches. Believe me these bitches at their stage in life are not what you call prime meat.


    You laugh, but it¡¯s not so funny when you do it for a living and you¡¯re the one having to get rid of the dead stock during the retail story busiest hour which was back then Friday nights until ten and all day Saturday. Where did you think the term Black Sunday came from? It was named to honor the widows of the men that got trampled to death in one of these battles.


    Nowadays we just sell it on eBay, after all, there is a sucker born every minute. Be thankful because these are never ¡®honey-do¡¯ moments. If it was, it could be your ass that some bitch is climbing over.


    So, let make it clear that what I have written so far is a warning to all those husbands to be in training. When your Queen Bee decides on something don¡¯t stand still, get out of way. It does matter what¡¯s right or wrong because the truth does not matter. What they want, when they want it, to them is what is important. Anything else on their totem pole at the time does not matter because their ability to focus can be deadly.


    I know because I may be the last survivor of overcoming what a woman believed, even when I was the last to know. All caused because my Queen Bee got caught in a lie she could not get out of while talking to our neighbor who believed she would not become a queen bee until she was married.


    In her eyes, a queen bee had to have six or seven little ones running around with her calling her mom. It started a series of events that once opened could not be stopped. The difference between these two was like night and day. Both, I realized later wanted little ole me for varied reasons.


    No man alive deserves to be put into a situation that he cannot win. It¡¯s best in these situations to stand on the sidelines and let the Queen bee¡¯s fight it out. Especially when it involves those Queen Bees that believe their husbands are nothing but a possession because they wear the wedding band. When a Queen bee believes that complete obedience by you is necessary.


    Believe me, gentlemen, there are no bigger Queen bees, than boobs whose hormones are roaring because of burning desire to recreate. Boob¡¯s in that condition become primitive in nature and are wild beasts. The problem is that we as a society have evolved from the time when a man could whack them on the head and drag them by their hair to our caves.


    Most Queen bees avoid each other. They tend to keep out of each other territory. When confronted with one the other Queen Bee will watch and wait because one must know their enemy''s strengths and weaknesses in order to win. It¡¯s always a battle of intelligence between two Queen bees. One last thought there is nothing more dangerous in the world than a Queen bee who has feels she has been defeated.


    ********


    My problem started when my Queen and a Queen wanna be on a warm spring, early March Sunday afternoon were sitting outside on the raised second level deck enjoying the warmth of the day. My wife and our neighbor a very desirable looking woman who had never married were catching up with the things going on in their busy lives.


    I have to be honest, I myself have found myself looking at our neighbor in a non-proper manner more than once and have had to hide my growing erection at times. For my tastes, she was that appealing. If I had of met her first, I would never have married my wife. But like all honorable dufus¡¯s, I had made my bed and I would lie in it.


    I was directly underneath them quietly working on something that now seems unimportant. I believe I was putting together a piece of newly purchased equipment for aerating the lawn. Neither of the ladies knew that I was there because I had been going in and out of the garage quite regularly that both were now ignoring me. It was the serious bit of conversation they were having above me that caught my total attention.


    Dinah and Bridget both having turned twenty- eight in the last few months were in a heated discussion about what they were looking forward to in life. Bridget was frustrated because none of the men she had dated were really marriage material in her eyes.


    She was husband hunting because her biological clock in her mind was ticking down, and she wanted a couple of children towing behind her as soon as possible. It didn¡¯t help that her mother felt she should have been married to a good man years ago and was beginning to think that she was too meticulous. As her mother said she should just find a man train him and get it done.


    My wife Dinah, on the other hand, had always been a strong independent woman who listened to no one said, ¡°After we got married, I told my husband Trey that the doctors said I couldn¡¯t conceive so when I was in the hospital a few years back getting my appendix removed, I had the Doctors tie my tubes at the same time. Trey still does not know that I had that done. I wanted to make sure that I would never have kids because I was afraid it would alter my looks. My image is particularly important to the social media that I¡¯m attracting to follow me. It took a while, but Trey is finally beginning to accept it.¡±


    Bridget said, ¡°Dinah that¡¯s the dirtiest thing I have ever heard of Trey would make a great dad. He loves kids. You both talked about having kids when I first met the two of you. What gives you the right to deny him in that way? Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°I did it because I needed to change the perception of his reality,¡± Dinah said. ¡°By making him believe that it was an act of God that brought my medical problem upon me.¡±


    ¡°So, you used his belief in your honesty to deliberately deceive him,¡± Bridget said. ¡°Just to take away for good, what he hoped and planned for.¡±


    ¡°If we had children, it would take away from me what belongs to me, his undivided attention,¡± Dinah said. ¡°End the trips we take twice a year to award ourselves. Children would have robbed me of the lifestyle we had created for ourselves, so I wasn¡¯t going to allow that to ever happen. I¡¯ll be right back I¡¯m going to refill our glasses.¡±


    As my wife walked back into the house, I stood there in silence as if I were saying to myself did, I just hear that? I walked out from beneath the deck and headed towards my car. I had to get out of there. At that moment I wanted to be as far away from my wife as possible. If I didn¡¯t the anger, I was feeling would build into a rage that I might not be able to control. With the mood I found myself in I knew it would not take much for me to kill her in a moment of rage.


    I had been raised from childhood to believe that there was no way under any circumstances that would justify a man hitting a woman. I was afraid that with what I had just heard that I could be capable of that, so I needed to get away until I calmed down.


    What I had just heard had made me sick to my stomach. Not only because of what she said but what it implied. I was oblivious anyone who saw me driving my car that I was in total shock. Bridget saw me and knew that I had just overheard their conversation.


    I would learn much later that Bridget was attracted to me just as much as I was to her. Out of our mutual respect for Dinah, neither one of us had acted upon it. She decided at that moment that I was the perfect man for her to procreate with because she saw me as being great father material.


    She decided that if I started thinking about divorcing my wife Dinah because of her lies she would find a way to move in to be my partner in the walk of life. I did not know it, but the battle lines of the two different types of Queen Bees had been drawn because of the conduct of one.


    ********


    Dinah and Bridget had grown up in different environments. Dinah¡¯s father was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and spoilt his daughter with everything. He had been raised by a strict father who was ruthless in his business dealings and was known to run his businesses with a hard cold hand.


    One of the stories he loved telling was about when his father was having union trouble with two of his companies. After a six month strike, he closed down the factories, sold the building to a different company that he owned, re opened them as nonunion operations. His cost in the long run dropped by thousands. As a result, Dinah¡¯s father had a well earned reputation of being dirty, cruel, and determined when he had to be. He was known to be a hawk in the business community.


    Dinah was raised to expect the best and demanded it. Her first full-time job was in upper management in one of his businesses, so money to her was just a convenience to make things easier. She expected the best that money could buy regardless of price and was not satisfied with anything less.


    Dinah a stunning woman with black curly shoulder length hair with a thirty-four, twenty-six, thirty-four body shape and was five foot six. She was extremely critical if everything was not over the top all the time. Even our vacations were to the extreme. For her, it was two weeks of being pampered too as if she was the Queen of England. For me, they were a waste of money and nothing but a bore. They were something I neither wanted nor enjoyed.


    Every piece of clothing or jewelry was picked by Dinah to enhance her image as a trendsetter and a leader in the social media community. She had successfully turned her twitter account into a money-making adventure. In the years she had been doing she had brought her income from nothing to the point that she was hauling in more than me. Since she had started on that course, her focus into it was with a determination that was extreme. Everything was planned to get her further attention via the social pages and the mass media.


    Everything she did these days was to enhance its revenue potential. Every month she had a new hairstyle and a new image. In fashion, she was more popular locally than the President¡¯s wife. She was being followed so much that if she decided she liked something and bought it within weeks for many it was a must-have item.


    Over the last three years, her following had grown to just over a million. She was working with two to three sponsors and was making good money by being nothing but a social butterfly. It was her ultimate goal was to land a big sponsor in which there was the possibility to make millions.


    She loved being the center of attention and milked it to her advantage. Every image of her was designed to influence her marketability and to draw more followers into the illusion she was creating about herself thus adding to its revenue-generating stream. On occasion, she would type something on twitter just to be able to create a situation or an idea that would give her additional wanted attention.


    Being out and about in the city during social events was important to her. The more people in her entourage the better the visibility in the gossip pages which in turn was twittered about. If it was happening in the city of New York she had to be part of it. That meant she was out most nights until the wee hours of the morning.


    As a result, I quite often was left behind and that suited me fine. I did not need the limelight or brainless idiots following me to define who and what I am. Besides the daytime job I had required that I had to be sharp and on my game. If I didn¡¯t, I would last long in the cutthroat business I was in.


    Bridget¡¯s father was a working stiff who slowly worked his way up the ladder the hard way. He had to work hard and long for everything he got. He had passed his values on to all of his children and took nothing for granted.


    Starting with nothing he designed a product, developed it, then created a marketing line that allowed him over the years to grow his company into a worldwide organization. He grew fast by buying out businesses that would fit into what he was building. He ran a tight ship, kept his costs under control and his organization was one of the blue-chip stocks that paid increasing dividends every year. His team had a slow and steady approach that worked for him very well.


    In his personal life, his wife and children always came first. He raised his daughter to be grateful for what she got or what she earned. It was hard to earn but easy to lose so one had to be careful and modest in everything they did.


    Bridget was selective and more reserved in her nature towards things like getting more value for half the price out of things than my wife ever did. Those values had brought her a long way since she had graduated from university. Both were quite secure in their positions in life. Yet the two were the complete opposite in every way. It still puzzled me how they could become friends.


    Bridget had a wholesomeness to her that bloomed fully. She would be just as happy holding a fishing pole in a river dressed in blue jeans having a blast with friends and family, then being the center of attention at a high society dance. For any man who took the time to know Bridget, they could spend the rest of their lives being content by just being with her. Another advantage would be the benefits gained by being lost in those sensual curves.


    Even at her age, she was a natural beauty whose loving nature would be a great asset when she became a mother. Anyone who ran into her knew she was the real package, not someone recreating herself to become the image everyone wanted her to be. In my eyes, both of the ladies were polar opposites.


    ********


    I was digesting the words I had heard out of my wife of six years mouth over a cold beer at a strange watering hole. The way I saw it, the more I felt like I was nothing but a glorified servant. I was expected to perform a role Dinah had designed for me and as long as I did, she would occasionally thank me by being in my presence.


    Everything she did for me was to benefit what she was trying to do with her social media presence online. Seeing what our relationship had evolved into forced me to ask myself what the selfish bitch had seen in me in the first place.


    The longer I thought about it the more I understood how little love there was left in our marriage. I was now just one of the many pieces of equipment she had use to make her online image and lifestyle better. She had been the judge, juror, and executer in how our marriage would work. My thoughts about us and our relationship as a married couple had reached the point that they no longer mattered.


    To protect a lie, she had made sure that her body would not reproduce. In this reality, I was seeing that she really had an inability to appreciate anything. She used all to further her goals. I was just another tool she had to manipulate and turn into an advantage. My wishes and wants had been totally marginalized in our marriage. Now that I had learned from her own mouth her real truths and the lies, she used to promote them I had to decide if I could continue to live with them.


    Unless you have been put in that situation its hard to comprehend that you end up taking a close look at yourself all over again. Everything from likes, dislikes, morals, and belief¡¯s are looked at and questioned.


    My cellphone rang. I looked at it and killed the call. I wasn¡¯t really ready to talk to the Queen Bee I had married; I was too busy trying to figure out if I should stay or run. By the time I left the bar, I pretty much had decided what had to be done.


    I would no longer be at her beck and call; she would have to start doing a lot of things for herself. No longer would she have my full support. Our lives were about to change in a drastic manner. I knew that in her self-centeredness she would never comprehend the reality of what was going to happen.


    I could now see clearly that Dinah for the last three years had been slowly separating herself from building a future with me. I wasn¡¯t sure if she realized it. Neither had I, but I did now. I prepared to go home knowing full well she would be gone to be seen at another social event with her entourage.


    I had taken stock of our life together and knew where it was now headed. I knew for sure with the direction she was going there was no way for her to come back to some point of normalcy in our relationship. Time had allowed to much damage to be done. I was right by the time I returned home Dinah had gone out. It gave me the time to start to formulate my plans going forward.


    ********


    I walked into my office the next day bright and early before anyone else had gotten there. I pretty much had decided my marriage to Dinah was over. I was looking at the end of the last market day stock values and the futures market for our clients.


    Algorithms would click in automatically if they were triggered but I was looking for stocks that I could sell short and buy back later for less, both for my clients and me personally. Five or six times a year I would play the day trader¡¯s game to make some extra revenue for my clients who allowed that.


    I knew that I best make as much as possible as fast as possible because when I walked out on my marriage this job would likely be over. My wife¡¯s father was one of the firm''s biggest clients and he would most likely demand it. Knowing that I was really motivated. I knew had to be extra careful because with the mood I was in I did not my emotional thoughts leading my decisions. I found two stocks that looked promising and tagged them to pop up on the screen when the markets opened.


    It paid off, I sold them short three times that morning before the first hour of trading was done with large volumes which got people believing it was time to sell. The latest rumors about the ongoing hassles between the USA and China added to the turmoil in the market that day. After the comment from the officials in China was heard by the market it plunged downward.


    I was thankful that the smallness of political leaders allowed their childish behavior to come out publicly. One idiot said something stupid so the other had to respond in kind. The stock market dropped five hundred points by noon by the end of the day it was down nine hundred points. The two stocks I had picked were two of the day¡¯s biggest losers.


    I put in buy-in at 2 pm for two dollars a share less than the current value and by closing I had bought all I had sold earlier back. For my clients, I had made one point seven million dollars net, for myself I netted out at two hundred and fifty thousand. I was enormously proud of the day''s accomplishments, but I had no one to tell.


    After the stock market closed, I started to draft the emails I would send out in the morning to inform the clients what I had done and how much they had made. The second paragraph would contain my suggestions on what to do with it to avoid a huge tax bill at year-end. It was almost five when I got done.


    I called Bridget at her father¡¯s office and asked her to join me for supper if she was still going to be in the downtown part of the city at the end of the workday. She was and we arranged a time and a place. Then I texted my wife Dinah to inform her I was having dinner with a new client knowing dam well that she wouldn¡¯t care because she was out and about either creating or getting more social media attention.


    Dinah responded in kind letting me know what she was doing and that she wouldn¡¯t be home until the wee hours in the morning at the earliest. She and her entourage were hitting one of the popular night clubs to create some twitter moments to promote her social presence. The key to her success was keeping her physical presence out there. I was realizing that in her reality Dinah had to be the center of attention because everything was about her and her wants.


    Bridget was waiting for me in the lobby of the restaurant when I walked in. In her office clothing, she still looked stunning to me. I guess she caught me looking too closely at her in a way she hadn¡¯t seen before because a huge warm smile came across her face.


    Approaching her I informed her I had made our reservation, so she stood up placed her arm around mine as we walked to the hostess. Once I told the hostess my name we were escorted to our table. I pulled out her chair so she could sit down before I did the same for mine. Once we were sited, across from each other we started to relax. I thought she had prettiest emerald eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you called me Trey,¡± Bridget said. ¡°I assume you heard your wife and I talking yesterday because when you walked to your car, I could see the look of shock on your face.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I did. It was an eye-opening event for me that has forever changed everything,¡± I said. ¡°There is no way that genie can be put back in the bottle because if I had known the truth in the first place, we would not have gotten married.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t really mean that do you,¡± Bridget asked.


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± I replied in a serious voice.


    ¡°Have you decided what you¡¯re going to do?¡± Bridget asked as she deliberately looked into my eyes to discern for herself if I was being truthful and straight forward.


    ¡°Considering what I have learned, Dinah has really left me no choice,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not a man who can live someone else¡¯s lies or accept them. Maybe others will but I won¡¯t. Her conduct has made it clear that I was never worth being told the truth.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re going to want me to verify what she said,¡± Bridget observed. ¡°And how do you want me to do it?¡±


    ¡°A notarized statement should do it,¡± I said. ¡°With that, I can go to court and get the court to order the hospital to prove or disprove that the medical procedure was done. Since Dinah has already stated that it was, it is now legally can be researched with a court order because in the court''s eyes it¡¯s now considered public knowledge. If it was done the divorce will be on.¡±


    ¡°But how will that help you in the divorce?¡± Bridget asked. ¡°I can¡¯t see it giving you an advantage.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right in a divorce it wouldn¡¯t be, in an annulment it¡¯s a gold mine,¡± I said. ¡°It lays the foundation of proof that fraud was used by her to get me to marry her. The court would be forced to rule that she leaves with only what she brought into the marriage.¡±


    Bridget¡¯s face went white. Trey¡¯s thinking was brilliant. Dinah would be more upset by being dinged in the pocketbook then having her marriage ended. She believed by what she had been witnessing that their marriage had devolved to the point that it was nothing more than a friend with benefits thing. She now believed that Trey was beginning to see it in the same way.


    An annulment would make it in the court''s eyes as if the marriage never existed. Her deliberate deception was the key part, and she realized it. Dinah had told him what she needed him to believe so that she could satisfy her wants and wishes.


    ¡°What you don¡¯t know Bridget, that I was with Dinah when she broke the news that she couldn¡¯t have children to her parents,¡± I said. ¡°That was before she had her tubes tied. They were devastated because they were looking forward to being grandparents. It¡¯s her own conduct that is creating the problem. If we can prove that she could have conceived and carried the child full term it will be dynamite in the courts eyes.¡±


    ¡°It will kill them to find out the truth,¡± Bridget said. ¡°I guess you need to know if there was a medical reason for her having it done. I have known them for years, their good people and don¡¯t deserve this, but neither do you. I¡¯ll have the statement you need set up to be couriered to you tomorrow. I will use an in house staff notary to do it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°Now let¡¯s sit back enjoy our wine and each other¡¯s company while we eat.¡±


    It was an enjoyable meal; Bridget and I discussed our likes and dislikes in general. It surprised us both just how much we had in common. Until now we had been nothing but acquaintances, but circumstances were forcing us to open up to each other and take our relationship to a new level.


    That night we started to become friends. It had let to a pleasant discovery of how much we had in common. We ended up going home together because she lived next door. Just before we said good night, Bridget added one more suggestion.


    ¡°Trey I¡¯m going to be trying to get my father to turn over the management of his personal investments and mine over to you,¡± Bridget said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Dinah that it was my father¡¯s idea. That way I can keep you informed what¡¯s in the back of her mind without getting the second degree from her about the friendship were developing.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good, text me your email address so I can forward some information that you can share with your father,¡± I said. ¡°That way you will have some valid reasons why you¡¯re making the suggestion to him. I know our fee structure is less than most of our competition.¡±


    The first thing the next morning I sent her the confidential information of what we charged for regular clients and what our spread was for corporate when in negotiations for four o one''s accounts of their employees. By giving Bridget the tools, she needed I was protecting both her and me from being accused of doing something unethical for our own benefit.


    ********


    True to her word Bridget got me the letter the very next day. I forwarded it the same day to my lawyer who informed me that he would get me one of the best female divorce lawyers in his firm to manage the case for him. For the rest of the week, Bridget and I would chat on the cellphones briefly. It became something I looked forward to each day.


    On Wednesday afternoon I met the female lawyer who agreed to oversee the investigation and the divorce if what I believed was right. She believed that if we could prove what I now believed had been done it wouldn¡¯t take long to get through the courts. After accepting a deposit from me towards my final bill I handed her Bridget¡¯s notarized statement.


    Friday was a day that completely blew me away. The stock market had gone up drastically all week and had gained back what it had lost on Monday. So, I sold some of the shares I had bought from Monday¡¯s profit for myself and my clients for a nice profit while leaving the original dollar value of the investments intact. My clients were super happy with the results.


    All weekend the relationship between my wife kept getting colder and colder. Dinah could not figure out what was going on between the two of us but did not appear to be concerned about it because she believed that with time things would smooth themselves out.


    It was interesting when Dinah commented that she was pleased to see that her best friend and her husband were starting to develop a friendship. Bridget and I wondered if Dinah was picking something up from our body language because we had kept our actual communication between the two of us to a minimum when in my wife¡¯s presence.


    It was at eleven am on the following Friday when I got called to report to the President¡¯s Office. Since he was a busy man to be called to his office unexpectedly meant that either you were being promoted or escorted out the door.


    His executive assistant looked at me and smiled saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Go right in he¡¯s expecting you, Mr. Richards.¡±


    That made me more worried because his receptionist had never called me Mr. since the first day I had started. I knew instantly that something was about to change.


    The President stood up as soon as I entered and offered me his hand saying. ¡°Well done Trey Richards. Getting the President of Datastore Control Corporation to consider coming to our firm with his employee retirement funds for us to manage is a great achievement. The size of that account alone just about doubled our overall volume of what we manage.¡±


    ¡°The Vice President in charge of that division is working out the final details right now. He¡¯s a tough negotiator according to David but is fair,¡± he added. ¡°Showing him how we could save the employee¡¯s thousands in service fees was tactfully done by you. Again, I say well done young man. We could use a few more like you.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°When are they coming over,¡± I asked?


    ¡°We take over the management the first of April,¡± he said. ¡°I understand you will be managing Clarence Smith¡¯s personal account as well as his daughter Bridget¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t take all the credit, sir,¡± I said. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the team, I would not have been able to swing it.¡±


    He smiled and said, ¡°I think there is more to this story than you¡¯re going to tell me. Very few get invited into Clarence Smith¡¯s circle. He is known to be a very private man. I will respect your need for privacy on this matter and leave it at that. With what you have achieved you have gotten the whole board''s attention and mine.¡±


    I laughed and smiled not knowing just what to say. Just then a text message came through that saved the day. It was from Bridget lunch at _____ on me, will explain. A smile came across my face.


    ¡°Bridget Smith wants to meet me for lunch,¡± I said as I texted back to confirm. ¡°I guess she wants to confirm what¡¯s going on and to talk about our direction going forward.¡±


    ¡°Take as long as you want if you got nothing pending,¡± The President said. ¡°You¡¯ve more than earned it. You¡¯re now the man I expect to keep me directly informed if there are any problems with them going forward.¡±


    That one statement made it clear just how important I had become in his eyes.


    I went back to my office and shut down my computer. Out of a force of habit I wanted to protect my client list as much as possible. With no locks on inner office doors, it was easy for someone to slip in unnoticed. That way no other in the pool could easily steal them. I was looking forward to hearing Bridget explain why she didn¡¯t tell me.


    Bridget was waiting for me when I arrived. She had let her red hair down instead of having it done up in a bun. She had used a curling iron on it, it made her look years younger and brought her natural beauty to the front in a complimentary way. She was wearing a white dress that was definitely not office wear. It hugged her frame tightly which only served to heighten the natural curves of her body. I like every other male fool in the restaurant could not stop looking.


    Today she had deliberately dressed to get someone¡¯s attention. She had definitely got mine because looking at her had the fluids in my mouth running. It was working for I could see that she was getting a lot of eye attention from the men waiting to be seated for lunch.


    I was happy for Bridget, she deserved it, at five foot eight she was a stunning beauty. Her body features would draw most men in. The problem was that in this area of the city to many are looking for an advantage and would be presenting themselves as something they weren¡¯t. That was partly why she stood out to me. By looking at her on a daily basis you just knew she wasn¡¯t trying to impress someone. She was content in being just herself. With the people in this part of the city, she was rare. The street name for this area was the ¡®hustle¡¯ city because most of those in it were playing an angle, developing an edge, or looking for an advantage.


    As I walked in, she stood up and walked towards me. Everyone could see the excitement in her eyes was for one man. Once we met, she kissed me softly on the cheek then wrapped her arm around mine. She did that to let all the men know she wasn¡¯t on the market.


    At the time I wondered why because she had always been Dinah¡¯s friend would she be showing an interest in me. I should have been able to figure it out, but I didn¡¯t because getting involved with another woman was the last thing on my mind.


    ¡°Trey,¡± Bridget said, ¡°Thank you for what you did. My Dad¡¯s Vice President in charge of finance looked at the figures you provided me and told my dad we would be crazy not to be going with the firm you work with. I got praised over and over again by the Vice President for bringing the idea forward to him first when I could have gone directly to my dad. He bragged to my father that I had put the needs of the employee retirement funds first by finding them a way to earn a percentage or more each year.¡±


    ¡°You''re quite welcome. I was glad to do it,¡± I said. ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect this to happen so fast. I thought it would take a lot longer.¡±


    ¡°My father decided that since our portion of the fee we pay is three percent lower than what we were paying before that half of the saving will be given back to each employee as a yearend bonus that will be added to their four o ones,¡± Bridget said. ¡°The Vice President sees me now as a valuable company asset and not just a daddy¡¯s girl. I want to thank you for that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an added plus,¡± I said. ¡°But you could have warned me. I had to bluff through a surprising meeting with the President this morning. I got called in without notice, so I figured I might be facing my termination.¡±


    She laughed, ¡°I did not know my dad called your firm last night and talked to one of the Vice Presidents to talk price and terms until this morning myself. He told me that he made sure to give you the credit for getting us interested in coming over.¡±


    Sliding her hand into mine as it was the most natural thing in the world we walked up to the hostess and Bridget gave her name. We were escorted back to our table. As she slid into the booth I went to go to the other side of the table.


    ¡°Trey come sit beside me, there¡¯s plenty of room,¡± Bridget said. ¡°I promise not to take advantage of you or lie to you ever. As for me trying to seduce you although it might be an appealing idea to me in this place, it¡¯s impossible.¡±


    I hesitated for a moment before sitting down beside her. Her comment brought a smile to my face. So far Bridget had been straightforward in her relationship with me. To me, that was like a breath of fresh air. It wasn¡¯t till after we had left that I realized she had made sure I was sitting on the outside.


    Little did I realize that Bridget was already using the social signals to let everyone know in a subtle way that we were involved. When I did figure it all out it was already too late for me to change the direction of our relationship.


    ¡°My father asked me how I got the inside information,¡± Bridget whispered. ¡°I told him that it was a thank you from you for my help in clarifying a statement that is forcing you to start your divorce. He asked why a simple statement would cause a marriage to collapse. I told him that before I revealed that I should talk to you to get your approval because what we shared was confidential. That really perked his interest for some reason. It was he who suggested this luncheon.¡±


    ¡°So that is why I got invited to lunch today,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°If you trust him to keep it to himself, go ahead and explain.¡±


    ¡°Partly,¡± Bridget said. ¡°Dinah informed me when she called this morning all excited because she has to go to Paris France in a week¡¯s time. She has an international luxury company wanting her to become their spokesperson in North America with her twitter presence. This is the big sponsor she has been looking for and they have come to her. She is going to be demanding that you change your schedule and go with her.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a shock to her when I say no. Her going may be a blessing because it will give me time to start finding an apartment to rent. My lawyer has already served the hospital demanding the proof that the operation took place and is in contact with the health insurance company for their records. The surgeon who did the work is being sued in order to get it confirmed that there was no medical reason to have it done. I think he will quickly comply because otherwise, it¡¯s going to end up costing him a lot of time, and money in court fighting the impossible. He can¡¯t claim it¡¯s privileged because of her being his patient because of her very public statement. ¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re that sure, that your marriage is over?¡± Bridget asked seriously.


    ¡°Bridget, this may sound liking I¡¯m preaching but in today''s society with all the mistruths being spread around it¡¯s become acceptable to lie, not take responsibility, blame someone else, and a whole lot of things that are not moral or right, but now are considered socially acceptable,¡± I said. ¡°You as an average joe can¡¯t sue for slander anymore because of the legal costs which make it easier for these ones to promote their untruths in every way.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t be honest about yourself, and what you¡¯re doing how can you be honest to anyone else,¡± I said. ¡°I won¡¯t lie about myself or to anyone else for any reason. It may be outdated and old fashioned, but it makes me, me.¡±


    ¡°Yet Dinah, when confronted, will expect me to accept her lies, live them, pay for them and just go along with them. She won¡¯t admit to doing anything. She would explain that what she said was taken the wrong way or out of context. It¡¯s her belief that It¡¯s no big deal as everybody in New York is doing it to some degree. I guess it¡¯s my problem because I have to look at myself in the mirror in the morning,¡± I said. ¡°As a result, my marriage was dead the moment I found out that our marriage was nothing but a bunch of lies created and dished out by her for her benefit. Hearing from her own mouth what she did to herself, for herself killed any of the love I had left.¡±


    It puzzled me to see that what I had said had put a huge smile on Bridget¡¯s face.


    ¡°To a lot of people in this room your words make you a bigot or a hater,¡± Bridget said. ¡°I agree with you fully, but most won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Should I lower my principles, morals, and standards just to help them justify their hate towards me,¡± I asked? ¡°The moment I do they have won and proved to themselves that everyone who believes differently can be converted to their point of view.¡±


    Bridget leaned in towards me and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to getting to know you a lot better. You¡¯re definitely showing me that you¡¯re not what Dinah had led me to believe.¡±


    Just then a retired professor and his partner walked in and were seated at the table the next row over. I recognized them right away and wondered what they were doing in New York. Looking over at me the gay old gentleman let out a big smile. I wondered if it was spring break time.


    ¡°Trey Richards is that you? What''s it been ten years since you were my student?¡± He asked as his partner turned towards me and smiled.


    ¡°Hi Robbie and Bobby, May I introduce you to Ms. Bridget Smith,¡± I said. ¡°Yes, Professor it¡¯s been ten at least. You''re both looking good. You still teaching?¡±


    ¡°Just one or two classes to keep my fingers in it,¡± he said with a smile and a laugh. ¡°After you, I figured I had, had enough.¡±


    ¡°Was he that bad of student?¡± Bridget asked with genuine interest.


    ¡°No, challenging, respectful, and determined as all hell, yes,¡± he said. ¡°All in all, he pushed the whole class to excel by challenging my teachings. He made that school year remarkably interesting for me because he pushed me to question what I believed. I retired because we were being forced to give passing grades to those who should have failed because they didn¡¯t put in the effort and felt they shouldn¡¯t have to. So, if their final mark was five points or less from passing, we were to boost it, so they got credit for it when they didn¡¯t earn it.¡±


    Trish asked, ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°The new policy was to start with the new students in the fall because according to board our own born American citizens couldn¡¯t keep up with the foreign students,¡± he said. ¡°I took early retirement with full pay and do two classes a week with those doing their education on a course by course basis. Every student in those is there because they want to learn and work. Not because of their ¡®entitled¡¯ class.¡±


    ¡°We have heard stories about things like that but it¡¯s not really that bad, is it?¡± Bridget asked.


    ¡°The last year I taught full time I got offered big money by five parents wanting me to allow their failing children to pass,¡± Robbie responded. ¡°Because of my well known political views at that time, they thought I would be willing to accept their bribes. That¡¯s when I learned that most thought because of my political membership that I would easily do what they wished. I dropped my membership for good and became an independent. When I refused, they went to the department head who backed me up.¡±


    ¡°That was when the reality hit me that President Ronald Regan who I never liked but respected had to add in ¡®Tear down that Wall¡¯ four times in a speech the deep state was writing for him. The deep state expected him to bow down and kiss their asses because they ran the country. In the final draft, he once again found they had removed it from his speech because it went against their plans,¡± The Professor stated. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Regan going against the deep state when giving his speech, we would still have the Berlin Wall today. That showed me how little the political has to do with anything. Since then, I have become what I am now an independent. I vote for the one that will do the best for our country, by standing up and fighting the system. I no longer will be led into accepting a political party¡¯s unspoken agenda because I am a member of a certain political party.¡±


    To break up the direction of the conversation I asked, ¡°Your anniversary is next month, how many years will it be?¡±


    ¡°As partners, thirty-five years as a married couple fifteen,¡± Robbie said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you remembered, Trey.¡±


    I laughed and responded, ¡°It¡¯s because I was the last person, I¡¯d would have asked how to make an anniversary rememberable.¡±


    ¡°Was it your idea for us to go on that air balloon ride, over the city with a balloon shaped like a heart?¡± Bobbie asked. ¡°Because it turned out of being one of the most romantic days in our lives.¡±


    ¡°Guilty as charged, ¡°I said, ¡°I was also the one that had the champagne and roses delivered to you both just as you two took off.¡±


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Bridget asked.


    ¡°They were a couple I respected who were faithful to each other in keeping their vows to each other. In our society that rare. I did it out of respect for who and what they are not for the lifestyle choices they made,¡± I said.


    ¡°What people do behind their closed doors is nobody¡¯s business and shouldn¡¯t be anyone else¡¯s either. Making oneself a public display because of your sexual orientation is a direct insult to everyone else. It just shows that they have no respect for themselves or anyone else,¡± I explained. ¡°For my friends, I knew that drinking champagne in an air balloon just had to be a very romantic thing for them to do on their special day.¡±


    It surprised me to see Bridget start to tear up. I knew she had learned something about me that to her was important.


    ¡°Trey has always been that way, nonjudgmental on personal things like lifestyles and relationships, He has problems with those who believe it¡¯s their God-given right to shove their views down your throat just to make themselves feel important. He has always believed that if you¡¯re not open to discussing the other''s point of view, you''re showing your hate for what and who they are,¡± Bobbie said.


    ¡°During his school years, we enjoyed having him dropping in on us in our home. For the three of us, there were a lot of deep discussions on every subject. He never knew it, but he has always been one of Robbie¡¯s favorite students. We see each other once in a while and have remained friends.¡± Bobbie added. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re inviting the two of you to our anniversary bash next month if you both would like to come.¡±


    ¡°We would be honored to,¡± Bridget said while looking at me with a new understanding. ¡°Won¡¯t we dear?¡±


    ¡°Send me the details in an email,¡± I said. ¡°It will be good to see some of the old crowd again.¡±


    The waitress had brought us our meal. We both had large t bone steaks, a Greek salad, and garlic mashed potatoes. I joked that the mash potatoes were not real because they didn¡¯t have little lumps in them.


    ¡°Trey, that is just what my dad would say,¡± Bridget said with a smile. ¡°He will get a kick out of it when I tell him that.¡±


    Before leaving we said goodbye to my old professor and his partner. Bridget had slid her hand back into mine. The professor congratulated me for catching such a good one. Bridget thanked him for the compliment before I could say anything.


    In no rush to get back both Bridget and I took a stroll down the street. Bridget made sure that as we took a stroll that I was on the outside. We stopped at a street florist, and I bought her six yellow roses. To celebrate our blooming friendship.


    It was well after three when we finally separated to finish off the workday. For some reason, I just could not get back into the groove of things when I returned to my desk. My mind was on a certain redhead who had just set up a future date with me very slyly. Our budding relationship whatever it was, was starting to get interesting.


    ********


    I was prepared for what I knew was coming when I got home. As I got out of my suit my better half was getting dressed as she was expected out at another social event that evening. Dinah pulled out her request shortly after I got finished changing and wanted me to get right on it on Monday.


    I frankly told her there was no way I could get the time off because we were nearing the tax season and I had to be here to answer any questions that my clients might have. If I went away at this time of year, I would lose a lot of my client base and I could not afford to allow that. Dinah was definitely not expecting my refusal and visibly showed her complete dissatisfaction with me.


    ¡°Besides with the up and down swings on the stock market lately because a lot of idiots with little or no knowledge panic its best that I stay near until some sort of stability returns to the market,¡± I explained. ¡°When you get idiots acting on feelings instead of using accurate knowledge all sorts of problems can arise.¡±


    ¡°Who am I going to get to go with me,¡± Dinah asked? ¡°On this short of notice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that one of the boy toys in your entourage that follow you around will gladly go with you,¡± I said. ¡°After all, according to the New York Times gossip columns, there have been rumors that you have slept with a few of them.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you that there is no truth to those rumors,¡± Dinah said. ¡°I have been faithful since the day we got engaged.¡±


    ¡°If that is true, then why haven¡¯t these ones denied it,¡± I asked. ¡°On second thought why haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I just did,¡± Dinah said starting to show her anger.


    We just looked at each other not saying a word so I picked up the New York Times that was sitting on the kitchen counter  and started flipping the pages until I came to the gossip ladies daily column which I started to read aloud.


    ¡°Dinah Richards and six of her growing entourage were seen leaving the latest showing of Hamilton Wednesday night. It was brought out that they were there to cheer Ms. Richards up who is apparently having marital problems with her husband who has been fashionable missing from Ms. Richards''s arms for quite a few months. Those in the know are beginning to wonder if he still exists. Has Ms. Richards open, and a very public lifestyle began taking its toll on another one of her personal relationships. It''s looking like one of her boy toys who are always with her might have stepped up to becoming more than that. None who are always with her that I have talked to are denying that thought. Inquiring minds wonder if her husband knows what the truth is?¡±


    ¡°I think I have read enough to get the picture,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t you?


    ¡°But it¡¯s not true,¡± Dinah said trying to defend herself unsuccessfully.


    ¡°There has to be some truth to it,¡± I said. ¡°After all it''s printed in the New York Times. That¡¯s why it¡¯s the bestselling paper in the city. Perhaps you planted it yourself that¡¯s why the writer makes it sound so creditable. I wonder what your dad thinks, I should call and ask him. I got an idea you can tweet all your followers and ask if the New York Times is telling the truth. After all, over a million of your followers can¡¯t be wrong.¡±


    I started to walk away heading towards my home office. I heard Dinah slam the bedroom door behind me. She would act out her anger on somebody tonight because I knew she wasn¡¯t happy. I had just thrown the publicity she craved for right in her face. Dinah had a lot of thinking to do. What I knew as the truth didn¡¯t matter because the public perception was showing what her lifestyle was implying. If they were saying that her ongoing conduct was showing that she was nothing but a whore, who was I to say that the New York Times was lying.


    I was using it to make Dinah believe that I was buying the media hype lock, stock, and barrow just like most of the newspaper''s readers did. The newspaper¡¯s editorial board knew that most would not question what they read in print.


    If you created a perception that was regularly reported on most would accept it as the truth no matter what. After all, if the New York Times the most liberal paper in the country was implying that she was nothing more than a married slut they had to have the proof to back it up. Wouldn¡¯t they?


    I stayed in my home office until some of her entourage had picked her up. Unknown to me at the time as soon as Dinah had left the house, she called Bridget to inform her that we had just gone through a profoundly serious argument that she didn¡¯t know how to resolve. Dinah explained to Bridget that I was not looking at our situation the way that I should because of the media hype she had promoted.


    Bridget said that perhaps she was getting a taste of what she deserved for not treating her husband better. How many nights have you left Trey alone she asked while you¡¯re off building your dream? What else is Trey supposed to think because not once have you vehemently denied it?


    When you¡¯re active in party mode who knows whats going on. Has your sexual relationship with Trey cooled off drastically in the last few months? Is it because your eyes are elsewhere? Dinah didn¡¯t dare say a word because it had. She had been totally neglecting me. For the last few months by the time, she got home it was time for me to get up and start my day.


    Bridget hit her hard before telling Dinah about the very romantic luncheon she had with her newest romantic interest. Pointing out it was nice to have a romantic afternoon with a man who wasn¡¯t after something. She was totally surprised by him because he was not at all like she had been led to believe. In fact, the two of us have agreed to go to an out of state party next month.


    Dinah realized that Bridget had somehow found someone that seriously perked her interest because she had never been that aggressive in her relationship with a man before. Dinah was dying to find out all about him and spent the next half hour trying to get as much information about him out of Bridget she could. Buy the end of their discussion was wondering when she could meet Bridget¡¯s boyfriend because it sounded like she had found her dream man.


    Dinah was learning that she was no longer Bridget¡¯s center of attention and wanted to know the juicy details. All Bridget would tell her was that she had received six exquisite yellow roses from him that she was carrying with her from room to room.


    It must have bugged Dinah all night knowing that her best friend who had been in going nowhere relationships for years was developing one that apparently had a future.


    ********


    I called the tip line for the gossip lady and left the thought that when Dinah went to Paris France next week she would not be going alone. By the time I was done talking she would know that the man she was going with would be sharing the same suite. I added that it might be an innovative idea if a contact in Paris could keep her informed as to what was going on.


    After making myself some supper and throwing the dishes in the dishwasher I began the task of moving all my personal items from our bedroom into the spare bedroom. I  had decided it was time that I started to separate my life from hers while I waited on the lawyers. I knew her deliberate actions had forever destroyed her credibility with me.


    When Dinah got home in the early hours of the next morning, she discovered I wasn¡¯t in our bed. Before she got up that Saturday morning I had dressed in blue jeans and gone to the office.


    To keep thing civil, I  left a note on the kitchen counter saying that I needed to work because it was so busy that I needed to catch up on last week¡¯s activity so I could be ready for what happened on Monday. It also helped to validate my reasons for not doing what she wanted in a way she could not argue. It was around eleven that I got inspired by a spot of ingeniousness.


    I went out to an instant teller to withdraw some cash because I wanted to make sure that what I was about to do could not be traced with a debit card or credit card record. Then I went to the nearest florist. I ordered a dozen red roses for Bridget Smith after picking out the vase I wanted them in. I had it delivered to our home address paying for it with cash. The card said from a secret admirer.


    If I knew Dinah, Bridget would be holding her hand by the time they arrived. That way it would appear that the delivery driver had delivered them to the wrong house by accident. I had just made it back to my office when the office phone rang. It was Dinah.


    ¡°What do you want Dinah,¡± I said with a cold voice.¡±


    ¡°Why did you move out of our bedroom last night,¡± She asked meekly?


    ¡°Because of the article about us published in the Times,¡± I said.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing but rumors you can¡¯t be taking it seriously,¡± Dinah said.


    ¡°Dinah, I think you should be asking yourself; how can I prove to my husband that I am not having an affair?¡± I said with a cold stern tone. ¡°Right now, I can¡¯t say with your current lifestyle that you¡¯re not because you''re always away until the wee hours of the morning with some flavor of eye candy on your arm doing god knows what. Add to the fact that you always shower before coming to bed makes wonder if it¡¯s to cover up any traces left on your body. Since you don¡¯t normally explain things to me about your conduct with these men last few months. What am I to believe? Maybe you have decided that variety is the spice of life. What¡¯s written in the New York Times forces me to believe that you have. Besides, why would the New York times write about it if you weren¡¯t true?¡±


    I hung up the phone without saying another word knowing that Dinah who had to be in complete control would be starting to panic. Her own plan to use gossip, publicity, and rumors to advance her social presence and following were blowing up in her face. I had made it clear to her that I had accepted the public¡¯s perception and believed something was going on that shouldn¡¯t be. I had tactfully said it all without calling her a whore.


    Here she was on the verge of landing a huge sponsor and having her marriage starting to blow up in her face. She could not afford it at this time to have the public perception of her affected in any way. It could end up costing her millions if it did. She was now treading in a minefield created by herself and she knew it.


    If my gut were telling me right Dinah would be calling Bridget to come over and help her work, her situation out. I had never questioned Dinah¡¯s conduct before. Now I was and she had no way of disproving what I was implying because of what her very public conduct was showing. Her problem was she had no clue as to why I was really acting like I was.


    I had gone through the closing figures on the stock market for Friday and had been researching out a few stocks that I thought might be having a really good day on Monday. Each person working the stock market floor doing the actual trading would leave behind an unfished list for the start of the market the next day.


    Using that knowledge, I had gleamed through their online lists until I found a trader who had what I wanted so I put a buy offer at the price they were asking. If my thoughts were right both the stocks I wanted would jump just after opening. If the deal were accepted, it would be entered into the computer and completed at the opening. The amount I had spent was well within the parameters my clients had set. I also bought enough shares to spend what I had made for myself over the last week.


    Bridget later texted me; Flowers are beautiful! Thank you. At your house. Dinah is in a dizzy. Because she doesn¡¯t know how to fix her situation. Can¡¯t cancel or postpone the trip. She asked me how she could prove she isn¡¯t having an affair when the social media she depends on says that she is. (Brilliant move on your part.)


    Pressuring me for info about my new romantic interest. It''s interesting that what I have told her about you she doesn¡¯t recognize at all. She has an event she has to go to so she will be gone by five and won¡¯t be home until the wee hours of the morning.


    I was just about to head out at four o¡¯clock when my cell phone went off. It was Emerson Stevens Dinah¡¯s father.


    ¡°Hi dad,¡± I said. ¡°What''s going on.¡±


    ¡°As you know my wife reads the gossip column regularly,¡± he said, ¡°she says it the easiest way to keep up on things that are not considered newsworthy. The comment about our daughter¡¯s Wednesday night was particularly troubling to her. Is there any truth to the story?¡±


    ¡°Until a couple of weeks ago I would have automatically said no,¡± I said. ¡°But I learned something that has forced me to hire a team to verify or disprove what was said. Until I get to the truth about that situation, I have to say I honestly don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that serious,¡± Dad said.


    ¡°Dad it came from Dinah¡¯s own mouth. I overheard a conversation she was having with our next-door neighbor,¡± I said. ¡°The neighbor upon request gave me a notarized statement verifying what I heard. I promise I will let you know what I find out as long as you don¡¯t shoot the messenger.¡±


    ¡°Has what she said affected the marriage,¡± he asked?


    ¡°To answer your question, it¡¯s so serious that I felt that I had no choice but to move into the spare bedroom,¡± I said. ¡°Dinah doesn¡¯t know that I know what she said, and I am checking things out to verify or disprove what she claimed she did was actually done.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me anymore,¡± My father in law asked?


    ¡°I can email you a copy of the statement, but you can¡¯t tell your wife,¡± I said. ¡°When you read the statement, you will understand why.¡±


    I quickly emailed him, Bridget Smith¡¯s statement. It wasn¡¯t five minutes until he called me back. His anger was easily discerned by the foul language coming out of his mouth.


    ¡°Dad you got to understand, Dinah had the operation to tie her tube¡¯s after she told us the Doctors had informed her, she couldn¡¯t get pregnant,¡± I said. ¡°It has raised a lot of questions in my mind that I feel has to be answered. My lawyers and I are waiting for a few court orders so that we can find out what the actual truth is.¡±


    ¡°So, if she couldn¡¯t get pregnant anyway why did she get her tubes tied,¡¯ he asked?


    ¡°To protect herself by making sure the lies she had told us became true,¡± I said.


    The line went dead. So, I turned the speaker on and waited for a few in case it had not been a dropped call.


    ¡°Trey I lost it! If what you believe is proven to be true, divorce the bitch, I would,¡± he said. ¡°I know you wanted a family with children just as much as her mother and I were looking forward to having grandchildren to spoil.¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s leaving for Paris next week and I won¡¯t be going,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s found a luxury company that wants to use her as a spokesperson for their products. If she signs it, she won¡¯t need me for anything anymore. I¡¯m beginning to believe that she is trying to destroy our marriage because my usefulness to her is done.¡±


    For Emerson Stevens, the information he had just received had to be tearing him apart. Dinah¡¯s words and conduct were forming a path that most would follow because it came across as logical once the facts as I knew them was presented to them. She was leading them down a path with her pattern of behavior that forced one to draw certain types of conclusions.


    Once again, I started to pack up and head for home. I was pleased with how the day went. I had just reset the alarm and locked the front door when my cell phone went off. It was Bridget.


    ¡°How long is it going to take you to get home,¡± She asked?


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there by seven why?¡± I asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at your house ready to put a large roast chicken in the oven so I need to time it, so the meal is ready when you come into the house,¡± Bridget said. ¡°If you have the time pick up a nice white wine.¡±


    I think the uber driver must have broken a few speed laws on the way home because I could not remember the last time, I had a home-cooked meal. Home cooking didn¡¯t exist in Dinah''s eyes.


    There is nothing like the smell of food cooking in the oven to welcome you home. I had picked a nice couple of bottles of white wine to compliment the meal. Bridget had gone over top the roast chicken was cooked to perfection. Its skin was brown and crisp. Yes, the mashed potatoes had lumps I noticed them and said so, but they were still rich, thick, fluffy, and perfect.


    The salad was served with its own vinaigrette so you could pour on enough to satisfy your own tastes. I gladly overate because the food was so good. For some reason, Bridget seemed to enjoy watching me eating everything until there was nothing left on the bone.


    ¡°How were you able to pull all of this off,¡± I asked.


    ¡°I got Dinah to convince me that my talking to you in private might help calm the situation down. She offered to order and pay for the food.¡± Bridget explained. ¡°I suggested this, and she went for it saying it was the perfect thing to get Trey to unwind and relax. Perhaps it will allow you to change his thinking so that he will be open to listening to my reasoning.¡±


    I shook my head trying to adjust to the fact that Dinah didn¡¯t even question the idea that Bridget and I would be alone over dinner in a very private setting.


    ¡°I told dad what was going on with Dinah and you,¡± Bridge said. ¡°He now understands why the statement I provided you is so important. My dad wants to meet you as soon as possible. I think he wants to see for himself if you¡¯re the type of man he thinks you are.¡±


    ¡°We can do that as soon as Dinah finds out that your father and you are my clients,¡± I said. ¡°Dinah¡¯s father called me just before you did. His wife had seen the remarks in the gossip article, and he needed clarification so he could reassure his wife that they were not true. I ended up sending him a copy of your statement.¡±


    ¡°How did he take it,¡± Bridget asked.


    ¡°About as good as I did,¡± I said. ¡°I had to tell him that he would be the first to know what the proof showed when I got it. He now knows I have moved into the second bedroom. His final thought is if what she said can be proved that I¡¯d better get the divorce as soon as possible.¡±


    Bridget took my hand, smiled and whispered, ¡°I will be standing right beside you to help you through it. Dinah spent more time today trying to find out who my admirer is than dealing with you and her situation. It shows us what is really important to her.¡±


    ¡°That says a lot in itself,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just upset with the fact that I didn¡¯t see it before now.¡±


    After dinner, we cleaned up and then went into the living room to watch pay for view movies. We were interested in three and ended up watching them all while working on finishing off the wine.


    All in all, it had been a long time since I had enjoyed such a relaxing evening. It felt strange to me to have a woman sitting remarkably close beside me eager in sharing something so simple. It was after one am when we called it a night. I walked her home and waited until she had gone in before leaving. Once again, she left me with a tender kiss on my cheek. I was puzzled because I still was not connecting the dots.


    ********


    I laid on the bed in the spare bedroom looking back at what had transpired since I had heard Bridget and Dinah¡¯s conversation. Things were changing. Bridget was checking up on me daily while Dinah and I were not talking. Since I was seeing both of the ladies with new eyes there was a lot of things I needed to consider.


    I knew that Dinah was trying to figure out how to manage the situation without really dealing with it until she got back from her Paris trip. Bridget was deliberately trying to draw herself into my life in a personal way and I did not know why.


    Bridget was a redhead whose natural beauty I could look at for hours. So far, she had proven that I could trust her, but I was looking at her with skepticism because of her close relationship with Dinah. I knew for now with both, I had to tread carefully. Until I had more information, I really did not know what to believe.


    Dinah got home about three and had to be back out by nine. Her day would be spent buying the image she wanted for Paris. It had to be very upper class and expensive. All her entourage would be following her, taking pictures, twittering about it, magnifying the situation making it seem bigger than it was. It surprised that so many of her follower seemed to milk and drink up all the bull shit she inspired. It was the hype she wanted for the trip. The more who followed her overseas the bigger the potential gain. There would be a lot of sexual flirtation going on which her followers would feed on. She wanted them to be sure to gobble it us like it was their favorite ice cream.


    I managed to avoid her until she left the house by pretending to be still asleep. Four men who were part of her entourage had picked her up. Most of them were part of the upper society¡¯s children who as a group had no depth or direction in life. I had just started a pot of coffee when my cellphone rang. It was Bridget.


    ¡°How does bacon, eggs, toast, homemade pan-fried potatoes, and Orange Juice sound,¡± She asked?¡±


    ¡°It sounds great, let¡¯s go out and get some,¡± I said. ¡°I can be ready in ten.¡±


    ¡°Make it fifteen,¡± she replied. ¡°The potatoes I just boiled need to cool down before I can cut and fry them in butter with the cast iron frying pan.¡±


    That gave me time to have a quick shower and shave. So, I did it and got dressed in my casual best. As I walked over, I found myself feeling like a kid in a candy store for the first time. Two home-cooked meals in less than three days had me asking myself what I have done right to be blessed like this.


    I knocked on the door. Trish answered by yelling doors unlocked come on in. My first impression of Trish¡¯s home that it was a home built and designed to be filled with comfort and love. While Dinah¡¯s and mine were designed to impress the unexpected who dropped in.


    For some reason, after breakfast, I was in no hurry to go anywhere because I had not felt this comfortable in a long time. It left me with a feeling I had not experienced since I had left my parents¡¯ home and I wondered what it was trying to tell me. Little did I realize that seeds were being planted that would affect a lot of people¡¯s lives.


    End of part one

 Lies Truths or Perception Part 2 (Maybe it Does)

    It had been a busy week. On Monday, the stock market took off like I thought it would. Because of my quick well time maneuvers I made good money for my clients and me. Once again, I had proved to myself that I had done my job and successfully done my homework. Every day this week Bridget and I met for lunch to discuss what was going on in our day. Every night I took home little thank you gifts from clients who had a lot of extra money thanks to me.


    There was a side benefit with things going so well because with satisfied clients word of mouth does wonders because of their bragging. I was pleased with how well things were working. I had a lot of interest being shown by investors who they had talked to wanting me to manage their accounts.


    Most were surprised when I demanded full disclosure to all their assets and debts before I would agree to meet with them. I did that to ensure that I was well aware the kind of things that would create panic in them which would force them to sell on short notice.


    Quite a few by the time we had reviewed things or restructured their debt load found that even with using the balanced approach I had created for them that their cash flow actually increased. The increase of people coming into our brokerage to see me was noticed.


    For Dinah and me when we were home together it was ice cold. Nothing she tried to make thaw worked. I wouldn¡¯t give an inch until she could prove that she was not involved with someone else. Dinah said I was being a horse¡¯s ass about our situation because she had done nothing wrong and felt she did not have to answer to anyone. I said we shall see about that. It was mid-week before things started to break. The nice part was that I had to do nothing but sit and wait.


    You see it had been my great grandfather that had told me that the only thing in the walk of life that did not lie was what our overall long term conduct showed. He further explained that who we associated with showed others who noticed what type of person we were.


    Another thing he taught me was that when certain ones were given enough rope, they would end up hanging themselves. Sadly, without realizing it by not demanding my wife to make changes in her live to clear up the problems she had created she had in her conduct laid a foundation that she could never reverse.


    The New York Times gossip reporter had captured Dinah and the boy toy she got to go with her boarding the plane on Wednesday afternoon. It came out in the Thursday paper. I could not have asked for a greater gift. He was now totally outed according to the paper as her latest romantic interest. The way the article was laid out it looked like the gossip reporter had taken the bait.


    She also now had part of Dinah¡¯s entourage publicly saying that Dinah and I had been in an open marriage for a few years. It was nice to be able to read actual quotes when they disclosed that it had been a mutual decision between the two of us to keep our lifestyle choices private. Those who were in the know knew it to be total bullshit. They had a close up of Dinah''s left hand lacking her wedding rings just before she loaded the plane. The gossip¡¯s page lead with the line ¡°Another marriage has just ended.¡±


    When I was contacted about the article as it was printed all I said to all who inquired, ¡°Well if it¡¯s in the New York Times it must be the truth that Dinah is telling everybody. So why would I dispute it? If it is, it¡¯s news to me because it was never discussed with me. I think it was a well-played media moment by her to end our marriage. It will be the talk of the social media for weeks.¡±


    Somehow by Friday my comments had gotten back to the gossip lady. She had a whole piece on my personal views about Dinah¡¯s and my relationship. Amazingly she had never talked to me. Those who read it just assumed she had. The perception was that I had just found out about being dumped in such a public way and was having a hard time coming to terms with it. I got phone calls from both of my in-laws concerned about my wellbeing because of it.


    Emerson Stevens called me that Friday afternoon trying to figure out what his daughter was doing. I replied proving my feelings right. He threatened to lower the boom on his daughter right away and was planning a weekend flight to do it.


    I got him calmed down and told him that until we get actual proof that can¡¯t be denied, the truth means nothing because perception meant everything. Besides the truth means nothing except to a few. Most will buy the views of the media without questioning it.


    ¡°Dad,¡± I said into the phone. ¡°Let her believe that she¡¯s getting away with it. Dinah feels she is in the driver¡¯s seat, but she had no clue about what we all as family knows. Nor does she know about what the New York Times is reporting. When she returns let her deal with the questions all will be asking?¡±


    Her meeting with the prospective new client was on Monday. They would be wining and dining her for the next few days to smooth her into signing. It was going to be promoted to the extreme because the free publicity generated meant everything. For both sides, it made it possible for big money to be made without much cost. I wondered if the boy toy on her arms would be stupid enough to make a serious move upon my loving and apparently willing wife.


    Dinah had learned from Bridget just the day before she left that I was now becoming her father and her financial advisors. Quietly behind the drama, Bridget without my knowledge was beginning to make her starting moves towards me. Somehow, she got Dinah¡¯s blessing to keep my mind off our situation until she was able to return to deal with it.


    Dinah as she started her business trip still thought we could resolve our differences if she could sit down and lead me through it. All she thought she had to do was to set my thinking right about what the media was reporting. I knew that because before she left, she had told me we would resolve our little problem when she arrived back home.


    The updates from my divorce lawyer were looking good. The background material she was gathering was outstanding. The hospital and health insurance company had both provided documented proof that the operation to have her tubes tied had taken place. The surgeon''s lawyer was now in negotiations to resolve the issue to our satisfaction and was preparing to have a statement notarized.


    Thursday night Bridget and I spent the evening together. I found it enjoyment because it being an evening were we were enjoying learning to be us. Making popcorn, drinking hot chocolate, and watching a good couple of comedies as we shared our laughter made the hours pass to quickly.


    As a result, I got informed by Bridget late Friday afternoon that she would like me to spend the next day with her doing something she always wanted to do. I pointed out it would not look good for her to be with a married man for that long.


    She replied in a way that almost took my breathe away by saying, ¡®Dinah gave me her approval for us to spend as much time together as possible. She feels that since I have been favored with a listening ear from you that I might be able to sway your feelings.¡±


    I ended up scratching my head on that.


    When she told me what she had planned for us to do on Saturday. I readily agreed because it had been something, I had thought of doing but never had. The chance to go with someone just as interested in it as I was, was something I could not say no to.


    My in-laws had me go out for dinner with them that night just to make sure that I was not hiding from them what was really going on with me. My mother in law who loved me dearly was genuinely concerned and made it clear that her support of me was unshakable. During the meal they asked me to get the divorce done as quick as possible if what we now believed had happened had indeed been done.


    I picked Bridget up at nine am on Saturday and off we went to Coney Island. We spent the day at the New York Aquarium going through three of its exhibits: the Aquatheater, Conservation Hall, and Ocean Wonders.


    For both of us, it was the first time we had been there. It was fun to discuss the things we were seeing since we both were developing new interests together while learning more about each other. I must admit the I found quite a few of the exhibits quite stunning. It was a fun relaxing day because we both agreed to shut our cellphones off and leave them locked in the glove box.


    It''s nice when you share a day with someone you respect because it ends up drawing you closer. Not having the cellphone constantly bothering us was refreshing because it allowed us to focus our attention on each other. It seemed to be a day we both needed for different reasons.


    With the stresses of a busy life going along with us because of the phones we had set them aside and focused on being comfortable with each other. I think we were both surprised to relearn what it was like not to have a phone blasting us in the ears.


    It was nice watching some parents get caught up by the wonderment of their children in the things that they were seeing. At times Bridget would hold my hand extra tight as if she were trying to protect me. I think she was thinking that seeing children was reminding me of what my wife Dinah had done.


    Before we called it a day, we took a walk down the Boardwalk as dusk was coming in. Even though it was a cool evening we seemed to be oblivious to it as we were lost in the joy of each other¡¯s company. At one am we were sitting at an all-night pizzeria sharing a freshly made pizza with a couple of drafts.


    When I dropped her off and walked her to her door, she invited me in, but I declined by saying, ¡°My heart wants to but I best not. Two wrongs don¡¯t make a right. Before I do anything, I want to be sure it¡¯s for the right reasons. So, until I have served her because I know where we would end up, I will discipline myself because I don¡¯t want anything to cheapen what we have started to build. That is why I haven¡¯t made a move.¡±


    With that, I wrapped her into my arms leaving her with a deep tongue exchanging a kiss as her body seemed to fold into mine. It blew me away because it was the first time, I had ever experienced that.


    I didn¡¯t realize that in Bridget¡¯s eyes the dance of romance between the two of us was already in full swing. My words to her conveyed my deep respect for her as a person. I would later learn that she had texted her mom before going to bed to tell her that she had just experienced one of the most romantic days in her life. A second text to her a few minutes explained that she felt like she was falling in love.


    ********


    I slept in on Sunday having nothing planned but doing some things around the house. Once I got the coffee brewing, I threw a load of laundry on. I finally turned my cellphone on after having a bite to eat. Since it was going to be a nice mild day I was going to rake and fertilize the yard. I had a text message from Bridget.


    It read: Thank you for yesterday. It was a delightful, wonderful day. It surprised me to find it totally relaxing to be with you. You left me totally feeling content for the first time in a long time. To be honest it¡¯s a feeling that I could get used to. When I hit the pillow, I was out instantly. My dad¡¯s text woke me up this morning. He wants to meet you sometime today if that¡¯s possible. Let me know if that¡¯s okay.


    I thought about what she said while I poured myself another coffee and reflected on our relationship so far. She was learning as I was that what we had assumed about each other had been quite wrong. It made me wonder why I had not met her earlier in my life. Once I decided I called her, Bridget answered right away.


    ¡°Good morning, I¡¯m going to need two hours to rake the lawn otherwise the rest of the day I¡¯m free,¡± I said, ¡°and I have to agree with your text because I felt the same way. I¡¯m still wearing the smile you put on my face. Yesterday was an experience I have not had in years and I have you to thank for that.¡±


    Bridget said she would talk to her dad and let me know what the arrangement would be, I made myself a couple of bacon and egg sandwiches to eat before starting to work. I had finished raking the front yard and was working on the back. Being warm-blooded even though the temperature was in the forties I was working shirtless. I could not help noticing that Bridget was watching me work as she drank a hot beverage out of a mug leaning against her balcony¡¯s railing fully clothed. When done I went and laid the fertilizer down.


    I had gone back inside to have a coffee, before cleaning up when I saw a text from Bridget waiting for me. It read we are going for supper at my parents. Attached was a picture she had taken of me while I worked out in the yard.


    I texted back; What should I wear?


    She replied, clothes would be appropriate; Mom might have a heart attack if you walked in half-naked.


    I typed back, smart ass.


    She responded, Giggling, blue jeans fine, not a working day. Pick me up at four,


    ********


    As soon as we were out of the neighborhood Bridget slid over from her side of the front seat to be right beside me saying, ¡°I could get used to this.¡±


    I laughed, ¡°I would drive the car more if it didn¡¯t cost so much for bridge tolls and parking in the city. But its paid for and still in good condition. That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t replaced it. I can¡¯t justify the extra expense because of the cost of public transit. I can see losing thirty percent on something I use mainly on weekends.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like the city, do you?¡± Bridget noted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never felt like I fit in, my roots are from a farm in the mid-west,¡¯ I said. ¡°That¡¯s where the professor and his partner are from.¡±


    ¡°Omg that¡¯s where my dad started too,¡± Bridget said. ¡°When he officially retires at sixty-five, he¡¯s moving back. He claims it¡¯s a different style of life back there.¡±


    Bridget got quiet, I wondered why finally I asked her ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°I spent years trying to find the right man to fall in love with,¡± Bridget said. ¡°Being with you, talking with you has made me realize that the man I was looking for couldn¡¯t have grown up here on the east coast. There¡¯s something about your inner soul that sets you apart from most who grow up locally. I saw in my dad years ago, but I might not be able to explain it right.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I would call it depth. I first time I saw it, was in the way you related to the professor and his partner. Although I had just me them, I could tell that there was a closeness between the three of you. It was more than friendship and respect. It was clear if you needed them, they would be here tomorrow,¡± Bridget continued, ¡°and you would do the same for them. That type of bonding is forged as if one were pounding on a piece of steel. It has to be earned because it can never be granted.¡±


    ¡°I found that making true friends even with neighbors is getting harder in our society on the coast,¡± I said. ¡°Look how long it took for us to get to know each other. Just going to and getting back from work each day can take up to four hours. Here to protect themselves most speak in half-truths and don¡¯t open up unless they have had lifelong relationships.¡±


    ¡°My father used to frustrate his staff to no ends because he would not stay a minute longer than absolutely necessary,¡± she replied. ¡°The rest could wait until tomorrow. His home life came first.¡±


    ¡°Funny that you would say that my dad used to say, if a man is working long hours, he is looking for an excuse not to go home. When you see someone doing that you know their marriage is over, but they have not realized it,¡± I said. ¡°I just realized that he could have been talking about me. I guess that explains how long I should have known that Dinah and my marriage was dead because she was no longer working at it.¡±


    ********


    It¡¯s a good thing I had punched her parent''s address into the Google Maps because Bridget leaned her head on my shoulder and was soon fast asleep. To most, it would not mean anything but to me it said everything because to me it conveyed her trust in me. A fact that was noticed by her parents when we pulled into their driveway. She awoke as I brought my vehicle to a stop.


    Clarence Smith and his wife were a very nice looking couple. I could clearly see that Bridget took after her mother. If Bridget looked as good as she did at her age the man who would end up being married to her was going to be one lucky feller.


    Before we got into the house introductions were made. Clarence led me off to the kitchen so we could grab us a cold beer. He offered me a bud light, a regular miller, or a stout. I said the stout if I could be allowed to pour it myself into a beer glass. He took out two and then opened up the fridge freezer to take out two frosted mugs out. After pouring out our own we sat at the kitchen table.


    ¡°I want to thank you personally for giving my daughter the information you did,¡± he said. ¡°She also told me about your situation, so I wanted to see how you''re handling it.¡±


    ¡°One day at a time, for now, it¡¯s a waiting game until the lawyer confirms and gets to the truth. Once we have it, she will be kicked to the curve. I won¡¯t live her life of lies, and I¡¯m sure in her eyes I am not worth changing her ways for,¡± I said. ¡°I will be going for an annulment instead of a divorce because as it looks now, that I was conned into the marriage.¡±


    ¡°And your relationship with my daughter for now,¡± Clarence asked.


    ¡°Strictly platonic until my divorce is granted, although I know in her own way, she has been trying her hardest to slowly rope me in,¡± I said. ¡°And sir, more importantly, she knows that this is the way it has to be. If I expect honesty, I have to show it.¡±


    Clarence smiled, ¡°My daughter said I would be pleasantly surprised by you. I must admit that she is right. I knew the first time she talked about you, by the way her face lit up that there was more than just a casual interest in you. Thank you for making it clear that you¡¯re not going to take advantage of her because many would.¡±


    ¡°Off the record sir, anyone who took the time needed to really know your daughter as I have these last few weeks would find her easy to love,¡± I said. ¡°You should be proud you raised her well. Her morals reflect in everything she does as does my soon to be ex wifes.¡±


    It was at that moment that Bridget and her mother joined us. I could see that Bridget seemed nervous that her father and I had been chatting for so long, but as soon as she saw the look on her father''s face it began to dispel.


    I took the time to discuss my plans about their investments going forward and chastised her father for not setting up a retirement account for his wife and using it to his advantage. I explained that sometimes we get so busy in life that we overlook the obvious.


    ¡°Sir I saw the size of your bonus¡¯s to your upper management last year, when I was asked by the Vice President in charge of your employee¡¯s four o ones to review a few things for him and I am ashamed to tell you there¡¯s a better way,¡± I said. ¡°Give them a choice, by suggesting that they direct the corporation to directly deposit it into their retirement account thus giving them the opportunity of avoiding losing it to the tax department because it boots them into a higher tax rate. That way you will be reinforcing in them your appreciation of them being a team player.¡±


    ¡°Bridget, your man pulls no punches, he tells it straight. That is so refreshing to see,¡± Clarence said. ¡°I find his approach to things quite unique. His insight has given me a lot of things to think about because the way he explains it makes it simple to see. As he said earlier, he thinks you¡¯re trying to rope him in. I find that on a lot of things that I must agree with him so you both have my approval going forward to see where your developing relationship goes.¡±


    Both Bridget and her mom teared up. I was sitting there wondering why. Later as we fired the barbeque up to get it ready to cook steaks he explained why.


    ¡°I had you checked out when my daughter first mentioned you, so I knew you were married,¡± he revealed. ¡°When I learned she had provided my assistant with the confidential information about your firm. I asked why she had been given such detailed information. She said she had to talk to you first before answering my question. When she did, she told me the whole story. It conveyed to me the trust you two were developing in each other.¡±


    ¡°It gave me a good idea of what kind of man you were,¡± he explained. ¡°Your approach to me today proved to me that what I thought was right. You had no clue as to what I knew, yet you felt that you did not have to hid anything. That told me most of what I needed to know. I was shocked by your outright honesty. Through our chat it became obvious to me that you were not raised in this city that added to your credibility.¡±


    I laughed and said, ¡°When you get stuck in the Missouri red clay, you realize that no matter how smart you think you are you are never really in control because God does have a sense of humor and at his time, he will show it to you just to keep you humble.¡±


    Clarence laughed and said, ¡°To the south, you¡¯re not south enough to the North you¡¯re not the north you¡¯re the south. Back home was the show me state, and to those from there that says it all, Trey you have shown me well.¡±


    We got into a discussion about our state and the changes that were taking place within it because of time marching on. I pointed out the fact that the political motivators were doing there what they were trying to do everywhere and that was to further divide our society.


    ********


    On the way back to our homes as Bridget sat beside me, I realized that her parents believed their daughter was in love with me. I knew that from today going forward that I had to tread carefully. Human emotions should not be played with as I had been reminded the hard way from Dinah.


    I had spent most of the weekend with Bridget and it had been two of the best days I had spent in a long time. It had shown me what life could be like if I worked for it. The more I saw the possibility of it the more I wanted it.


    Surprising the start of the week at work was quiet and steady, it allowed me the chance to review all of my client''s accounts to ensure there was steady growth. On a few, I had to make a few minor adjustments but that was normal.


    The day before Dinah was due back my divorce lawyer called and revealed somethings that she and her staff had uncovered. There was one piece of information so damaging she thought she should hold back on and save it as a trump card if needed. After learning what it was, I was guilt ridden because I thought I should have known and stopped it from being done. Sadly, it explained why Dinah thought her only choice was to have her tubes tied.


    Although we didn¡¯t talk during working hours Bridget kept checking on me via short texts. Every night until bedtime we were together. If we were at my place, I walked her home. I had given my word to her father and had taken the relationship no further. If Bridget would have had her way, we would have. But she respected me enough not to push our relationship for now. In honestly, I took a lot of cold showers.


    I had to keep reminding myself what I had said to Bridget¡¯s father because just having her near me was driving me crazy. I was also not going to be maneuvered into a relationship like I had been with Dinah. If I was going to do it all over again, I wanted to make sure it was for the right reason and not because I was being pushed into it.


    Bridget that night picked up a change in my mood and asked, ¡°Whats weighing on your mind? Don¡¯t say nothing because you seem to be a bit off so whats causing that?¡±


    ¡°My lawyer informed me about something else Dinah had done medically,¡± I explained, ¡°Until I have come to terms with it, I feel it¡¯s something I should not discuss. I will tell you this, it is so profound that I find myself asking myself if I had ever truly known Dinah.¡±


    ********


    Dinah had signed the agreement after four days of negations. For the next five years, she would be making millions. If it was as successful as they thought it would be, it could automatically be renewed for another five years. The luxury company was the fourth that had come on board. Her tweets and self-promotion with her perception of things was and would remain a market driving force for all concerned. As a signing bonus she got about ten thousand dollars¡¯ worth of their purses, luggage, jewelry, and other feminine products.


    Sad in building her marketing empire she had built herself into a box that she could get out of. She was about to realize that all her scheming, manipulations, and misdirection to present a certain perception to the masses was the trap that going to end up hurting her the most because it was taking a life of its own.


    The gossip lady¡¯s contacts had not disappointed, everything Dinah and her boy toy did while on their trip to Paris had made the printed pages back here. The New York Times every day was creating quite a few twitter discussions causing more to follower her because everyone wanted to keep up on Dinah¡¯s latest romantic adventure. To some of her followers, this was better than watching the soap operas on tv. It had been a week of them doing nothing but flaunting their sensual relationship in a very public way.


    Although there might have not been any sexual activity between the two; their contact, the physical touching, the soft sensual kisses left on cheeks, the eye contact, and gestures implied that Dinah¡¯s and her boytoy were as a couple enjoying a new love in full bloom. The mass media was presenting it here as a spring Paris romance story. It had become so big that it had shared part of the front page.


    The perception of the New York Times gossip pages was that Dinah Richards had thrown away her marriage for a romantic adventure that may not last. Even though they had separate suits they were adjoined. The hotel maid, it had been rumored had supposedly confirmed that only one bed was used by the two. Since it was published in the New York Times it was assumed to be true. After all, in the publics'' eyes, the New York Times never lies.


    As soon as she cleared customs that Friday morning Dinah Richards was served in a public manner like the way she had dumped me. It had been confirmed that there had been no need for Dinah to have medically had her tubes tied. Until that point, Dinah was completely functional and had been capable of carrying children full term. I had my lawyer courier Emerson Stevens a copy of the divorce petition.


    The New York Times gossip reporter was there to capture it. So was a news crew assigned to one of the local Saturday morning talk shows. When the reporter asked Dinah all about it. She claimed it was all a huge misunderstanding. That once she talked it all out with her husband Trey Richards the misunderstanding would be straightened out and the petition for divorce would be withdrawn.


    ¡°After all,¡± she proclaimed, ¡°we have an open marriage, so all this was, was a little fun on the side.¡±


    The reporter responded,  ¡°for more than a week you appear to be flaunting your relationship with your boy toy. The perception is that you dumped your husband for a week of sexual pleasure in the city of romance.¡±


    They caught a picture of Dinah¡¯s face going white when she got served and published it online the same day. The New York Times gossip reporter stated the only reason that Dinah Richards''s face went white was that she believed she would not be caught.


    Dinah called Bridget as soon as she could, who listened to her claim that this was all a mistake. Bridget suggested the first thing she should do is go online and read the social pages of the New York Times from the day she left. It will show you the truth¡¯s that we who know you have now come to believe. If the New York Times published it, she said numerous times it has to be the truth.


    About two hours later Bridget answered her cellphone, ¡°What do you want Dinah?¡±


    ¡°I read the article¡¯s and they have been spun all the wrong way,¡± Dinah said. ¡°What we did was for the publicity, none of it was real.¡±


    ¡°Dinah, you took of your wedding rings before you even left. That said more to everybody than anything else. Your problem is that because of that no one will believe you no matter what you say,¡± Bridget stated. ¡°Have you read Trey¡¯s divorce petition? If not, read it because your denial even to most of your followers comes across as the lie?¡±


    ¡°We all know that if the New York Times prints it, it must be the ¡°truth.¡¯ Otherwise why would much of what they say be carried by the television stations nationwide,¡± Bridget added. ¡°Their words are quoted and supported by most of them.¡±


    ¡°Why? I haven¡¯t had time. I¡¯ve come home to find everything a mess,¡± She replied.


    ¡°Trey overheard you telling me about having your tube¡¯s tied,¡± Bridget said. ¡°That was your downfall. He hired a lawyer to get to the truth. When you read the papers, you were served with you will see what he found out. He¡¯s going for an annulment because he believes you lied and conned him into marriage.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°But his thinking is all wrong. I married him because I did love him,¡± Dinah said.


    ¡°Dinah your own lies and conduct have caught up to you, it¡¯s forcing him to see what you really are. Your action has destroyed what little love he had left for you. He was so upset he even talked to your father and mother,¡± Bridget said, ¡°they told him to divorce you because what you did to all of them is unforgivable. They too have had enough of your bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Oh god, what am I going to do?¡± Dinah wondered. ¡°My drive for monetary success has led to this. It was my friendship with one of the editors of the New York Times who taught me how to manipulate things so that the general public would accept it as the truth. It has taken four years, but it worked amazingly well. It was made perfectly clear by that editor that perception had more influence and power than anything else.¡±


    ¡°Live with it,¡± Bridget said. ¡°Those perceptions have cost you your marriage, your relationship with your parents, and now our friendship. I can¡¯t believe I bought your bull shit. It¡¯s too late for the truth to have a value. In your case because you by your actions have made it worthless. So please don¡¯t call me again. I don¡¯t like what you did and who you have become. To satisfy your own goals you deliberately hurt and used the ones you claim to love. I have had to ask myself if you did this to them out of love what would you do to those you hate.¡±


    Dinah had failed to understand that the power of perception came with the influence of suggestion caused by presenting something in such a way that one¡¯s perception accepted it without question as to be the truth.


    It was a tool used by the mass media to attempt to sway elections, beliefs, and understandings quite effectively to satisfy their agenda and create hype and tension out of simple things. They knew that most of the population was too lazy to search out the facts. Their truths became what the mass media led them into believing which in most cases had nothing to do with what really happened. It was that perception that governed the masses. Lies and truths were only used to aid the promotion of the perception they wanted the masses to believe.


    The reason they did it was to gain readerships or viewers to increase the profit of their organizations. Only higher numbers of followers would satisfy their greed. That same type of tool was used to bring people into ISIS and other terrorist groups. Big business used the same tools when advertising their products because it worked so well. It was so easy to do because most walked through life unable to think critically.


    Dinah realized after talking to her former girlfriend that she had one last chance and that was to talk to me. I was just leaving the office for the day when the receptionist informed me that my wife was there to see me. I said I would be right out.


    I went out carrying the framed picture of her that I had on my desk along with my briefcase. Stopping in front of her I said, ¡°Do you want this?¡±


    Dinah said, ¡°No.¡±


    Handing it to the receptionist I said, ¡°Could you please throw this picture in the trash as neither one of us has any reason to keep it.¡±


    Dinah got teary-eyed as it had finally started to sink in and said, ¡°Can we go somewhere private and talk?¡±


    ¡°No need, I wouldn¡¯t believe a thing you said,¡± I said as I took off my wedding ring handing it to her. ¡°You can put this with yours wherever you have it hidden because I can see it¡¯s not on your hand. That tells me all I need to know. Our marriage ended the moment you told Bridget what you had done and why.¡±


    ¡°What you didn¡¯t know was that I was working underneath our deck and heard it coming from your mouth because you couldn¡¯t shut up,¡± I said. ¡°You made it clear in what you said and did that you had to make sure your lies became the truth. If I talked to you, it would just be more of your mind games to put you back in control again.¡±


    The look on Dinah¡¯s face said it all. She now had full knowledge about what I knew. Until that moment she believed that Bridget had been explaining things to make her take a close look at herself.


    ¡°Email me where you want your personal belonging sent to, the rest can be decided by the lawyers. Don¡¯t contact me again, were done. The New York Times and you have humiliated me enough. I guess that with your connections that you and the newspaper were working together to make me a laughingstock. To many of your followers, I¡¯m nothing but a piece of shit that got exactly what he deserved.¡± I said in a raised voice.


    ¡°Telling all via the New York Times that what you were doing was acceptable because we had an open marriage was just like you because it was over the top and had no basis of truth. Like so much of the words that come from your mouth it was another statement made to fill your agenda,¡± I said. ¡°And like all you have done, it had nothing to do with the facts. The New York Times made it quite clear that you were enjoying your romantic fling with your boy toy in Paris. I¡¯m sure it will be accepted as a fact in divorce court. After all, if the New York Times reports it, it must be the truth.¡±


    Without a further word, I went to the elevator and called for one to come. The receptionist couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. She had never seen me act this cold to anyone. I could hear Dinah sobbing as I walked away. Frankly I no longer gave a damn.


    As I waited, I heard the office receptionist say, ¡°Ms. Richards your no longer recognized as being acceptable in this office. Please leave and never return. The next time I see you here I will call building security and have you escorted out. I won¡¯t allow a whore like you smell up this place. Trey Richards is the most respected person in this office and a friend to us all. None of us find it humorous that you used the New York Times to end your marriage. He did not deserve being dumped by you in such a public way.¡±


    Dinah was shocked, she hadn¡¯t dumped her husband as far as she was concerned but the office receptionist believed she did. The very tool she used to created her social media presence was hitting her hard in the face.


    As I rode down the elevator, I removed her from my contacts on my cellphone. By the time I had gotten to the bottom she had called. Before answering her, I had blocked her calls. I went into settings and shut the GPS off because I knew that with it turned on my phone would be easy to track. All it would take was someone with a bit of intelligence with the right kind of app.¡±


    I was headed to the subway which would take me to the nearest exit so I could catch the bus home when Bridget called.


    ¡°Dinner at seven my house. I¡¯m already home. I took the afternoon off after I heard the great news directly from Dinah that she¡¯d been served. You could have told me,¡± she said. ¡°Pick up some red wine as I got a roast of beef already in the oven.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said with excitement. ¡°I will take a taxi after I get the wine so I should arrive early.¡±


    It was about half an hour walk to my favorite beverage store. I bought two bottles of a better quality of the red wine, a bottle of Crown Royal, and a two-liter bottle of coke before flagging down a taxi.


    I was about ten minutes from home when Bridget texted me. Garage open run from the taxi in. Dinah and her entourage are at your home most likely waiting for you. The situation does not look good.


    Taxi¡¯s in New York are famous for dropping you at the curb. It took an extra twenty for him to agree to pull into the driveway. As soon as I ran in, she began shutting down the bay door.


    We were both hoping I wasn¡¯t seen because we both understood the Queen Bee was now a Drama Queen who had lost control of her personal life and would do anything to bring back its balance. We both assumed that in Dinah¡¯s state of mind and with her view of how marriage was supposed to be anything was possible.


    ¡°Make yourself at home,¡± Bridget said, ¡°Then pour us some of the wine. I¡¯m going to change quickly in case what was going on was noticed.¡±


    I did as Bridget asked. I undid the suit jacket and vest taking them off along with my tie lying them over her living room couch. I then undid the three top buttons on my dress shirt. Before getting the wine glasses out I rolled up my sleeve¡¯s. Let me tell you that there are times that you wish you were elsewhere. This was not one of them because right in front of me I knew I was seeing the kind of life I wanted being offered to me if I wanted it.


    When Bridget returned, she took my breath away. She had let her red hair down, removed her makeup, and changed into sensual evening wear. The sheer full-length black nightgown was designed as if it were a fine screen allowing one a glimpse of her sweet flesh. I could spend hours worshiping her full soft inviting breasts. My instant hard-on told us both I was caught in a losing battle. Bridget¡¯s bright eyes showed me that she was pleased with my automatic response. Little did I know she would tease me about it all night.


    We had just kissed and were sharing the first taste of the medium wine I had bought when there was a knock at the door. I moved from the view of the front door as Bridget went to answer it.


    ¡°Hi, Dinah, what do you want,¡± Bridget said. ¡°As you can see, I am kind of busy my boyfriend is here and is staying the night.¡±


    ¡°It was noticed that a taxi dropped someone off at your house,¡± Dinah said. ¡°Since Trey has not shown up, I instantly thought it might be him.¡±


    ¡°So, you got one of your entourages watching my place. Why am I not surprised? When you talk to Trey do me a favor let him know that thanks to him my new relationship is working out great,¡± Trish requested. ¡°Even my parents have given us their blessing because they think he may be my perfect mate. My mom is already dreaming about babysitting the grandchildren.¡±


    ¡°Is he someone we both know? Dinah asked.


    ¡°Based on what I now know about the man I¡¯m falling in love with I would have to say definitely not,¡± Bridget responded with truth as she closed the door in her face.


    She walked towards me trying to hold in her giggles. I held up my left hand to see if she would notice. She did.


    ¡°When did that happen,¡± she asked?


    I told her what had transpired in the office before she went back into the bedroom to change because she was still cooking our dinner. When she came out, she discovered me peeling the potatoes she had set out for supper.


    ¡°Were going to have to figure out how to get me some clean clothing,¡± I said. ¡°Thank god I wear a standard size.¡±


    ¡°You just might be stuck here until Monday,¡± Bridget said. ¡°I don¡¯t think Dinah will be going anywhere this weekend because she believes you have to come home sometime. I believe that she thinks she can salvage the situation. I guess she didn¡¯t get the message when you threw your wedding band in her face.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to take her a few more days to come to the realization that our relationship is coming to an end,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s still in the stage that she only hears and sees what she wants to.¡±


    ¡°Let me call my dad¡¯s tailor¡¯s shop and see what they can deliver for you on short notice,¡± Bridget said.


    I reached into my pocket and took out my wallet handing it to her I said. ¡°Have him deliver a size forty-two jacket, thirty-four-inch waist, thirty-inch leg, shirts fifteen and a half neck, vest, and tie. Best add a second set and a pair of silk pajamas if he has it. Blue jeans, t-shirts, and whatever else I have not mentioned.¡±


    ¡°What about underwear and socks,¡± Bridget asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied. ¡°Have it applied to my credit card.¡±


    I listened as she placed the order. It was surprising what color she decided I would look good in. They said they would pull the order as soon as possible and it would be delivered in a rush via a courier within two hours if we were willing to pay the fee.


    It was fun working together as a couple finishing what she had started. Bridget seemed surprised at how adept I was in the kitchen. I set the table as she transferred the food into bowls and serving plates for the table, Gravy made from drippings, Yorkshire pudding, mash potatoes with lumps, corn on the cob, and of course the beef roast.


    Joking she said as the head of the house it¡¯s your job to slice the roast. So, I surprised her and did. I ate like a horse going back for seconds and thirds. I knew if she continued to feed me like this, I would end up rounder than ¡®Boss Hog.¡¯ I told her so. Her response said it all because her face was glowing.


    After dinner as we cleaned up, she asked me if we had a small kitchenette at work. I told her yes, she said good because I can pack you lunch on Sunday night for you to take with you on Monday. Doing the dishes together took a long time because we were doing a lot of kissing.


    I was impressed my new clothes were delivered within two hours. Bridget signed for them. We unpacked them in the living room. I was impressed because the quality of the clothing was top notch, and the bill was a lot less than I expected. The first three-piece suit came with and extra pair of pants and was a black pin-striped suit. The second a dark navy blue. I had enough new socks and underwear to last me for two weeks. Whoever had put the overall order together had color-coordinated it well?


    After removing all the packaging, price stickers and unneeded labels I asked her where I should put it and she said in your side of the master bedroom clothes closet. We carried them in together. I was surprised she hadn¡¯t used it all. I had lots of room to hang my two new suits. We hung the six new dress shirts, and my blue jean shirts. The rest went onto empty shelves.


    She said I might as well get ready for bed since I was in here already. I gathered up my suit jacket, vest, and tie. As I undressed, I hung my suit up. I was thankful that she used Ivory soap instead of a woman¡¯s scented one. I had a quick shower and put on clean new clothes. It was the first time I wore pajamas in years.


    Coming out of the bedroom I said, ¡°Bridget can I have a small garbage bag to put my laundry in?¡±


    ¡°Just throw it in the laundry basket,¡± she replied. ¡°We will have to do the laundry before Monday anyway.¡±


    After doing just that as I came back out, she caught me in my black silk pajamas with her cellphone camera and set it for her lock screen.


    When Bridget came back out in the nightgown, she had worn earlier her underwear was missing. You would have to be a completed idiot not to see where this is going. There  was no doubt that she was a true red head because her appearance answered that question.


    Taking my hand in hers she said, ¡°Before we go any further, I want to know your long term plans are.¡±


    I laughed and replied seriously, ¡°I want what your parents have!¡±


    She looked at me with love in her eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s taken them years of hard work together as a couple to get where they are now.¡±


    I smiled, leaned down, wrapped my arms around her tight then kissed her with as much love and desire as I could before speaking. ¡°Do you think we can put the needs of the other first like they did?¡±


    I guess I said the words she needed to hear because she responded in glee. ¡°I think that as a couple we are going to be having a lot of fun trying.¡±


    Sometimes the most intimate thing you can do is just a little thing. For us it was not hopping into bed it was lying on the sofa cuddling each other, holding each other while sharing sweet tender kisses. The discovery of being a couple falling in love for all the right reasons was enough.


    *********


    We were still on the sofa when the knocking at the door rudely woke us up. It was after ten am in the morning. Bridget got up and went to answer the front door thankful that the chain lock was still on. Opening the door, the inch or two the chain allowed she discovered it was Dinah.


    ¡°What do you want Dinah,¡± Bridget said in anger. ¡°You woke my intended and I out of a sound sleep.¡±


    ¡°My husband Trey didn¡¯t come home last night, and none of his conducts have seen him,¡± Dinah said. ¡°I¡¯m starting to get worried about him. I was wondering if you had heard from him.¡±


    ¡°Too little too late, I¡¯m afraid. I don¡¯t buy your worry, sorry,¡± Bridget said, ¡°you publicly dump him via the New York Times, have your entourage say you have an open marriage, and do everything you can in Paris to prove it. The perception of your many followers proves it. The only question is why did it take three years to dump him.¡±


    ¡°Look I¡¯m not going to argue with you about Trey,¡± Dinah said. ¡°My parents read me the riot act last night to and told me to accept the divorce. I get it you all feel that I got what I deserve for what you all think I have done. Perhaps you¡¯re all right, perhaps you¡¯re all wrong. There are always two sides to every story. Just let me know if you see him that he¡¯s all right.¡±


    With that said Bridget closed the door walked and walked back to me. I had found where the stuff was needed to make coffee and had started a pot.


    ¡°Do you think Dinah is really concerned?¡± Bridget asked.


    ¡°There was no concern in her voice at all,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s definitely trying to find out who you¡¯re with. It¡¯s a good thing I turned the GPS off otherwise she would know right where I was. It looks like she trying to figure out how to manage the situation instead of facing it. Until she faces the truth, I¡¯m afraid we still will be having problems going forth.¡±


    We were sitting on the couch side by side enjoying our closeness, still lounging around in our bedtime clothes enjoying our first cup when a smile came across Bridget¡¯s face and with a giggle, she said: ¡°We going to have some fun today if I can get a little help.¡±


    Picking up her cellphone she called her dad.


    ¡°Are you and mom doing anything important today,¡± Bridget asked? ¡°I ask because Trey and I could use your help.¡±


    The next thing I heard was Bridget said, ¡°Yeah he¡¯s here, and yes the divorce has started. Can you come to pick up his phone take it downtown before turning the GPS on and then hit different spots every hour? We think his phone¡¯s being tracked and if we''re right it will give Trey a chance to get some of his personal belongings out of their house.¡±


    Again, another pause then Bridget said, ¡°Thanks we will see you in an hour.¡±


    Bridget got dressed first, I followed. We both dressed casually in blue jeans and t-shirts. I had a blue jean shirt on but left it open and untucked as was the white t shirt. While getting ready for the day I called the New York Times tip line and left a message for the gossip lady.


    Her parents were early. We talked for a few sharing a coffee at her kitchen table before they left. While we were sleeping on the sofa the spread, she had on had crumbled. As a result, her parents got the idea of where I had spent the night. When Bridget''s father saw it, he smiled at me. It seemed he did that to convey is approval.


    Clarence suggested I change my facial appearance for a while until things settled down. From the media coverage, he believed that Dinah was going to cause ongoing problems. That¡¯s when Bridget decided a full beard and mustache would be started to see if she would like it.


    They called Bridget when they turned on my cellphone and changed the settings turning the GPS on. It wasn¡¯t fifteen minutes until two cars left my place and headed out. My ex-wife was in one of them. Just in case I climbed over the back yard fence and entered my home from the rear. A quick look proved it was empty.


    Loading up my car with my belongings took about two hours. I left the items I knew that Dinah had bought for me behind along with all my socks and underwear. Outside of clothing the only thing I did was reset the home computer to its original factory condition. In doing that any connection to my office was permanently gone along with that avenue to Dinah¡¯s social presence.


    I took one last look around the house, as I took the house keys off of my key chain placing them with the garage door opener on the kitchen counter. For me, it symbolized putting the past behind me. Freeing me to move forward with the new life that was waiting in front of me.


    I opened the garage door and fired up the car drove next door and backed it into hers. I then closed the bay doors. We had to move a few things around in the Master bedroom closet to fit my stuff in. The master bathroom had two sinks I took the side that was available.


    Some of the things I owned had to go especially after Bridget saw them on me. If it didn¡¯t compliment me, it wasn¡¯t good enough. That showed me a lot about our lives going forward. Bridget was the type who would always take pride in how her family looked even if we were not out in the public.


    *********


    Her parents called Bridget at six and suggested we meet for dinner. We agreed. When we met them, it was apparent that they had had a day like no other. The first thing Clarence did was hand me back my cell phone. Bridget and I could tell they were in a really good mood.


    ¡°It was fun watching them walk into a place where we were,¡± Bridget¡¯s mother said, ¡°Spreading themselves throughout the location looking for Trey. They must have wasted an hour at Macy¡¯s. Dinah was so well known publicly there were people taking pictures of her everywhere. People were shocked that a lady of her status would be caught in a place like that. They had all sorts of questions which only slowed down their progress. You could tell she was frustrated. Each stop they went to it got worse for them.¡±


    ¡°Once they showed up, we turned the GPS off,¡± Clarence said with a laugh. ¡°After the fourth time, we heard one of her entourages say, ¡°He¡¯s not as dumb as she has convinced herself to believe he¡¯s having us chase a ghost for some reason.¡±


    That comment made both Bridget and I smile. Bridget¡¯s parents had been followed around all day. Each stop was further down the social ladder for Dinah and her entourage. It made me wonder if Dinah would clue into what was really happening. If she ever got to talk to me again, I knew that one of the excuses she would use was ¡®I did it all for you.¡¯


    As we ate our dinner, we explained what had happened since Dinah got served.


    Bridget said to her parents, ¡°We were talking last night about our relationship going forward. Trey said, ¡®Do you think we can put the needs of the other first like they did?¡¯ I said that they had been working at it for years. What you don¡¯t know mom and dad, is that we were both talking about you.¡±


    Clarence got a big smile on his face, his wife got teary-eyed. That one simple statement had told them the direction our relationship was heading towards. Bridget would later tell me that she thought her parents had already accepted the possibility of it happening.


    ¡°I got my clothing and personal items out and back to Bridget¡¯s house thanks to your help. Bridget said I had to try every piece on,¡± I said. ¡°What your daughter thought didn¡¯t compliment me got put in a pile for goodwill. We dropped them off on the way here.¡±


    ¡°Get used to it Trey,¡± Clarence said. ¡°I¡¯ve been married to her mother for thirty-five years and my wife still does it.¡±


    ¡°DAD,¡± Bridget said.


    He responded in laughter, ¡°What we all know it¡¯s the truth.¡±


    Both her father and I started to laugh. I went to pay for the meal and her father went to stop me. It ended up with both of us holding the ticket, so I said, ¡°Let us, you have already done so much for us today, so give us a chance to show you, our appreciation.¡±


    ¡°Clarence, just listen to him,¡± she said, ¡°He wants to be your equal. You wanted to be treated the same way by my dad. Do you want to play the game of one-up manship with him? Remember it took years for my dad and you to come to an understanding.¡±


    Clarence smiled and so did I because we both had to admit she was right.


    He said ¡°That wisdom over the years has talked me through a lot of things. Each time she does it, it¡¯s done out of love and with a knowledge that sees things from both sides. Some of my greatest accomplishments have come because I listened to her.¡±


    With that said he took his hand off the ticket. Bridget whispered, ¡°thanks, dad.¡±


    Bridget¡¯s mother''s face glowed in a visible blush before she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about these two they¡¯re going to make it. After all, he is like us made from the Missouri red mud. He will listen to reason like you always have and won¡¯t be corrupted into believing perception.¡±


    ********


    Dinah Richards was exhausted. It had been a day of chasing a ghost around the city. Every time they located him; he was gone. She felt that after a few hours they would be able to sit down and talk about why he had it all wrong. Perhaps there was a chance that she could have the operation reversed since it appeared to be the problem that had started all of this. Now all she wanted to do was go home and soak in the tub.


    Thankfully, the event she had to attend she could sit and allow others to come to her otherwise she would not have made it through the early part of the evening. The twitters of the event and what she had found interesting had been received well. Because of the long day she had come home early It was when her entourage dropped her off that she realized they all had been played. The bay doors of the garage were open. Trey¡¯s pride and joy was gone. He had outmaneuvered them all. It was he that had them all looking like fools.


    Entering the house, she found the garage door opener and the house keys when she set down her purse. Walking into the spare bedroom she saw that most of his clothing was gone. To Dinah that was the moment she realized there was no hope. Trey had found a way to move on with his life. It was then that she realized that in the pursuit of her dream she had slowly driven him out of her life.


    Dinah was sitting in the dark crying because in her own way she truly still loved Trey. In a big way, she began to realize it was who and what she associated that had pushed her directions, activities, and thoughts as she built her new persona. Dinah had never seen that in doing so she had lost sight of who and what she was.


    ********


    Bridget clicked the door garage door opener as I backed my car in. We had been so busy talking about the dinner we had shared with her parents that we forgot to check to see if anyone was home at my former residence.


    Sunday, we got up early and went out for the day, again it was a day of discovery that drew us closer. It was almost ten at night by the time we got back.


    As soon as we were in the house Bridget took the roast beef out and started making the sandwiches for me to take to work.


    ¡°What do you want on them,¡± Bridget asked.


    ¡°Butter and a little bit of salt and pepper,¡± I said. ¡°Anything else makes the bread soggy by lunchtime.¡±


    I watched her make three sandwiches for me and placed them in separate zip lock bags. Then taking a brown sandwich bag out she printed my name on it. Bridget saw me tear up.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong,¡± She asked.


    ¡°Nothing, I just see you packing my lunch for what it is,¡± I replied. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°What''s that? My mom still does it for my dad all the time,¡± Bridget replied.


    ¡°A simple act that is done out of love,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Mom, after she caught me with my head on your shoulder sound asleep warned me that you had a gentle soul. I asked her why it was a warning. She replied my grandfather was like that and he and grandmother had ten children.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help it, I started laughing and said, ¡°Those were the days before birth control, and it was the twinkle in his wife¡¯s eyes that caused it all to start.¡±


    She had just finished cleaning up when her phone rang. Her dad worried about the neighbor had arranged for a limo to pick us up and drop us off at work for the next month.


    Talking her into my arms I leaned down and kissed her passionately. She responded in kind. Slowly things progressed as we began moving slowly to the bedroom. It was time and we were ready. It was a night when we both put the needs of the other first. By the time we were done discovering all we could about each other it was almost time to get up.


    While showering together for the first time as we got ready for the day the first time as a couple, I washed her body down. She went to work glowing in frustration because by the time I was done she was just as ready as I was to hop back into bed.


    ********


    The limo dropped me off at my firm first. I was wearing a black pin-striped suit for the first time. With my briefcase I was carrying the bagged lunch Bridget had made for me. On the way to my office, I stopped at our luncheon room to put my bag in the fridge. The receptionist who was making the first pot of coffee for the day looked at me and whistled.


    ¡°A new suit, a new image, and a huge smile so early in the morning,¡± she said. ¡°Who is she and how long has it been going on?¡±


    I just laughed and responded, ¡°What makes you think it¡¯s that? Maybe it¡¯s just being free from the past.¡±


    ¡°No Trey, you have the look of a man who is discovering real love for the first time,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you and her. I hope she feels the same way.¡±


    I was in the luncheon room eating the first of my three sandwiches at the mid-morning point when the receptionist came in saying, ¡°Are you expecting a client this morning.¡±


    I said, ¡°No Mondays are usually set aside for reviewing my clients'' accounts to make sure they''re still heading in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°Emerson Stevens is here wanting to talk to you,¡± she said. ¡°What should I tell him?¡±


    ¡°Tell him where I am,¡± I said. ¡°And find me a cup he can use.¡±


    When Emerson came in. I stood up to greet him.


    ¡°Well Trey you¡¯re finally dressing for success, I like the new look,¡± he laughed. ¡°Roast beef sandwiches that are homemade, I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re here to talk about Dinah,¡± I said. ¡°How are you and the better half handling it.¡±


    ¡°I broke the news to her Friday afternoon right after getting a copy of your divorce papers. Did you know that my wife has a sister just as dirty and conniving as Dinah?¡± He explained. ¡°I told her that you had warned me about what she had done to prepare me.¡±


    ¡°She wants you to know that we will always consider you part of the family,¡± Emerson explained, ¡°The New York Times has an interesting story about Dinah and her entourage running all over the city Saturday looking for something that they couldn¡¯t find. They were wondering why she was out of her normal high society spots and slumming down.¡±


    ¡°Guilty as charged I needed to get my clothing out of the house,¡± I said.¡± By the time I got home Friday night, she and her entourage were already there waiting to sandbag me so I ended up staying with a friend. So, I had someone holding my cellphone with the GPS on figuring she knew someone who could track it.¡±


    ¡°Just so you know, Dinah believes you have found someone new,¡± Dad explained, ¡°because you had to have help to pull off what you did. All of your contacts that she knew said they hadn¡¯t heard from you all weekend. She blames the person who helped you for making her look like a fool. She is bound and determined that when she finds the bitch, her words not mine, she¡¯s going to put her in the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the warning, Dad, she¡¯s right because she pushed the two of us together. They were best friends for years,¡± I said. ¡°Both Mom and you have met her a few times. It started after I had moved to the spare bedroom because Dinah felt I needed to be watched so whatever I did or said, did not interfere with her agenda. So, Dinah asked Bridget to monitor my movements thinking that while she produced a scheme to defuse the situation, she¡¯d be able to be in total control. Little did she think in doing so that she was pushing us together. Bridget and I both learned that neither of us were what Dinah had led us to believe.¡±


    He sat there looking at me for a few minutes and said with seriousness. ¡°Dora and I think the world of Bridget. Do Clarence and Grace know?¡±


    ¡°They were the ones moving around the city with my cellphone,¡± I said, ¡°Over dinner, they said it was the best fun they had in years. To be honest, neither Bridget nor I were looking for a relationship but with the situation, we were both put in by Dinah caused us to be together a lot and it happened.¡±


    ¡°Trey do you think it¡¯s going to get serious between the two of you,¡± my father in law asked?


    ¡°I was on my way home on Friday to have the locks changed when Bridget informed me Dinah and her entourage were already there waiting to confront me when I got home. I ended up staying the weekend at Bridget¡¯s. Both of us can see us achieving the kind of life we want but neither has had.¡±


    My father in law picked up his cellphone and called Clarence Smith setting up a lunch meeting and then said, ¡°I want to see if Clarence and I can get you both out of where you¡¯re living. Dinah is on the warpath. She believes its outside interference that has caused all these problems, not her own conduct. Her Aunt caused a lot of problems when her marriage broke up and ended up doing time because of her extreme actions. She like Dinah could not accept responsibility for her own conduct. I think some separation of space might be the best prescription for now.¡±


    ¡°Dad I read the New York Times gossip ladies articles on Dinah to her before I moved to the spare bedroom and said who am I to argue with the truth of the most respected liberal paper in the United States,¡± I said. ¡°Then I asked her to prove to me that she wasn¡¯t having an affair knowing dam well that she couldn¡¯t.¡±


    It hit him for the first time that she by her own conduct had built a case against herself, so he said, ¡°She marketed herself into millions and out of a marriage at the same time. It¡¯s sad that she will never understand that.¡±


    I was sitting in the little luncheon eating my last two roast beef sandwiches at lunchtime when the President walked in. ¡°I hear you had Emerson Stevens sitting in here with you this morning, anything I should be concerned about?¡±


    ¡°No, not really, he was just touching base, catching up on a few things before his luncheon meeting with Clarence Smith,¡± I said as I stood up and closed the door to the room. ¡°Off the record, they have been casual acquaintances for years. Their daughters used to be best friends.¡±


    ¡°And you have a personal relationship with both if my understanding is right,¡± the President said. ¡°That explains a lot of things. Some in the business think their organizations would make a good merger.¡±


    ¡°Sir I don¡¯t get involved with their actual business operations. If they want business advice, I tell them that its best that I stay out of it because it could cause a conflict of interest and affect my career.¡± I said in a serious tone. ¡°But I have offered to put a few experts together if they need it because I have a few that are good clients.¡±


    ¡°Trey I think from now on you should just call me by my first name. A man who walks in the shadows of those two men is very trusted by them,¡± he said. ¡°It also shows what they think of your character.¡±


    ¡°Ok Gordon I can do that,¡± I said.


    As soon as he left the luncheon room I knew and understood fully this game we called life. My boss based on what his perception saw, had decided things about me based more on what he assumed than what he knew. It showed to me just how important truth and honestly were because his perception had nothing do to with what I knew to be the truth.


    Bridget called me around one o¡¯clock. Emerson and her father were gone for lunch together and she wanted to know what was going on. The first thing I told her was how much I had enjoyed my three sandwiches then I explained what Emerson had told me.


    ¡°To Dinah, I¡¯ve become the reason for the end to her marriage,¡± Bridget said. ¡°Her perception has distorted the reality of it all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sad when one''s view won¡¯t allow one to see their own part in a situation. Dinah is trying to manipulate, and control other''s view of things has caused herself to lose the ability to see the truth,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s sad because she has proven that we as humans will only see what we want to see. The lies, truth, or facts mean nothing. It¡¯s our perception of things the guide our thinking.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been crazy here,¡± Bridget said. ¡°I guess we were seen when we went to Coney Island. So, everyone knew thanks to the gossip that I was dating. Then my assistant saw my face today and asked who he was, and when did you realize that you were in love?¡±


    ¡°I got it too, the receptionist was making coffee when I put my lunch in the fridge. She said I looked like a man who had discovered real love for the first time. I told Dinah¡¯s father about us this morning and how we got together. He¡¯s meeting with your dad to figure out a way to get us out of being right next door to Dinah.¡±


    ¡°Emerson is worried about us, wow there must be something else going on in his wife and his mind,¡± Bridget said. ¡°For him to take extreme steps like this. Does he believe she¡¯s that dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Not to herself, but to us maybe,¡± I replied. ¡°Because like so many in our society truth, honesty, and the facts don¡¯t mean a thing. It¡¯s their own perception that matters. I think Emerson sees that, and that¡¯s what''s leading his fear for our wellbeing.¡±


    ¡°But we haven¡¯t done anything but fall in love, thanks to her own interference with our lives,¡± Bridget stated. ¡°Can¡¯t she see that?¡±


    ¡°Not in her perception,¡± I replied. ¡°Because she has already erased it from her mind.¡±


    The silence after my last remark was deafening. Bridget was realizing just how twisted Dinah was making this. I knew that Dinah believed in her own eyes that she walked on water and could do no wrong. She had no checks and balances in her life. As a result, she had lost her judgment between what was right or wrong,


    Finally, after a few Bridget said, ¡°Our mistake is that as a result of her conduct we fell in love. If what we see is right? What price is she going to force us to pay?¡±


    I really didn¡¯t have an answer to her question, and I told Bridget so. Our conversation brought out an understanding of our current situation and how serious it was.


    ¡°Emerson, I believe, has a right to be worried,¡± I said. ¡°Neither one of us has a clue to what Dinah will do.¡±

 Lies Truths or Perception Part 3 (Which one wins?)

    Dinah Richards was sitting across from her divorce lawyer who was reading aloud my lawyer''s petition grounds for ending the marriage and why I was going for an annulment. Her lawyer needed Dinah to see how bad everything looked on paper. Dinah needed to comprehend how serious the situation was.


    The lawyer realized that most just quickly glanced at the divorce petition and never read it. That was why she was reading it all aloud to Dinah. As she read it, she kept glancing at her client to see how she was responding. She could see what Trey¡¯s lawyer was saying in his divorce petition was finally registering. The look on her client¡¯s face said it all. It was a look that was telling her that her new client was seeing everything for the first time. Like most she knew that Dinah had never actually seen the consequences of her own conduct and what it was showing.


    As she listened Dinah learned for the first time how bad it looked from a neutral point of view. What was being revealed to her as she listened intently for the first time was very damaging and detailed? After reading it all to her the lawyer set it down on the desk.


    Looking right at Dinah she said, ¡°tell me your side of the story from the time you met until now. I am going to record it for further reference.¡±


    ¡°Why should I do that?¡± Dinah asked. ¡°let¡¯s just stop the divorce.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t stop the divorce; he has a dozen or so reasons for getting it granted. But if he wins an annulment against you, it will be much worse because he will be able to take everything from you if the judge agrees,¡± Janice Cooper stated. ¡°Our best way to save anything is to negotiate it all before we go before the Judge.¡±


    ¡°His lawyer Candence Rosemary Barrow is a female lesbian liberal feminist who is one of the best in the field. She was brilliant in exposing your long term conduct as a pattern of behavior designed to defraud and avoid the truth. She uses it as a means to expose what your plan must have been all along. She paints a livid picture that you lied and manipulated your husband into the marriage. She will have no mercy in taking you down. For her, it''s a personal case because in her eyes you represent everything she hates,¡± Janice stated with authority.


    ¡°Why do you say that? I don¡¯t admit to anything except having my tubes tied,¡± Dinah said.


    ¡°She sees you as a user with no moral fiber to stand on who sells her sexuality for the almighty American dollar. To her, your just as low and despicable as those working on the mean streets because you are both doing only for the money you can make,¡± Janice stressed with a serious voice.


    ¡°The fact that the New York Time¡¯s numerous news articles are used as references to validate their points makes their claims that much more credible. The reputation of the Times to most is unquestionable,¡± Dinah legal representative said. ¡°It will hold a lot of weight if they are able to get a judge with a liberal point of view assigned to the case. There will be no argument because of the picture your own conduct paints.¡±


    ¡°Can Trey really use all the publicity I got against me to prove what he is implying?¡± Dinah asked.


    ¡°Dinah, they got all the background material from the New York Times using a court order,¡± Janice said. ¡°Even the photographs to raunchy for them to print in the newspaper. They have all the New York Times gossip reporter¡¯s personal notes that raise questions about your long term conduct. Any judge reading the petition will give heavyweight to the New York Times for the credibility of what they did or did not report.¡±


    ¡°When presented the way his lawyer did it makes it appear much worse than what Trey¡¯s is implying,¡± Janice said. ¡°Every piece of gossip caused by witnesses to your conduct or the statements that have been recorded about you and documented by the mass media are being used to strengthen Trey¡¯s case. The Judge will automatically take their comments at face value because they are not biased.¡±


    Janice took out ten eight by four prints of photos for Dinah to take a look at. Each one of them was a picture of her with her entourage. All were taken under night clubs dimmed lights while they were on the dance floor bumping and grinding their flesh.


    Each one showed Dinah in some kind of physical entanglement where her exposed flesh was being fondled, sometimes by more than just one man. The looks in her eyes in the photograph left no doubt that she was apparently enjoying it. No one looking at the photos would deny that she was in a state of sensual or sexual enlightenment prepared and eager to go further. They were touching her in ways that there was no doubt that she was aroused.


    ¡°The way those pictures are taken it''s quite reasonable to believe that an out and out orgy was only a room or two away,¡± Janice said. ¡°And that your nothing but a cock loving slut when out of the eyes of the public. When its disclosed in court that they were taken by a New York Times staff photographer their credibility will not be questioned. The judge will accept it as the ¡®unquestionable truth¡¯ of your active lifestyle.¡±


    Dinah¡¯s face went white. She could not even remember who she was with at the time and who was touching her. It might have been just a momentary incident but that is not what the images implied. If they became public, her social reputation and image could be ruined. The New York unprinted photographs made her look like she was nothing but a living fuck doll being passed around.


    Dinah was reminded by Trey¡¯s own words ¡°If the New York Times the most liberal paper in the country wrote about it or photographed it, it must be the truth because a newspaper with a history like theirs would have no reason to lie.¡±


    ¡°Your own father gave a notarized statement about you claiming to all three of them that it was medically impossible for you to get pregnant months before you had your operation. In in its own way is also verifying what Bridget Smith''s statement says.¡± Janice pointed out. ¡°They raised the question to the court if she could not get pregnant what was the need for having your tubes tied. That¡¯s why they were able to get the medical reports. Which was used to prove you were capable of carrying full term at the time you had the medical procedure done.¡±


    ¡°The surgeon who tied your tubes verifies it was a last-minute request by you the day before your scheduled operation. Those facts cannot be argued because Trey has got too much proof,¡± Janice went on to explain.


    ¡°In discussing this case with Trey¡¯s lawyer It¡¯s been hinted that they''re holding something back to be used when we are all in front of the judge because it¡¯s even more devastating. When she presents things like this in court, she is going for a kill knowing that it will leave the defendant totally defenseless,¡± She disclosed. ¡°By the look on your face, I must believe that you know what it is.¡±


    Dinah was on the verge of crying, but she knew it would do no good. So, she said, ¡°Try to get the divorce proceedings sealed so we can¡¯t discuss it publicly and see if we can negotiate the rest. I won¡¯t fight the divorce.¡±


    ¡°We can try, but you''re soon to be ex is the Driver¡¯s seat here,¡± Janice said. ¡°You humiliated him, made him a public laughingstock, and your long term conduct as they laid it out makes it appear that it was deliberate. If I were Trey everything I would do going forward, would be done because of the need to get some revenge because of the bathroom jokes being told about him.¡±


    ¡°But he might be willing to talk to me after he has a few days to cool down after all were still married,¡± Dinah said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the question. Ask yourself when did you stop communicating with him as an equal,¡± Janice asked? ¡°Because that¡¯s the day your marriage ended whether or not you will admit it. From then on it was downhill all the way. He saw it happening before you did, that¡¯s why you were served as soon as you got off the plane.¡±


    That question hit Dinah hard. She had never thought that we were not communicating but her lawyer''s statement forced her to think back. She stopped being interested in his life when she started the journey to becoming a social media star. Gradually from there, they started drifting apart.


    Trey worked all day, and she partied a lot of nights at first to keep her name out there. He¡¯d leave for work at five in the morning and she had crawled into bed about two hours earlier. She had started this whole journey with that knowledge in the back of her head and had promised herself it would only be two nights a week. The more she got into it the more she wanted it because to her it was a drug that she started needing.


    Her lawyer was just stating the facts that everybody could see but she hadn¡¯t. She had been too busy chasing the dream to realize she was walking out of the marriage in her own way. Now it had turned into this nightmare.


    ¡°Ok then, what about it''s my body and it¡¯s my right to do with it what I want?¡± Dinah said.


    ¡°That¡¯s why Trey will be granted the annulment with no questions asked,¡± Janice said. ¡°The judge will have to rule that Trey had the right to know that you were not going to reproduce and have children before you married him. Instead, you lied to him and came up with a plan to make sure it impossible for you to reproduce.¡±


    Dinah left her lawyer''s office devastated. The realization that the social media hype she created for herself was in part the very thing that her husband Trey was using to take her down. She had followed the New York Times editor friend¡¯s advice on how to manipulate the masses to create an image and it worked so well.


    It boiled down to a numbers game, he said. ¡°That¡¯s all! Three out of ten will not buy it the rest will. Those who don¡¯t fall in line will be tagged as degenerates or haters. It forces their silence. History has proven time and time again that branding them that way works well. We use it all the time to increase our circulation which drives advertising revenue up. Another trick that we use quite well is by accusing nay ¡®Sayers¡¯ of what we have already done. Because it takes eyes away from one¡¯s own conduct. Always remember that seventy percent of those who see you will buy your lies as truth.¡±


    Now that same illusion she had created to build her career as a social butterfly was damming her to hell. The question on her mind was will it still be worth it by the time the divorce is done.


    Trey was proving that he was not the dufus she had slowly convinced herself he was. By standing quietly not saying a word he allowed the sense of freedom she got with the lifestyle she had created to push her further than she had originally planned to go. She was now reaping the consequences of what she sewed.


    It was the perception of what her conduct showed to the world that could not be argued. Whether it was the truth or not was longer important. The way it was all laid out everyone would assume her actions had been delibrate. It was the perception she had created that was being seen as the raw truth.


    Her own conduct that created the illusions she wanted was now being used to take her down. The mass media and her followers had bought it and now it was believed like it was the truth of a god. She did not see the other side of the reputation she was developing. All she had really accomplished in all she had done was to hand Trey the tools he needed to take her down because he saw her conduct in a different way.


    Dinah had not been defeated by Trey, but by her own actions and deeds done deliberately to market the concept to the social media which created the attention she craved. Though done in innocence it painted a perception that could not be argued against successfully. It made the ¡®truth¡¯ false and the ¡®lies¡¯ true.


    In reality, her only real sin against her husband was when she had her tubes tied and the reason behind it. The New York Times'' credibility with its readership made it impossible for her to be able to explain what she had done in a way that would be believable.


    As she hailed down the taxi to take her were her soon to ex worked, she reviewed what her lawyer had read to her and realized that he hadn¡¯t revealed the most serious thing she¡¯d done. If Trey were really out for revenge he would have. So why had he kept it secret is what she wanted to know. Perhaps he hadn¡¯t found out. That gave her time to convince herself that they had not discovered it. As she climbed into the cab, she began to formulate a plan to make sure he never did. The only question was which one of her followers would she be able to use.


    It was about five o¡¯clock at night when Dinah found herself standing across the busy street  facing the office tower that Trey worked in. With the workday ending she knew that she was just another nameless face in the crowd. She was hoping that she would be able to catch him leaving the building.


    She wanted to see if he would be willing to go through the divorce quietly and agree to keep it out of the news. If she were to keep anything, she had worked so hard to create she had to have him to agree to secrecy. If he had what she thought he might not have if the case was sealed by the court, he couldn¡¯t reveal it. Although to her followers it would not mean anything if it was revealed it would destory her relationship with her parents for good.


    It was about ten minutes after the hour when Dinah saw the limo pull up. She saw her former friend Bridget step out with her father and hers. Bridget was glowing, her face reflecting her enthusiasm as she walked in excitement into the building. Dinah wondered why the three of them were together. It was clear that Clarence and her father were now friends. She wondered what had brought those two very powerful men together.


    It took about another twenty minutes for Dinah to find out. She had watched as Bridget went in while their fathers waited outside of the limo chatting while having a cigarette. Finally, Trey came out. The problem was he was not alone, he was holding Bridget¡¯s hand and she was letting him. She studied them as they came through the entrance. Bridget¡¯s face was glowing. The way the two looked at each other she instantly knew who the ¡®Bitch¡¯ was that had stolen her husband. It was easy to see by the way they looked at each other that they were a couple in love.


    What really hurt was that it was her former best friend whom she had deliberately used in an attempt to keep control of the situation. She had pushed them together and life had thrown them all a curveball. Dinah had to admit to herself she had never expected this to happen.


    As she watched them from across the street a smile came across her face for a moment as she thought of the days when her playful mood came out and they would get a bit wild. He had always called it a Trish moment because that was her middle name.


    For Dinah, it was a bitter pill to swallow because it forced her to realize just how stupid she really was. Using the tools, she had been taught by the New York Times Editor she thought she would have it all.


    As he said, ¡°Lies and truths are only tools to be used when using perception to create a ¡°collective thought.¡±


    As a newbie, she had underestimated how powerful persuasion really was when creating a perception that would be accepted as the truth by most. Until now she had not really saw how stupid most humans really are.


    Dinah had tears in her eyes as she watched her husband and Bridget climb into the limo. Until this moment she had never appreciated the uniqueness of Trey. All his days he had never followed the masses or went along with what the majority wanted or believed. He had always described himself as an outsider who walked alone.


    Because of what was now happening in her life she saw for the first time how easy it was to manipulate the general population into believing what you wanted them to. All it took was repetitive actions and words until it was sucked up by the sponges who were unable to think with the intelligence needed to clear out the bull shit, they were being fed.


    To appreciate that fact you hand to understand that most humans will spend more time on themselves and their families in trying to survive than to take the time to think about serious things. Most had not truly been taught when young how to think with an independent mind. Dinah''s problem was that Trey always had. To believe something Trey had to prove it for himself.


    Dinah watched them drive away together her mind went back to the time she asked Bridget if she knew her boyfriend. Bridget had responded based on what I have learned about him these last few weeks I would say definitely not.


    To her, that said everything because she now had to admit that Bridget was right. She had completely lost track of who and what Trey was, a man who walked tall and carried a small stick. He would bend only to a degree but no further. When he drew a line, he kept it.


    Dinah decided at that moment that if Trey knew about her secret, he would have disclosed it. So, it gave her time to make sure he never would. Medical records would show it as a birth control service, but the clinic would show what it was when she signed to have it done. Those types of forms were kept in the official records and not sent to billing.


    Dinah¡¯s body shook and trembled with the realization that Trey would always search for the truth because of who he was. He was independent and would be all his days. The rules of human behavior as taught by the New York Times Editor did not apply to him because he had not bought into the thought of the ¡°collective.¡± He believed in independent thought.


    ********


    The four of us, Clarence, Emerson, Bridget, and I were heading out for dinner. As soon as we got in the limo the champagne was poured. For some reason, the two of them wanted to celebrate. Both of their wives were already headed to where we were going.


    What¡¯s up dad,¡± Bridget asked as she accepted her glass?


    ¡°Emerson invited me to an early lunch because of his concern about what his daughter would do. When he explained fully, I understood why he felt concerned,¡± He replied. ¡°I then told him what I had done because I had the same concerns.¡±


    ¡°As a result, we learned a lot about each other this afternoon,¡± Emerson went on to say. ¡°And found that we both wanted to step back and take it a little easier in life and focus a bit more on our family life. Unfortunately, we saw no way of achieving that until we got to talking. Both of us were in organizations we had created that could do quite well as standalone companies with new presidents if we stepped up to the board.¡±


    ¡°It led us to find out that our attitude towards business matters complemented each other. We got into a general discussion which ended up with us producing a proposal that looks good to the both of us. Over dinner, we will be discussing it all with the important people in our families to get their thoughts and views on our ideas before putting it down on paper,¡± Clarence explained.


    ¡°And we owe it all to you two because you fell in love,¡± Emerson said. ¡°We want you both to understand and keep in mind that the same problems arise in any business whether they are big or small. The key in all things is how there managed.¡±


    I took out my cellphone and, on a hunch, I put in an order through it to sell all the stock I owned and buy stock in Emerson¡¯s corporation at its current value. It would automatically be sent to our trader''s to-do list for tomorrow. I would have to find a way to thank my boss because it looked like his insight might be right on.


    We kept it lite until we arrived at our destination at seven pm where we were escorted to a private room where more champagne, glasses, and appetizers were waiting. Dora and Grace had arrived. Both of them hugged Bridget and I a bit too tight. I had to ask Grace why her husband called her Heidi at times.


    She laughed and said, ¡°That is the nickname he has for me. Mine for him is Hans. For both of us, it reminds of the weekend when Bridget was conceived when we were in the Swiss Alps. Our problem is that we use it so much that at times we slip out our nicknames at the wrong time.¡±


    I smiled and said, ¡°I think that¡¯s the most romantic thing I have heard because it says and shows so much about your relationship. I have to admit I have caught myself using it myself a few times.¡±


    Grace laughed, ¡°In time my daughter and you will make your own special memories that you will cherish just as Clarence, and I do.¡±


    Dora while holding me tight as a mother would she whispered in my ear, ¡°Remember that both Em and I see you as the son we never had regardless. If It works out for Bridget and you my husband and I reserve the right to be grandparents.¡±


    The four of us were waiting to find out what was going on. After we all got a drink in our hand, they began to reveal to the four of us their plans.


    ¡°Clarence and I have decided to form an umbrella corporation in which the current shares we own in our companies will go into,¡± Emmerson said. ¡°Along with an influx of money so that we can buy some of the shares of both company¡¯s on the market without drawing attention. That will require us to sell off a lot of our personal investments until after we have formed the new corporation to invest in the new venture. At the same time, each of our companies will be buying back shares without revealing it publicly. That way we can increase the overall ownership percentage in both companies without drawing attention.¡±


    ¡°Trey with your help we want to put a team of six professionals together who will work out the details of bringing the two corporations under the one. When I talked to your boss Gordon today about our idea going forward, he informed me you have a few experts in the field as clients. Each then will still be run as a standalone division under one board,¡± Clarence said. ¡°Once our combined ownership of share reaches a certain level, we will announce the buyback of remaining shares by the new corporation.¡±


    ¡°That way we will be out of the day to day operation and will be free to enjoy life with our spouses,¡± Emmerson added. ¡°Once this is all settled there is a third corporation that would fit into our long term plans. We will be using Clarence¡¯s natural skills and applying them on a larger scale. We will buy that one by issuing an IPO.¡±


    ¡°The reason we talked to your boss this afternoon Trey we wanted to be sure that what we are going to be putting together does not put your job in jeopardy before we made our move. Since it won¡¯t we are about to offer to you, Trey and Bridget,¡± Clarence said. ¡°The President and Vice President positions of the new corporation we are forming when it¡¯s up and running. Emmerson and I will be on the board as Chairman of the Board and Chief Operations Overseer respectively.¡±


    ¡°May I suggest that because of the turmoil in the political situation in the USA that you both consider incorporating in Canada or Northern Ireland because the corporate tax rate is a flat fifth teen percent,¡± I said. ¡°Then dissolve both existing corporations at their yearend. All letterheads and legalities could say for example say Datastore a division of. This way it would cut out the two corporate tax returns at a higher rate and allow us to brand the new name with each division keeping its own identity.¡±


    Both Em and Clarence looked at each other when I said that is if I had turned on a light bulb in their head.


    ¡°The way it sits right now we don¡¯t know how stable the current rates are. The only thing we know right now that it¡¯s almost ten percent higher than those two countries, I explained. ¡°So, it¡¯s best to take a proactive approach now in case what is talked about by one political party becomes law in the future. When you make your decision on what you¡¯re going to do don¡¯t consider that just because they say it, they won¡¯t. Consider the consequences if they do and the differences it will make for the corporation going forward. When I am making a decision that in part will be influenced by political agendas, I always ask myself, Can I say they won¡¯t do their agenda if they come into power.¡±


    ¡°Does Trey always look at things from all sides like this with forward-thinking,¡± Clarence asked? ¡°Before making a decision.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he does Dad,¡± Bridget said in pride. ¡°After he learned of Dinah treachery and asking me for a statement. He explained to me right down to the littlest detail to me what he was thinking and why. It surprised me that he was so frank and honest about it. No man has ever communicated in a completely open and uninhibited way. It made him completely different from any man I had known.¡±


    I looked at her with a look of puzzlement because I had never seen myself as different.


    ¡°That night I saw that he was behaving, in the same manner, you would Dad. I didn¡¯t learn until later that he like you was raised out of state.¡± Bridget went on to explain, ¡°That¡¯s when I started to learn that he was not the man that Dinah was leading me to believe he was. It took me a while to realize that she had been manipulating all who came into her life for a long time including me about what kind of person Trey is and that we had willingly accepted her reality of him as the truth.¡±


    ¡°Trey has a thinker''s mind and when he¡¯s dealing with an issue, he will openly discuss all things good and bad about it before making a decision. He listens and is willing to take into consideration your opinions.¡± Bridget went on to say. ¡°I learned that it is his way of mentally preparing himself for anything. We got into a discussion about the cost of living, and his view about it shocked me because I never saw it.¡±


    ¡°I told her that I realized that every tax regardless of who brings it in ends up being covered for by the end-user in the long run because it''s built into the price of everything,¡± I explained. ¡°Sadly, most of our society is too blind and stupid to realize it. From the first day of their school life, they are taught to conform to the wishes of the collective in order to get along.¡±


    ¡°Was that one of the challenges you laid out against the professor I met,¡± Bridget asked?


    ¡°Yes, one of the first actually. He taught Economics and made the mistake of saying that trickle-down economics didn¡¯t work,¡± I said. ¡°I showed him that it worked quite perfectly to blindly milk the consumer for billions yearly. We ended up agreeing by the time we were done debating that up to ten percent of the cost of everything we buy is because of taxes by every level of our government.¡±


    I had to laugh because both Clarence and Emerson had never seen it. Both had to admit that if they looked at it closely, they would have to agree. Even though both saw it as just the normal cost of doing business, the cost of everything they manufactured or created included the taxes they had to pay as a business. It was a trickle-down effect because that was taken into consideration as being part of the manufacturing costs.


    With the big news over they got down to the family matter. Bridget¡¯s and my current living situation. All four of them thought that so far, we had been lucky.


    As a result, for the next few months, there would be security on our house twenty-four hours a day until it was sold. Bridget and I learned that the first team was on sight already.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Dinah is like my wife¡¯s sister in a lot of ways,¡± Emerson explained. ¡°She decided that the woman who was involved with her ex-husband had to hurt just as much as she did. So, she drove over her ex-husband''s legs three times before she stopped the car.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we have been so concerned Trey,¡± Dora said, ¡°She was found to have a ¡®Mental Health¡¯ issue. The stress, the anger, and the emotions coming out caused her to break. It took him three years and six operations to heal but to this day he requires the use of a cane to walk. With our family history, until Dinah gets professional help, we can¡¯t take the chance that she will be all right going through the divorce.¡±


    Bridget took my hand, ¡°There will be no driving your car for a while. I don¡¯t want to give her the chance to be near you in any way.¡±


    Just then the servers started bringing in the food they had pre-ordered. It was quite the celebratory meal. As we ate, we discussed little things keeping it light.


    ********


    Dinah approached Bridget¡¯s house carrying an envelope. As started walking up the driveway a gentleman got out of a vehicle and stopped her.


    ¡°Ms. Richards I¡¯m sorry to inform you that no one is allowed on the property,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m now asking you to turn around and remove yourself.¡±


    ¡°I was just going to leave this letter at the door,¡± Dinah replied.


    ¡°I can¡¯t allow you to do that, we have strict orders,¡± He replied. ¡°I suggest that you either mail it or have a courier service deliver it. Can I escort you off the property?¡±


    Dinah recognized the security firm. It was one that her father had used very often when needed in the past. She had been warned by her parents that they would be doing this if they did not see that she was seeing someone professionally. Dinah started crying because she knew that her parents didn¡¯t even trust her anymore.


    Walking home she decided to have a courier pick it up and deliver it to Trey¡¯s office. Tonight, she would begin to pack what she could take out of the house when she had to leave. Tomorrow she had a real estate agent that was going to show her a few high end furnished condos that were up for sale that might suit her tastes. With what was going on in her life right now she was in no party mood.


    ********


    On the ride into work, Bridget, and I both agreed after sleeping on it that we would accept her father''s and my father¡¯s in-law offer. I would start contacting a few of the power players to see if they were available for a big project and if they were interested.


    Just before kissing her goodbye, I said, ¡°Have your father and Emerson decide when and where they wanted to start interviewing members for the team they wish to assemble. Make sure it is not in one of their corporate offices because we don¡¯t want rumors and gossip about what''s going on.¡±


    I went into the building carrying my briefcase and brown bag containing my three roast beef sandwiches. I knew it was a day that was going to be filled with a lot of questions. As usual, the receptionist was there before me. After leaving my briefcase in my office I went to put my lunch in the luncheon room fridge.


    ¡°Good morning Mr. Richards,¡± The receptionist said. ¡°After yesterday Gordon thinks you walk on water. It¡¯s not very often he gets called and asked for advice from a man like Clarence Smith.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t my idea,¡± I said. ¡°I only learned about the new plans late last night. So, you most likely know more than I do.¡±


    With that, she handed me my first cup of coffee made just the way I liked it and said, ¡°Gordon, when he got off the phone, called me into the office and told me that you had managed to get us a whole new bunch of business coming down the road which includes an IPO.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important what you know goes no further even to those you trust in the office,¡± I said. ¡°Because everything is just in the planning stages. We don¡¯t want the price of their corporate stock being jacked up by speculations.¡±


    ¡°Gordon said the same thing last night to me behind closed doors,¡± she replied. ¡°So how long do you figure it will be before you leave us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unknown even to me, sometimes these things can take years,¡± I said. ¡°Other times it¡¯s a matter of weeks because these things seem to take a life of their own.¡±


    ¡°Be prepared Gordon will be calling you in first thing this morning for a friendly chat,¡± she replied. ¡°Because he wants your opinion for who in the organization should be assigned to handle the IPO from our end.¡±


    I gave her thanks for the tip and headed to my office. I had a few emails I needed to write and send out this morning after checking out the future¡¯s market and overseas markets to see if something could be gleamed out of what was going on. I sent a note regarding my trade orders asking him not to make the purchases until all my current shares were sold. It had been a few weeks since the idiots in China had done something stupid and I felt they were due again.


    As soon as I walked into Gordon¡¯s office he spoke, ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    I laughed and said, ¡°you give me too much credit. Sometimes the best outcome comes because the two come together for other reasons.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I get it,¡± Gordon said with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re going to play it close to your vest just like you always do. I believe that¡¯s what attracted those two men to make the offer to you they did Mr. President.¡±


    For the next two hours, we went through all the upper management personnel to discuss the qualities and weaknesses of each person before coming to a decision on who would be brought in when the time was ready.


    ¡°Trey, I learned over these last few weeks that your always prepared,¡± Gordon said. ¡°Your insights this morning surprised me because you understood your fellow employees better than I did. It explains why your stats are better than anyone else in the office for client satisfaction and growth in their investments. One final thought; ¡®believe¡¯ in yourself and your decisions. You have the smarts to do things always right.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the compliment, but its time I get back to my regular job,¡± I said. ¡°After all no matter who and what we are we still have a paycheck to earn.¡±


    Leaving his office as I was headed to grab another coffee the receptionist stopped me and handed me an envelope that had been couriered in. It was from Dinah. My first reaction was to throw it in the trash. Instead, I put on the corner of my desk and got on with my day.


    China¡¯s version of socialism decided to punish our current President so introduced higher import tarriffs on a bunch of American products. The stock market did not like it as values dropped across the board. A quick check verified my stocks and shares had all been sold the first thing in the morning before that had been announced. I had gotten a lucky break. I told the trader to buy as per my request a half hour before closing just before the last-minute rush came in. It¡¯s a good thing I did because the president responded in kind by raising some current tariff rates and suggested more were coming. Stock value¡¯s dropped all day.


    Bridget called while I was at lunch as I was eating the roast beef sandwiches with a touch of horseradish sauce, pepper, and salt. They were perfect and I told her so. She informed me that she had passed on my suggestion to her father. As a result, both Emerson and he were out looking for a small office to rent. They wanted to do the interviews starting next week. They still thought a team of six would work out great.


    I told her that I had received a couriered envelope from Dinah delivered to the office. She asked what it said. I replied that I have not even opened it yet and wasn¡¯t sure that I would. Bridget got me to agree to bring it home with me so we could discuss together what we should do.


    ********


    It was after dinner that I opened the letter. It read.


    Trey, looking back after seeing Bridget and you together I realized too late that I had pushed you out of my life long before I had my tubes tied. I lost sight while chasing the dream of what was important in my life. Even my getting my tubes tied has to be tied into my chasing my dream because I really did not consider the consequences of what I was really doing. Bridget when I asked her if I knew her boyfriend said I didn¡¯t. I just now am beginning to see how true that is. In honesty you did not leave me I left you willingly because of what I did without discussing it with you.


    Mom and Dad demanded that I seek professional help please tell them that I have set up my first appointment. I¡¯m still not sure if I will go but I am considering it. I have a real estate lady looking for new digs for me and have begun packing to move.


    When I saw the two of you together as you walked together towards the limo, I realized that we never looked like the two of you do together. It¡¯s got me questioning our relationship and wondering if we were ever in love. I may never know the answer to that.


    I would like to have our divorce sealed so that everything is kept out of the New York Times and other media that I am beginning to hate. My lawyer said your lawyer had built such a detailed case that there are six or seven different reasons for granting the divorce. I won¡¯t be fighting it as long as you are reasonable about it. Dinah


    Bridget looked at me before asking, ¡°Do you think she¡¯s being sincere or not?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I replied. ¡°She just might be living proof that you can¡¯t fix stupid. My problem is that based on the long term lies how can I not believe this is just not more of her bull shit. I can see why she needs to keep it quiet. She does not want the real reason she got her tubes tied to come out. That little piece of information we kept out of the divorce petition as a bargaining chip if things went really bad.¡±


    ¡°What could she have done that¡¯s worse than what we already know, ¡°Bridget asked?


    ¡°She aborted what would have been our firstborn eight weeks before at a hospital-owned clinic,¡± I replied. ¡°My lawyer and I kept that private because I did not want her parents to know. For some reason, her body would not accept any kind of birth control and she refused to use inserts because they always caused woman problems for her.¡±


    Bridget looked at me with tears in her eyes before saying, ¡°I presume you found out when you sued for her records.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. I decided to leave it out because I had promised to tell Emerson everything,¡± I said. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t devastate my in-laws with that truth, so I informed them just what they needed to know.¡±


    ¡°Why do you feel they need protecting,¡± Bridget asked while wondering why I would feel needed to act this way?


    ¡°Emmerson and Dora are old fashioned conservative Christians who live by their beliefs,¡± I replied. ¡°Knowing that I knew if I disclosed the whole truth, it would destroy their world and change their reality for good. I was a man who wanted children of my own who had to ask myself would I want to know if I was them. The answer I came to was no.¡±


    Bridget looked at me while taking in the seriousness of what I said. She now knew why I had felt overwhelmed.


    I pulled Bridget into my arms holding her tight. For some reason, she felt the need to whisper in my ear, ¡°Let it go, don¡¯t hold yourself accountable for something that was beyond your control.¡±


    It surprised me to learn that she knew I did.


    Finally, when we parted, she said, ¡°Did we ever know Dinah at all? What kind of woman would do that to her husband and parents?¡±


    ¡°One who has it all and is so jealous of anyone ever getting a part of what would belong to her by birthright, her father¡¯s millions,¡± I replied. ¡°Now you know why I am so confused as to what I should do.¡±


    ¡°Then agree to keep it quiet,¡± Bridget said. ¡°We really don¡¯t want media attention with what Dinah¡¯s father and mine are attempting to do.¡±


    I looked at her and smiled, ¡°That was not on my mind, but your thinking is right.¡±


    I picked up my cellphone and sent her a text message that said, I will instruct my lawyer to get it sealed.


    ¡°That night I said you seemed to be a bit off was the day that you found out,¡± Bridget commented before adding, ¡°No wonder you were behaving the way you did. It must have been taring you emotionally apart.¡±


    ¡°Bridget I¡¯m going to send this to both your father and Emerson as an email in the morning from work. I feel they have a right to know,¡± I said. ¡°Then I will do the same to my lawyer to have it sealed.¡±


    And I did.


    ********


    The rest of the week went by very quietly. Reports in the New York Times showed all concerned that nothing had changed as per Dinah¡¯s conduct. She was still being reported on as being the social butterfly but was more subdued. The gossip reporter suggested that she was behaving herself because of the ongoing divorce which was now sealed. The New York Times gossip lady was questioning quite publicly why I had requested that since I had been the one dumped so publicly.


    I had sent Clarence and Emerson a list of 10 names who were definitely interested in being interviewed along with what I knew about them.


    Emerson called me late Friday afternoon to confirm that Dinah was indeed seeing a professional. A private investigator had been following her since he received a copy of her letter to me and confirmed that she had gone for her first appointment.


    Saturday afternoon a for sale sign was placed on both Bridget¡¯s and my former residence. Dinah¡¯s lawyer had provided us with written approval to sell the house. Bridget and I had decided that regardless of what happened that we needed to move because we wanted the past behind us. Both Bridget and I were surprised that we saw no sign of Dinah at all.


    Saturday night we were awoken from the sound of a loud explosion. Both Bridget and I threw some clothes on and ran outside to discover my old home was totally in flames. We could smell natural gas in the air. One of the security guards was holding a young man in cuffs.


    ¡°Fire department and police are on their way,¡± The security guard said. ¡°It looks like he may of hit the wrong house.¡±


    ¡°Maybe but I wouldn¡¯t be so sure,¡± I said. ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a clinic burned down a couple of days ago?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there was,¡± The security guard said. ¡°It has been ruled as a case of arson. The only area totally destroyed was the record room and their computer system. It was run in a partnership with the hospital.¡±


    Bridget looked at me in shock as I said, ¡°Please make sure that a police officer talks to me a soon as possible because if my thinking is right there maybe another fire in the next few days.¡±


    Bridget looked at me with a questioned look, so I added, ¡°My lawyer''s office.¡±


    As we walked back into Bridget''s home, she held my hand. Once inside she said, ¡°You don¡¯t think Dinah is behind this do you?¡±


    ¡°For me, the question is that I can¡¯t say she¡¯s not,¡± I said. ¡°So, I feel obligated to inform the police so that they can decide for themselves if they feel they need to check it out. With her big signing bonus, she could afford it.¡±


    It took about an hour for the detective to knock on our door. I answered it and invited him in. He took notes as I explained why I was concerned that my ex-wife Dinah Richards was behind it.


    ¡°I recognize the name, but I can¡¯t picture the face,¡± he said. ¡°Do you have a photo?¡±


    Bridget asked for his cellphone number and texted him one of the images she still had of Dinah on her phone. While she was doing that, I opened up my briefcase and pulled out the record of the abortion and handed it to him.


    He could clearly see that the form she signed was from the clinic that had been torched was for an abortion. I told him that if my thinking was right that my lawyer''s office would be the next target hit.


    ¡°She wanted to hide the record of the abortion for what reason?¡± He asked with extreme interest. As he took an image of the record with his cell phone.


    ¡°Dinah Richards my soon to be ex-wife is Emerson Stevens only child,¡± I explained. ¡°If he found out what she had done because of his religious believes she would lose all rights to an inheritance. Emerson is a man who believes that life begins at conception and would  be so hurt and angered that he would write his daughter out of his life.¡±


    The detective got a very serious look on his face as he allowed everything to sink in. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for the information. Dinah Richards has definitely become a person of interest. It gives me a great starting point when I begin interrogating the man we are now holding. I thank you for waiting up for me. Now I have to go wake up the detective that¡¯s investigating the clinic fire to see what he has found out so that we can compare our notes. We would never have been able to link the two together without the information you have provided.¡±


    I escorted the Detective to the door and after we shook hands, I locked up behind him. It was already five Sunday Morning.


    Bridget and I crawled back into bed to wide awake to sleep so we cuddled each other as we talked it all out. We would learn later that I was partly right and partly wrong.


    We must have dozed off because we were both awakened by the sounds coming from our cellphones. I answered mine, Bridget answered her. I said put your speaker on dear and we will talk to both sides of the family at once.


    Everyone was in a panic. It had been on the morning news. Clarence, Gracie, Dora, and Emerson wanted to first make sure that we were all right and then wanted to find out what we knew. I told them that the security team Em had hired had caught the guy, but they felt that he had hit the wrong house. Other than that, we were flying blind.


    ¡°Dinah moved out on Thursday; she bought a four thousand square foot furnished condo near the downtown core, and got a short closure,¡± Em said. ¡°Her movers packed up what she wanted and moved it. They were done early Friday afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Bridget and Trey pack your clothing you¡¯re moving in with us,¡± Grace said. ¡°This getting scary. At least here we can close the gates and secure the property. Do you want Clarence and I to come and help you?¡±


    ¡°No mom,¡± Bridget responded, ¡°Trey and I can handle it. We will just bring what we need to get through a couple of weeks If that¡¯s okay with you. We had put this house up for sale yesterday anyway.¡±


    Between the two of us we filled my full-size sedan up. Using both the trunk and the backseat. I had to laugh because I was feeling like a vagabond. Before we left, I called the detective to let him know what I learned and suggested that the security guards had been right in their thinking that the arsonist had gotten the wrong house. I gave him Clarences and Graces address and informed him we were moving there for our own self-protection until the house sold.


    Bridget and I had discussed what our sleeping arrangement would be for the next few weeks on the way back to her parents. It was her feeling that they would give us separate bedrooms. We were pleased to learn that we were wrong. They already had accepted the fact that we were a couple.


    When looking back at the time later it would be with happy memories because we both received a refresher course on how to make a marriage work. The little things we learned from observing Bridget¡¯s parent''s interactions we brought into our relationship made ours stronger each and every day. One of the first things we worked on together was making sure that we did not assume to know the other''s thinking on anything that might become important.


    Bridget¡¯s parents had to laugh because they learned that we were already starting to finish each other¡¯s sentences.


    ********


    It had been a relatively quiet couple of weeks. The team had been hired to form the new company. On Thursday night after dinner, I told Clarence that I owned Data Corp stock and it was worth about three-quarters of a million dollars.


    ¡°The question is do Emerson and you want to buy it from me so I can go out and purchase some more,¡± I asked. ¡°Before you ask, I have made sure that none of my clients beside Bridget and you are holding any. I had to tell one client who wanted to buy some that I had to transfer his account to another rep because I was personally involved with both of you, and it could put me in a conflict if it ever came out. He thought about it and decided for now not to go ahead.¡±


    Clarence looked at me for a few and said, ¡°You¡¯re that careful about protecting yourself and your client''s interest. Did he ask what your relationship was?¡±


    ¡°I just told him I was in the middle of divorcing Emerson Steven¡¯s daughter and was afraid that if it came out that I was buying the stock he wanted I might be charged with insider trading. With emotions so raw I can¡¯t afford to gamble.¡±


    Clarence laughed and said, ¡°Nothing like the truth to make somethings perfectly clear. I¡¯ll tell Emerson that you''re holding it. Once the new corporation is set up in Canada, we will mostly use it to buy the stock. The team suggested we buy the stock through numerous brokers, so it won¡¯t be seen as out of the normal.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough I will then hold on to the cash until there¡¯s another dip in the market and pick up some more of either of the corporations after comparing which one has the biggest drop,¡± I said. ¡°The stuff I am now holding was bought on a down day thanks to the unending bullshit between China and the USA. We both know that the markets are affected by whims and whispers far too much. Even if there is one announced it doesn¡¯t mean much because most believe that China won¡¯t keep their word.


    Just then Bridget came into her father¡¯s den all excited and said, ¡°You two better come into the family room to see for yourself what just came over the news.¡±


    We followed her. She used the remote to rewind the program to start what she wanted to see. I was shocked to see it was Dinah¡¯s boy toy that she went to Paris with being placed under the arrest. He was being charged with two counts of arson. He apparently had hired a man to torch the clinic and Bridget¡¯s residence. The man who was also been charged had admitted he had gotten the wrong house.


    ¡°Why would he want to burn down Bridget¡¯s house if it wasn¡¯t to kill the two of you.¡± Gracie asked?¡± ¡°And who is he?¡±


    ¡°There is something you need to see,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.


    As I left the room, I heard Bridget said, ¡°Mom, Dad, what Trey is about to show you and explain can never go outside of this room because of the emotional pain it will cause for two of our friends. The man who got arrested today was the one that went to Paris with Dinah.¡±


    I came back and handed it first to Clarence who after looking at it passed it over to his wife.


    ¡°My divorce lawyer discovered it when we got the medical records. We served the clinic with a court order for their records concerning my ex-wife. She had the abortion eight weeks before she had her tubes tied.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go put this into the safe,¡± Clarence said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid if they can link the arsons to Dinah it is going to come out anyway. It¡¯s sad that Dora and Em may never know how much you¡¯re protecting them.¡±


    With that said, he went back into his den.


    Grace said, ¡°So that¡¯s why the divorce is sealed. Dinah wanted to make sure that her parents would never know what she had done. Does she know you have this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know but she must be really concerned about the possibility that I do otherwise none of this would be happening,¡± I said.


    ¡°Mom the only question is does the boytoy realized how much he has been manipulated. Considering who he is, his monthly allowance would easily have covered the cost of this,¡± Bridget said. ¡°Dinah may be sitting pretty in the knowledge that she can¡¯t be connected to this.¡±


    ¡°That Bitch will no longer be a problem for you two I promise,¡± Grace said, ¡°No one puts my family in danger. By the time I am done with her your divorce Trey will be a walk in the park.¡±


    I looked over at Bridget. Her face showed some serious concern I went to speak but she shook her head warning me off.


    Later as Bridget and I laid on the bed cuddling she explained. ¡°There have been a very few times I have seen my mother with that look. Each time it happened there was a threat to her sense of peace and security. She is going to do something to resolve the issue permanently. Dinah won¡¯t be touched but she will not be an ongoing problem. My mother used to be a character actress on the stage. I believe she is going to use those skills she developed back then to send a message to Dinah that she will never forget.


    ¡°Hopefully it will force Dinah to speed things up,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m ready for all of it to be put behind us.¡±


    I was up early so I was downstairs making a pot of coffee before getting ready for the day when a strange woman came into the kitchen. I looked at her and said, ¡°Who are you and what are you doing here?¡±


    The lady laughed and said, ¡°I was hoping to be out before anyone got up. So, promise me you will forget you ever saw me looking like this. It¡¯s taken me three hours to do the makeover and get dressed.¡±


    ¡°Not a word will be mentioned about this, I promise Grace. Bridget explained to me that you used to be in the theatre back in the day,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks for getting my adrenaline going this morning. I won¡¯t even ask what you¡¯re up to.¡±


    ¡°When I deliver the type of message like I am going to today. I make sure before I leave that they know what they see in front of them is an illusion. I will even change the sound of my voice two or three times to reinforce the seriousness of what I¡¯m saying. That way they will be forced to take very seriously what I have to say to them,¡± Grace said. ¡°Once I put the fear of God into them, I have never had a problem. In my whole married life, it¡¯s not failed me once.¡±


    ¡°Well, I will never forget that you could be standing in the same room with me without me knowing,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I don¡¯t have a devious mind.¡±


    ¡°I was in a rush for my daughter to get married because I wanted grandbabies to hold,¡± Grace said. ¡°Now I can honestly say I¡¯m glad she didn¡¯t. You two met when you both were not really looking and fell in love for the right reasons. That is a blessing that Clarence and I shared when we started out. You two remind both of us what we were like when we were younger.¡±


    ¡°In a couple of weeks, we will be flying back to attend a friend''s anniversary,¡± I explained.¡± At that time Bridget will be meeting my parents. I¡¯ve told them the whole story, so they are aware of everything. Keep it quiet for now because Bridget has not learned that part.¡±


    With that Grace went out the door. I took two coffees¡¯ up to the bedroom so we could start getting ready for the day.


    It was around eleven in the morning Dinah having just gotten up in her new condominium when there was a knock at the door. It was an insurance representative here to inspect and photo the place because of the value she paid for the place. Dinah let her in, and the lady began taking photos of the place while she made her first coffee. Finally, the lady spoke again but with a different voice.


    ¡°Mrs. Richards who is soon to be divorced I am not an insurance representative I am an agent who has been given a policy that has been taken out on you,¡± she said.


    ¡°You have stepped on and used one too many people¡¯s to get you to the point where you are,¡± the lady said. ¡°I have not been hired to kill although I wish I had.¡±


    ¡°The person or persons who have hired me want to make it clear,¡± the lady said again using a different voice. ¡°That they have had enough of your bull shit. They have decided that you have one last chance to change your ways.¡±


    With that said the lady took out a vial out of her purse opened it and poured the contents over the wooden dining table. It started eating it. Dinah stood there in shock.


    ¡°Remember the next time you see me I will not look or sound like this,¡± The lady said. ¡°You saw the damage I was able to do your expensive table. Just remember this day because the next time I am asked to confront you I will be throwing on your face.¡±


    With that said the lady picked up the items she came in with and exited the place.


    By the time I got back that night Grace had returned and looked her normal self. Bridget and I spent Saturday and Sunday house hunting,


    On Monday I received word that the corporation had been formed. That afternoon my shares were bought at the current market value.


    Bridget called me around four o¡¯clock and said, ¡°We''re going out for dinner with Emerson and Dora. They said they need to talk to us both. I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s about, but I think something has happened.¡±


    We arrived and were led to our private table by the hostess. Em and Dora were waiting for us. After greeting each other and ordering our drinks. Em started.


    ¡°Dinah has flown to California to look for a second residence,¡± he said. ¡°She is feeling the heat and wants to get out of the city. We feel something has happened that has changed her views of always being a New York girl.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the fact that her current Boy Toy is looking at doing some time has forced her to want to put as much distance is as possible,¡± I said. ¡°I really have no clue as to what¡¯s she up to.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s become quiet and distant as if something has shaken her reality to the bone,¡± Dora said. ¡°When I asked her about it all she would say was I did it to myself.¡±


    ¡°We went over to talk to her on the weekend and to see her new place,¡± Emerson said. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful condo but she is going to have to replace an expensive dining room set. It appears some kind of acid has destroyed the table. I asked her about it, and she refused to explain.¡±


    I just thought Grace had delivered her message in such a way it had registered better than I imagined. Dinah was making changes in her life for her own protection.


    Tuesday afternoon after the stock market closed my divorce lawyer called. Dinah¡¯s lawyer had sent us a revised settlement offer. Both my lawyer and I were surprised by what I was being offered. Dinah was even willing to pay my lawyer''s fees. As a result, I would come out of it better than I had thought. I told her to accept it before she changed her mind.


    ¡°You understand if the judge approves it, you will get your annulment will be done in less than two months,¡± she said. ¡°Do you think it was her boy toy getting arrested that forced her to make you such a good settlement offer?¡±


    ¡°To be honest I was told that someone sent her a message in a personal way,¡± I said. ¡°After he had been arrested. Perhaps it was from someone from his side of the family. I learned last night she is in California looking for a new residence because she wants to spend more time there.¡±


    ********


    As I looked over at Bridget sitting beside me reading a book on the plane headed to St Louis that Thursday morning, I thought how blessed I was for what Dinah¡¯s behavior had brought me. Both Bridget and I had left our former employers.


    For the next two weeks, we would be vacationing in my old stomping grounds. By the time we got back, the divorce will have been completed. Our new home would have been repainted and ready for us to move in. Bridget¡¯s parents had surprised us with it two days after I gave her the ring she was now wearing on her left hand. It was on two and a half acres of land less than two miles from their house. I told Grace the reason she wanted in the neighborhood because she wanted to babysit the grandkids. She had replied you got that right so when are you going to start working on them.


    As we descended down into the St Louis airport I said. ¡°We got about a forty-five-minute wait before we have to catch our connecter flight to the Cape. From there it will be about a forty-five-minute drive for us to get to Marble Hill where we will be staying.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing where you grew up,¡± She said.¡± And to seeing some of my dad¡¯s side of the family while I am here. Do you have anything planned for us today after we get there?¡±


    ¡°You find out as soon as we get off at Cape,¡± I said with a chuckle.


    We got off the twelve seat airplane in Cape and walked across the pavement to the small terminal. I could see my parents waiting for us. As soon as we came through the sliding doors Bridget caught on. I was a younger version of my dad.


    They walked towards us, and he said in his deep voice, ¡°This beautiful lady must be the Bridget, you told us all about.¡±


    I introduced Bridget to Beth and Ben Richards, my parents.


    Dad said, ¡°You go pick up the luggage, I¡¯ll go get the truck.¡±


    When we got to the farm dad, and I brought the luggage in while mom gave Bridget a quick tour of the house. Bridget fell in love with the kitchen that had an old wood stove in it.


    ¡°Do you still use it,¡± Bridget asked?


    ¡°Every winter,¡± Mom said. ¡°Twice a week I bake the bread and buns for the week using that stove. Cuts down the electrical and heats the house. The rest of the time I use it when doing roasts or other large cuts of meat.¡±


    My mom was thrilled that Bridget loved to cook and got in and helped her when she started making lunch. The four of us after eating took Bridget on her first horse ride on a trail I had often rode on a kid. We cut it short not wanting to tire her out.


    After we had removed the saddles, we showed her how to brush down the horses. It was fun seeing her excitement in doing what we considered normal things. Bridget had a lot of questions which we all answered.


    Dad, as we were walking behind the ladies, said, ¡°Looks like this time you got it right.¡±


    It was after dinner that Bridget and I had to explain how we had met. My parents had lots of questions and we explained it as well as we could. I think their full approval came when they heard about the abortion.


    ¡°A woman who can abort their unborn for any reason,¡± my mom said. ¡°Has shown that she could justify killing their own spouse. That¡¯s the problem in society today there is no respect for life in any way.¡±


    Bridget and I in the privacy of our bedroom discussed what our mother had said. We both came to the conclusion that my mother had been right. We both agreed that we would no longer discuss Dinah to anybody because the part was behind us forever.


    ********


    It¡¯s been six months since my annulment was granted. Bridget and I had a small ceremony. My parents flew out to witness the ceremony. My dad told everybody he had to see it to believe it. My mother in law is in her glory as Bridget has started to show. So now she¡¯s running around town finding the pieces to set up the best two nurseries¡¯ in town. One for our place the second for hers. To be ready for when Bridget returns to work.


    The New York Times in all its glory has reported in its latest gossip column that Bridget is carrying two. It must be true because we all know the New York Times the most liberal paper in the country does not lie.

 Two Different Realities

    I took one last serious look around the house to see if there was anything that I wanted or had missed. I could not help feeling the sadness that overcame me. The memories throughout the years captured me once more. It took me a few to departmentalize them and accept the fact that I would carry them with me. Having regained my focus it became quickly apparent to me that I had taken everything I wanted with me. What I normally took with me on these last-minute unexpected business trips had been removed. Just like they would normally.


    I had told my wife of twenty-five years that I would once again park my company car at the airport. Just like I always did in the past. In truth, it was still at the office along with every other item that belonged to them.


    At the age of forty-five with having twenty-five years in management, I had just taken early retirement for three-quarters of the level that I would get with if I stayed on for another five years. After taking full advantage of my share options, which I had sold the very next market day.


    Every year I would get very good performance bonuses. Instead of taking the cash I had mine deposited by the corporation directly into my company¡¯s retirement account. The Chief Financial Officer after a few heated discussions finally gave into my request and had done it. That way it was never part of my income. The bonus was never taxed, and the full amount went into my retirement.


    When setting up my retirement he had to admitt that he personally wished that he could have been wise enough to see what I was thinking because the monthly cheque they would be sending me would exceed my regular pay cheque.


    My retirement was now set up to be paid directly into my new account by direct payment. I had set up a new account via the local branch of Bank of America for where I was moving to. On Friday I had deposited my last paycheque into it. It was huge because it included my accrued vacation pay. I held the cheque in hand for the shares that I had sold. Eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars net after prepaying taxes was a nice egg nest for anyone.


    The company was thrilled to do it because they could promote someone into my former position for half the pay, but it came with a catch. I had to agree become a consultant when the design team got stuck.


    I could not afford to deposit that cheque in the bank until after the end of today. Just in case it was found out about. That way it could not be claimed as part of the marital assets. Those expensive suits I always had to always wear all except for one were now at goodwill with everything else I no longer needed or wanted.


    I was downsizing my life in a wonderful way. What I considered as personal items or keepsakes I had packed and loaded. With the difference in tax rate from California to where I was going, I was going to end up being way ahead. Plus, the cost of living standards in the place I was moving to would be a lot less.


    The small U Haul truck I had rented for a one-way trip had been leased through my parent¡¯s family trust in my mother¡¯s brother uncle John¡¯s name was loosely loaded with all the things I was bringing with me. He had arranged it for me from his end.


    I had paid the fees in cash to make sure there was nothing here that could be associated with my name. I was leaving the west coast, going back to my roots in a small town in the middle of nowhere as my wife would put it.


    I no longer had to live with the job I had grown to hate over time. That was thanks to my wife who had made it clear by her recent behavior that my obligation to her was done. I was looking forward to a simple life once again where your next-door neighbor was a mile or two away and not just two hundred yards across the street.


    I knew full well that my wife had forgotten that I still owned the farm my parents had left for me. Hell, she had hated the place so much that she wouldn¡¯t even go back for my family¡¯s funeral. A car accident had taken them away far too early. As she put it people like her wouldn¡¯t be caught in an uncivilized place like that. It had been that very thought of hers that had convinced me that what I was doing was being done in the right way.


    Yeah, I had married a stuck up self-centered snob who had always believed she was better than anyone else. I thought I had tamed her of her ways as our three daughters were growing up.


    Sadly, I learned the hard way in the last few months that I had not. It had me wondering if I ever truly had known Kendra. Had I like so many men who came into her life bought the illusion she created for herself. Did she really know who she really was? It was now obvious to me because of what I had learned that I never had.


    Thanks to Kendra¡¯s own conduct I had woke up and seen the reality of our relationship in a new light. As a result, I began putting things in order. My desires, wants, and my future had changed as a result.


    Surprisingly, I was filled for the most part with a feeling of contentment I had not felt in a long time. My freedom from the bondage that my life had become was going to have a hell of a cost on a lot of people.


    I had left the family estate in my parent''s names and had never closed out the family''s trust after their death five years ago. I don¡¯t know why I hadn¡¯t done that but considering what was starting to happen it was now a major blessing. It could not be considered a marital asset since I had never accepted ownership.


    The only thing I had done with the farm was rent out the ten quarter sections of land to some of the local farmers who deposited their rent cheques directly into the family trust account. I had left it untouched deliberately because at that time I wanted to someday build my wife her dream house. It was now building a nice emergency fund when needed.


    With my knowledge, I could make my living repairing the tractors and heavy equipment instead of supervising the designing and building of them. A family relative was working on getting my parent''s old homestead ready. I could stay with them until it was ready for living in again if I had to, so I was not worried about anything.


    I had called Kendra my wife to remind her that I would be leaving on my business trip before she arrived home from hers. I also wanted to verify that they had not changed her airplane schedule. She said she was looking forward to being home after two weeks of being forced to live out of a suitcase. I had planned everything down to the minute.


    My three daughters and their husbands would be arriving two hours before her arrival home to open up the house for the surprise birthday party. We had conspired together to get it all done. One of my daughters had even invited her mother¡¯s boss and his spouse. All it took was me suggesting the idea disguised in an off the cuff remark. His wife had said they would gladly come because her husband was always bragging about her accomplishments. This would give her a face to the lady she had heard so much about.


    None of my daughters knew how big of a surprise it really was going to be. Over fifty family members and friends were looking forward to coming for the potluck supper to help celebrate the wife¡¯s belated birthday.


    We were celebrating it late because her birthday had fallen while she was away with the rest of the management team, she told us she had been sent with. It was just one of those important things she could not get out of Kendra had explained to us all as she prepared to leave. I had known better but had not said a thing.


    I had told my daughters that I had videoed my birthday wishes for my wife and put them on a disk. Although I had to fly out, I wanted to be here with them in spirit so I thought this would be the best way to convey my personal wishes. My only request to my daughters was that they played my recording at the very end just before the party started to slow down. That way all would know what my thoughts were concerning their mother. All they had to do was turn the huge patio tv on and hit play for it to start. I left the time to do it up to them.


    It was time to text my oldest daughters¡¯ husband to let him know that I would text him my new number when I arrived at my destination. I also gave him my new email address. We had worked together for a few years. David was one of the newest rising stars with my former employer and he had met his wife my eldest daughter through me. Being an accountant, he had been in on my retirement plans.


    As far as he knew I was doing this all because I had found out about my wife and her lover. He had doubts until I showed him the report I got from the private investigators. He was one of those who had to see it to be able to believe it types before he could accept anything. In our state he was a rarity.


    I had a bit of regret about what was going to happen tonight. Partly because he, himself would be hit with an eye-opening truth bomb. David did not deserve for it to be revealed like this. The way the truth had to come out had left it impossible to cut out.


    It was his suggestion that I wipe out all contact information about me online even going to the point of closing my Facebook page. Which I did when I knew she was on the private plane home. Let her sweat it out not knowing anything he had said. She may be my mother in law, but she deserves it after what she did. Let the bitch try to figure it all out.


    I agreed because of our state and its stupid laws she gets half anyway. The last thing I did was send copies of all our current bank balances and a list of any debts to my lawyer which were minimal. According to the last property tax assessment our house was worth about nine hundred thousand. Which I thought was low anyway. Even with that low figure with my half share, I could buy a brand new home as good as what I was leaving and furnish it with cash left over because where I was moving to was in part of the country that was not a happening place.


    I took my cell phone and dropped it into the small garbage can beneath the kitchen sink since I was exiting our home for the last time. I looked around to make sure that nothing I had done would be noticeable to anyone until the party was over. It was sad to be leaving Lodi California my home for these last twenty-five years for the last time.


    I was headed back home to the badlands of South Dakota as a nobody the same way I had left. I honestly had figured out that there were fewer than ten people outside of the family who would miss me.


    It was knowing that my video when shown was going to alter a lot of people¡¯s lives was the reason, I had a big smile on my face. I stopped at the retail cellphone shop of a nationwide company and bought a new cell phone. It took them a few minutes, but the manager was able to get me a local number for the area I was moving to.


    Once I was back in the truck, I made one phone call. When the female answered I said this is the new number I¡¯m headed out. She replied I got it. I then shut it off to save the mini charge all new cellphones have in case I had an emergency. I was looking forward to the drive east in the middle of March before the weather got too hot. The country would be pleasant to see as it was covered in the rebirth that comes with spring.


    ********


    Kendra and I had met at an Aerosmith concert back in the day. She was a local girl, yeah, a California girl. I was from out of state having been hired right out of university thanks to a recruiter who saw my potential. We got married a year later, on the same day. My parents flew out for the wedding.


    I was employed in research and development. I worked for a company that designed and mass produced farming equipment. Within three years I was the head of the division. Kendra was in importing and marketing. Her expertise was the Asian market. We both had been working for the same firms for years. Even at her current age, Kendra was a head-turner.


    She still captured a room when she walked into it. The years had been kind to her as her figure pretty much remained the same as it was when we married. She still dressed in class with clothing that accented her body assets quite well. I couldn¡¯t say the same. I had the typical dad''s body pot belly and all. Working behind a draft table while sitting on my ass had taken its toll on me.


    ********


    Kendra Waite was looking forward to returning home after being away with her boss and friend with benefits Eric Hopper for the last two weeks. She was sorry that her husband Colin had been called away unexpectedly but that happened a lot with two powerful people who had careers.


    Being away with Eric had been a much-needed break but she was looking forward to getting back to her normal routine. Sex every night for two weeks was very enjoyable for a short period as it helped to keep one feeling young and appreciated. Yet she preferred making love twice a week with her husband on a regular basis.


    After their private small jet landed, she cleared the airport and got into her company car heading for home.


    Once Kendra got home, she was surprised to see the family all there. All three of her daughters and their husbands had made it. Her eldest was now twenty-three and the twins a year younger. Over the next few hours, the huge celebration was in full swing. Kenda loved the attention she was being given by family, close friends, and some coworkers.


    Kendra was surprised that her boss and his wife showed up around an hour into the party, after all he and she had just spent two weeks together. When she asked who invited them her oldest daughter admitted that she had. His wife had said that your boss was always bragging about you, and this was a perfect way to meet you. That comment had made Kendra feel special and proud.


    Finally, around eight pm our three daughters each congratulated their mother for reaching another major milestone. Mom one of the twins said Dad did not want to be left out, so he recorded a special greeting for you. Then they turned the eighty-inch plasma screen on and hit the play button on the DVD player.


    The crowd on the patio got quiet. Everybody heard my voice saying Happy Birthday Dear. I went on to explain that I was going to highlight a few things from the last year. I highlighted a few humorous things before getting serious. Like the birth of our first grandson and the marriage of our last single daughter. Our last anniversary and our plans for an upcoming second honeymoon.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a busy year,¡± I said. ¡°I believed that we as a couple were finally heading in a united direction. I was looking forward to doing romantic weekends like we did before the children came along. Then I came home from a trip overseas to find this little gem on our internal security system. It was a revelation for me because what I learned that day changed my whole world. I found out that my wife and I had apparently lived our lives with two different realities.¡±


    The ten-minute clip that started to play was of my wife and three daughters talking about having friends with benefits on the side without their spouses knowing. It got very quiet as the clip was revealing their own comments about the time spent with their lovers. Who they were? What it was like? What they had done with their lovers and when. How each of the others had been protectors when needed by the one.


    I guess I must have been a bit shocked the first time I saw it because it seemed so unreal to me. Four women talking about their sexual conquests was not normal for me. I had to watch it more than once to accept my new reality.


    It was interesting to hear how easy they thought it was to pull it off behind their spouses back. Kendra bragged that she was in her third friend with benefits relationship in the last ten years. She said that each one had brought to her such different and exciting experiences until she was tired of them. She proudly proclaimed she was already shopping around to see what was available for her fourth.


    Though not intentional it was obvious that each of the woman¡¯s husbands came across as being completely oblivious to how these women really viewed them. Keeping their spouses in line was easy all they had to do was keeping them believing that they were the most important thing in their lives.


    The details brought up about their playtime as they called it was quite revealing to some of their playmate''s spouses who were also in attendance. For many, this would be a night to remember.


    I came back on the screen to say, ¡°I had to wonder if they knew they were being recorded by our internal security system. If they had then they had to have deliberately set me up. It had to be the sickest joke pulled on me in my life. The second time I viewed I was prepared. I paused the clip and recorded down any name fully identifying them.¡±


    ¡°If not, it said a lot about their true feeling towards their spouses. Just their words were not enough for me to believe what I had heard,¡± I said, ¡°but it did create a bit of doubt until I learned the persons named did exist. The next clip will show you what I found thanks to the private investigators I hired.¡±


    The second clip was of my wife and her boss''s last business trip. It was taken over the first week of their two weeks stay. It caught it all, the long hours laying naked on the beach at the only beach that allowed it in Vancouver British Columbia. The one hotel suite they shared at the Westin Bayshore hotel. The hotel''s registry showing that they registered as a Mr. and Mrs. Their romantic horse and carriage ride around Stanley Park as they whispered sweet nothings to each other. Those romantic dinners, the night boat ride around the cove, and their day of whale watching.


    To most who had no clue, it would come across as a couple on their honeymoon. By the time the video was done everyone knew that I had been played like a fool more than once. The last words I had recorded said it all!


    ¡°I guess this was your birthday present to yourself my dear. To celebrate your forty-third birthday with the newest love of your life had to be thrilling. Kendra, I can¡¯t prove you made love with your boss Eric Hopper every night during your two-week mini-vacation, but more importantly, I can¡¯t say you didn¡¯t!¡± I said through the video.


    ¡°I do know for a fact that your room only had one double bed. To my three sons-in-law, I must ask do you truly know what your spouses are doing behind your back? As you have just seen it appears that I didn¡¯t. To those who have children are you sure your children are yours? Are mine, mine?¡± I said before continuing.


    ¡°How many of these special business trips have you taken Kendra over the years have been nothing but your personal playtime with your latest conquest? Was I that bad of a lover and husband for all these years? It appears that in your eyes I must have been by the length of time your special relationships have been going on. In this new reality, I saw just how little I meant to you. If you were that unhappy with our relationship, why didn¡¯t you just ask for a divorce?¡±


    ¡°One final question Kendra. Is the reason you are considered such a valuable employee to Mr. Hopper your boss because you willingly spread your legs when he requests you to? I have to ask that because of what we now know what the truth is! Just what is he paying you for? Does he pay you extra to get kinky? Can you tell me, just what is the going rate is for a married man to have his own personal whore at his beck and call?¡±


    ¡°I wish I could be there. I would love to hear Eric Hopper''s own answers to these questions. I believe that his wife if she were in attendance, would want to hear his answers too.¡± I finished as the video screen went black.


    The silence on the patio was deafening. No one had a clue what to say or do. My statement had raised a lot of questions and had destroyed the reputation of more than a few.


    Even in California where there are no real societal norms, everybody felt uncomfortable being caught up in what was going on. The police officers here won¡¯t even look at thefts under a thousand dollars. That was part of the price we pay to live in California. It¡¯s so bad in parts of the state that many corporations have closed locations because of the amount of brazen daylight thefts in their retail stores.


    Many would end up having a heated discussion about our situation with the spouses when they got home that night. What had been a great surprise party was now completely destroyed. One thing I knew for sure this was one celebration all would remember the rest of their lives.


    I was later told that my wife Kendra and our three daughters had tears running down their faces. I wondered if it were because they could see the consequences of their conduct or was it because they had just been caught. I seriously doubted that any of them had any concerns or thoughts about me at that time.


    The icing on the cake was when Eric Hopper''s wife a beautiful woman who was just thirty-seven years old named Carin Hopper pulled two legal envelopes out serving my wife and her husband. I heard later that Carin had taken great pleasure in slapping my soon to be exes face while giving her a bunch of not so polite new names.


    My wife and her latest lover where now being divorced by their respective spouses. Each was now being faced with the consequences of being caught and exposed in such a public manner. One would wonder what they thought about their new reality.


    Eric was stunned that he had been caught and exposed in front of his wife. There was no way he could ever take what happened back. Both had seen and heard my proof. He had thought his wife had no clue because she had never doubted or questioned anything. That¡¯s when he clued into the fact that she was my lawyer. Kendra had caused all of this. He was going to have to fire the slut if he was going to have any chance to save his marriage.


    Revealing the difference between my wife¡¯s and my world had just destroyed five marriages. My three sons in law told their wives not to bother coming home until they were ready to tell the total truth about everything. Even though the younger generation had different views on everything including morals, principals, and standards there were just some things that were a bridge too far. But this is California and its okay. Sadly, it had to take something like this for them to learn it.


    ********


    I drove until I felt tired. I pulled off at a motel six and parked where my truck could be seen from the office. After getting booked in I went back and got one of my suitcases taking it and the new cellphone into the room.


    After a shower, I got ready for bed. Then I got ready to charge the phone. Curiosity caused me to turn it on to see if I had a message from the lady who had my number. I did. The text said home from the party call me. Carin my divorce lawyer answered before the third ring.


    ¡°Hi, darling,¡± I said as soon as she answered. ¡°How did your day go?¡±


    ¡°Better than we expected. Eric and I drove over to the house together at about three. There were about sixty there in total. Everybody was in a really good mood. For five hours the party went great. You were right when you said they would not expect a thing,¡± Carin said. ¡°Your wife Kendra was thrilled being treated like she was the Queen Bee.


    ¡°Then just as things were winding down your daughters played your recorded video. As a result of what you revealed, I got three new clients for the firm thanks to you,¡± Carin said as she paused to catch her breath.


    ¡°As soon as the video of your wife and daughters came on, they realized that they had forgotten to turn the internal security system off on that day. It was kind of funny to hear four women say, ¡°shit we are fucked¡± at the same time.¡± Carin paused to laugh.


    ¡°Everyone was stunned to hear the four women openly discuss their friends with benefits relationships behind their spouses back in such a casual and unconcerned way,¡± Carin said. ¡°Then the clip with our spouse''s romantic adventure put it over the top. Everyone knew for sure that the first conversation they heard was true. As soon as I served our spouses everybody ran for cover. It was like someone yelled fire at your house.¡±


    ¡°Your three sons-in-law asked if I was a divorce lawyer. I said yes that¡¯s why I served them both. I got three retainer cheques on the spot. It now looks like your daughters¡¯ playmates'' relationships may be headed to divorce too. I drove Eric¡¯s company car home and left him there,¡± Carin explained joyfully.


    ¡°Did they try to call me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°After the mad rush to get the hell out of there by most of your friends and extended family your wife did try to call you. We who were still there watched as she found your ringing cellphone in the garbage. That act of trashing your cell spoke volumes without saying a word. It was like you were telling your family you were done with them all,¡± Carin explained. ¡°My husband stood silent not knowing just what to say as he thought he was being so careful.¡±


    Smiling I responded, ¡°the countdown is on. Six months from the day we filed our divorces it can be granted. I can¡¯t say I regret finding the conversation on the security systems because without it I would not have met you.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully, it will go faster than we figure. Maybe they will be willing to resolve it all quickly without a fight. Do you still want everything sold and turned to cash?¡± Carin asked.


    ¡°Yes, unless she can find a way to buy me out. With the exodus of people leaving California that might be a better option for me for if that¡¯s the way she wants to go,¡± I said. ¡°Even my former employer is now considering making a move because the local council is considering defunding the police. Tomorrow for her the panic will set in.¡±


    ¡°Your right I would love to see her face when she finds out your no longer with your former employer,¡± Carin said. ¡°I will put my law practice up for sale tomorrow. I told my sister, and her husband is who is like a brother that you¡¯re on the way. He¡¯s looking forward to meeting you. He still believes it was your influence that got him his tractor dealership a few years back.¡±


    ¡°This new reality that they have created for all of us has consequences that have just begun. I wonder if they still will be laughing about it all when we''re done.¡± I replied before saying goodbye.


    ********


    Kendra Waite was standing there holding her husband¡¯s cellphone in her hands. She needed to tell him that Eric Hopper meant nothing to her. She wanted him to know that his three daughters were his. Then it finally sunk in. He no longer cared what the truth was. This was his way of publicly letting everyone know that he was done with them all.


    She and her ongoing lies were to blame. She had been so self-centered that she had never thought about the consequences of getting caught. It¡¯s hard to admit to oneself that the fun, the excitement, and sex she had gotten on the side. In the end, was not worth what it was going to cost.


    From this, there was no going back. Lodi was still a small town in a lot of ways they may forgive but they will never forget. There would always be whispers behind her back.


    Colin with what he had done had sent a message. He had just written them all out of his life at least until he got over his anger. Though it might take him a while he always had forgiven her bad conduct in the past. Perhaps he would again. That was when Kendra began to hold on to the belief that in time, she would be able to get him to come back.


    Kendra admitted to herself that she hadn¡¯t planned her lifestyle but had slowly evolved into it over the years. Being progressive-minded it was normal for her to accept no responsibility and blame someone else. She never could see anything wrong in what she was doing. After all, no one was getting hurt. Having gotten away with it once she soon found herself in a second. Eric Hopper was her third friends with benefits relationship.


    Until today she had never believed she would be caught. Colin and she had been so busy with their careers than when they were home, they had always focused on each other and in their own way had left the world outside their front door. It had been her own stupidity that tipped him off.


    Now because of her conduct, even her daughters were facing divorce. Kendra was having a hard time figuring out why Colin had done it this way instead of dealing with it privately like he always did. For him, this was so far beyond his character. Was what she has done in his eye¡¯s really that bad after all it did not hurt anyone.


    ********


    I thought back to when I had discovered the video of my wife and daughters talking about their extra activities six months ago. I never thought that it would lead to where I was now.


    Carin and I had grown up less than twenty miles from each other but because of our age, we had never met. I was out of high school before she even started.


    I had booked an appointment with her firm to start looking into the possibility of a divorce. By the luck of the draw, I had gotten assigned her. After retaining her services, I showed her the video clip. That was when she went into shock.


    The man my wife was talking about having great sex with she believed might be her husband. It took her going into her personal Facebook page for me to be able to identify for sure that we were talking about the same man.


    We both realized that day our marriages were over. We were now bonded together because of our spouse''s conduct. We decided that day after a long conversation about her ethics to join forces and work together.


    As we investigated together our own relationship with each other had grown. At first, we kept our professional relationship just that, but we found ourselves helping each other in the healing process. In a matter of weeks, we had become friends.


    Unless one has gone through it you can¡¯t even comprehend the betrayal, anger, hurt, and hate you go through. We ended up having a lot of phone conversations working those emotional things out. That¡¯s how our relationship started. Out of our own mutual needs, we found ourselves supporting each other.


    I don¡¯t know how it came out, about our roots but it helped to draw us together even more. We were both kindred spirits because of some of our life experiences. We both had memories of places we both knew. When you both laugh with each other about what you did way back when it draws you in. Those little things we talked about what we did when we were young lightened our mood at times.


    Neither one of us was looking but somehow it happened. It had reached the point last week after dealing with her daughters that we were forced to admit to the other we had fallen in love. So far, our relationship had been strictly platonic. We planned to keep it that way until our divorces were granted because we wanted our divorces kept simple.


    It had been twelve days ago just after I had said goodbye to Kendra when Carin called. She had just told her daughters about their father, and they hadn¡¯t believed her. I asked her if her oldest daughter was still there with her; she had said yes. I asked her to put her daughter on.


    I told her daughter that their mother was my lawyer and that I had things I could show them but because of our legal relationship, their mother couldn¡¯t disclose or discuss them.


    I explained that I had no idea who your mother was when I hired her to handle my divorce. It wasn¡¯t until she first viewed what my evidence showed I had that we learned we both had the same problem. I suggested that before they passed judgment upon what they both heard that they should be open enough to view what I had.


    Both Carin¡¯s daughters showed up at my place about a half an hour later. I showed the young ladies the house''s security system and how it worked. You could turn the outside off before entering the house and if you forgot to turn the internal one-off it would automatically record any sound or movement. I had thought they needed to understand how the video itself was created before showing what was recorded.


    I then had Amber and Meadow watch the discussion between my wife and our daughters. They were shocked. The fact that my wife was discussing her fathers¡¯ private parts had to be disturbing. Even worse for them was hearing her tell where he had put it.


    ¡°This is what your mother saw after I hired her. She because of her ethics could not disclose to you how she knew,¡± I explained. ¡°As we speak right now your father, and my wife are in Vancouver British Columbia on their semi-annual phony business trip. I have investigators getting both your mother and me further proof. When Kendra my wife returns, she will be served with the petition for divorce.¡±


    It ended up that I had a long talk with the two teenage girls about vows and what they mean. I brought out the point that forgiveness was easy. The problem for all concerned will be getting over the issue of trust.


    ¡°My daughters,¡± I said, ¡°have learned that there are no consequences for the long term bad conduct of their mother. She is teaching them to do the same thing. I don¡¯t know if they have or haven¡¯t that will be for others to sort out.¡±


    ¡°As you heard Kendra said she has been doing this for years. I don¡¯t blame your father as much but in the eyes of your mother, he has just as much quilt. Anyone in your mother and my situation must ask themselves were our spouses lying when they said their marriage vows to us years ago,¡± I explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s forced us to look back on our whole marriage with a different understanding. Things now appear to be a lot different than we thought,¡± I explained. ¡°We were just to blinded by life to see. Looking at what we have found out in these new eyes it appears that they were.¡±


    ¡°Both your mother and I because of their conduct have had our whole existence torn apart. If it was not for our children, everything we knew about our life comes across as if it was nothing but a bunch of lies.¡± I pointed out.


    I was shocked when Meadow Carin¡¯s youngest said ¡°I see both my mothers and your situation has more problems than what we have discussed. If they had any respect for either one of you at all it should have stopped them from doing it in the first place.¡±


    I had never thought about that, and I told her so. I said that I was surprised to see such insight coming from one so young.


    As soon as they left, I phoned Carin to inform her how it went. I said I hoped it helped. It did.


    As I later found out. Carin told me her daughters found me easy to talk to. ¡°Mom¡± Amber said, ¡°his manor is much like your father. He listens, then pauses before he speaks and when he does you can see his insights coming out. Like, granddad, he tries to bring out what he has to say in ways that make it easy for us to comprehend. He doesn¡¯t try to complicate things and makes the complicated seem simple.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because like me he¡¯s from back home,¡± Carin explained. ¡°There is still a lot of country in that man. He¡¯s decided to move back to restore his fathers¡¯ home and enjoy life instead of being caught up in this one anymore. Here everything is a rat race. It¡¯s always go go go. Colin is finally realizing like me the quality of the life we left behind as we grew up and we both want that kind of life back. As he says it, he¡¯s done ¡®keeping up with the jones.¡¯ He¡¯s going back to a simpler way of life.¡±


    ********


    At six the next morning I was on my way. I got back on the interstate 80 east by tonight I hoped to be out of Nevada into the northern part of Utah near the Wyoming border. I was taking my time to take in some of the sights I had longed to see. Surprisingly, all things considered I was at peace.


    That night after checking into a suite I checked my new email account. I had a message to call my oldest son in law. Thankfully he had provided his phone number.


    ¡°Hi, David,¡± I said first thing.


    ¡°Hi dad, glad you called,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot to tell you. But first where in the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on the road licking my wounds,¡± I said with a serious chuckle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll convey those words to the person who asked me to ask if I heard from you,¡± David said. ¡°It has been a crazy day. Kendra showed up at the office first thing this morning demanding to know where you had been sent to. She had decided to catch a plane and fly out to work things out with you. She still thought she could save the relationship,¡± he said before continuing.


    ¡°When she was told you had retired, she asked for confirmation, so I got called to come down and talk to her. I told her you had taken early retirement and were in the process of moving. She had to ask where? I said I did not know. She called me a lair saying you know where the retirement cheques will be sent to or can find out. I said if I released that information, I could be fired. It went downhill from there. I had to have security escort her out,¡± He informed me.


    I shouldn¡¯t have laughed but I did.


    ¡°Oh, it gets better dad, Kerri called and said that her mom got fired right after Eric Hopper got served with your five million dollar alienation of affection suit from some lawyer in Vancouver. She had to call a taxi to get home. Kendra went to a labor lawyer and gave him another one to deal with. Somehow, they got him served around four this afternoon,¡± David explained. ¡°Kerri wants to come home and to see our son. I told her we are doing nothing till I had confirmed my son is mine and if she doesn¡¯t like that she can take me to court. Kerri claims she hasn¡¯t slept with anyone since we were married. I responded that is not what your own words claim in the recorded chat.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least they are not bothering me about it,¡± I said with a chuckle.¡± I¡¯m taking the time to see some of the sights I have wanted to see.¡± I said with glee in my voice. ¡°This mini-vacation is turning around to be the best thing I have done in a while. I finally taking the time to look at things that I have driven right by so many times before. The question is are you really going to divorce her David?¡±


    ¡°The twins were able to get their clothing and for now have moved in with Kendra,¡± David said. ¡°My wife is staying there too. All are finding no one wants anything to do with them. Right now, everyone¡¯s too raw to think straight. As for divorce, it boils down to what the DNA proves. If he¡¯s not my son there¡¯s no reason for us to stay together. Right now, it appears that like you, I got sold a package of goods based on what she felt I needed to see to be reeled in like a fish on a line.¡±


    ¡°I have had about six months to work out my feelings. Believe me, it takes about that long to figure things out that you can live with. So, give it time and don¡¯t rush into anything,¡± I said. ¡°Time has allowed me to get on with my life and  has given me the chance to restart my life. It''s now headed in a new direction, and I¡¯m actually excited about it.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not coming back,¡± David said.


    ¡°Only if one of my lawyers needs me for court,¡± I said. ¡°The place I am moving to because of the tax difference and the cost of living difference I will be way ahead financially. Besides, the CEO wants me to work as an advisor from time to time. I can do that from my new home with a secured line and my computer. So, I¡¯ll never be truly out of it. I told him I was willing as long as I didn¡¯t have to wear a monkey suit or a tie.¡±


    ¡°Well Dad they are already saying that they wish you were here,¡± David said. ¡°I learned that most would throw their ideas at you, and you would point out what would be good about it and what could be wrong. Is this your new cellphone number?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is but for now keep it to yourself for now,¡± I said. ¡°Last thought, the next time you talk to Kendra, and she asks about me tell her I said she can always go back to one of her other friends for benefits, after all, they all had accepted her used goods before. If she argues about it just say well for the last ten years you have proven he was nothing but your back up plan.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know it, but David had recorded our conversation and sent it on to my wife and my three daughters. I would learn later that Kendra had not been impressed. She thought I had no right to advise my son in law in anything. After all, I was just a man.


    My daughters were beginning to realize the cost of their following their mother''s lifestyle choices. Each of their husbands wanted as little contact with them as possible. They were beginning to turn on their mother.


    The next call was to Carin who was excited to hear from me. She and her staff had been swamped with another five wronged parties because of my wife¡¯s surprise birthday party. It seems that because of what happened one or two of Kendra''s former partners had been discovered. She knew about Kendra termination and said it was an attempt by Eric to try to get her interested in reconciliation, but she wasn¡¯t going there.


    He doesn¡¯t realize it but the board of directors of his company had already talked to her this evening explaining everything. Kendra would be hired back and elevated in her position, and he would be demoted for using company assets for personal reasons. She was just that good at what she did.


    Carin had broken the news to her daughters that she was moving back to South Dakota after her divorce was final. That if they wanted to stay in California, they would have to find their own place to live or move in with their dad. Carin said I¡¯ve reached the age where I want a simpler life.


    Meadow asked, ¡°is it because you have fallen in love with Colin Waite?¡±


    Carin said, ¡°I told her that I had but neither of us had acted upon it. I had to explain to her how It had happened. I had to tell them our whole story from beginning to now.¡±


    Meadow said, ¡°I hope it makes you feel young again.¡±


    Carin had said, ¡°it did.¡±


    Then she told her daughters that they were both wanted in her life and were welcome to come with her when she moved back to be with me and her family.


    Carin said, ¡°I told them that you are old enough to decide for yourself what kind of person you will be and what kind of life you want. Learn from what I am dealing with.¡±


    That¡¯s when it hit me the odds of Kendra ever finding another man like me again because of the publicity of our breakup was highly unlikely. As long as she remained in the area anyone who knew of the situation would pass on her because of her history before they got serious. Her own conduct had ruined forever the chance to have an honest loving relationship with any man. I wondered how long it for her to have that reality sink in?


    ********


    It was about lunchtime when I pulled into my hometown. I had taken over three days to get here. I found a ma and pa dinner and had gone in to eat lunch before heading out to the farm. During my last week at work, I had arranged for the electrical to be hooked up. I was waiting for my burger and fries drinking a coffee.


    ¡°Son of a bitch is that you Colin Waite.¡± The old-timer said as he walked in and sat his big ass down at my booth. ¡°it¡¯s good to see you, son, you''re looking good.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Uncle John where¡¯s the wife of yours,¡± I responded with a smile.


    ¡°She and our daughters are out at the house getting it ready. I had to go over and solve some minor plumbing problems. The house for the most part is basically move-in ready. They cleaned up the house got the refrigerator repaired and working. Replaced the fuses on the old stove. You will most likely want to update and modernize,¡± Uncle John said. ¡°We now live in town as Robert and his wife have taken over the farm.¡±


    ¡°Good order some food on me and we will get caught up on things,¡± I said.


    It was nice to be back with my family.


    Before heading out to my childhood home I stopped at the local grocery store and started picking up the basics. It was surprising to see how much cheaper food prices in general were. Here they were not taxed to death and the price of things reflected that. I had filled two carts up by the time I got to the checkout. The cashier and I had gone to school together, so we got caught up a bit as she ran me through.


    When I got to my family home, I was surprised how good it really looked from the outside. It had been a long time since I had lived in a completely brick home. My aunt and cousins came out to greet me. Then they helped me bring in the groceries. As soon as we put them away the coffee pot was turned on.


    After they left, I took a close look at the house. Uncle John was right. I would have to have some major updating done. I called him to get a couple of names of good construction crews that he would use. He did better than that two hours later he brought one of the managers of them to the house. It gave me time to unpack some of my stuff.


    After going through it from head to toe we decided that it would cost less to build a brand new house. The old house would have to be stripped to the bones. All the electrical wiring would have to be replaced because they were so old, the lead pipes once standard because what they were made of had to go.


    The barn was still in good shape with a new roof and a few boards replaced and a paint job it would be as good as new. The only major thing I would have to do in it was electrical. The stalls would be taken out so I could use it as my shop when I worked on tractors and heavy equipment repairs. It would be easy to rig up a system for when I had to pull out to repair or replace engines.


    I called Carin that night and told her what I had learned. We decided we wanted a one-floor house with a small cold cellar for storage built on a four-foot crawl space that would be completely doubled insulated for the cold winters. I had to promise to go to her brother in laws dealership to introduce myself the next day.


    I called the contractor and told him what I wanted. He said he had a few samples of plans that he would bring over for me to look at after the workday tomorow.


    I drove the truck rental back to the nearest rental shop. They gladly drove me to the nearest car dealership. I bought I nice slightly used ford truck that had almost no mileage. Got it transferred and insured. Before returning the rental, I had hit the bank and made a deposit picked up a few blank checks and ordered some. The dollar and seventy-five cents difference a gallon for gas shocked me. Here it was a lot less.


    I then drove over to introduce myself to Carin¡¯s older brother in law. It turned out I¡¯d gone to high school with him. He offered me a job right on the spot. I could start when I was ready. That was when I told him of my plans and the relationship, I had with the corporation going forward. He had to do a little teasing about his sisters and my relationship. He told me he had never really understood his sister''s in laws first husband. He wasn¡¯t alone with that thought neither did I.


    The contractor and I worked out a price for the building of a four-bedroom home with an extra-large two-car garage to be built behind the old house and decided to put in the newest septic system. Gas for heat, water, and cooking. With a large gas generator for electricity when needed. It would have an open floor plan with a laundry/ mud room at the back which would have a door to the big garage. The entry to the cold cellar and the furnace room would be off the side of the garage going down beneath the house. The four-foot crawl space would be double insulated, including the underneath the main floor. Access to it would be from the furnace room. It was nice to know that what I should get out of the divorce would more than cover the cost.


    I had just finished talking to Carin letting her know that I¡¯d touched base with her brother and that I had signed the contract for the building of the new house. When David called.


    ¡°Kendra has hired a private firm to find you Dad,¡± David said. ¡°She still believes you two can work it out.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to work out. There is nothing left that I want. If we got back together, she¡¯d just do the same again in a different way,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s sad that someone so intelligent is incapable of seeing that simple truth. No wonder this country is so screwed up.¡±


    I was surprised because David got very quiet. I had to ask if he was still there.


    ¡°Yeah, I am,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s just that your statement has made me look at things with a different view. Your statement is so simple that it is so profound. We have a lot of so-called brilliant people who can¡¯t see a simple truth. That¡¯s why we have so many problems in our government they focus on what is in front of them. Being so intelligent they cannot see what created the problem in the first place. The result is that whatever they do it makes it worse and it''s always the other guy''s fault.¡±


    ¡°David your mother in law will never see what she did as the problem,¡± I explained. ¡°I am the problem because of the way I am looking at it. My views are too old fashioned for her to comprehend or understand. I¡¯m not progressive and not keeping up to date with what''s now considered acceptable by those who are with it.¡±


    ¡°She has allowed the changing views of what liberalism is in California to change her. I didn¡¯t. Like many of their kind she just believes I need to be retrained to think the right way. She couldn¡¯t handle me having an affair, but I¡¯m just supposed to accept the fact that she has hers and live with it. She not sorry for her conduct she just sorry that she got caught,¡± I said.


    ¡°Damn dad! Your right.¡± He replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to have a long talk with your daughter Kerri about this because she has got to see it from your side. She¡¯s got to learn that marriage means equality in all things. My own father used to say what''s good for the goose is good for the gander. The way mother was acting it is now obvious that she viewed you as nothing but a means to an end.¡±


    ¡°David, may I suggest that you demand that the two of you go for marriage counseling before deciding to divorce. If she agrees to go that route, try to find one that has a conservative point of view. By exposing her to the other side in a personal way may be the only thing that will counter the progressive view she has grown up with,¡± I said. ¡°She was exposed to it with me but her mother it appears has countered any effect I had on her growing up. Unless she is willing to find that balance you guys don¡¯t have a chance. For your own sanity, you will have to walk away.¡±


    ********


    I started working on the barn tearing out the stalls. It kept me busy. The physical work was demanding but it was good to be working muscles again. I found myself enjoying it. The added plus that each day I worked manually the better I began to feel about myself. There is nothing like stopping after calling it a day and being able to see what you had accomplished. It develops a sense of pride inside of oneself that I had not experienced in a long time.


    Although we talked every night it was on a Thursday night that I got a call that surprised the heck out of me. It was from Carin.


    ¡°Daughters felt I needed cheering up,¡± she said. ¡°They had called my brother in law to inform them of our divorcing. They didn¡¯t know he already had known for over four months. Meadow explained how I had found out about their fathers cheating and mentioned how they had met you. Joseph told them that he had gone to school with you and explained why he believed you had gotten him the dealership years ago. He told my daughters I owe that man a lot. It came out that you had moved back to take over your family¡¯s farm that you owned. They ended talking about us for about an hour. Slowly everything came out. They were surprised that their favorite uncle approved of our relationship as it is.¡±


    ¡°Wow please make sure that they don¡¯t let that information out. Kendra has hired a firm to try to find me,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s convinced herself that if she can just talk to me, she can get me to forgive and come back.¡±


    ¡°How did you find that out,¡± Carin asked?


    ¡°I call my oldest son in law at the office, he¡¯s keeping me informed,¡± I said. ¡°Plus, in talking to me he¡¯s starting to get a focus on how he is going to approach things going forward.¡±


    ¡°No problem with that,¡± Carin said. ¡°My daughters won¡¯t tell anyone after what they have done.¡±


    Being curious I asked, ¡°What did they do?¡±


    ¡°Used my credit card and booked me a flight. I arrive at the regional airport at eight pm on Friday night. I return on Sunday evening. Carin explained. ¡°Quit panning about him and start living the dream mom they said, you both deserve it.¡±


    ********


    I was there waiting for her holding a dozen roses. Red of course. Filled with anticipation and hope. This weekend, after all, would be our first official time together. I had to laugh. The last time I felt this young and foolish I had been a teenager.


    I watched a goddess walking towards me. A total brunette whose hairstyle accented her face letting its natural features shine. I had to smile, it was the first time I had seen her dressed casually in blue jeans with a yellow blouse and a soft Demin like jacket. She had a wholesome look to her which was a delight to see. You could tell that she was comfortable in her own skin.


    I knew she wouldn¡¯t have time to eat so as soon as we got her suitcase, we were off to the local location of Ruby Tuesday¡¯s where I had a surprise waiting. After parking the truck and locking her suitcase in behind the front seat we headed in. Her sister and brother in law were waiting for us.


    By the time dinner was done Carin had agreed to become her brother in laws lawyer when needed when she moved home. I didn¡¯t know what to expect when I dove down the driveway to the house, I had grown up in. It was just like every home built in the sixties. It was closed in and tightly built for the times. Carin smiled as soon as she stepped inside. It¡¯s just like what I grew up in she laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s so refreshing to be able to go from the airport drive through town to the restaurant and not run into a homeless person or a beggar asking for spare change,¡± Carin said. ¡°Not one made up tent structure, no human waste on the street and no boxes large enough that people could crawl into to sleep. Is that because California has a democrat and South Dakota has a republican governor?¡±


    ¡°There may be a lot of truth to that,¡± I replied. ¡°History shows that when California was a republican state it had the highest middle-class population of all fifty-two states. Now it has the smallest and is one of the highest-taxed. Looking from the outside in its giving me a different view of things. In California, we ban plastic straws but don¡¯t require the recycling of all glass and plastic. We can¡¯t use pesticides to kill rats, yet they carry the diseases that can kill us. It¡¯s the homeless this kind of law has put in the greatest danger. California has the twelfth highest population in the country and has fifty percent of the homeless in the United States. Yet they spend millions trying to deal with the situation without doing anything. I¡¯m just one of many that have found a way to escape. The true believers in equality are finding their own way out. They can¡¯t accept the extremes of either. The liberals blame everyone else but themselves. A glass of wine or a cold Keystone Ice.¡±


    ¡°If you got a beer mug the Ice would be fine,¡± Carin said.


    After getting us each a beer, I pulled out a couple of my parents¡¯ old 33rmp records and put them on. It was nice listening to Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, and old blue eyes himself as we snuggled like teenagers on the couch. Those were the songs our parents listen to as we were growing up. We were taking it slow as we both wanted to be sure we were headed in the right direction.


    ********


    Kendra Waite was not happy. She was used to getting her own way. She needed to talk to her husband Colin and was getting nowhere in her attempt to find him. There was no recorded flight of him leaving, no recorded car rental, or anything. Even the private investigators were finding nothing.


    She had found his Facebook page closed. His credit cards canceled at his request by the Bank of America. Everything she could think of was leading to a dead end.


    Every day this week his lawyer had called asking for the name of her lawyer. She hadn¡¯t¡¯ got one because she felt their marriage could be saved. He had removed all of his contacts out of the old telephone log they used when they had a house phone. She knew he had relatives but couldn¡¯t remember their names.


    His side of the family had never been important to her so she never paid much attention when he would mention them. He had been so careful in removing all traces of himself that she couldn¡¯t even get his social security number.


    Even her daughters were starting to get worried about him. He had always had daily contact with them. Since he left no one had heard from him except for David and David wasn¡¯t telling. He had told her oldest Kerri no contact until he proved that Little Colin was his son. Yet he did not seem to be in any hurry to get that done. Kerri had confronted him about it he had laughed at her. That was not how a husband was supposed to act.


    Colin wasn¡¯t behaving like Colin, and it was frustrating her. Colin had always done what he should. It was the one constant that she could rely on and did. It frustrated her because now she had to hire someone to do what he had always done. The problem with that was that the hired help did not do it with as much care and love as Colin did.


    This whole situation was causing a strain on everyone. If Colin had just done what he always had done her relationship with her three daughters would not becoming unwound.


    The three of them in part were blaming her for the problems in their relationships and that was just not right. Colin was not doing what he should. It¡¯s each woman¡¯s own responsibility to keep the men in their lives in line. Every man in a relationship with a woman has to learn that it''s them that are the boss.


    When she found her husband Colin, she would make him pay dearly for his improper conduct towards her and their children.


    ********


    There is nothing more simple or beautiful than sitting on the porch drinking a cup of coffee watching the dawn of the day come alive. I know because that was what Carin, and I were doing.


    ¡°Until now I could never see why my parents would start their day like this whenever they could,¡± Carin said. ¡°Being here feeling loved and appreciated by the one you¡¯re with leaves in you an assurance that you can face anything that comes in front of you. They could sit and watch without saying a thing aloud because they saw their world the same way.¡±


    I took her hand and held just the same way my dad would for my mom. I could tell that without saying a word I was speaking volumes.


    ¡°While driving back home I realized that I was coming back to what I always was and leaving behind what I had become. I see the changes already starting in me. I feel more secure and at peace than I can ever remember,¡± I said softly. ¡°I saw that same cloud leaving you last night as you stepped down towards me. It¡¯s a feeling that you can¡¯t express until you experience it yourself. Your words express quite clearly that it''s affecting you as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a cultural shock at least for me. Nothing seems phony here it¡¯s all real. Here you can hear yourself think. The silence of the morning allows it. I had forgotten how beautiful and calming it is,¡± Carin said. ¡°Moments like this reinforce the quality of life that can only be found when two hearts are ready.¡±


    It was an eye-opening weekend for both of us. We began to learn about ourselves. Although we came close, we did not get sexually involved because both of us wanted more to the relationship than just sex. I met her parents for the first time. It was a good visit and I got put to work fixing the timing on his tractor, and a few minor things using the tools that most farmer would have. It took me about four hours to get it done with Carin¡¯s father watching me but when I was done it ran smooth and steered straight. Carin saw me dirtied up from oil, grease, and dirt for the first time.


    She watched me clean up in her parent¡¯s mudroom smiling the whole time. Mudrooms my mom would say were created for women, so their husbands didn¡¯t tract the mess they carried into the house. I could remember her bringing a clean set of clothing to wear after he showered so the dirty clothes were not dragged through her clean house.


    Her dad said that his tractor would have been in the shop for a week if I had not been here. Her mom was thrilled about the prospect of having her only daughter coming home.


    It was sad to see her off at the airport on Sunday evening.


    ********


    It had been three months since I had left California and things were moving along Kendra had finally gotten a lawyer. A fifty/ fifty split had been approved by the court. Carin¡¯s husband was still being an ass. Trying to save every nickel he could. David and Kerri were seeing a marriage counselor as the baby was his. They were seeing him weekly and were making slow progress.


    Kerri was looking at the whole situation quite differently as she was forced to see the other side. Little Colin from what I had been told was growing like a bad weed. I was looking forward to seeing the little tyke.


    Kendra and my daughter''s Faith and Hope were both going through a divorce. Their former husbands had told them they would never be able to trust them again. Sadly, I understood fully why. The relationship between my ex-wife and her daughters had forever been changed.


    I was back in Lodi having been flown in by private jet. I would be spending a week or two going through the company¡¯s newest test model to see if it would pass the final inspection before going into mass production in two thousand and twenty-two. Having been head of the team that designed it, I would be spending the next two weeks putting it through a list of things to ensure durability, strength, ease of movement, and repairability. I had been booked by the firm into one of the town''s Hampton Inn suites.


    Amber Hopper had decided to take her mother for supper at one of the restaurants in the hotel I was in. They were already seated when I walked in. Amber saw me and smiled as I walked towards her. We had met earlier that day for coffee to make sure it was going according to our plans.


    ¡°Mom I hope you don¡¯t get mad at me, but I invited a friend to join us, so you might want to slide a little further into the booth,¡± Amber said. ¡°I think you¡¯ll be delighted to see them.¡±


    Carin said. ¡°What are you up to.?¡± As she slid over to allow more room for someone else.


    ¡°It¡¯s just somebody I ¡®ve gotten to know over the last few weeks and both Meadow and I agree that we''re looking forward to spending a lot more time with him in the future,¡± Amber said as I sat down.


    Carin turned her face towards me breaking out in a huge deep smile once she realized who I was. Over the last two months, I had grown a mustache and a goatee. I appeared to have lost a lot of weight, but I hadn¡¯t, the soft body fat had just changed to muscle.


    ¡°Wow, what a surprise.¡± Carin said, ¡°I love your new look, but what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°First of all, I¡¯m going to have a nice dinner with my girlfriend and her daughter. During the meal, I will explain,¡± I said. ¡°Amber thank you for helping me pull off this little surprise.¡±


    Just as we were starting to order our dinner when Meadow showed up.


    ¡°I hope I¡¯m not too late,¡± Meadow said as she sat down. ¡°Ended up having to work a little bit longer than I planned.¡±


    During the meal, I explained that I was in town to test out a new model planned for release in one to three years. The biggest change was that the huge tractor was designed to run off natural gas. If it worked to our expectation the farmer would be able for the cost of labor build a refill station right on the farm. We had planned the cost needed to purchase the equipment to include the fixtures for the refill pump. Since natural gas was cheaper and cleaner than regular gasoline, we thought we had a very marketable product. If the test model were a success, the company would be offering it as part of a whole new line.


    It was just before we prepared to order dessert when Carin¡¯s daughters asked the question. ¡°Do you two hope to be settled in South Dakota before school starts in September?¡±


    Carin said, ¡°pretty much yes. Why?¡±


    ¡°How far is Vermillion from your new home Mom,¡± Amber asked?


    ¡°About forty miles from the farm, why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I start working for an MBA at the University of South Dakota this fall if you¡¯ll allow me to live with you guys. If not, I can stay at Uncle Joseph¡¯s. I chose that one because the yearly cost is one of the cheapest in the country and I can cut down my cost of living,¡± Amber explained.


    Carin was smiling while trying to hold in her tears. I reached down taking her hand into mine. Holding it tightly.


    Carin said quietly, ¡°you were right.¡±


    ¡°We are building a new four-bedroom house. It will be finished sometime next month.¡± I said ¡°We wanted to be prepared in case you both decided to come. So, you will have to let your mother know what color scheme you will want for your bedrooms.¡±


    ¡°You were both planning on both of us coming,¡± Meadow said.


    ¡°More hoping, ¡°Carin said, ¡°We both had to let you make the decision on your own. If I had of forced you to, you both would have blamed Colin. He would have ended up paying for it in the long run because of the resentment you two would have carried.¡±


    ¡°How did you figure that out, Mom?¡± Amber asked.


    ¡°Colin asked me point blank if I trusted you two to make the right decision about what''s best for yourselves. I said yes,¡± She explained. ¡°He said then let them because on what I have seen and learned about your relationship its stronger and more vibrate than what they have with their dad.¡±


    Amber and Meadow looked at me with puzzled eyes.


    Then Amber spoke, ¡°That first night you had sized us up by the time we left you had a good idea what we would end up doing didn¡¯t you Colin.¡±


    ¡°I knew you were going for further education Amber and understood that it could be anywhere. Meadow was the one I concentrated on. It was when she brought out the point of respect that I knew how it would turn out,¡± I explained. ¡°The hardest thing I had to do was keep reminding your mother that it would all turn out aright. The hardest part in any situation is the unknown and the time to allow what is needed to come out.¡±


    We had just finished dinner; Carin and I were going to a theatre to see one of the latest releases. Amber and Meadow were heading home. That was when I was spotted by Kendra she was driving in as I was opening the car rental door for Carin.


    It took her a few minutes to realize it was me because of the change in my appearance. My lifestyle was different as I no longer made my living sitting behind a desk looking at a computer. By the time she did, we were gone.


    I had gotten slimmer working on the barn, installing a wood stove for heat in it while doing a general clean up. I had formed firmness to my muscles that I hadn¡¯t had in years. The old potbelly I had carried for years was long gone. I now had a slenderer build and looked younger than I had in years as the stress I carried was gone. In a lot of ways, I had been reborn. Parts of my soul that had been hidden by my relationships over time were coming out as if they had been set free.


    I dropped Carin off after the movie and returned to my suite after leaving a request for a wake-up call in the morning.


    *******


    Security recognized me and signed me in so I could get my first look at the finished new design. It was this that I had enjoyed the most. Seeing the finished product ready for final approval before mass-producing. Research and development can be quite boring but seeing the finished product in its glory made it worth it.


    I got at it and was already into testing it before the rest of the team showed up. I had already discovered a couple of minor things that needed changing and had rerouted the metal fuel feeding line so it wouldn¡¯t be affected by the direct heat. I had even written them up for the final report. Everybody was surprised and pleased with how good I looked.


    The President came in when I was using the test tractor to haul then push back two thousand lbs. It handled and maneuvered with ease. Especially through the mud bed, we had formed for this test.


    He had to laugh seeing me in a pair of blue jeans wearing a white t-shirt and a blue baseball hat on backward. Working that huge tractor liked I owned it. The gears changed smoothly. The tractor''s arms could hold the weight we required it to. I tried to tip it numerous times but failed in every attempt. I even drove it on two wheels off a ramp and it came back down on all fours just like it should. The balance in this piece of equipment was excellent.


    ¡°Colin you¡¯re still the man,¡± The President said as I approached him. ¡°If you could turn this tractor on your head, you would. What''s your first impression of this beast?¡±


    ¡°If it can take what I will put it through it''s going to be in the top five that we have ever designed. So far besides a couple of minor adjustments, it''s passing with flying colors. An added plus is that it appears to use less fuel than a normal diesel engine,¡± I said as I offered my hand. ¡°Good to see you again Pete.¡±


    ¡°We would give you your old position back if you wanted,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°But by the way you look I understand why you moved on. Where did you find the fountain of youth?¡±


    His words were like a fresh compliment. We discussed a few things about this model I was testing out. He liked the fact that the cover over the seat could be removed and re installed in minutes if needed.


    Little did he understand that he had yet to discover the secret to my evaluating a new product. I treated it the same way I did my first truck. Like the piece of shit, it was. If it could survive what I would do to it then it became a good truck. By the end of the day, I said it had held up good, one down nine to go.


    It was almost seven before I got back to my hotel. As I entered the lobby, I spotted my daughter Kerri and her husband David waiting. Kerri was holding little Colin. I walked in looking like I needed a shower as I was covered in dry mud from head to toe. Kerri spotted me and walked towards me.


    ¡°Hi dad,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re looking really good. Do you have time to talk to us or not?¡±


    I looked over at David and caught his signal, so I said yes but let me have a shower first. Then David joined us.


    ¡°Look you two can wait here or come up and wait in the suite that has a kitchen,¡± I said. ¡°We can order food to be brought up or we can eat down here. Either way is fine by me.¡±


    ¡°Let''s go to your suite and order the food while you are showering then we can have a private talk that¡¯s long overdue,¡± Kerri said.


    So that¡¯s what we did.


    We ordered what we wanted through room service then I went for a quick shower. As I was getting dressed Carin called so I told her what was going on and promised to call her back when I was done.


    I cracked open a bottle of Crown Royal and poured us all a drink. The kids wanted coke in theirs I added just a bit of water in mine and gave it a stir.


    ¡°Dad, David and I have been going through a lot of issues these last few months. It took the conversation you found to bring it to the forefront,¡± Kerri said in seriousness. ¡°I just moved home last week. Mom had been talking about her outside relationships for years. We all thought you knew and had approved. Mom had justified her conduct by saying the two of you had completely different sexual drives. David and I were getting nowhere so with his approval I had a polygraph done to help verify for both of us what I had or had not done. Until I did that we were headed for divorce.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said. ¡°I hope you both realize that because of the damage done to both of you by all of this that it¡¯s going to take time and complete honesty to rebuild a new relationship going forward.¡±


    I took my grandson into my arms and held the little tyke next to my chest with his little head resting on the shoulder. I asked David to take a picture of me holding him with my cellphone.


    ¡°I learned that in a lot of ways I was behaving like my mother who was justifying everything she did by her point of view. She can¡¯t see that it still does not make what she did right,¡± Kerri went on to say. ¡°I was doing it without thinking as it was so natural. I now find myself stopping to think a lot before doing anything. To be honest it¡¯s been quite a shock to me to learn how much of what I was doing because I gave it no thought.¡±


    ¡°Dad,¡± David said. ¡°I¡¯m seeing a side of her that I didn¡¯t know was there. It has led me to believe that we have more than a fifty/ fifty chance of making it.¡±


    ¡°Just remember it takes time, honest communication, and a heart and mind that really listens,¡± I said. ¡°You are both young so remember that it is not unreasonable to seek independent help or advice. Kendra allowed the views of society to interfere with our marriage until she justified to herself the throwing of her marriage vows away. I bet she still is blaming me for it ending.¡±


    ¡°Dad, your right!¡± Kerri said. ¡°I told my sisters that I was done listening to her justify herself. I had a marriage I wanted to save. We got into an argument, and I told them that when they got their heads out of their asses we would talk. Until then don¡¯t waste my time.¡±


    With that said our food arrived. It was nice to share dinner with them. Kerri asked if I had been following some diet plan. I laughed and explained that I had just been working physically instead of mentally and my body was responding favorably. I no longer spend my days sitting behind a desk or on the couch. It was ten before they left. As they were leaving Kerri hugged me and whispered, I like this new dad I¡¯m seeing. I laughed and explained that since the divorce started parts that I had kept hidden were coming out because the long term relationship with your mother had affected me in ways I could not see.


    I texted Carin to see if she was still up. She was so I called her and explained how the evening had gone.


    Time heals all wounds is a favorite saying but that¡¯s not true. It just means that acceptance of what happened has come. Nothing more nothing less. You have trained yourself to adjust to it and accept what you cannot change. Still does not make it right although the progressive will claim it does.


    Faith and Hope learned that the hard Tuesday night. It was again about seven when I walked into the lobby of the Hampton Inn. My two young daughters were waiting for me. My first thought was that Kendra had sent the double barrel shotgun at me. Boy was I, ever right! My twin daughters decided they were going to lecture me on my treatment of their mom. In their eyes, my conduct towards their mother was nothing but cowardness.


    I had taken the young ladies back to my suite for privacy before they went after me for walking out of my marriage with their mother. They admitted that both their marriages were over because their husbands like me could not handle them being a totally modern-day liberated woman.


    I had enough of their crap, so I called security. When security came, I asked him to remove the young ladies because I was not interested in what they were offering me.


    My daughters were escorted out the back door and told not to ever return. The Hampton Inn security staff told them both that they did not appreciate high-class hookers trying to pass on some social disease to their unsuspecting guests.


    Carin thought what I did was a hoot. She said those young ladies will be doing a lot of thinking tonight because without love someone is always paying for the sex in some way. Can I tell Amber and Meadow about this she asked? I said yes.


    If one wanted to light a stick of dynamite without a match, I couldn¡¯t have done a better job. Kerri called my room about two hours later.


    ¡°Bravo Dad! Well, done,¡± Kerri said. ¡°My two sisters have just learned that their shit stinks just like all others. They just left here still in tears.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t resist the opportunity,¡± I said in laughter, ¡°because neither of them would give me the chance to explain anything. Their conduct made it clear they did not want to hear my explanation of it all. Finally, I made the only call I could.¡±


    ¡°Security ran a background check on both of them they came up clean. Faith and Hope tried to explain. With you all having different last names they didn¡¯t buy it,¡± Kerri said. ¡°I told them when their friends with benefits were wining and dining them weren¡¯t, they, in fact, being paid for it in advance. By the look on their faces, I think they finally got it. I¡¯m so glad now that I never went down the road. I¡¯m ashamed now that I talked about it.¡±


    ¡°Was David in on the conversation,¡± I asked.


    ¡°He heard it all and was pleasantly surprised by how I explained things. It helped us a lot because we now are both seeing what happened with clear eyes,¡± Kerri explained. ¡°How could our mother have convinced us that what she was doing was all right?¡±


    ¡°Faith and Hope are really hurting; it''s going to be a while before they will work it all out. They until that moment did not see that their conduct made them no better than the street people they had looked down upon for years,¡± Kerri explained. ¡°I said think about this you trashed our father for what he did. Did you ever think what our conduct and Mom did to him, or did you only care about yourself?¡±


    ¡°That my dear is a question I¡¯m still trying to answer for myself,¡± I said.


    ¡°Mom painted our world with rose-colored glasses. Using her progressive views to make everything and anything acceptable. It took her getting caught for your daughters to see the reality of their world for what it was,¡± Kerri said. ¡°It''s sad that most of our society is still wearing there¡¯s and are so blind to the truth that is staring them right in the face.¡±


    ¡°Kerri, you learned something that a lot of adults will never understand in their life,¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that dad?¡± my eldest daughter asked.


    ¡°The skill, ability, and knowledge to think even about the simplest things in a logical way,¡± I replied. ¡°That is what makes your mother and my walk-in life so different. Welcome to my world. Too bad you had to learn it the hard way.¡±


    Wednesday night I went to Carin¡¯s for a family dinner. The girls wanted to start planning for the move and how we were going to get it done. I told them what I had learned from Kerri the previous night. After dinner we did the dishes up, I washed the girls dried and put away. The girls finally caught us kissing seriously. They kept teasing us about it for the rest of the evening.


    Carin and I were out getting ready to enjoy a private dinner at a restaurant down by the pier on Friday evening. We were sitting across from each other looking into each other¡¯s eyes having a drink before ordering when the twins walked in.


    The Hostess approached us. Your daughters noticed you Mr. Waite and were wondering if you would allow them to join your table. I hesitated but Carin said yes, we would like them to. I stood up and moved over to sit down beside her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave things the way they are with them. No matter what. I know you don¡¯t like them right now, but you still love them,¡± Carin said. ¡°So, you have to hear them out.¡±


    Whether I liked it or not Carin was right. We watched as the hostess brought my daughters to our table. By their look, we both realized they had a lot on their minds. I waited until they sat down.


    ¡°Faith and Hope let me introduce you to Carin who not only is my lawyer but now my girlfriend,¡± I said firmly. ¡°If you¡¯re here to berate me some more please just leave.¡±


    ¡°Dad we deserve that,¡± Faith said. ¡°We had a long talk with Kerri Tuesday night. She was brutal with us and pulled no punches.¡±


    ¡°We went there expecting some support,¡± Hope explained. ¡°What we got was the truth shoved down our throats. By the time she was through with us we knew just what our own conduct had shown about ourselves.¡±


    ¡°It really does not paint us in a good way,¡± Faith added. ¡°Kerri showed us that we were getting paid for our services like a hooker but in a different way.¡±


    ¡°We talked about our conduct between ourselves and came to the understanding that a lot of street people do it for money to survive not by choice. Yet we were high and mighty and judged them for it,¡± Hope explained ¡°We did it because we thought it was fun and believed that we were doing no wrong. It makes our actions a lot worse.¡±


    ¡°When we got home, we confronted Mom about it. We ended up in a huge argument. Mother ended up saying we had been listening to too much of your conservative bull shit,¡± Faith said. ¡°Mom in one of her rants said so what if others got hurt, they should learn to grow up. In our society, the only wrong is getting caught. There are no consequences for social crimes.¡±


    ¡°Look at our federal government we have some of the biggest politicians making money illegally and nothing happens to them. It shows the laws only apply to some. Nothing is black or white,¡± Hope said. ¡°Each of us has the right to live our lives as we see fit. Mom still has no remorse or guilt. That¡¯s when it hit us. We teach our students what is right and wrong, but we have blurred what that is by our own conduct.¡±


    ¡°We are down here today because we found a two-bedroom furnished apartment nearby that we have rented for six months,¡± Faith explained. ¡°It¡¯s reasonable and close to the school we both teach in. We both figure it¡¯s the first step in rebuilding our lives. It¡¯s time for us to stop living mother lies and find out who we are without her influence.¡±


    ¡°Hope and I will be moving in tomorrow since Mom is going to be busy with some political party thing,¡± Faith added. ¡°When we saw you, we both realized we had to apologize to you because we were so wrong.¡±


    ¡°Dad you really had no choice but to do what you did. We see that now. If you had faced us directly it would have been four against one,¡± Hope said. ¡°You knew we had to work through it in our own way.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, you just have to allow things to work out on their own,¡± I said. ¡°You were already forgiven because I saw your behavior as being influenced by your mother. Kendra, I will forgive but will never give her a second chance again. Her actions have always been self-centered and deliberate.¡±


    With that said I handed them my cell phone and asked them to add their contact information in. They did and added my new number in theirs.


    ¡°What area is the phone number for?¡± Hope asked.


    ¡°South Dakota,¡± I said.


    ¡°Omg you moved back to grandpa¡¯s farm,¡± Faith said with a huge smile. ¡°He would be so proud.¡±


    ¡°You know the farm?¡± Carin asked.


    ¡°Yes, Dad made sure the three of us spent every summer there growing up,¡± Hope said. ¡°Until we started high school and developed the typical teenage attitude. We all learned to drive on Grandpa¡¯s tractor.¡±


    ¡°Dad always drove us out and brought us back. He talked to us every night while we were there. We never heard from mom the whole time we were gone. We learned that with her it was out of sight out of mind,¡± Faith said. ¡°Grandma used to say mom was the shallowest person she had ever known. So, dad why are you in town? Carin, can we get your cellphone number?¡±


    Dinner turned out to be a bit of a celebration. The twins learned about the new house we were building and the reason I was in town. Learned that Carin had two daughters of her own just a few years younger.


    While we were eating Hope got a text from her older sister asked if they were doing okay. Hope texted back having dinner with Dad and his girlfriend Carin. Faith and I will stop by afterward to explain everything.


    We were walking the pier taking a relaxing stroll kind of in awe how things were slowly working themselves out.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised,¡± Carin said. ¡°You¡¯re moving away from them forced them to work most of it out on their own.¡±


    ¡°My dad said, give a person enough rope and they will hang themselves,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a true statement. It was their own conduct pointed out by their own gender that exposed what they really were. If I had of been here like the twins said it would have been four against one. This way they were against themselves. Their own sense of honesty and morality, when faced with it, brought them down.¡±


    ¡°Evil itself does not exist if it¡¯s not supported by someone carrying out the desires of others,¡± Carin said. ¡°To many in our society blame the object, not themselves. In many ways, you were their object.¡±


    ¡°For the simple reason that I could not go along with what they did,¡± I said, ¡°because in my eyes it would never be right.¡±


    ¡°In Kendra¡¯s eyes that was a sign of weakness to be used against you,¡± Carin said. ¡°I see it as one of your enduring strengths because your conduct reinforces who you are. You could never be a snowflake being carried by the whims and wishes of those with no morals. Your country to the soul and it shows by your conduct to all that you''re able and willing to stand your ground.¡±


    ********


    Kendra came home expecting to see her twin daughters. The political planning event this Saturday had taken longer than she had expected. She was going to suggest the three of them go out for the evening. She had thought about her last blow up with them and realized she had gone too far. It had gotten particularly nasty because she saw some of their fathers¡¯ traits coming through and she couldn¡¯t allow that.


    Conservative views were ruining this country holding it back from what it was always meant to be a true democracy. Every liberal had to keep the African Americans and other minorities dependent on the handouts from the Federal government. In doing that it gave the democrat party the means to gain power and control over the whole country. Republicans because of Trump were doing their damndest to destroy the power base that they had spent years building.


    She had just thrown her purse on the counter to get a coke out of the refrigerator when she saw the two house keys sitting on the counter on top of a short note. We have moved out. We don¡¯t like what you helped us to become. Good luck with your life. We have blocked your number. It was signed by Faith and Hope.


    Dam Colin anyway. He walks out on me. Stays away. Files for divorce because she was getting a little self-pleasure on the side. Everybody important in the circles she associated with she knew was doing what she had been caught doing. Why can¡¯t he get it? She should never have never married a narrow-minded piece of shit like him.


    Because of his principle¡¯s he had destroyed her personal life. Kerri should know where they are. So, she picked up the phone and called her. She had been pushed to the limit by a worthless piece of shit who had done nothing but walked away. Kerri answered on the third ring.


    ¡°Where in the Fuck are Hope and Faith?¡± Kendra yelled into the phone in anger.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from them since Tuesday night when Dad had security throw them out from the Hampton Inn,¡± Replied Kerri wanting to feel her mother out.


    ¡°Why did he have them thrown out?¡± Kendra had to ask.


    ¡°They went to give him their two cents worth on how badly he had treated you. They went after him like they were trying to cut his balls off. Dad said to himself I had enough of this shit and called security. When they showed up, he told them that he was not willing to buy what they were trying to sell,¡± Kerri said. ¡°Security escorted the two of them out the back door because of what they believed they were. Faith and Hope are banned forever because the Hampton Inn doesn¡¯t want high-class hookers working their hotel.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re not hookers you and I know that,¡± Kendra said showing some concern.


    ¡°When they showed up here in tears, they told me their story. Do you want to know what I said to the two of them mother?¡± Kerri said seriously.


    ¡°Yes, perhaps I do,¡± Kendra said.


    ¡°I told them when their friends with benefits were wining and dining them weren¡¯t, they, in fact, being paid for it in advance,¡± Kerri explained.


    Kerri laughed because her mother''s phone went dead.


    Kendra was lost to her tears. Kerri¡¯s statement had hit her in her soul. She knew instantly that she could never speak to her husband Colin again directly. She could never allow herself to be alone with him ever.


    What Kerri had said straightforwardly was her father¡¯s truth. Kendra realized that as soon as she heard it. Colin without saying a word directly to any of them had destroyed them all.


    No one who had a bit of honesty in them could argue that simple comment because everyone who heard it would recognize it for what it was. A simple direct unbiased fact.


    All those weekends away with her friends with benefits that had been romantic adventures were, in fact, nothing more than the way he was paying for her services. Colin had just refused to put any embellishments on the raw truth.


    It had taken her twelve weeks to understand what he had said on the video the night she had come home from Vancouver. She had by example had turned her twins into what she had become in his eye¡¯s a high-class hooker for over ten years. No man could accept that. No wonder he walked out on all of them.


    She by her own actions had left him no choice. She had never seen it from his side until this moment. If his truth came out publicly, she was destroyed, and he knew it. By walking away, he had left her something that she hadn¡¯t left him. Her dignity.


    She had not only destroyed herself but took her whole family down with her. She like so many, had taken her progressive lifestyle to the extreme. She no longer had a relationship with her husband or her daughters because she could never admit that truth about her conduct to any of them. It wasn¡¯t the progressive way to admit responsibility for anything or to be completely honest.


    For the first time in her life, she had no scapegoat to blame. This one was on her. She had fucked herself without a kiss. One repeated statement from a conservative point of view had forever destroyed the illusions she had about herself.


    Kenda looked around at the house realizing that if she was going to move on and get over what she had done that she had to sell the house that held so many memories. There were just too many memories here that would remind her constantly of what she had thrown away. The reality of facing the truth sucked.


    She would use the excuse that it was just too big for herself because all would believe it. Eric Hopper would be pleased to learn what had happened because until now he had thought she had gotten off lucky. She would be like him totally alone.


    ********


    Carin and I had come back to her house after an evening of drinking and dancing. We had fallen asleep together on the couch. Meadow and Amber took advantage of it. Using Carin¡¯s cellphone, they sent pictures of it to my two youngest daughters, who called back. Between the four of them, they started planning. One of her daughters got a blanket and threw it over us.


    I awoke to a vision of a sleeping angel in my arms. My cell phone showed it was after seven am. We had gotten in about one. Meadow was already up just sitting in the chair watching us.


    ¡°I guess I will have to get used to seeing this on a regular basis,¡± Meadow said with a smile. ¡°Mom looks so happy and content, I¡¯ll go start making coffee for all of us.¡±


    About an hour later the four of us were all sitting around relaxing and talking at the kitchen table. When the girls sprung the news on us. At three this afternoon my side of the family would be arriving for the first family get together.


    Off Carin and I ran, I checked out the fuel needed for the barbie it was good while she got redressed. After making the grocery list out, we went. We went to my suite so I could have a quick shower and shave. After getting dressed it was to a local grocery store. Just as we were headed in, we ran into Kendra as she was coming out. She paused right in front of me.


    ¡°Colin please let the girls know I¡¯m selling the house,¡± Kendra said. ¡°If they want anything Kerri still has a key. Since they¡¯re no longer speaking to me, they can take what they want while I¡¯m working. The same goes for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass on the message and give Carin power of attorney to act on my behalf,¡± I said. ¡°As for me, I took what I wanted when I left. I¡¯m only in town again for another six days.¡±


    She nodded her head and walked away. We continued in.


    We were loading the vehicle up with the groceries we bought before we started talking about our awkward meeting with Kendra.


    ¡°Something serious has happened in Kendra¡¯s life that we don¡¯t know about. Kendra seemed out of it today,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you think that the twins moving out might have caused that?¡± Carin asked.


    ¡°No, she was used to it being just us,¡± I said. ¡°Something else must have happened that sent her a message that she trying to sort out or come to terms with. She loves that house. So, whatever happened came out of the left field and has taken her down in some way.¡±


    During the barbie, Carin, and I both learned what the twins had written to their mother and what Kerri has said afterward. All five of our daughters got along great. David and I, for the most part, stood on the sidelines while the five females interacted. Amber and Meadow dotted over little Colin.


    I told my three daughters about what their mother had said to us at the grocery store. David said he wanted the huge plasma tv. Kerri just rolled her eyes. I just chuckled to myself. Our first two families get together could not have turned out any better. After my daughter left for their respective places with the cleanup done. We were relaxing with a cold beer.


    ¡°So basically, if we got it right Faith and Hope have ended their relationship for now with their mother because they want to find out what kind of person, they are without their mother''s influence,¡± Amber said. ¡°Why would they do that?¡±


    ¡°They followed their mothers¡¯ example and got caught up with the concept of having as they called it ¡°friends with benefits.¡± It¡¯s cost them both their first marriage. It took me leaving Kendra for them to begin to see their own situation in a new light,¡± I said. ¡°Last Tuesday they confronted me because of my conduct towards their mom. I ended up throwing them out. Later that night in a heated discussion with their older sister Kerri said: when their friends with benefits were wining and dining them weren¡¯t, they, in fact, being paid for their services in advance.¡±


    Amber was in total shock.


    ¡°Amber and Meadow your mother and I were taught when we were very young that it was not important how we viewed ourselves in the world. What was important was how the world saw us,¡± I said. ¡°Every individual will see what you do or say in a different way. It taught us that our own conduct said more about us than anything we could ever say!¡±


    ¡°Colin¡¯s right, I couldn¡¯t have explained it any better,¡± Carin said as she leaned against me. ¡°That¡¯s why your father''s conduct raised so many questions. It contradicted everything he ever said.¡±


    ¡°As a result, the twins have decided to remove their mother¡¯s influence out of their lives for now until they discover for themselves who and what they are. In order to do that they had to take responsibility for what they did,¡± I explained. ¡®I¡¯m very proud of them for that. For them, the healing will have started because they were honest enough about their own conduct.¡±


    I guess our words hit home because for a few minutes the sound of silence was deafening.


    Then Amber said, ¡°You¡¯re going to make a great dad, Dad.¡±


    Carin lost it.


    The rest of the week went by quietly. Carin and I spent as much of our spare time together as possible. The new tractor passed with flying colors the President was ecstatic. I had given the tractor its name, I called it ¡°betsa.¡± The family decided on a family gathering before I left. I noticed that the twins were getting closer to Carin''s daughters.


    We couldn¡¯t pry little Colin from Carin¡¯s hands. The mothering instinct in her was still strong. Eric and Carin finally came to an agreement on the asset split when she offered him the house if he wanted it. He went for it figuring it was his chance to get his daughters back into his life. Carin saw me board the plane as I headed home.


    ********


    It was the last week of August. The homestead was ready. The old torn down, the new one built. The barn improved where needed. Even the yard had been cleaned up. The last thing I had done was to rebuild the driveway into the house and the barn. Uncle John had driven me to the airport because I would be driving a U Haul back. Carin had sold her practice and an associate was going to finalize the divorces early in September.


    Over the last month, there had been multiple deliveries to the farm. Uncle John had been a great help setting the new furniture up and hauling what we no longer needed from mom and dad¡¯s household stuff to goodwill if he couldn¡¯t find someone who could use it. It was nice to see neighbors helping neighbors again.


    Carin met me at the airport that Friday afternoon around six with the biggest smile I¡¯d ever seen in my life. Amber and Meadow were there with her. After taking her into my arms giving her a long-overdue kiss. I stepped back, got down on my knee and officially proposed to the delight of both her daughters. Both captured a video of it all which included me sliding the ring on her finger.


    Amber and Meadow having been in on my surprise had arranged a huge celebration dinner in a restaurant that had dinner and dancing with all our daughters and David in attendance. Between David and I, the ladies kept us on the dance floor most of the evening.


    When we got to Carin¡¯s home Meadow told us to wait in the car for a moment. Amber and she ran in and right out carrying a large overnight bag filled for her mother.


    ¡°Mom, Dad we booked you a suite at the Hampton Inn for the weekend. We don¡¯t want to see the two of you until Monday,¡± Amber said.


    When we got to our suite, we found a huge basket filled with two bottles of champagne, chocolates, strawberry, two glasses, balloons, and roses. The card said congrats from your five daughters.


    I don¡¯t think we left the suite for the weekend.


    After a wonderful breakfast Monday Morning, we went to pick the U haul up. The one we picked up was bigger than I expected. I asked about it, but all Carin said I¡¯d have to wait till this afternoon when it would be revealed.


    At two o¡¯clock that afternoon Faith and Hope showed up and broke the news they were moving east too. It seems when they learned that I had moved back to my father''s farm they had begun applying around the area in which I would be living. They both had been hired by the Vermillion School Board.


    Carin had given them some furniture and we would be hauling what they got out their mother¡¯s and my house. It was in a rental storage unit. Through a real estate agent, they had rented a three-bedroom house. That way when the weather got bad Amber could stay in town with them.


    I dropped the suit against Eric Hopper as he agreed to cover all my court costs in Vancouver. With British Columbia socialist biases, it was moving at a snail¡¯s pace. We received our divorce certificates at the end of September. On the last Saturday in October Carin and I said our vows in front of all of the blended family. Kerri and David had flown out with little Colin so they could attend. It was Carin who gave me the ultimate surprise in front of everybody.


    ¡°To my darling husband Colin and our family, I wish to inform you all that there will be a new Waite coming into the world sometime in May. Our doctor has informed me it¡¯s a boy.¡±

 A Question of Conduct ( Was it an Addiction? )

    Sister Deborah Rogers called me around eleven pm on a Saturday night having some major concerns. Her only son Joe, she believed may have fallen off the wagon. He had not been seen by any of his family in six days and had not checked in with his staff at work. She felt it might be a sign that he had reverted to his old ways when he would go on a drinking binge for weeks.


    She was proud of her son for the changes he had made in his life but was afraid that he had been issued a death blow that would take him totally down. She had never liked her daughter in law but had kept her feelings to herself. She saw her as an opportunist who only cared about herself. There was something about her character that just not sit well with her even though her husband had dotted on her.


    Deborah was a recent widow who was nearing the age of sixty had just learned that her son¡¯s wife of ten years had asked him for a divorce. Not having heard from Joe her soon-to-be ex-husband since she asked him to move out, Joe¡¯s wife Connie, had called Deborah wondering if he was staying with her. She claimed she was worried that her conduct might have been enough to push him over the edge. Deborah did not buy it.


    I could see Joe Rodgers¡¯ wife''s point of view and understood it well. When one carries another through the addiction and their recovery there is always an unseen cost. When the addicted person is a spouse, the price is usually the death of the love between them. Neither of them would realize it but their marriage was in a slow spiral downward unless they both made changes willingly.


    I had seen it happen once before with my parents. My dad died in a car accident while driving drunk the very night my mother threw him out because she was done with his constant drinking and unkept promises even though at that time he¡¯s been six months sober. She had nothing left to give. To many times he had quit drinking only to return to it in a few months. He had destoryed her dreams and wants concerning her life. With him gone she became a completely different person.


    Her second husband, my stepfather taught me more about life than my father had. Thanks to his example I learned that when couples worked together mountains could be climbed. He came into our lives when we were down and out trying to rebuild our lives as we dug out of the hole my father had left us in.


    I also wondered if it had been a calculated move by Connie to push her husband, Joe off the edge. If she could push back into drinking it would give her the legal excuse to go for a court order making her a conservator over his business¡¯s leaving her in the driver''s seat going through the divorce.


    I knew that since Joe had quit drinking with his father¡¯s help at start, he had built quite a mini empire and was in discussions to build a third location of the franchise he had bought into. It seems he had the Midas touch because he was already debt free.


    His father had helped because he thought it would inspire him to find the strength to overcome his addiction, but it wasn¡¯t until Joe accepted the support that he needed that that his personal life and economic wellbeing took off.


    Connie Rodgers most likely had been waiting a long time for the right time to tell him only to learn the hard way that it would never come. Finally, something had happened in her life that had caused her to go ahead and pull the trigger.


    Perhaps she had developed a romantic interest that was getting serious. After years of being neglected, she may have found someone who appreciated her for what she had to offer who did not have all the baggage that comes by living.


    ********


    In the middle of the nineteenth century, many women had stayed in their relationship because that was the accepted norm. Many female spouses had to endure all sorts of things and they never said a word. They did their suffering in silence.


    Nowadays if we all had half the endurance they had, our society''s divorce rate would be a lot lower. We live in a world that is always gradually changing and not for the good. Even in Jesus''s time all you had to say I divorce you and it was recognized. Although life was tougher, and harder back then it was not regulated like it is these days.


    Whether it be prescription drugs, alcohol, porn, gambling, or some other product designed to draw you in, for an addict it is the addiction that is in control. The need for it drives the person causing them to lose compassion and their focus becomes getting their latest fix. They act without thinking because the only thing that matters is satisfying the craving that they have cultivated. After all, it is now in control. Everything else has lost any consideration.


    It was sad because I had been Joe¡¯s mentor and had watched him reach the point of being five years sober. When I had first met Joe, he was cutting back and only drank on the weekends. With his father¡¯s help he was slowing cutting down while heading in the right direction.


    He had come to the AA meeting after a big blow-up with his wife because he had not wanted to end up at a bar counter drowning his sorrows. Since the problem was between his wife and him, he had not wanted to go to his parents.


    He  had shown up just as the meeting was ending. We had talked to each other for about three hours before he felt comfortable that he would make it through the night without turning to alcohol to escape his difficulties. That was the night that he realized that he was a controlled alcoholic. He was never sober but was never totally drunk.


    Like most women Connie knew what buttons to push to get her husband riled up or to take his self-esteem down. Until that night he had in his mind believed that he had been slowly gaining control of his addiction and was proud in what he had accomplished. He came to the meeting for help because he was beginning to see what she may have been trying to do.


    It took him a few months to come to the realization that drinking had been his crutch. It gave him the needed excuse not to face problems that he did not want to deal with. What was behind his constant drinking had been his insecurities that come from a lack of believe and faith in oneself. Teaching one to accept that one always makes the best decision


    As I worked with him, we had drawn closer. Each day he was sober he learned that he could cope with things as long as he controlled his temper and did not automatically allow the little things to piss him off.


    One of the things Connie learned the hard way was that pushing his buttons in an attempt to anger him no longer would work. When he caught her trying to do that, he would tell her he was leaving until he calmed down and she could talk rationally. It was a rough period for both of them until Connie accepted their new reality. All who knew them began to see Connie for what she was and adjusted their thinking accordingly.


    Just over a week ago I had given him his five-year pin in front of all those who were in attendance. Joe was reaching the stage where he was at the seventh step and had been making great progress. He had turned his life around by three hundred and sixty degrees to the point that he had become known as a strong Christian in all aspects of his life. I admit I was proud of how much he had accomplished.


    Connie during this time had drawn close to Melinda. The two of them claimed that they had never met before Joe got involved with AA, but to Joe and me something about their relationship did not add up. There were too many times that their half sentences were completed by the other and that only happens in long term relationships.


    I sure hoped he had not fallen but I promised Deborah that I would go looking for him. After getting a list of his favorite establishments that he had haunted back in his drinking days from her I got dressed and headed out. If he had started drinking it was likely he would automatically go back to what had been his favorite haunts.


    ********


    Melinda, my wife of seven years wished me Godspeed. I had told her that because of his history if I found him drinking, I would take him to the hospital for a checkup because he might be suffering from alcohol poisoning. I could understand his frame of mind because I too had hit the bottom and at that point, I did not care if I lived or died.


    My reaching that point was not because of booze or drugs it was because I lost my first wife and our unborn daughter on Christmas eve because of a drunk driver. It caused a crisis of faith because, like all who believed without true knowledge, I blamed God. Now every time I heard someone say it was God¡¯s will it turned my stomach because no one understood what free will meant and had no clue what it gave us.


    It had been our pastor at that time who had challenged me to prove for myself whether God was responsible for what happened or not. I took his challenge to heart because I like all others before me, I believed I could prove myself right.


    The lessons learned during that period had changed my views about everything. My mother and stepfather said at the end that of journey that I had changed so much that they felt like they hardly knew me.


    ********


    I dived into three years of full-time theological studies which showed me just how little the average Joe knows about what the Christian faith is all about. Having always been a student of history I applied that to my research in searching for God¡¯s truth. My final theses tore apart the sacred doctrines taught by the majority of religious scholars for centuries which changed my view about Christianity for good. That is when a different understanding began to reveal itself. I admit I was shocked by what I learned. It was different than what most believe.


    As a result, I became an inexperienced pastor looking for my first position. What I had believed when I had started the journey had been proven by me to be completely wrong. Even to this day I still have a hard time understanding why most humans don¡¯t question but accept others'' claims as being the truth.


    Looking back at that time with a new understanding I know that most would not understand unless they made the journey themselves. It¡¯s a walk of discovery that can only come by putting in the diligent effort, the time, and the research to prove or disprove what I was learning.


    My dead wife¡¯s and my pastor had been there when I received my graduation certificate. For him, it was an important event. As the Valedictorian I had to give a twenty-five-minute speech. In it, I briefly explained what had brought me to this crossroad in my life. I could see the power of wisdom in his eyes because he knew God¡¯s truth, not man¡¯s had changed me.


    In a private moment he said, ¡°I knew that with your questioning mind that you would be driven to fulfill the quest I put in front of you. You took the same walk I did years ago and as a result God opened your eyes just like he did mine. It will be a long, lonely walk trying to follow God and his teaching as he wants you to, but as long as you never leave him, he will walk with you.¡±


    To this day when I was working on something to do with the church my mind would go back to him as I wondered what he would do if he were in my situation. It forced me to take a second look at everything and make changes because I saw things that could be oversaw or explained differently.


    ********


    Although I had job offers, I really did not want to work as a junior at a church that was already established. I wanted to help set the policies of the church not be bound to follow them because so many of them were tied to the quagmires and doctrines taught in the past. I saw them, like Jesus saw the Scribes and Pharisees. So tied up in keeping with the traditions, rituals, and their interpretation of God¡¯s law that by their conduct they had lost the truth of the Christian faith as originally taught by Jesus and God.


    I returned to my former employment while I kept looking. I at that time I was still searching to find out if there was a reason that God required me to go through that test of faith.


    Little did I know back then that in searching for the answers I had always believed I knew I would find my life taking a complete change in direction. A week before my twenty-fifth birthday I was offered the position I was still in.


    The church at the time had been a rented section located in a dying strip mall. It was so small that I had to work a full-time job in construction and served as its only pastor part-time. The parish had rented it for two hundred a month.


    Once I was established and accepted by all after I had been appointed, I learned that most had left the other churches they had associated because of the clicks that had been formed in them. Most organized churches I learned from them had their own type of caste system.


    Now ten years later our new church building could easily sit fifteen hundred and we had two services on Sunday. Being a young church, it was a blessing to be debt-free. From day one I had made it a priority to make sure there was no distinction between how the attendees were treated because I knew there was no male-female distinction in God¡¯s kingdom.


    The only thing I ever pointed out about church finances was that there was a collection box at the back of the church by the exit doors. Those wishing for a receipt for tax purposes should leave a note with their donation in an envelope.


    Like Jesus I never asked for money because I passionately believed that if we were doing God¡¯s will, it would be provided. To date I had not been proved wrong.


    ********


    One of the first things I did once I assumed the position was contacting Alcoholics Anonymous to set up a local chapter of their program. Little did I know that one of its first members would end up becoming the sister of my second wife.


    Melinda¡¯s parents were multi-cultural. Her mother was white English, and her father was an African American lawyer whose roots went back to the Congo. He had been raised by a single mother who had managed to keep him on the straight and narrow. To this day his mother walked on water because without her relentless efforts, faith, and firm discipline he would not have the life he had today.


    I had met the whole family the first time Melinda¡¯s sister decided that she had to hear me present a sermon. She introduced me to the family after the service was finished. Her father said it was the first time in their life they had gone to what he fondly called a white man¡¯s church.


    I told him that if I had not seen his facial expression when he made that remark in humor that I would have seen what he said as being racist. I then added that the proper Christian view was that our skin was nothing more than God¡¯s clothing of our flesh. I guess my remark surprised him because a week later he and his whole family were sitting in the pews.


    Melinda was attracted to me right away, but it took a lot of sweet-talking to get her father to ask me out for lunch. By that time, they had been attending regularly for about three months.


    To this day Melinda¡¯s dad still teases her about how long it took her to get me to the point where I was waiting for her to walk down the aisle.


    Melinda had and still has a body that will not quit. It took me a long time to adjust to the fact that no matter where we were men would stop just to take a second look. She is that beautiful. My first wife had been her complete opposite.


    Seeing her walk into the church for the first time had all the single men¡¯s eyes popping out of their heads because she a body shape that would not stop. Her light brown skin looked more like a tan than her actual skin color which only caused her sensuality to blossom more. Seeing her natural beauty reaffirmed to me that the color of our skin was God¡¯s clothing of our flesh.


    The following Sunday every one of the parish''s single men was dressed to the nines. So was she. I noticed how attractive she looked but I thought it was because Melinda knew that there were many single men closer to her age who had their eyes looking when they should not have been.


    Little did I know that the problem was that her big beautiful bright blue eyes and sharp mind were focused on one man who was too busy building the parish to catch the bait.


    ********


    It was on the second anniversary of her older sister''s sobriety when I was invited to a family afternoon celebration in their backyard when the pastor, family relationship changed. It seemed that I was given the credit for Mary¡¯s turnaround by all the family including Mary herself. Only I seemed to understand that Mary had made the biggest step herself and that was when she admitted to herself that she had a problem and needed help.


    It was when they had brought out an old family favorite game called twister that things started to change. Melinda and I were on the mat with our bodies intertwined in ways that were beyond imagination trying to make our next move when my leg gave out. As I started to fall Melinda turned to face me as I landed on top of her.


    Believe me, when a man falls on a soft pile of human flesh that smells that inviting, he is in no rush to climb off. Here we were faced face to face closer than we had ever been. Her blue eyes were so consuming to me that for a moment I was lost.


    Taking advantage Melinda made sure she made mouth-to-mouth contact while slipping her tongue in. Melinda¡¯s older sister Mary catching it all said, ¡°damn she¡¯s been trying to get that first kiss from him for at least the last nineteen months.¡±


    It had been such a long time since I had such warm soft willing flesh against me that my body started functioning normally. I was embarrassed beyond belief. Melinda was thrilled because she had finally got my attention. I felt that as a pastor I should have been in better control of my fleshly body functions.


    Later in private Melinda said as I was trying to apologize for what happened that it had been such a relief to her because she was beginning to believe that I was gay. Thankfully in their wisdom, her family left us alone for a while to talk.


    That was the afternoon that she learned my whole life story. By the time I left her whole family had smiles on their faces. After listening to me explaining the journey that had brought me to this point in life, she concluded that I had reached the point that I was once again ready to date. I was promptly told to pick her up next Saturday because I was talking her out for dinner.


    The following Saturday we went on our first date. After dinner, we took a stroll down along the Mississippi. Nine months later I stood at the alter as her father walked her towards me to say the vows of marriage. Looking back, I think that Melinda had pushed me into it because I would not go past second base.


    As a pastor I knew I was being watched by the single soon to be adults. I had to lead by example and ensure that my own personal conduct did not contradict what I preached. I knew that saying one thing and doing another would devalue the message that God was imparting, and I could not allow that to happen.


    That night her father in his formal thoughts brought out the point that Melinda had known instantly that I was going to be the man she married because her sister''s views about me were right.


    ¡°David,¡± he said, ¡°was just focused on building our church and was not paying attention. It was fun watching his daughter¡¯s frustration as she tried everything to get his attention. It is nice to see that she won in the end.¡±


    ********


    I now worked as a pastor full-time in our non-denominational multinational church. Those who know me quite well refer to me being a Christian Jew type of pastor who applies the scriptures as the first century Christians did. I was known as one who tries to teach the parish to follow the teaching of God and Jesus Christ spiritually.


    Melinda and I were finally at the point that we were discussing if we wanted to bring children into the marriage as her insurance agency was firmly established. She thought it was humous that she made more money than me before expenses.


    My views of Christianity and its teaching had caused frictions because I tore apart the doctrines that many had been taught to believe for years. Like me, they had been taught what to believe and when faced with biblical truths that contradicted them, they experienced denial, anger, and disbelieve before acceptance came. Just like I had.


    Everyone comes to their own Jesus moment when they finally understand that for most of their life that they have been following the teachings of man regardless of what the bible said. One simple fact that most did not understand was that sin was nothing but our conduct not meeting God¡¯s standards.


    It is a slow process of learning the hard way for themselves that if the bible contradicts what they were taught by their religious teachers that the teachers were wrong. Too many believed that that the Old Testament had no value in today¡¯s Christianity especially when they were led to believe it contradicted the things in the Gospels of Jesus.


    It had created such a change of view inside themselves, that they could not stop talking about the new things about Christianity that they had learned. It caused the church to grow fast. It reminded me of the apostle Paul who said, ¡°I planted, Apollo watered, but God made it grow.¡±


    When I got asked one time why some found it hard to see what I showed them in my sermons. I said some do not want God¡¯s truth they only want someone to reaffirm that what they believe is true. Truth has no value to them and never will because they would have to be honest to themselves and that may be impossible.


    One of the former deans from another church asked if it would be okay if he got baptized again?


    I asked him, ¡°why?¡±


    His answer is one that I will remember until the day I die.


    He said, ¡°with his new understandings of God and Jesus there was no way he could say that his first baptism was made with true intentions.¡±


    He was the first to be immersed in our baptism pool in the new church building.


    After his re-immersion, he said to me, ¡°I never truly understood why you always ask God to protect the congregation from the teaching of men in prayer before beginning your service. When you said before dipping me that this was my public proclamation that God and Jesus are the only true teachers it made sense.¡±


    ¡°Many who first learn about God and Jesus put their faith in the teacher delivering the message,¡± I said. ¡°When I fail, and we both know I will, I want to protect those from losing their relationship with God and his son because of me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe you will fall, do you,¡± the brother asked?


    ¡°I can¡¯t say if I will or if I won¡¯t. I just know that God and Jesus are willing to forgive me if I do,¡± I said. ¡°As a teacher of the teachings of both, I am held to a greater standard than the average brother or sister because teaching a lie as the gospel of Jesus Christ is a sin against the holy spirit.¡±


    ¡°Most do not understand a sin against the holy spirit will not be forgiven,¡± I explained. ¡°It ends up with a sentence of death at the time of judgement when Satan and his followers are removed from existence. That is why I am so careful. I have learned during this journey that the more I learn the more I do not know. Learning that truth changed me from being a bit arrogant to being humbler.¡±


    ********


    I  found Joe by accident about two in the morning after the bars had closed for the night. I had decided to get a bite to eat before continuing my searching. He was sitting at Denny¡¯s counter waiting for his order to be made up. Thankfully, he was sober and drinking a cup of coffee.


    The moment he saw me he broke out in a smile as if he knew why I was there. With laughter, Joe said, ¡°I guess I blew it. I should have informed her. Mom must have sent you looking for me. I told my assistants I was taking the week off.¡±


    ¡°Your right,¡± I said as I sat down at the counter beside him. ¡°I came looking hoping that your mother¡¯s fears were not becoming a reality. She had just learned tonight from Connie that she had threw you out after telling you she was filing for a divorce.¡±


    ¡°I thought about it during a down moment while looking for a new place to live,¡± Joe said honestly. ¡°If it was not for the fact that we have two children we still have to raise I might of. Instead, I rented a vehicle that I used to find out for myself if what I was feeling concerning Connie was right. It was, I learned my wife is involved with someone else.¡±


    ¡°So that is why you were not at the AA meeting Wednesday night,¡± I said. ¡°The two ladies you are mentoring were looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Connie and your wife Melinda using Melinda¡¯s car dropped our kids off at her mother¡¯s then went out for supper at Bythia¡¯s on Bythia,¡± Joe explained. ¡°Two police officers still in uniform were waiting for them and joined them for dinner.¡±


    Joe now had my undivided attention because Melinda had never told me she had gone out. Joe pulled up an image of the two police officers from his cell. I recognized one of the officers as an old friend of hers from when they had attended university. Believing it was just a catch-up sort of thing, I had no problem with it.


    ¡°After they left, I slipped in and chatted with the owners Kaleb and his wife Carrie who I know because of mutual business reasons. As far as they knew the four of them were two couples,¡± Joe said. ¡°They meet there every Wednesday just after the police officers have finished their shift. To them, it was a ritual that each couple looked forward to because they acted as most couples do. Each one of our wives sits beside the same man every week to be able to look across the table at their partner.¡±


    ¡°Have you discovered anything else?¡± I asked figuring that Joe might have stumbled onto something that would require further investigating.


    ¡°Friday night just after seven pm while you were working with the youth in our congregation as you do every week our wives went over to one of those stately buildings on Old Cape Road near the University. You know the huge building that had been a hotel then a brothel which is now a private residence. I believe it might be owned by one of the professors because it is a rather large six-story historical building that has been updated and remodeled numerous times,¡± Joe said.


    ¡°You are not referring to the one that still has the four gargoyles watching over the front door,¡± I asked? ¡°They''re so old that they remind me of medieval times. It¡¯s believed that the Hungarian owner at that time imported them when it was a brothel to act as a protector for the women in his stable.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am but It is still well above what either one of us could afford,¡± Joe disclosed. ¡°I found a spot up the hill on the street where I could park and watch the building because there were at least ten other vehicles parked there already. As dusk was settling, I saw at least another eight vehicles pull in.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to the lights on the front of the building that I thought was being used as a boarding house for students I could see that all those that came were dressed as if they were having a night on the town. All walked through the front door without knocking. It appeared to be a semi-formal event because everybody looked their best,¡± Joe went on to explain. ¡°As darkness fell the rooms on the second to the sixth floor of the home lit up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s when I started to get suspicious. Using a set of night googles I had transferred from my trunk, I walked in darkness to the front of the house getting into the property between the spaces in the hedge,¡± he said. ¡°It was not long until I was able to see some of the attendees moving into the bedrooms in a state of undress showing a lot of physical attention to who they were with. Hands were moving over each other¡¯s clothing exploring the body parts that were covered by them.¡±


    ¡°From what I saw,¡± Joe said, ¡°I believe our wives are members of a swingers club because some of those bedrooms were filled two female or two males while other rooms had both sexes. At no time did I catch a glance of our wives. Nor did I see any sexual acts being committed even though it appeared to be headed that way. Since I only saw the outside front side of the house it¡¯s safe to assume other rooms were being used.¡±


    ¡°Did you recognize any of the other people you saw attending,¡± I asked?


    ¡°Just the two police officers our wives shared dinner with,¡± Joe replied. ¡°One of them was with an African American man, the other with a woman I would recognize if I saw her again. I will have more information on Monday after visiting the county clerk¡¯s office to find out who owns the residence they were at.¡±


    I ordered an ultimate breakfast and a coffee so that Joe and I could start to plan.


    ¡°When you are checking out the title make sure to check out a few others in the general area,¡± I said. ¡°If someone in the clerk¡¯s office asks plant the seed that the church is looking for acreage to build a private school in that area. It will be seen as an acceptable explanation because of what''s being going on with the educational system in general.¡±


    ¡°Why would I do that,¡± Joe asked?


    ¡°For two reasons, ¡° I explained. ¡°We have our suspicions but nothing to back it up, and besides, we have no clue who all the members are. We don¡¯t want to accidentally tip them off before knowing anything.¡±


    ¡°Could this have been going on since our wives attended the university,¡± Joe said not expecting an answer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know but it sure raises a lot of questions because we don¡¯t know what the truth is,¡± I said. ¡°For now, until we find out what is what, you and I are dumb and dumber personified. Got it. If it is true, it may be that our wives are dealing with their own problems of being addicted. We both know that if they are that until they admit it, there is nothing we can do but divorce them on the grounds of adultery. ¡±


    ¡°Why were we not able to see it,¡± Joe asked while trying to figure out how one can be so blind.


    ¡°Joe, consider woman and man¡¯s history. Men have done a lot of things to women throughout the generations because they viewed for a long time that they owned them. Women learned and passed on to their daughters the ability to lie, manipulate, and deceive better than any man because of their need to protect themselves from those around them. It¡¯s now part of their nature.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t really believe that do you,¡± Joe asked?


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± I said. ¡°About seventy percent of the counseling I do to married couples is because the wife has been caught in too many things that did not add up. It¡¯s a natural learned protective mechanism built over time that even they don¡¯t see.¡±


    Joe and I did not realize at that time that our conversation would lead to the building of our church''s private school in a few years. Later as we looked back it reminded us that only God can turn a bad situation into a blessing.


    ********


    I was standing in front of the church''s front door greeting the parishioners as they headed in just like I would every Sunday Morning. The ones who attended the eight am service like me, were early risers. Depending on how many came I could estimate how many would show up for the service at eleven.


    I could tell that sister Deborah Rogers looked tired and older than her years as she walked towards me. The worry she had was being expressed by her body quite well. When she approached me, I leaned over and down to kiss her on her cheek as I reached in and grabbed the note in my pocket.


    Whispering to her I said, ¡°Take the note from my hand. It will tell you what you need to know.¡±


    She must have read it as soon as she could because her voice rose above the others as we sang the opening song. The sound of her voice seemed to be angelic because everyone got quiet. After all, like me, they heard a holy quality in her voice. Looking back at it all later I have to wonder if God was letting me know that he was with me when I felt I needed him the most.


    Deborah Rodgers waited until most had left to approach me.


    ¡°Thank you, for your note,¡± she said. ¡°How is he mentally?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s determined not to fall back,¡± I said. ¡°Since he has discovered something that makes him believe that he was not totally at fault he has become driven. For now, all I can tell you is that he is fulfilling a church assignment and that we both can believe in him.¡±


    ¡°Pastor Howard,¡± she said.


    ¡°Please call me David, after all, I consider your son Joe a good friend,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thank you for reacting the way you did,¡± she said. ¡°Knowing you were acting got me through a rough night. Melinda told me it was almost four before you got home.¡±


    I smiled and responded, ¡°I just hope that I am awake enough to pull off the second service. I did not expect to be up all night. If I can¡¯t, it will become one of those things I will never live down.¡±


    ¡°Then I will stay and be there with you as you go through it,¡± Deborah said. ¡°After all you would not do anything less.¡±


    ********


    It took Joe Rodgers and those he hired about three months to figure out what was going on. My wife and his wife Connie had a long-term friend with benefits relationship with the two police officers. Yes, they were members of a private swingers club ran by a female Professor and her wife. Both the police officers'' wives Joe believed had no clue as to the private life the four of them shared.


    The sex club we learned was run through a numbered limited offshore company owned partly by the Professor and her wife. It held title to the building. They only got together two to four times a month. Dates and times were set randomly the month before so everyone wishing to participate had time to arrange their schedule if they wished to attend. They did that so a pattern could not be recognized as to when meetings or events were planned. Monthly fees had to be prepaid a month in advance by direct deposit.


    Couples who had a long-term relationship even if they were not married could be invited into the group since single persons were not allowed. All had to pass a very detailed background and lifestyle check. Monthly sexual transmitted disease tests had to be taken to make sure they were clean and able to participate. This was done through the university¡¯s health clinic which the professor¡¯s wife a doctor oversaw.


    If one was not presented, they were denied entrance to any event until one was done. Two male rather large university students stood guard to let those allowed in. Joe believed that they were part of the defense of SFU¡¯s football team. They did that because they wanted to be sure that the club remained anonymous and free from the scandal if a batch of stds broke out.


    It was estimated that the sex club contained between fifty and eighty paying members all living within driving distance. As members left new ones were brought in through networks long established in the universities social systems. Members could leave but they had to sign a non-disclosure agreement which would bankrupt them if the information came out.


    The average attendance at one of the scheduled events was between thirty and fifty because of the limited private rooms available and what they were being booked for. Attendance fluctuated depending on what members had going on in their lives. Once the maximum number allowed was booked for one of the gatherings the rest would have to wait until the next one.


    That way no one except the professor and her wife knew who would be attending. It also helped in keeping the sexual contact between the partners new and exciting. It also helped to protect the members from developing a romantic relationship with other members. Each member was then allowed to enjoy the sensual adventure of the sexual act without having the fear that their conduct would become public.


    ********


    One afternoon while Melinda was working, I went home and did a close look at our monthly bank statements that we kept on file. I started with the year we were married and discovered that she had been paying the monthly membership fee while we were dating through the insurance agency she had started.


    It was interesting to discover that Melinda had a direct deposit into her business account two days before her payment was taken for half of the dues every month. With the bank manager at our local branch being a member in good standing I called him and asked for a personal favor.


    The questionable direct deposit was coming from the account of a Travis Edgeworth. I knew that he was the police officer that she had gone to university with. I believed that Travis¡¯s wife would assume the expense was insurance-related.


    When Joe learned what I had learned he slid into his former home when Connie was at a family get together with their kids and was able to verify that their bank statements showed basically the same thing. Until then he had never wondered what the payment was for because his wife handled the household account.


    That was when Joe and I began to realize that our wives were not addicted, but that it was a lifestyle choice made by them long before we had met them. I pondered over that fact for quite a while trying to figure out why if she wanted that kind of life, why she had married me.


    What they were doing was not illegal unless the females or sub-missives were being bid on as a way of raising funds for the operation of the club. If it could be proved that was happening, then it fell into the area of illegal prostitution.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ********


    Since Connie had still not filed, Joe and I went to see Dale Allan Britton. After a long discussion, the three of us started to put a plan together. Since two of the city police officers were involved, it was decided the go-to person as far as we were concerned would be the county, Sherriff Harold Phillips.


    Harold himself had gone through a scandal thanks to a wife who had a thing for what was between her neighbor''s legs before he got elected as Sherriff. As a result, he knew the cost of being played.


    Dale thought because of what he had experienced that he could view thing objectively. With me being a pastor and Joe one of the persons looked up to in the church diplomacy was a must.


    Joe and I listen as Dale explained what we knew to the Sheriff. The Sheriff agreed to begin an investigation and asked us to hold off on doing the legal on our end until he got through the complete investigation. We agreed. He would first get all the finances, check on tax status, and find out if it were registered. If it were not, they would have probable cause for a warrant.


    If there was indeed a monthly payment due from members, the owners could be charged for running a brothel house. Where it got tricky was if they could charge anyone for prostitution under the way it was set up.


    Dale thought that if it could be worked out, he would like our wives served while the four of them were in jail if that were possible. He would be suing both men for interference in the marriage.


    ********


    It was in an informal conversation in the church office that we concluded that for all concern until this nightmare was behind us that we should voluntarily turn in all the weapons that we owned. The last thing we wanted was the Cape Girardeau police department having an excuse to come after us because of the legal suits against two of its officers.


    Joe Rodgers went the direct route. He went into the police station and talked to the officer assigned to the front desk. After explaining to the officer that he was headed into a dirty divorce and had no place secure enough to store his guns he wanted the guns removed from his former residence and destroyed.


    One of the officers on duty was assigned to meet him at his former residence. Connie was surprised to see him so was the man who was visiting. The officer recognized him as one of their own.


    After loading the guns into the trunk of the police officer''s cruiser the officer asked, ¡°Is Jace Reynolds your soon-to-be ex¡¯s boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know for sure,¡± Joe answered. ¡°I do know that Melinda Howard and she have been seen at Bythia¡¯s on Bythia sharing a meal with Travis Edgeworth and him quite regularly. It seems that Melinda and Travis were in university together.¡±


    ¡°Is Melinda Howard the wife of one of the most popular pastors in the area,¡± the officer asked?


    ¡°Yes, she is and both of the officer¡¯s wives don¡¯t have a clue as to what the four¡¯s relationship is with each other either,¡± Joe said. ¡°To be honest the pastor and I had no clue about either man knowing them until after Connie told me she wanted a divorce. If you hear anything I would appreciate knowing just what their relationship is so that I can inform pastor Howard.¡±


    A day later Joe was called in to pick up a signed letter showing the serial numbers, the type, and the maker of each gun that had been turned over from the officer who had taken possession of the weapons.


    ********


    I waited a couple of months figuring that Connie would have informed Melinda about it. It was during a Sunday dinner with her side of the family that I asked her father about turning in my inherited gun collection over to the authorities for disposal.


    That was when I learned that all guns gathered locally were transferred to the state capital for disposal. He volunteered to take care of it if that is what I wanted to do.


    I said, ¡°let¡¯s do because those weapons have not been used in so long, I would hesitate to say that they could still fire.¡±


    ¡°Melinda,¡± her father said. ¡°Can you contact Travis Edgeworth and let him know to call me at his convenience?¡±


    It was interesting to watch Melinda as she replied, ¡°Sure dad, he calls the office regularly to chat when he is keeping his eyes on a situation, and he has time to chill.¡±


    I pretended to take what she said in surprise, it was not hard because she said, ¡°I think David is being  proactive because he is hoping that I will agree it¡¯s time to start our family.¡±


    ¡°Damn well time,¡± Melinda¡¯s mother said. ¡°Your older sister is about to drop our fourth grandchild and all she has are boys. I want a girl.¡±


    I almost choked because of what I knew. I had to ask myself is she pregnant? If so, who is the father?


    *********


    Melinda was with me when her father showed up with Travis Edgeworth. I must admit that he was impressive looking in his uniform. For a man in uniform, he seemed thin and underweight. Now looking back, I didn¡¯t see that he was elfish. Melinda and he chatted as if they were trying to catch up on things while her father listed the serial number, the make, and the model of every piece of weaponry being handed over. With the detail he was doing it with it left me with the impression that my wife¡¯s father did not trust Travis.


    Melinda and I had to witness Travis¡¯s signature on a document that showed he had accepted possession of them. After signing, loading them, they left together. Melinda mentioned that she thought her father¡¯s conduct had seemed a bit weird.


    Later when I talked to Melinda¡¯s father on the phone, he disclosed to me that he had noticed that Melinda¡¯s and Travis¡¯s chat seemed to have been staged.


    ¡°What are they trying to hide?¡± He asked before adding, ¡°I  have never liked Travis and I trust him about as far as I can spit. Their so called informal chat came out like a statement in court that has been rehearsed and gone over numerous times. There something about his body language that makes me question everything about him. I could tell by the way your body was responding that you have feelings about him too. I know you know something, and I want to know what you know.¡±


    ¡°To answer that will require a private chat in either your office or mine,¡± I said with a very serious tone.¡±


    `               ¡°Will I be talking to the man or the pastor,¡± he asked?


    ¡°Both,¡± I said, ¡°Because it¡¯s a confidential matter.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow my office at one pm. I will have my assistant get my schedule changed,¡± he said.


    ********


    Melinda¡¯s father seemed shocked and taken aback when Sherriff Harold Phillips, Joe Rodgers, and  I walked in. His facial expression instantly showed some concern.


    ¡°Dad this is Harold Phillips the country sheriff,¡± I said. ¡°Joe¡¯s and my lawyer contacted him because of what we had learned. I brought him with us today because I feel it is best that what we know comes from him. That way you won¡¯t feel like you have to shoot the messenger for what will be revealed.¡±


    ¡°I was contacted by David and Joe¡¯s lawyer,¡± Harold said. ¡°At first I felt the situation they were explaining was a bit too farfetched to be true. Sadly, with the information, they provided I learned for myself what they suspected was worse than they believed.¡±


    I could see the serious look coming over my father in laws face. I guess until this point, he had not believed that his daughter''s weird conversation required an investigation. I felt sorry because I had not wanted him to have learned the facts in such a brutal way.


    What he was going to learn was going to overwhelm him because when one is hit with a bunch of facts that contradict everything you thought you knew it is almost impossible to accept. Sadly, about seventy percent will deny the truth and continue in their lives believing the lies.


    That is why Jesus foretold that many would claim to have done great works in his name and he would say get away from you workers in lawlessness I never knew you. Jesus understood human behavior better than any human would.


    ¡°Joe and David¡¯s wives are involved with two police officers who are part of the Cape police department. All four of them are involved in a friend¡¯s with benefits relationship with each other as couples for a pacific purpose but are not sexually involved with each other. The four of them agreed to the arrangement while they were attending university at SFU,¡± Harold explained. ¡°The reason for them agreeing to pose as loving couples was so that they could join a swingers club that was being organized at that time on campus.


    Melinda¡¯s father''s face looked blank as he said, ¡°So it¡¯s being going on for well over ten years.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it''s more complicated than that,¡± Harold said. ¡°We now have a member who got himself in a personal situation because his wife no longer wanted to participate in swinging because of her newfound faith. He agreed to become an informer for us reluctantly because his wife who recently found Christianity became an active member in David¡¯s church. She told her husband that she would use it against him in divorce court if they didn¡¯t get out.¡±


    ********


    That perked my interest because whoever it was had never contacted me about it. I could understand why because she had to have known about my wife¡¯s activity. Perhaps it was because I taught that our sins could only be forgiven by God with sincere honest prayer if we went through Jesus Christ.


    Few understand what Jesus role was. He died so that he could stand before God during our final Judgement and argue our case to his father before the decision of eternal life or death was made. He could not forgive our sins because if he could Lazarus would still be alive. After all the wages of sin is the first death which God pointed out was nothing but a long sleep.


    It was clear to me that she had gotten the point that one must earnestly try to stop doing the sin they were asking for forgiveness of because Jesus and God can see what is in our heart and mind.


    ********


    ¡°Three times a year names are drawn from a volunteer jar and bid on. Individual members must submit their own names into the slot on the lid that covers it to be included before the next scheduled bidding night. Some of these could be either female or male,¡± Harold said. ¡°Last Friday was one of those special nights when the bidding went on. Wearing a cam our informer caught it all on video.¡±


    ¡°They raised over forty thousand in cash and a few more thousands thanks to debit or credit cards before the bidding concluded. Your daughter for example was one of the first few that got sold multiple times because the maximum bid amount had been met,¡± Harold said. ¡°That allowed her to be resold if there was a demand. Those being bought by a few other members will be used by them during the next three months'' swinging sessions. Last night she became the chancellor¡¯s and the chancellor''s wife¡¯s sexual pet for a few hours.¡±


    Melinda¡¯s dad fought to keep it together emotionally. The information before him was devastating. I knew it had to be taring his heart apart.


    ¡°Our informer admitted that he has had her a few times over the years and says quite honestly that she is willing to do anything as long as it does not mark up her body in any way,¡± Howard said. ¡°According to him, she is one of the members'' favorites.¡±


    ¡°I have one question,¡± Melinda¡¯s father said. ¡°Who is the man who agreed to work for the sheriff¡¯s department.¡±


    ¡°The oldest son of the city¡¯s mayor,¡± Harold responded.


    ¡°When do you plan to start making the arrests,¡± Melinda¡¯s father asked?


    ¡°All the information has been turned over to the Attorney General of the state because we don¡¯t have the funds or the manpower,¡± Harold said. ¡°The next scheduled event is within a few weeks. I believe the state will be ready to move in then.¡±


    He asked a few more questions before we got up to leave. We answered them as honestly as we could. Just as we were winding it down, he asked me to remain behind for a few minutes and I agreed.


    ********


    After they had left, he said, ¡°I know she was a willing participant and will end up having to deal with the consequences of her conduct. The question is will you forgive her and take her back?¡±


    ¡°Would you,¡± I asked?


    He did not answer my question. The tears in his eyes said it all.


    ¡°Dad don¡¯t hold yourself responsible. Melinda declared her independence a long time ago,¡± I said. ¡°She made her choices. It was part of her life before she met me. Sadly, we will all have to deal with the consequences of her conduct by picking up the pieces and finding a way to move on.¡±


    ¡°Will you be able to forgive her,¡± He asked?


    ¡°Forgiveness is easy. Forgetting and accepting will never happen because we are instructed by the apostles not to accept another person¡¯s sin which most don¡¯t see is our conduct,¡± I said. ¡°We both have to stand back and let the chips fall as they may. You got your family to support. I must remain strong for the parish. For both of us, it is not going to be easy.¡±


    Standing up I said. ¡°I will not allow the sinful conduct of one bring down what God has built. If I must resign to keep the congregation together, it¡¯s a price I will willingly pay.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think the scandal that is coming will force you to do that,¡± Melinda¡¯s father asked?


    ¡°Only three truths are certain,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not a politician who is trained by their handlers how to avoid speaking the truth, nor can I foretell how others are going to view it. I can only prepare myself for whatever the outcome is.¡±


    ¡°Will the board of Deans demand that she be disfellowshipped,¡± he asked?


    ¡°If this was forty years ago, I would have said yes,¡± I replied. ¡°In today¡¯s reality, she could sue and win more than we could ever afford to pay. Remember morality is not a crime. Other than saying privately when asked that it would be best if one limited their association with her there¡¯s not much we can do.¡±


    ¡°David, forgive me because it¡¯s clear I failed as a father,¡± he said. ¡°It is clear that for someone to be able to do what she has done with their body that they have no self-respect.¡±


    Later as I thought of our conversation, I realized that his last words to me had spoken volumes because his last word explained so much. What meisim had taken away from society was respect for self, life, believes, faith, and others.


    ********


    Joe and I were cleaning up after the AA meeting had ended. It had been three weeks and the county Sherriff had called earlier in the day to inform us that it was going down.


    Joe had stood up during the meeting to give a personal testimony. He revealed that while he was attending the meeting that his soon-to-be ex-wife was being arrested along with my wife and a few others.


    He explained that the desire to drink in him was as strong today as it was on his first day of sobriety because he was mentally and emotionally at his weakest. He explained that both our wives were in this situation because they allowed their desires to control their actions. Just like he had when he was drinking.


    He was afraid that both of our wives would have to hit their bottom before realizing that only they could dig their way out if they had a lot of support.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned because of what''s going on that we all will experience some things from both sides in our walk of life,¡± Joe said. ¡°I can¡¯t blame my ex-wife because she was so focused on trying to resolve my problems that she never saw hers. I will be there to support her, but I cannot just blindly accept what she did.¡±


    I stood up and added, ¡°What¡¯s taking place while we are here is going to create a scandal. Both Joe and I had no knowledge of what you will all learn over the next few days until after Connie asked him to move out. That when we began to discover what had been hidden from us. To be frank, none of us will ever have the full story.¡±


    ¡°I expect that the board of directors of our church may ask for my resignation because of the publicity created by this situation,¡± I said. ¡°I will not allow my wife¡¯s conduct to affect the church we have all have built. As a result, I have decided that if it is requested, I will give it effective immediately. If you don¡¯t see me giving my sermon on Sunday, you will know why.¡±


    It was a stark lesson for all those in attendance that everything one does affects others even if we do not see it.


    ¡°The pastor who inspired me to take up the ministry,¡± I said, ¡°told me that if we knew what went on in our world daily that we would not be able to live in it. These last few weeks have given me a taste of his insight. Now I can honestly say I agree with his thought.¡±


    Afterward, Joe asked me why I disclosed that I might be asked to leave. I respond that it was for their protection. With them knowing they will not have doubts about the good work we are doing here. Otherwise, they would be open to the idea that it was a scam and could fall back into their old ways.


    Little did I know it was going to get a lot worse.


    ********


    One of the greatest mistruths was the belief that the apostles could speak in tongues. Most in society did not comprehend that the twelve would do most of their preaching where people gathered to do their daily business.


    In the open markets there were people from different nationalities that spoke different languages. The apostles when they spoke were heard by these ones in their native language. The holy spirt, not the apostles was speaking in tongues giving them the ability to understand. The apostles spoke in Hebrew, yet their words were understood by the one hearing them in their native voice.


    Yet today, most believe that when one is speaking in tongue that they are filled with the holy spirit that wants an important message to be delivered. No one questions why they cannot understand them. They just believe they are witnessing a miracle from God.


    ********


    The state police entered the historical large building through both the front and back doors at eight at night. It had one time been a hotel that catered to the upper class. After clearing the first floor, discovering some cocaine underneath a bar counter, and cuffing those not up in the bedrooms they headed up.


    They went quietly from room to room; the assigned videographer was the second person to enter each of the rooms so he could record the action live. The state wanted a video record of everything going on.


    Joe and I would learn later that our wives and their partners with benefits were located on the sixth floor. All arrested had no clue what was going on because every room was soundproofed.


    Melinda had been found naked making love to a female who was penetrating her eagerly with a double-ended strap-on. Her husband from the side of the bed was taking Melinda¡¯s mouth with his cock. He was heard saying he was looking forward to taking her second pussy when he recovered from cumming.


    Connie was found sandwiched between two well-known surgeons who were both penetrating her at the same time. It was clear that she was into it because two other surgeons were waiting for their turn making it clear she liked being used like a slut train.


    Travis Edgeworth when they found him was being quite the submissive. A huge African American was giving him good reaming with his thick rather huge meat while holding him at the hips. They say that Travis was responding to it just like any slutty woman would while begging to be taken harder. It was noted that the African American was wearing a cock ring so that he would not come. It was apparent to all witnessing the event that the African American had a need to dominate just as much as Travis embraced his submissiveness.


    The videographer almost didn¡¯t record it because the African man said, ¡°Travis it is time you left your fake marriage and embraced being the woman you believe you have to keep hidden. Let me pay to give you a nice set of thirty-six double d¡¯s so you can become  my loving wife whom we will call Tracy full-time.¡±


    ¡°I promise that if you do, I will give you what you crave at least twice a day. A quickie before I go to work, and a long night of pleasure in the privacy of our bedroom. I will prove to you how sexy and feminine you are before we fall asleep with you holding my stiff manliness  tight inside of you,¡± he said. ¡®Your pussy¡¯s tighter than any woman¡¯s and we both know its begging me to own it. You and I both know you are more a woman than most women are so marry me and live your life as my bride full time.¡±


    Jace Reynolds was found in the last bedroom fully clothed taking to a female they did not know watching another two females who were making love. They both got off watching others as they coupled. It was the last room they had to clean out.


    ********


    Melinda Howard sat in the holding cell with a few other females that had been arrested. Each was still trying to understand why the event was raided. None of them could see what they had been doing as being illegal. She was trying to get the strength to tell them.


    When the female officer had searched her, she had inquired what the charges were. The officer said prostitution.


    ¡°But no money changed hands,¡± Melinda said with authority.


    ¡°Not tonight,¡± the female officer replied. ¡°But during your last meeting were you not sold six times for the maximum bid, and do you not pay membership fees so you can get your fill of kinky sex?¡±


    That was when Melinda realized that they had someone who was working with them and why her father was there watching them all being hauled in. Someone had to have informed to the authorities what was going on. The police raid happened because it could be argued that the club itself was set up for the running of a house of prostitution.


    Immediately she understood that both her parents and husband would see what she was doing as a huge slap in their faces because it would be seen that she was mocking everything they stood for.


    Melinda knew that in society in general what they had been caught doing would not be important because hell everybody was doing it in some manner. After a week it would be forgotten because it would be out of the public eyes.


    Yet the Christian community that was slowly being killed off as most in society no longer saw a value in it. It would never be straightened out unless one conduct showed that you were ashamed and had repented. Especially in her husband¡¯s church because he taught that forgiveness should be earned and not given outright.


    At that moment, her best friend got let into the holding pen. They hugged each other tightly. For both, it was the first time they had been in jail in their life.


    ¡°What a frigging mess we are in,¡± Connie said. ¡°The four of us should have taken your advice eight months ago and got out.¡±


    ¡°Your right but I should have listened to myself,¡± Melinda said. ¡°I will never second guess myself again.¡±


    Just then a female police officer came in escorting a man wearing a suit. Stopping in front of the cell she said, ¡°Connie Rodgers and Melinda Howard please step forward and identify yourselves.¡±


    Once they did the man with her handed both the ladies two envelopes each and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been served. Just so you know your friends with benefits have been served too. Both your husbands are suing the other three along with suing for divorce.¡±


    Both understood what could have been swept under the table as a minor irritant had just become a major problem with unending consequences.


    ¡°I did not believe that our husbands knew,¡± Connie said. ¡°I was planning to reconnect. I asked for the divorce because I felt Joe was not paying me enough attention. Once I figured he had learned his lesson I would have taken him back.¡±


    Melinda was stunned. How could Connie be so self-centered? She had always put her husband first. After thinking it out for a few from their side she began to get the full picture.


    ¡°Looks like we both made the same mistake,¡± Melinda said. ¡°If we had really put our husbands first, we would not have been part of the club. Both must believe that we loved the sexual pleasure we were getting more than we loved them.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then there¡¯s no chance in hell that they will stop the divorce,¡± Connie said. ¡°I bet he will try to have me declared an unfit mother because of what I was doing on the side.¡±


    That was when Melinda decided she would call her sister who worked for her to come and bail her out because she knew that neither her father nor husband would because to do so may imply in other¡¯s eyes that they accepted her conduct.


    ********


    I was up bright and early Thursday morning having slept alone because Melinda had not made it home. After getting ready for the day and making coffee I turned on the local early morning news. The Breakfast Show ran weekdays from four am to seven had nothing about what I knew had happened last night.


    After unplugging the charging cord for my cellphone, I turned it on. Ethan Moore Melinda¡¯s father had left a text message for me to call him. He answered on the third ring.


    ¡°They took thirty-six people into custody last night,¡± he said after answering. ¡°Most will be released when they find a way to produce the ten percent needed for the bail bondsman with the date of their first appearance. Melinda has been charged with prostitution. She will most likely end up with probation because it is her first offense. The owners of the estate house are facing the more serious charges.¡±


    ¡°Have you talked to her,¡± I asked?


    ¡°No Melinda is getting her older sister to come to bail her out. Then she will deliver Melinda to where her car is,¡± Ethan said. ¡°I expect that drive is one Melinda will never forget because Mary is livid. After all, in Mary¡¯s eyes, you are a saint. Connie Rodgers, Travis Edgeworth, and  Jace Reynolds are also facing charges. They too will have to have someone provide the deposit to the bail bondsmen before they will be released.¡±


    ¡°Between you and me the police chief will have no choice but to terminate their employment effective immediately. The raid exposed the lifestyle of a lot of influential people,¡± Ethan said. ¡°You are right the fallout will be having an effect in the area for weeks.¡±


    ¡°I suspect that Melinda will wait until I have gone to the church before she comes home,¡± I said, ¡°and that will be for as long as it takes to pack her clothes.¡±


    ¡°Your most likely right about that,¡± Ethan said. ¡°When she got caught doing something wrong as a child, she would hide trying her best not to have to face it. Just thought you should know Dale got them all served as soon as each one had been booked.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all this,¡± I asked?


    ¡°I went down to the police station to be there when the state police started bringing them in. Melinda saw me as they transferred her from the paddy wagon into the county jail,¡± her father said. ¡°I had to see it to believe it. Until then I still held onto some hope that it was not all true. Dale was already there.¡±


    ¡°Tell mom I still love and if she needs to talk to me, I will stop what I am doing and come to her at any time,¡± I said. ¡°Thankfully, the news has not caught wind of it for now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a bad day here. Shana when I tell her is going to be shedding a lot of tears. If I hear anything further, I will call,¡± he said before saying goodbye.


    I was eternally thankful because Melinda and I had not started a family. With our marriage now coming to an end because of her long-term conduct my mind and heart was running the whole gauntlet of emotions.


    The end of this marriage was not as big of a shock because I had weeks to come to terms with it gradually. Like all humans who went through something like this, I had been left with more questions than answers.


    ********


    I felt that this might be the calm that comes just before the storm. Boy was I right. I had not even finished the bowl of Frosted Flakes with milk when Joe Rodgers called to let me know he was on his way over. I let him in the front door.


    ¡°The officer I turned my guns over to, met me for coffee this morning,¡± Joe said. ¡°His friend a state police officer had passed to him a list of all the members. He gave it to me because I had asked him if he learned anything to let me know.¡±


    Joe followed me back into the kitchen. He helped himself to a cup of coffee and made it up the way he liked it because he knew where everything was. I returned to eating until he handed me the list. He had highlighted four names.


    ¡°If I still swore, I would be swearing right now,¡± I said. ¡°Do you know how many times my dentist stuck his fingers in my mouth when working on my teeth?¡±


    I thought you would find that humorous,¡± Joe said. ¡°It is the other two that might be a concern for us going forward.¡±


    He was right because when it came out there could be a lot of people deciding to find a new place to worship. The second couple he had highlighted was the spiritual head pastor of the local cowboy church and his wife.


    Most did not know was that the cowboy church was a modernized division of the Baptists faith. It brought a smile to my face. As I stared at their names, I had to ask myself how they found the time. They held three meetings a week, while we held two and at times, I felt swamped.


    He and I in the past have had some very heated discussions because of our different views of Christianity and he did not like me converting some of his well-heeled parishioners as he called them. He kept referring to one of his former deans that had asked to be rebaptized.


    We both saw that there were going to be a lot of changes in the running of the city and the county because the list contained the names of a lot of influential people in our community.


    ¡°Have you heard when the state is going to announce what happened last night,¡± I asked?


    ¡°Bail hearings start at nine. My acquaintance figures they can push through ten in an hour because they are straightforward and will be done about just after the lunch hour,¡± Joe replied. ¡°So, by three, you can bet the media will know.¡±


    ¡°Want to bet there¡¯s going to a lot of divorce lawyers getting a lot of new business because I bet our wives were not the only two members with friends with benefits relationships,¡± I said.


    Joe picked up the two-page list and studied it for a few minutes. Being the owner of two of the McDonalds¡¯ in the area Joe knew the names and faces of a lot of his customers.


    ¡°There are about twenty-four couples on the list of seventy that were not members with their spouses,¡± Joe said. ¡°Most of them I recognize from when I played basketball while attending SFU.¡±


    ¡°Makes me wonder how many DNA tests are going to be requested,¡± I added. ¡°By husbands who have wives like ours.¡±


    Joe sat there. His face went white. I realized that what I had just said had never entered his mind.


    ¡°It would kill my mother,¡± Joe said. ¡°She dotes on her grandchildren. I will have to have a serious chat with Connie to find out if she was attending regularly when we were trying to conceive.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she will be honest enough to tell you the truth?¡± I asked before adding, ¡°More importantly will you be able to know if she is telling the truth?¡±


    Joe got quiet for a few before saying, ¡°To be honest she is so good at hiding things I can¡¯t say for sure that I could. Why couldn¡¯t I see it?¡±


    ¡°Life got in the way,¡± I said. ¡°We as humans act without ever considering how our conduct affects others. Even our wives when they were satisfying their sexual urges looking for the next organism never considered the consequences. Just proves how primitive we humans are in our thinking.¡±


    ********


    Shortly afterward we parted, I headed to the church office to prepare a new sermon for Sunday in case I would be allowed to share it. When I got to my desk I sat down and wrote two thoughts, forgiveness and letting go.


    Working the forgiveness part into the sermon was going to be easy letting go was not. Then I thought of the faithful servant Job. I asked myself how many times he had to let go of the hurt, the pain, and the grief of seeing the first group of his children taken from walking the earth because God and Satan ( father and a sibling of Jesus) were using him to settle a dispute.


    Satan had claimed that Job would not remain faithful. Despite having everything against him with a wife that would make most bitches today look tame he remained true to his God and himself. By letting go in the end he had been rewarded.


    The day went by fast as I was consumed with what the scriptures I had researched showed. It was nearing four when the Church¡¯s secretary walked in to disturb my rehearsing of the forty five minute sermon I was working on. She informed me the board had gathered to talk to me in the conference room. I thanked her and paused before heading to meet them to say a silent prayer.


    I learned that by some miracle that Connie and Melinda¡¯s names had not been mentioned in the press release by the state¡¯s Attorney General. After hearing all the comments and concerns I stood up and asked them to remain quiet while I said a few words.


    It took me about an hour to walk all those in attendance through Joe¡¯s and my journey disclosing how things had come to this point. I informed them that Melinda had already been served with the divorce papers. I ended it by offering my resignation. They asked me to leave the room while they discussed it.


    It gave me the time to inform the secretary of my involvement in the most important news of the day. It tore her apart because she had always thought the world of Melinda and she was finding it hard to believe. After an hour of waiting, I was just about to get a couple of boxes from the storage room to begin packing my items up when I got called back in.


    The one chosen to pronounce their decision did with a style and class I will remember the rest of my life. She said, ¡°We reviewed a few of your favorite bible verses and it became clear to us all that you have not accepted your wife''s sins because you involved the police. Your resignation is not accepted, nor will it be going forth. We want to thank you for putting the needs of the church first for offering it.¡±


    That led to another long chat about how we would handle the situation as far as the church was concerned going forward. Like me, most were concerned about what would be happening at the cowboy church and how it was going to affect us.


    It was well after seven before I got home to discover Melinda had left the house keys on the kitchen counter. I knew right away she had moved out partly because she could not face me.


    *******


    On the way to pick up her car Mary Melinda¡¯s older sister quit her job for two reasons. She did not want to be associated with a slut who couldn¡¯t keep her legs closed and because of what she had done to her brother-in-law.


    Melinda after picking up her car at went directly to the Ramada Inn and booked a room for two weeks while she looked for a new place to live. She choose that one because she had to enter her suite from the outside and it would provide her more privacy. Then she went to get her stuff out of our house.


    Connie had decided to leave town until things started to calm down and got her mother to look after the kids. As soon as she had left Connie¡¯s mother phoned Joe and asked him if he wanted custody of his kids. He was at her home within twenty minutes.


    Joe was surprised because it was something he would never have expected. He did not ask his mother-in-law why because he did not have to. Just mentioning her daughter¡¯s name had her fuming. It was she that told Joe that he should try to have her daughter declared an unfit mother by child services. Joe promised her that he would get on it.


    After loading his daughter¡¯s and their stuff in his vehicle, he called his mother to inform her what had just transpired. Deborah Rodgers suggested right away that the three of them move in with her until the divorce was done and custody decided. Joe readily agreed.


    Deborah Rodgers was ecstatic because her house was once again going to be filled with love. As soon as her son had hung up, she had begun to check to make sure the bedrooms were ready to be used. She was looking forward to the daily chore of preparing meals for a household instead of cooking for one.


    ********


    After having been bailed out by his wife, Travis learned he had no home to come home to. Being caught with another man had ended it. After his wife allowed him to get his clothes, Travis had decided to finally embrace his true calling and contacted the man who had been in love with him for years. Amos told his future wife he was to bring his sweet white cheeks home.


    Within a year Travis and he would be living in New Orleans having started a new life by Travis becoming the female he always believed he was. His long shoulder-length auburn hair, with his new thirty-six double d¡¯s breasts, made him appear to be a very desirable woman.


    Travis proudly prominently displayed his feminine features with the feminine clothing he now always wore. His husband loved to be in between his breasts during foreplay before penetrating. To their new friends who called him Tracy, it was believed that they had the perfect marriage.


    When he looked in the mirror he could pass as his sister who loved having a girl''s day out with him. Even with a little makeup, it was hard to tell that he was biologically a man. With his new feminine exercise program, he was developing additional curves in the right place. Amos had even paid to have all his facial and body hair permanently removed.


    Travis knew when his husband was especially pleased with her because he would get down on his knees and slip his head beneath his dress or skirt to get a fill of his special milk. From the day he had embraced his femininity as a girly girl he had never worn bra¡¯s or panties.


    Tracy¡¯s new husband who worked from home kept his word. He treated Tracy like the queen he was because he was now truly an eye-catching submissive feminine, a role that suited them both to a tee. Every piece of feminine clothing was bought because it complimented Tracy¡¯s feminine sensuality. Tracy picked out the items with him in mind to make sure his man would always have easy access to his charms.


    When they were not busy with life Tracy¡¯s well-endowed African American husband was true to his word. He was buried inside his wife Tracy¡¯s white pussy at least three times a day. They made the perfect couple as Tracy loved being penetrated as much as he loved being buried in her. They were so compatible that they always came together. To the African American, his life was complete because he worshipped being between the softness of his lover''s sweet white cheeks wearing his cock ring enforcing his domination and ownership of his willing and wanting cock hungry feminine submissive. Tracy was happier than she ever had been as a man and only felt completely complete when her husband¡¯s baby maker was imbedded in her.


    Amos realized that his loving feminine wife Tracy had a pussy tighter than any woman he had known and if he kept it fed regularly it was always going to be his. Each night after making Tracy scream in organismic delight. He would fall asleep spooning her with his semi-hard erection still buried inside of his perfect  submissive wife.


    They had talked about starting a family and after a honeymoon period, they planned to adopt. Tracy was waiting to tell him that his sister had agreed to donate her eggs for fertilization when they found the right female to carry the child to be to full term.


    *********


    On Friday night in the twilight hours, Melinda Howard and Jace Reynolds were sharing a drink while sitting in her suite discussing the events of the last few days. So far, the ownership of the limited company that owned the building and the club had not been disclosed. Only April the female professor and her wife Anabel had been exposed. Jace¡¯s and her name¡¯s remained hidden along with their major financial backer.


    There was a knock at the door, Melinda thought it was the delivery driver with the pizza she had ordered and opened the door. Standing there was the Reverend Stan Johnson the head of the cowboy church and his wife Terry.


    Melinda, her parents, and extended family had been members before joining her husband David¡¯s church. It was Reverend Johnston¡¯s wife Terry who had been their backer thanks to a family trust.


    The religious leader of the cowboy church and his wife had learned thanks to the local news that Joe and I had been the ones that provided the police with the information that had led to their investigation. Stan and Terry wanted to learn what had led to the exposure of the organization.


    The four were busy talking about what had taken place and what was going to be happening the next few days when there was a knock at the door. Answering the door, a masked person pushed in. The person was wearing what appeared to be a police uniform with a bullet-proof vest.


    Holding a gun with a homemade silencer in their gloved left hand the person started firing taking them out one at a time. Their aim was deliberate because within seconds each one of them lay on the floor with a bullet hole in their foreheads just above the eyes.


    After checking for a pulse on all four of the victim¡¯s the masked killer disassembled the weapon, wiped it down so no fingerprints could be found before leaving parts of it in a garbage can. The person placed a copy of the incorporation papers for the offshore company inside the Reverend¡¯s sports jacket so the investigation would be sent in the wrong direction. After leaving the suite the killer closed the door leaving a do not disturb on the door handle.


    The person drove over to the back of Melinda Howard¡¯s office. Once there in the darkness, they removed the police vest, their outer layer of clothing which had been bought at a used clothing store, throwing them in the waste bin along with the rest of the gun¡¯s pieces. With that all done, the killer believed that what was done would make it appear it had been a professional hit. The prime suspects would be the female professor and her wife.


    The four bodies were discovered just after ten Saturday morning by room service staff who had let themselves in to tidy the room, make the bed, and leave clean towels. The room had been left to the last because of the do not disturb sign left on the doorknob on the outside.


    The cleaning staff informed the investigating officers that the two cold pizzas that had been left outside of the door of the suite had been untouched. After taking to the delivery driver, they were able to pin the time of death to within twenty minutes.


    ********


    At the time, the bodies were discovered Joe and I were with his daughters in the movie theater watching the latest Disney release. Then the four of us went to the community water park which had slides, pools, and a restaurant. It was almost five when we pulled into my driveway.


    I had made myself a rye and coke and was just starting to sip it when Detective Inman knocked on the door to inform me about Melinda¡¯s murder.


    It was during that conversation that I learned the gun used had been registered to my father. After hearing my explanation Detective Inman called the police station to confirmed that the weapon had indeed been signed into the property room.


    ¡°According to our records,¡± Detective Inman explained to me after he got off the phone, ¡°the weapon in question had been turned over to the state for disposal. I knew before my arrival thanks to attendees last night that you were in a game of baseball with about thirty teenagers.¡±


    ¡°If my wife had been the prime target you might want to search her office and talk to her staff,¡± I said. ¡°The persons with her were all members of the swingers club according to the list I was given.¡±


    Detective Inman asked if I still had it. I did.


    After reading it the Detective seemed shocked by who all in the community was on it because he said, ¡°there are about sixty people who could be a suspect. May I keep this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just so you know that was provided to me indirectly from the state,¡± I said. ¡°Joe and I, I guess were smart in being proactive with our guns because the situation would be quite different if I still had the guns.¡±


    ¡°Pastor be careful about what you do during the next few days,¡± Detective Inman said. ¡°Until I know the reason, I cannot say that you are not in danger because the four who were killed all claimed they were Christian. All except for your wife were members in good standing in the cowboy church.¡±


    I felt sorry for the detective because the big question he had to find out was if the state had taken possession of my gun how did it end up being used to kill four people and why?


    ¡°Detective,¡± I said, ¡°Let me tell you of an experience I had.¡±


    ¡°I got asked one time if I was ¡®woke¡¯ by a young lady sitting near me on the bench in the mall while I was waiting for Melinda who was doing some looking at some clothing. I replied to the young lady yes longer than you have been alive.¡±


    ¡°The young lady asked how that can be?¡± I explained.


    ¡°From a book I learned that the collapse of all societies comes from within. It foretold the loss of morals, principles, and standards. It showed that love would lose its value in the eyes of man and that the ones who would hurt you the most would claim they were doing it out of their love for you,¡± I said before going on.


    ¡°That giving a helping hand was to be just that. It was not meant to carrying the person for the rest of their natural life. I told her it showed that power and money corrupt which would be the source of most of the problems man has in life.¡±


    ¡°She asked me what the book was and if the book was written by a well-known author? I replied it is the Bible and the writer was God. The young lady informed me she admitted that God existed but did not believe. I asked to wait as I went to my car. She agreed. When I came back, I had in my hand two versions of the bible. One old one new. After giving them to her I helped her look up Psalms 83:18 in both copies.¡±


    ¡°She noticed right away the difference. One had God¡¯s name the other didn¡¯t. She asked why the difference? I explained that there was no way we could have a personal relationship with anybody if we don¡¯t know their name. God is just a title, and the world is filled with many of them.¡±


    ¡°I started to get up because Melinda was going through the process of paying for what she had picked out. The lady said who are you, and why did I run into you? I replied in life it is a daily struggle to figure out what is true or not. By opening these books, you have started the discovery of learning for yourself. Inside them, you will find your answer if you search.¡±


    ¡°Detective the cowboy church never uses God¡¯s name. I stress to all who attend to choose one of God¡¯s names from the bible and use it as they develop their own relationship with him,¡± I said. ¡°It helps reaffirm that Jesus is not God and God is not Jesus.¡±


    The detective got quiet for a few before speaking, ¡°most believe they are the same entity and treat them accordingly. Why didn¡¯t I see that until today?¡±


    I smiled, and said, ¡°Because your human and life just got in the way.¡±


    ********


    I was standing at the entrance greeting those who were coming to the early Sunday morning service. Ethan Moore was standing by my side. He was able to point out those who were coming for the first time that had been attending the cowboy church.


    I warmly greeted them and thanked them for coming. Even he was surprised by the number of new attendees we were getting as a result of what happened. It was he that pointed out Tammy Reynolds Jace¡¯s widow to me as she approached.


    There was an air of sadness in her appearance, and I could understand why. Both Ethan and I, like her, were still coming to acceptance with the unnecessary loss of life. We had agreed to a closed casket but thought under the circumstances it would be inappropriate to use the church for the memorial service.


    After greetings, Mrs. Reynold said, ¡°Pastor could I have a private few minutes of your time after service?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind waiting until after I have seen most of the parish out,¡± I replied. ¡°I will have about an hour and a half before those coming to the eleven am service starts to arrive.¡±


    My sermon on forgiving and letting go was one that all attending needed to hear. I must admit there was a few shed tears. I brought out the point that holding onto the anger would cause us to become bitter persons filled with hate.


    I closed by saying, ¡°We can forgive and let go without accepting what was done just as God and Jesus forgive us for our shortcomings every day. Remember that we are all still held accountable by God because in the end we still die. If you have difficulty in doing that think of Job, and what he was able to let go of because he believed in our father¡¯s grace.¡±


    Tammy Reynolds and I sat down in the pews to have a quiet private chat. Tammy was a southern girl personified. She had long blonde hair, a petite body frame, a gentle heart that was torn apart and she was looking for answers that no one had.


    What I did not know until she disclosed it was the fact that the Reverend Stan Johnson and his wife Terry were her parents. Jace and she had been married for just over two years. Like me, she had no clue as to what had been going on. Being an only child, she felt overwhelmed. We talked until those attending the second service came in.


    I learned that until the last three years she had been working as a missionary and had come home hoping to settle down and raise a family. It had been her parents that had introduced her to Jace. Tammy stayed through the second service. Between the two attendance was up about forty percent.


    Just before she was about to leave, I asked her if she would like to join me at Golden Corral for lunch. For the two of us it a bonding moment because by the time we had eaten we had started a new relationship.


    I learned later that day that the female Professor and her wife both originally from Iran who were naturalized citizens were now deceased. They had been killed a day before my wife and her friends.


    ********


    It was six months later when Detective Inman dropped into the church office to inform me that my deceased wife had been pregnant. The man arrested for stealing the gun from the state had led them to the person who did the killing. Both young men in their twenties would be charged with six accounts of first-degree murder.


    The sixth deaths were linked together because of a matter of religious belief by those who planned the killings. They believed because of their faith that their sisters and their friends had shamed the family by bringing dishonor to it. In their original country what they did was considered totally acceptable thus were acting out according to their faith. Both the men were now in custody praising their God for the victory handed them.


    The common thought on the streets was that what had happened had been God¡¯s will.

 A Fractured Mind

    It was just two years after we had set up the 1800 square foot bookstore with the coffee bar in its final location on East Yale Road the main street in our hometown that my world as I knew came crashing down.


    In the last five years, we had taken the magazine stand we had opened in a twelve foot by six foot booth growing it into what it was today. We had been given its name by our customers who called it an Epic place.


    On Fridays and Saturdays, we held open mic nights which had turned into a night were budding musicians came to show their developing skills or writers came to read their latest piece of poetry. It came to be a place where thoughts were expressed in freedom without fears of repercussions. Coffee sales and books exploded on those nights since we were open to midnight.


    My wife''s best friend came into the store early one June evening asking if she could talk to me privately. Ruth was a first nation lady who was a member of the church in which I served as head pastor. After pouring us each a strong coffee we headed outside to sit at one of the curbside tables to chat.


    ¡°David please shut off your cell phone because we have to talk about a personal situation that you are not aware of. Maria has been talking about and planning to divorce you for a long time. It''s going to happen soon since she now believes this store can now support her,¡± Ruth said seriously.


    ¡°I left the cell on the counter so the staff can answer it. We won¡¯t be bothered unless it¡¯s something major. Please explain why you believe that?¡± I asked. ¡°Is she having an affair?¡±


    ¡°Not that I am aware of, but she has been spending a lot of her free evenings with a couple of your single male tenants. She has made a lot of new questionable friendships over the last few months outside of the church that you may not be aware of. I doubt any of them know about her ongoing mental health problems or about her long term issues,¡± Ruth said quietly so no one would hear her.


    ¡°Ever since her first breakdown, I have noticed a change in her personality so I can''t say she¡¯s not having an affair. But even more important is the fact that I can no longer say I know her so I can''t say she wouldn''t,¡± Ruth explained with sadness.


    ¡°Why do you believe that?¡± I asked seeing the worry on her face.


    ¡°Since you opened at this location, a group of us ladies from the church meets regularly here for coffee and during these sessions Maria has freely expressed somethings she shouldn¡¯t have. Maria has mentioned things that are making those who attend question your ongoing relationship. She has made it perfectly clear she had never planned to marry you,¡± she responded.


    ********


    I knew Ruth spoke the truth. My mind flashed back. I had flown into New York arriving at the end of that first business day because I had attended my grandfather¡¯s funeral. Finding that I had arrived  just in time to join the meet and greet party. It had a free open bar, so I was drinking double Brown Cows when I caught Maria looking at me.


    An older alpha male was standing beside where she was sitting and was doing his best to gain her attention. She was wearing a tight red dress that hugged her slender frame coming to rest about two inches above her knees. Her dark blue eyes, ruby lips, and long brown shoulder-length hair brought out the natural beauty in her face. Her smile seemed to brighten up the place. From my point of view, she appeared to have all the curves in their right spots.


    My friend noticed my interest in her almost right away and said that she was one that he would not kick out of his bed if she was coming across. I laughed and replied sarcastically be careful because that¡¯s the girl I''m going to marry. After joking about it with him, I moved in, ending up sitting right beside her as a spot had become available. As soon as the alpha male noticed our mutual attraction, he moved on, looking for new fish to fry. We talked for hours and agreed to go out for dinner that Wednesday night.


    After pausing Ruth, went on. ¡°Maria told us how you chased her despite the long distance between the two of you. At first, she thought it would tire out fast, so she was playing you while she kept looking for the type of man, she had her eyes out for. She wanted to marry an older man who was rich who could pay for the kind of lifestyle she wanted. You were five years younger. The problem was your determination. Everyone was amazed by it. Maria admitted that your morals were superior to anyone she knew. It made her frustrated because when the two of you got overheated you would stop before you went too far. Even though Maria had told you she wasn''t a virgin you still stopped and took a shower,¡± Ruth said before pausing to take a drink.


    ¡°Maria said you explained to her that until you found out where the relationship was going, you didn¡¯t intend to go too far. It was that standard that forced her to compare the others that were chasing her to you. She said they all seemed to fall short. The more you chased her the harder it was for her not to fall. No matter how hard she denied it, all her friends could see that you had captured her heart,¡± Ruth said before adding, ¡°finally, she had to admit she had fallen in love.¡±


    That brought back a lot of good memories. The sixteen-hour driving time from my home to hers. The huge long-distance telephone bills on both sides adding up to big bucks. From the day we met to the day that we got married we had only seen each other¡¯s seven times, six of them long weekends. We had shared a common bond as we had grown up with troubled backgrounds.


    Her mother had escaped during the Hungarian Revolution with Maria. After living in Paris for a year they had come to the United States. Her father had died in a Russian prison because he had been involved in the resistance. At least that was what all were told. Maria was the oldest of six, each having a different father; four brothers and one sister. In her teenage years, she had been placed in foster homes because she was too much like her mother. Their personalities were so much like each other that they could not communicate.


    ¡°Maria''s biggest problem with you was that she was not able to get you between her legs,¡± Ruth said with authority. ¡°She, like you, found herself being stretched monetarily because of the distance. That was what pushed her into saying yes. She was enormously proud of your appointment as a Junior Pastor and tried to become a good pastor¡¯s wife, but she missed her former wild child life. In less than three years, you went from a small apartment to the 4400 square foot place you call home. She worked beside you as you remodeled it room by room. Then in year four. your first son came into the world. You wanted her to become a full-time stay-at-home mom, but she insisted on working. Then six years later your second one came. Maria was overwhelmed and felt trapped because she had never wanted children. She feels that was what caused her first mental breakdown to occur.¡±


    I was in total shock. I asked myself if I had been blind. I tried so hard to give her the lifestyle I thought she wanted that I had missed what she was saying or trying to explain. Was I really to blame?


    ¡°Maria says she finds you frustrating because of your refusal to argue or speak out in anger. To her, it is not normal for a man to walk away until he is calmed down. She says that proves that you are not a real man because you will not hit her with your fists. You know that every man involved with her mother had been abusive perhaps that¡¯s why Maria sees you the way she does,¡± Ruth said in honesty.


    ¡°Ruth, Maria grew up in a broken home. I grew up in a home where my parents could be considered as controlled alcoholics. Unless you had seen them sober you would never have known they were drunks. There were times when they drank to the extreme. I can remember hiding underneath the bed because of their loud screams during arguments brought on because of the alcohol. At those times everything the one had done to the other regardless of what it was, was brought back up and maxed out to cause the most hurt and pain. We learned young that there was no forgiveness or love in our house. The only reason they stayed together was that they refused to give their children up,¡± I replied.


    ¡°When I was ten, my oldest sister got married that summer and my father¡¯s best friend, an alpha male, moved in because of the unbelievably bad winter weather the same year. They worked at the same plant but on different shifts. The plant ran three eight hour shifts seven days a week. When one was on days the other was on nights, so they did not see much of each other. I shared a bedroom with him because it had twin beds. My older sister got mine. I awoke one night to discover my mother and him sharing their charms in the passion of making love. When I got the courage to confront her the very next day, she denied it had happened and accused me of lying,¡± I explained.


    ¡°So, to protect her secret she had to destroy me. From that point on, my life became a living hell. I caught them a few more times and the product of their relationship was my younger sister. My dad started drinking more heavily to mask his tears and pain. I guess he no longer saw himself as a man,¡± I continued. ¡°I made a vow way back then never to speak out in anger. The reason I never slept with Maria was because I was trying to decide if she was good enough to be my children¡¯s mother. I had to believe before I committed that she was not like my mother.¡±


    Ruth looked at me as if she were seeing me anew again and asked if Maria had known. I told her not until after the birth of James my second son. Her female psychiatrist had called me in for a few sessions. I learned at that time that Maria blamed me for her mental health problems. After a few of these sessions, she told me that she may never be able to get Maria to see that I was not responsible. That doctor also said my own childhood had affected my outlook and walk in life. If Maria still blamed me, it explained what Ruth was revealing.


    ¡°As you well know, Ruth, her mental health breakdown''s have been huge. Over the last ten years, she has had four. I''m beginning to believe based on what you are telling me that Maria''s doctor might be right,¡± I said. ¡°Maria''s love has turned to hate because in her eyes I am the cause of all her mental problems.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the problem, David,¡± Ruth said firmly. ¡°I told her to look at what you have accomplished as her husband since she got married. She had to admit that you started this business just to get her out of the house. For years she would not even leave your front door. You started this store in a flea market by setting up a small booth. As her confidence started to grow you expanded the store, finally making it a real business as if you were rewarding her for her huge improvements,¡± Ruth stated.


    ¡°Now she is claiming you built this last location to trap her. She gives you no credit for what you¡¯ve done. I remember when you re merchandised the stock in this location, changing the stocks layout. It ended up doubling your sales. She denigrated you for weeks until she saw the results,¡± Ruth noted. ¡°She then said it was the best thing she ever had ever came up with. The problem was, according to her, she had to bitch for months for you to get it done.¡±


    My life was being dissected right before my eyes. It brought back a memory from when I¡¯d taken Maria back to meet my parents for the first time. I¡¯d called my dad to ask if they were going to be home during the time I planned to visit. He said yes. Are you coming, home stranger? Are you getting married? I had said yes. It would be the second time I¡¯d come home in nine years. I¡¯d run away from home at sixteen. I got through school while working in fast food.


    While we were there they were on their best behavior. We finally found the wedding ring set we wanted and got engaged in the mall parking lot. That night my dad warmly welcomed Maria into the family.


    He spoke, ¡°Son you went fishing and caught yourself a good one. Maria welcome to the family. Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re supposed to throw suckers back in.¡±


    Remembering his words now had me wondering if I had been a sucker for Maria all my life.


    ¡°Ruth!¡± I asked. ¡°Why are you telling me all this tonight?¡±


    ¡°David, Maria is about eight weeks pregnant. If you didn''t know, it doesn''t look good. She started months ago ditching her longtime friends who are members of the church. I don''t want to be stuck in the middle. As a result, I had to end my relationship with her. She said she wasn''t surprised. In anger, she accused me of doing you on the side. I got so mad I slapped her face. She just laughed. I warned her to get her head out of her ass or else she was going to lose a good man. Maria said, what good man? David is just as blind and stupid as his father. His head is so far up his ass he won''t realize anything until it¡¯s too late,¡± Ruth said with tears. ¡°David, I''m afraid it might be too late.¡±


    ¡°Anything else you can think of that I should know,¡± I asked?


    For years I put my wife¡¯s needs and my children¡¯s needs before mine. I was seeing with wide open eyes where that had brought me. I was hurt but relieved because sister Ruth just might be giving me the chance to savage something.


    ¡°Only that your lines of communications have been compromised. Not only here but at home and even the church. I have seen print outs of actual conversation you have had in the church office,¡± Ruth explained. ¡°She has someone doing it for free. For example, Maria showed me part of the chat you had with Bill Johnston concerning his sexual preferences.¡±


    I went white as a ghost. Until she mentioned that, I had some doubts. If it came out about Bill¡¯s sexuality, both he and I would be booted out. The elders would be forced to clean the house because of the loss of trust. Questions were flowing through my mind. I was wondering if I was now dealing with what my father faced. Had I treated him so wrong? Was I just reacting as he had?


    ¡°Ruth, I love you like a sister and I want to thank you for the courage you had to find to come forward with this,¡± I said in complete honesty. ¡°Do you know how far she has gotten in her plans?¡±


    ¡°Those who are helping her are starting to organize the paperwork for the divorce. They plan to involve the church, social services, the police, and the courts. They feel by hitting you hard and fast from four different directions it will keep you off balance. The more you¡¯re hit with, the less chance you will have to figure out what¡¯s really going on,¡± Ruth said sadly.


    ¡°Thank you for giving me an edge. I only hope that when it¡¯s done, we will still be friends,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°Maria is going to learn the hard way that I can protect myself, thanks to you.¡±


    ********


    The rest of the week went by quietly except for a few hours on Friday. I could see that my soon to be ex-wife kept looking at me with puzzlement in her eyes. It seemed that whenever I left the store my cell phone got left behind. I was using the time to verify that what Ruth had told me was factual. It had been.


    I contacted my lawyer to get working on things. As he said, sometimes the best offense was a strong defense. I know it¡¯s an old sport ruse. Yet he was right because I needed to foresee what moves she would make and find ways to overcome them. On Sunday I gave Maria one last chance to save our marriage.


    My Sunday sermon dealt with forgiveness, love, and mercy in the family relationship. It was nice to see how the parish responded with many wives having tear-stained eyes. After a late brunch, I went back to the store. I was waiting for an acquaintance. It was almost six in the evening when Big John walked in the front door. Noticing him, I grabbed two long ice teas and headed outside.


    ¡°Okay, John what is the shimmy?¡± I asked as I sat down. ¡°Was the information I was given right?¡±


    John is a bruiser of a man. He is tall and wide. I thought he¡¯d make a good linebacker in a football game. He worked part-time as a collector of sorts for the man on the side when payments got behind. Most of the time he ran a construction team and did quite well. I knew him because one day he¡¯d stopped to personally thank me for something I¡¯d done. Sadly, because I had no clue to what it was, I had to ask him what he was talking about. He was one of the ones I had contacted after Ruth¡¯s conversation with me.


    That was when I learned that a former employee of mine named Sharron was a distant cousin¡¯s niece. As a result, the extended family felt they owed me big time. Big John had made it clear that if I needed something it could be done with no questions asked.


    Sharron Hubbard, when I first saw her one chilly fall evening, looked out of place standing on the corner walking back and forth. She was marking her territory just like any of the street workers would. She was a natural blonde, five foot seven with a lean, tight body that oozed sexuality with every step she took. She had a well-defined eye-catching butt with long legs and firm inviting thighs that were designed to be wrapped around a man tight. The way she was dressed you knew she had class. If you knew the street, you knew she did not belong.


    Something else was going on with her life that had brought her to this point in desperation. Just by the look of her you knew it was not drugs. The street people soon learned she was not to be influenced, encouraged, or touched. If she were, that person would have to answer to me. I kept my eye on her, waiting, as I figured it would not take long.


    Finally, about three weeks later, on an extremely cold night near closing she came into the store and asked how much a small coffee cost. She started counting out the pennies in her clutch purse to see if she had enough. I told her to put her purse away and poured both of us an extra-large cup. She was surprised that I first warmed the cups up. Then I took hers and mine and sat down at one of the inside tables. She joined me and wrapped her hands around the cup to warm them up. We just sat there. I was giving her time. I was looking at the saddest blue eyes filled with despair I¡¯d ever seen.


    Finally, after all had left and the doors locked, I said, ¡°I must know why?¡± Her response almost broke my heart.


    ¡°My husband of eight years walked out of our marriage just after our first child was born. I guess he just could not see himself as a father. I''m in my last year at the local university and it¡¯s too late to qualify for student loans. Social Services have refused to help. I''m almost three months behind on my rent. Thanks to the food bank I''m able to eat but I have had to sell some of my furniture to keep the utilities on. I don''t want to quit school. I can''t find a job, so I decided to sell myself on the street. It¡¯s been three weeks. I''ve been a complete failure at that too. I haven''t been able to sell myself once. Since my family can''t help me, I''m at the end of my tether,¡± she said with tear filled eyes.


    I smiled and said, ¡°that stops today. Tomorrow is a new day. While you¡¯re at school I will have some friends move you and your possessions into a rent-free apartment. After school, bring your baby here with you. You can start working here and watch him at the same time. It only pays minimum wage, but it will be forty hours a week and the hours of work will allow you to stay in school.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Sharron asked as the tears flowed.


    I replied, ¡°At one time I was in a situation just like you. Out of the kindness of a stranger I got a helping hand.¡±


    She later learned while working at the store that there had been a lot of interest in her. Out of respect for me, no one would touch her. When she inquired why she had been told that everyone had been helped by me at some time or another. Most of them felt I was their friend. David spread the word that you were not to be touched, they said, so we made sure you weren¡¯t. You did not belong on the street so David explained that something else in her life was going on and until we find out what, we can¡¯t help her.


    Little did I know that doing what I considered was a good deed back then would provide me with a way to have doors opened that would have been remained closed.


    When they held the graduation event at the university Sharron asked me to be her escort. I had gladly gone against my wife''s wishes. Sharron had been asked to say a few words and she proudly told all her story which concluded with the fact that she was going to be working for the government agency that refused to help her.


    ¡°David, it¡¯s really bad! Thanks to the passwords and codes you have provided my contacts have been able to trace it all. Your home, the church, and this store computer are all contaminated. They have been turned not only into data sources but listening devices also. We traced it back to a man named Tony Landers who is a tenant in one of your apartments. He is a tech specialist who works for the government over at the prison,¡± John said. ¡°As for your cell phone, all it takes is a text and it¡¯s in. Get yourself a new cellphone and don''t have anything transferred, otherwise it will be contaminated. According to inside sources, Tony has been shooting his mouth off talking about his new girlfriend who is getting her divorce. It sounds like she is going to end up being loaded.¡±


    I now had a name. I just had to connect the dots. Tony Lander was a six-foot-two single alpha male, solid and thick. He was nicknamed the undertaker just like the wrestler. He had the street rep of being a prick. Most of the street people steered themselves away from him.


    ¡°John, stop by tomorrow, by then I will have a new cell phone. I will need you to get the unlisted number to Sharron. Right now, I feel she''s one of the few I can still trust,¡± I said earnestly.


    ¡°That I can do. I talk to her regularly because she has asked me to keep an eye on things. You know she hasn''t dated anyone since she met you. She has been asked out a lot since she started working for Social Services, but she always declines. I had to ask her, why? She told me that there was someone she loved who had problems that would sooner or later come to the boil. When it broke, she wanted to be there for them when they started rebuilding,¡± John said. ¡°So, I report to her and wait. I''m curious about who it might be. Other than that, she is enjoying her job. Sharron told me to let you know unofficially that they are beginning an investigation into your relationship with your children.¡±


    I looked at John in confusion. ¡°Why is she risking her career over me?¡±


    ¡°She''s just giving you what you gave her my friend,¡± John laughed. ¡°Unconditional love. Just so you know, her divorce is done. She did not take her maiden name back but took the last name of someone she honored and loved.¡±


    ********


    I was shocked because what John had disclosed had proved what sister Ruth had been claiming. Maria¡¯s plans must be further along than we thought. Later that evening my oldest son walked into the store. Adam had caught a ride with a neighbor who was driving in from near our home. I asked him if he was staying until after closing time and going back home with me. He said yes. I was glad because I could see there was something on his mind.


    ¡°Dad,¡± Adam asked. ¡°What is a facade?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I heard Mom tell someone on the phone that she has to keep the facade up for just a few more weeks than it will be all over,¡± he said. ¡°I think I know what that is but I¡¯m not sure. Mom is pretending to be in love with you but hasn''t been for a long time. It took me a long time to discover that she was having a serious relationship with a man I don''t know. I learned his first name is Tony.¡±


    Physical or emotional?¡± I asked. ¡°You know that either way it is wrong because we¡¯re married?¡±


    ¡°I know but I honestly don''t know!¡± my son replied.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re old enough to know. Your mother is about eight weeks pregnant. I discovered the rumor was true by calling the local abortion clinic to confirm her appointment. I was told it was set for next Friday. When it was disclosed to me by a family friend, I had to verify for myself if it was true. For the record, I¡¯m not supposed to know. The baby is not mine. My lawyer is already taking steps to ensure a DNA sample is obtained when she has it done. I need it to be able to prove it¡¯s not my child in court and for the church elders. The church can fire me if it was mine for allowing my wife to take a life. I''ve received information that your mother is about to file for a divorce,¡± I explained with seriousness.¡±


    I watched as my eldest drew all the information in. He appeared to be surprised by what I had just revealed to him. After giving him a few moments to digest what I had stated I went on.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to get cold and dirty amazingly fast. You are old enough that you will be able to decide who you want to live with. The court will force James to stay with his mom. She will be trying to use social services in an attempt to have them declare that I am an unfit father. I would not be surprised about anything she tries. Adam be prepared. She may try to claim in court that your brother and you are not my sons. So, during our doctor¡¯s appointment on Monday, they will be drawing blood for a DNA test. I may need to verify using science to the court that you are mine,¡± I said with authority.


    ¡°You knew, you knew, I can''t believe you knew,¡± he said with a large smile. ¡°Mom figures you know nothing about whats going on.¡±


    ¡°Adam, those with mental issues have what we call fragmented minds. They lose memories and understandings which forces them to re-form the remaining bits of memories they have into a pattern that makes sense to them. To those who have accurate knowledge, they know it has no basis of truth but it''s logical to all others. That is why you are seeing that your mother has a bunch of new friends that seem to believe what she is saying. Most end up destroying everything and everyone around them. I''m surprised we lasted this long,¡± I said. ¡°The other side is that if I had filed for divorce those who know us would have claimed I was running away from my responsibilities as a husband, a man, and a Christian. In the eyes of the church, I would have been such a failure that they would have been forced to remove me. So, I expected this might happen but didn¡¯t know when.¡±


    ********


    While our family doctor¡¯s appointment went off well considering that I had our doctor served. It took a while for him to calm down. I explained that I knew he could not explain anything about my wife''s medical condition. He was surprised that I knew about her appointment with the clinic. When I told him, they were being served so that I could prove the fetus wasn¡¯t mine, the doctor realized just how serious I was.


    ¡°She¡¯s planning to serve me with the divorce papers,¡± I said. ¡°I must make sure my sons are really mine in case she claims that I am not their father. With her mental health history, I have no choice. I wish that you could confirm my belief that¡¯s she¡¯s in a breakdown again.¡±


    Dr. Fitzpatrick reminded me he could not reveal anything but admitted that the steps I were talking under the current situation were reasonably thought out and explainable. He asked if the abortion clinic had been served. I said yes it has but they only have to provide a dna sample of my wife and the aborted child. I had to have fetus tested and compared to mine because of the complications caused by her direct actions.


    When John showed up at around seven pm, I told the staff I was headed out. We walked out of our store to the corner where the Army and Navy bar was. He was a member and could sign me in. We both ordered two large drafts. As soon as we were served, I slipped him a piece of paper. It contained my new phone number, my lawyer¡¯s address, and phone number. The last was the address and name of my doctor¡¯s office. John looked at the list and a smile came over his face.


    ¡°Tell Sharron not to contact me until she has talked to Steven Pollard, my lawyer,¡± I said. ¡°When she sees him, she¡¯ll understand why.¡±


    ¡°He handled her divorce and did not charge her a thing,¡± John said as he clued in after seeing the smile on my face. ¡°Son of a bitch you paid for it. Didn''t you?¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Just promise me she will never know. The problem is I now need something handled because I can''t get it done in a legal way. I expect Maria will be serving me my divorce papers any day. I need her medical records to show up at my lawyers in a way that can''t be traced. My second wish is that I could find a way to take down Tony Landers in such a way that will leave him the impression that his involvement with my soon to be ex has brought this down on him.¡±


    ¡°Sharron said you were a man who drew a line and when you did you would give no farther. Once you stood your ground there was no way of backing down. The street people seem to agree,¡± John said. ¡°Do you know who James and Shariah Duncan are related to? They were a couple you helped if you remember.¡±


    ¡°Honesty I don''t. When I first met them, they weren¡¯t married. James looked more like a bum as he was picking up butts off the street because he didn¡¯t have the money for smokes. Shariah worked part-time at the Turbo gas station. Both of them seemed lost and had no direction. I saw James as a diamond in the rough when I gave him a job and some self-respect. Once he cleaned up, I introduced them to each other. They did the rest. Kept their jobs, went back to school got married and the rest is history,¡± I explained. ¡° Their meeting gave them both someone to believe in. With that believe they moved mountains. Now that she has gotten her three children back, they have bought their first home and are regulars at Sunday service.¡±


    ¡°Shariah is Sean McKay''s granddaughter. He''s currently doing the back end of fifteen for money laundering. He knows it¡¯s due to your masterful touch that the family¡¯s lifelong problem was able to get his great-grandchildren back. I''ll have my contact let his contacts know how you can be shown the proper respect,¡± he said seriously. ¡°Most of the street people move here because they have relatives in the pen. Every one of them, because of your approach towards them, feel you walk on water.¡±


    ¡°John, my grandfather on my mother''s side was the only person who knew I was going to run and why? He taught me to be nice to those around me on the way up because they were the very ones, I would need on my way down,¡± I replied. ¡°As a result, I respect everyone until they show me, they don''t deserve it.¡±


    ¡°Your grandfather sounds like he was a wise man!¡± John spoke.


    ¡°He had to be,¡± I said. ¡°He raised sixteen children and was nothing but a poor dirt farmer all his life.¡±


    I don''t know how; I didn''t care because for the first time in my life I was drunk. John and I had to be kicked out at the closing time. Somehow, I made it back to the store. I must have, because I woke up lying face down on the carpet floor, barely making it to the bathroom before I vomited.


    ********


    ¡°Uncle John!¡± Sharron said firmly. ¡°You should be ashamed of yourself. You know my David doesn¡¯t drink that much. You shouldn¡¯t have allowed him to get drunk.¡±


    Sharron had always called her cousin, uncle out of the respect and love she had for both his wife and him. John¡¯s wife dotted on her son and babysat him for nothing. Johnnie at the best of times could be a real shit disturber. If he had done anything to embarrass David she would draw and quarter him.


    ¡°Now don''t be mad darling. You know it might have been the best thing for him,¡± he giggled. ¡°That poor man has been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders for a long time. With his wife''s mental problems, he''s basically raised those two boys of his on his own. I learned last night she¡¯s had four breakdowns these last ten years. Hell, we were both celebrating his upcoming freedom. He would have stayed if she hadn''t thrown their marriage away. Now he believes his obligation to her is done. As a result, I got him to open up. So, tell me, when did you know you owned his heart?¡±


    ¡°I knew it after working for him for a few months. The verbal abuse he took from Maria just for hiring me was extreme,¡± Sharron revealed. ¡°Maria hated anyone he made friends with or those who he tried to help. Anytime he spent dealing with others was time she felt belonged to her. The bitch has no respect, no understanding, or compassion. Giving a person a free cup of coffee was taking money away that she felt belonged to her. I have wanted to kill that bitch so many times. I still can''t understand how David remained so calm.¡±


    ¡°The only time I ever saw him defend himself was when she in anger demanded that he fire me,¡± Sharron stated. ¡°He went silent. I could see the anger in his eyes. He said nothing until he calmed down then he loudly said with a cold determination so all in the store could hear it. ¡°If anyone goes Maria, it will be you and if you go it will be for good.¡±


    ¡°I offered to quit but David said no. He said to me I gave my word and I¡¯ll keep it,¡± Sharron explained. ¡°That was the day I fell in love with Scott because even though I tried to explain that it did not matter he would not accept it. He ended the conversation by saying I gave my word; I keep it even if it does not mean a thing to anyone else it does to me.¡±


    ¡°I realized it last night when it slipped out that he had covered the cost of your divorce. You know he paid your dead beat ex fifteen grand to just get him to sign off,¡± John said as Sharron broke into sobs. ¡°Shit I thought you knew! Now don''t forget to talk to Steven. David feels things are finally coming to a head within the next few weeks and is preparing by putting things in order. Let me know when it¡¯s done, and I¡¯ll give you David¡¯s new number. One question though; when are you going to tell that man, he has your heart?¡±


    ********


    Debra Preston, an African American middle-aged lady, was a field officer who was working in the office catching up on her paperwork. While she was walking by Sharron''s cubical, she heard soft sobs.


    ¡°Sharron, if you feel you need to talk, come into my office,¡± Debra said.


    Debra closed the door to her office after Sharron walked in and asked her what it was all about. By the time Sharron explained it all, she¡¯d calmed down, but Debra was sobbing. Sharron did not know that Debra had been given the assignment by their boss to investigate the charges laid out against the Pastor, David McGregor.


    Debra got Sharron to reveal her former married name so she could verify the facts. If they could, it would go a long way to dispel a lot of the charges laid by Maria. It surprised Debra that neither Sharron nor David had admitted their true feelings to each other. Could it be proved that Maria had mental health problems? If she could, it would make her claims a lot less credible. After Sharron had calmed down and returned to her cubical Debra took a few minutes trying to figure out why this case so important to her supervisor?


    Maria was frantic because her soon to be ex had not come home last night. That was not like him. When she opened the store, she had discovered his cell phone sitting on the counter. That explained why her calls weren¡¯t answered, but not his actions. So where was he and why? He always kept her informed about what was going on. So far, he had been acting normally. She was glad because it appeared that he still had no clue. Now, something appeared to be wrong. She had to find out what. Had he stopped playing by her rules?


    She called the church three or four times only to get the message that the service was temporarily unavailable. That was not normal. She needed to keep control as she was fighting the feeling that it was slipping away. She had called Tony to see if he had learned anything. He had not. She texted her new friends to keep an eye out for David¡¯s car when they were out. She spent the day waiting for someone to get back to her.


    The church was in panic mode. David had called an emergency meeting of all the deacons and any elders who could attend. He¡¯d informed them of his pending divorce. He explained in detail how the communications had been compromised stressing that as a result, if anything of a personal nature got out, the church could be sued. When the staff was informed then talked to and questioned privately, the financial planner ended up admitting to an internal theft of church funds. The police were called, so were ATT¡¯s our communications supplier security. Thus, an investigation had begun.


    David talked to the head deacon privately to arranged time off so he could find a new place to live for himself and hopefully his sons. The deacon told him to hold off looking for a place until he talked to his wife. He then suggested that David take the time to take his sons on a vacation for at least a week while he worked on finding him the right place.


    ¡°We will have your assistant step in until you come back,¡± the Deacon explained. ¡°That way we will have time to sort the church''s mess out.¡±


    Maria arrived home a little later than normal to find the house quiet. As soon as she opened the side door, she realized the boys were missing. After searching the house, she noticed the note taped to the fridge. It was from David. He explained that he''d been tied up with the police most of the night because of problems within the church. While it was being investigated, he was going to take his sons to the lake for a fishing trip for at least a week. David said he would return when the elders informed him that the police were done.


    Maria was pleased because David was being David. When he most likely was feeling guilty about not giving the boys enough quality time, he''d overcompensate by doing something like this. No doubt the boys would be doing a lot of unexpected stuff and would talk about it for weeks. It reinforced in her mind that David still had no clue as to what she was doing to him. With them out of the way, Maria called her lover, Tony. An hour later Tony Lander was noticed by the head deacon Paul when he walked into David and Maria¡¯s house with a couple of suitcases.


    ********


    Thursday morning saw Steven Pollard arriving at his office early. It was going to be a remarkably busy day. After turning on the lights he headed into the break room to start the first pot of coffee of the day. That was when he noticed the large interoffice manila envelope with his name on it sitting at the small table. Undoing the clasp, he opened it up, pulling the contents out. He read the typed note saying it was from friends of Pastor David. Beneath it was four files.


    They turned out to be copies of the medical records of all of David''s family. Steve was ecstatic. It was a gold mine. Using his cell phone, he took pictures of the envelope, the note, and the four files just in case he had to prove how he came into possession of them. While he waited for the coffee to finish brewing, he took them to his secretary¡¯s desk. He left a sticky note saying copy and file. Send a copy to social services ASAP. The timing could not have been more perfect because David''s Sharron was his first client of the day.


    The files were on their way when Sharron showed up right on time. Steven''s secretary told her to directly go in. Steven explained to her that David expected his divorce to start soon. As a result, David was afraid that Maria was going to claim that they were having an affair, so he needed a declaration of facts dealing with everything about the relationship from the very beginning. It took his assistant three hours to get it all done. It was five pages long. Afterwards Sharron returned to his office.


    ¡°Sharron this is a power of attorney from David giving you the legal right to act on his behalf if the need arises,¡± Steven explained. ¡°He believes that Maria is going through another mental health breakdown. He told me to warn you that she will be more unstable and dangerous the harder she falls. With her state of mind, she could do anything and most likely will, so watch your back at all times. This is a letter for you to read from him before we can proceed.¡±


    Sharron tore open the envelope and read the first handwritten note.


    Sharron, Steve has been instructed to give you a check from my trust account set up with him. About eight months ago I refinanced my four apartment buildings, taking out as much equity as possible, knowing that if I got divorced, my wife would be entitled to at least half. Since Maria will most likely get the court to order Steven to disclose what he is holding, I need to get it out of his hands. I want you to open a joint account in both our names and deposit all the funds. Once it clears, invest most of it in short term guaranteed banknotes. That way if anything happens to me both your son and you are taken care of.


    Attached were photocopies of all his vital information. That was when Steven handed her the check for one point one million dollars. Steven saw Sharron''s tears starting to flow.


    ¡°He believes in me that much?¡± Sharron sobbed.


    Steven laughed with a big smile. ¡°He doesn''t even know you can set the account up as David and Sharron McGregor. When do you plan on telling him?¡±


    While still reeling with emotion Sharron said. ¡°Steven, you know I love him so much that it hurts. I wish there were more I could do. With the church, his wife, and his children I knew there was no hope, so I kept my feelings hidden.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know how he does it, but I believe he knows how you feel. That man is always one step ahead of the game. This morning by magic I found his soon to be ex¡¯s, his children¡¯s, and his medical records in the break room. I have sent copies to your boss,¡± Steven said.


    With that said, Steven handed Sharron a copy of her son''s new birth certificate which now had her former husband¡¯s name removed and her son¡¯s name now legally changed thanks to the court order he had obtained.


    ¡°Wow, you did it; I''m so pleased since you thought it could not be done,¡± Sharron said with a smile.


    ¡°I got your ex to swear out a declaration of facts stating that he had forged your signature on the original. I got a court order and submitted it without your knowledge. The rest was a piece of cake. Since your son is so young, he will never know,¡± Steven said.


    ¡°How can I ever thank you!¡± Sharron asked in sincerity.


    ¡°Marry David as soon as you can and name your next one after me. We both know you were made for each other and besides it¡¯s unique love story I can tell the rest of my life,¡± Steve replied.


    ********


    Cora Porter had been made the area supervisor just over two years ago when her boss retired. Cora was nearing her early sixties and was quite religious. She was known to be tough but fair. Cora required that her staff leave no stone unturned when searching for the truth. Debra Preston was not surprised to be called into her office. As she headed in, she couldn¡¯t help wondering what case her boss was looking for an update on.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    It had to be David¡¯s, she assumed because her thoughts reminded her what Cora had said when she handed her his case. He''s a pastor; a leader in the community and our investigation is likely to become public news. If the charges are true, he will end up being completely ruined. Keep it super quiet. Find out if Sharron and David are related. Make it your top priority. Debra was right and spent the next half hour explaining what she had discovered so far.


    ¡°Thank God!¡± Cora spurted out in relief. ¡°I was afraid our church was going to lose the best pastor we ever had. So, it¡¯s your belief that Sharron and David love each other but neither knows how the other feels. David doesn¡¯t know that Sharron has taken his last name. The reason I had to ask is that we received copies of all the McGregor family medical records, by courier from Steven Pollard¡¯s office.¡±


    ¡°Wow! What do they show?¡± Debra asked.


    ¡°It shows in detail, Maria¡¯s long term mental health issues and that the doctor has diagnosed that she¡¯s going through another breakdown. It shows that he had set up an abortion for her late last week. David''s file shows that he is in the process of proving it was not his and has gone as far as ordering a DNA paternity test on his kids. More importantly, there is no mention in any of the files that would support the abuse claims made by Maria. Do you have anything you¡¯re able to share?¡±


    ¡°Did you know that Sharron''s former husband left her in their eighth year, just after the birth of her son? She was in the last year of her university course. She had asked our department for help. We turned her down. I got her former married name and checked the file. We believed at the time that her husband would step up. We were wrong; he quit his high paying job and moved out of state. She got so desperate that she tried to sell herself on the street,¡± Debra said with regret. ¡°You were the one that handled her case. Too bad we didn¡¯t follow up.¡±


    Cora¡¯s face went white and her whole body shook. Debra could see that her boss was experiencing guilt, remorse, and regret. Debra knew that at time they were operating with no supervisor and that there was no follow up to make sure the files had been closed properly after a final visit.


    ¡°David put the word out on the street that Sharron was not to be touched. Since it came from him, they listened. When she finally met him, David got her to disclose her situation. It was David who gave her free rent and a job in which Sharron could watch her baby while she worked. All this has been verified by my clients. None of them have anything bad to say about David or Sharron, but Maria, that¡¯s another story.¡±


    ¡°Do tell,¡± Cora said, showing more interest than normal.


    ¡°For example, one night a couple came into the bookstore when David was working to ask him if he could spare a few dollars for some food until their student loans came in the next week. David asked them how much they did have left in the house to eat and they said not much. Instead of giving them money he went back into the supply room and came back with the biggest chicken they had ever seen. It seems a local farmer had dropped off the cleaned birds that very afternoon. He gave them that, then pulled forty dollars out of his wallet. He told them that it should be enough to tide them over until their check came in,¡± Debra explained. ¡°When Maria found out, she denigrated and verbally abused him publicly for a month because he had given away something that they could have used.¡±


    ¡°My husband has always said that David walks tall and carries a small stick,¡± Cora replied. ¡°My husband is the head deacon at our community church. When David left town with his kids on Monday, he told me that Maria had her lover move right in. He has digital proof that he''s been there ever since.¡±


    ¡°Maria''s complaint is part of the package she is presenting to the court. She brought it in with her when she put forward her claim. It even has her lawyer¡¯s name,¡± Debra said. ¡°I did not tell Sharron that Maria is claiming that David is the father of her son.¡±


    ¡°I guess that explains why Sharron had requested time off this morning because of a lawyer¡¯s appointment. David must have been getting prepared and needed to dispute the possibility of false claims. David''s greatest asset is his ability to look at all the possible outcomes of a situation from all sides and prepare himself for whatever happens. It is what keeps him so calm. When you complete your report, send a copy of your findings to Steven Pollard. Since he has helped us out, let¡¯s do the same for him. Be sure to put my failure to follow up on Sharron in the report,¡± Cora said.


    ¡°Well, it won''t be complete until I interview him, but there''s now no doubt Maria was trying to get us to destroy him,¡± Debra said. ¡°If we hadn¡¯t received the medical reports, she most likely would have got away with it.¡±


    ¡°So now we know why Sharron has refused all offers for a date. Most of the men call her a cold fish. Her heart wasn¡¯t in it,¡± Cora said with glee. ¡°Because it already belongs to someone else.¡±


    It was twelve-thirty when Sharron returned to her desk and immediately got down to work. Her mind was thinking of what if''s and other dreams, so she found it hard to get into her routine. Though she tried not to be, she was worried about David and the problems he was having to face. Sharron was surprised when Cora interrupted her and asked her to follow her to her office.


    ¡°First of all, young lady, I now know about your relationship with my pastor and his soon to be ex,¡± Cora said firmly. ¡°My husband, Paul told me that David has taken his sons on a fishing trip for a week so he can explain to the boys and help them adjust. He will be returning to town on Monday. I want to apologize for the way I handled your case two years ago. I should have followed up and didn''t. It was a rookie mistake, but I wasn''t. Thank God for David for saving us all. As for David, he has been cleared of all the charges made against him thanks in part to Steven Pollard, but his file will remain open by state law for six months.¡±


    .


    Sharron sighed in relief. ¡°Thank you for letting me know.¡±


    ¡°Starting the first of the month, you¡¯re being promoted to a regular field caseworker. It¡¯s a salaried position. So, I changed your timecard for today to reflect field training work,¡± Cora said. ¡°My husband is the head deacon of our church. David calls him boss. Since David and the boys left, Maria''s boyfriend has been staying with her. Debra will be sending Steven Pollard all our information. We know that she is accusing him of adultery with you, child molestation, along with physical and mental cruelty. She''s also claiming your son is his.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, David did it again. I don''t know how he does it. He always seems to know. He got a message to me through a mutual friend that I needed to see Steven Pollard. That is why I need the time off this morning,¡± she said, ¡°how is he otherwise?¡±


    ¡°When was the last time you actually talked to him, may I ask?¡± Cora said.


    ¡°The night of my graduation from the university. He proudly escorted me, against his wife''s wishes,¡± Sharron said. ¡°He wouldn''t even give me a congratulatory kiss.¡±


    ¡°A friend of his took David out Monday night and got him drunk. Paul said it was the best medicine that David could have ever received. David said he awoke to find all the stress and pressure gone. When he left that day, he was relaxed. Thank God. With what he''s gone through he was overdue for a heart attack. When he returns, he will be moving into what had been my parent¡¯s home. It¡¯s on our property so I have arranged a cleaning crew so that it¡¯s ready,¡± Cora said, noticing the relief in Sharron''s face. ¡°He''s agreed to rent the furnished place for a year.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why I changed my name to McGregor?¡± Sharron asked.


    ¡°To honor the man, you loved but thought you would never have,¡± Cora replied. ¡°Let¡¯s go to lunch I have someone you have to meet. It¡¯s my husband, Paul and we¡¯ve got some planning to do.¡±


    ********


    Monday morning found my two sons and I parked in front of a warehouse store to pick up the pre-shaped packing boxes I would need for moving. While the boys finished their breakfast from McD''s, I went in and paid for the stuff I¡¯d ordered. It was nine o''clock in the morning when we pulled into our driveway. Once inside, the first thing I did was type up a letter for my soon to be ex and print it. Using wardrobe boxes, we quickly packed and loaded all my hanging clothes. Next came everything else. My tools, personal books, and church-related stuff came last. The computer, the desk, chair, and related supplies were loaded to. Adam and I went through my personal tools. I allowed him to choose what he wanted to keep; the rest went with me. I removed my household keys and tucked them in the envelope with my letter, leaving it on the kitchen table. After kissing my son''s goodbye, I took off my wedding band giving it to my oldest son, saying ¡®you¡¯re the man of the house now, this should be yours.¡¯


    It was an hour later that I started to unload my stuff in my new place. The 2400 square foot, two-level, three-bedroom furnished house was perfect. It even had a small eight by ten room that would be great for my home office. One phone call had the electricity on. I was just about done when Paul walked up.


    ¡°David, Cora has supper just about ready so why don''t you join us. That will give us a chance to get caught up in the church business. Besides, you look like you¡¯re ready for a break,¡± Paul expressed.


    So, we headed up to the main house after I¡¯d washed myself up. By the time we reached the patio, Cora was standing there holding a cold beer for us. Man, it tasted good. For some reason, Cora was walking around in an extremely happy mood. I wondered why. After Cora went back inside to work on supper, Paul told me our financial planner had been charged with theft. Our total loss was over seventy-five thousand dollars. Two fellow staff members were under suspension, pending final decisions being made by the district attorney¡¯s office. The hacking of our communications had been linked to Tony Landers¡¯ apartment and the local state prison. Charges would soon be laid. I pretended to have no clue.


    ********


    Maria pulled into her driveway noticing that her husband¡¯s car was not in the garage. By the time the garage door came back down, the boys had the side door open to allow her in. They were excited, both trying to tell her what they¡¯d done, what they¡¯d eaten and what exciting things they did with each other. She asked if they knew where their father was? The boys got noticeably quiet. Adam pointed to the envelope laying on the kitchen table.


    .           ¡°Dad''s not stupid, Mom,¡± he said, ¡°he told us about your plans and prepared us for it last week! We helped him move out.¡±


    Adam and James watched their mother¡¯s face go white. After taking his letter out, she saw his house keys fall to the table. It read; I know about your abortion. I know your lover was sharing our bed this last week. I know about child services. I leave you the house keys. I have taken what I wanted. I will have the store locks changed tomorrow. You can pick up your termination papers and final check any day next week. Now you¡¯re free to have Tony Landers move back in.


    Maria started to cry because it was not supposed to go this way. She wanted him down, out and destroyed. Living with the street people he always helped. She was losing the chance of revenge. Since he had destroyed her life, he had to pay. She swore she would find another way.


    ********


    Paul and I were in the middle of our second beer when we both heard the front doorbell ring. I saw a huge smile come across his face, so I knew something was up, so I just prepared myself.


    ¡°Cora has developed a remarkably close relationship with a coworker thanks to what has been going on at her work, the church and with you. I think she''s gone overboard. Her coworker had needed the states Social Services help at one time, and she screwed up. Cora now says she''s becoming the daughter she wished she had. My youngest son had wanted to ask the lady out the first time he met her, but Cora shut that down fast. After talking with me, Cora got me to agree that things had to be made right. Sorry, David, we¡¯re both sandbagging you tonight,¡± Paul said. ¡°I think you will be more than pleased with the result.¡±


    Paul was not a schemer, so I was in complete puzzlement trying to figure out who we both knew that they wanted me to meet. There was Sharron but no one knew how I felt. She was just one of many that I¡¯d helped. I heard steps approaching, stood up and turned towards Cora and her friend. I was completely shocked. Sharron looked stunning.


    ¡°David, I believe you have met my coworker. In fact, I know your old friends,¡± Cora said in glee. ¡°This is Ms. Sharron McGregor. Sharron this is David.¡±


    Before I could even open my mouth, Sharron had run into my arms. I don''t know which one of us started crying first. To this day, we never forgot our first kiss, with tears of joy running down our faces. We were both emotional wrecks, but we didn¡¯t care. I couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯d taken my last name.


    ¡°Cora lets go into the house and give them some privacy,¡± Paul said just before he headed into the house.


    Cora and Paul watched the two of us locked in each other arms, realizing that we were finding it hard to accept that we were together after so long. It brought back memories of when Paul was in the army and how lovingly those homecomings were. Paul wondered if David was finally being rewarded for all those painful years. It gave both Cora and him a deeper appreciation of how these two young lovers felt. They were both incredibly pleased at how it had all gone.


    ¡°Were we like that when I came home from halfway around the world?¡± Paul asked.


    ¡°Remember dear, we were able to communicate with letters from each other almost every day. We could express our love to each other. David is a pastor; a married man with children who couldn¡¯t openly admit anything. If Maria hadn¡¯t started it, David would still be at her side trying to do what he thought was right. It was her conduct that allowed this to happen tonight. Perhaps it¡¯s the best thing she''s ever done,¡± Cora explained. ¡°The release of their built-up emotions are overwhelming them. For them, finding a release for the first time must be like the walls of Jericho coming down. Knowing what we know, I am immensely proud of both of them because in trying to protect each other they set a high standard for us all. Let¡¯s pour some champagne to celebrate with, as we explain how their meeting came to be.¡±


    Sharron and I finally parted when Cora and Paul came out, but we kept holding hands. We could not help but notice the glow on their faces. Meeting her was so long overdue, but it made a lot of things complicated for me with the church. I knew I had to consider handing in my resignation as the pastor. I was still a married man in the eyes of God and the law.


    ¡°We had a very shortened service on Sunday. It still went more than a good hour overtime because we had to explain to the parish what was going on. We disclosed the theft, the compromising of our communications and the investigations going on. What took the longest was what was going on outside the church with myself and Sharron. The deacons had met earlier and decided on a course of action, but we felt we needed to get our parish¡¯s approval,¡± Paul said.


    ¡°I stood before them and informed them about the false charges laid against you. I made it clear that social services had investigated and found them untrue,¡± Cora broke in. ¡°I disclosed the fact that Maria had had an abortion. That medical records proved the child was not yours. Maria by her conduct has left the church. Paul explained how he had a video of Maria''s boyfriend moving in while you were away. Sister Ruth then stood up and spoke.¡±


    ¡°Ruth explained that you had been living in a loveless marriage ever since your wife had her first breakdown. She talked about the verbal abuse your sons and you had endured. Ruth said the Maria she knew no longer existed. To many, that was a shock. I was enormously proud when she admitted that it was, she who told you what was going on. Ruth''s final point was that she believed Maria was in a mental health break down that she was had reached the point where she would be capable of doing harm to others including herself,¡± Paul said. ¡°I then explained because of the circumstances of what had been learned that the deacons had agreed to recognize David as already being divorced if the rest of them agreed. Every adult stood up to show their approval.¡±


    ¡°That''s when I said that Maria was trying to smear your good name and explained how I had met Sharron through our work. I admitted my failure as her social worker. I told them how you had stepped in to turn it all around. I had to disclose it all so I could prove that the charges of adultery against you were not true. I hope you¡¯re not mad, David. I know that you¡¯re a very private man. I did it because I wanted to explain that I felt the two of you were in love but had never acted on it.¡± Cora said.


    ¡°I explained that you would be living in what used to be my parent¡¯s house. Since we had all agreed to recognize you as being divorced, I reminded them all that during the time of Jesus, for a man to be viewed as married all it took was for him to take her to his tent. Isn''t that what Joseph did with Mary. I said for divorce all he had to say is ¡®I divorce you¡¯ and it was considered done. So, the deacons proposed that when Sharron has an engagement ring on her finger, they will consider you acting as man and wife biblically. I can gladly say the parish is in full agreement,¡± Paul said in glee.


    ¡°So that is why we set this up,¡± Cora joyfully said. ¡°The rest is up to you two. We have done all we can. Let''s go eat.¡±


    Paul asked me if I wanted to lead in grace, but I declined because I was so emotional. Having Sharron beside me openly was still consuming me. I could not stop looking into her eyes. Both of us had huge, big-faced grins. The meal was over the top. Cora had really put on a spread. Steak, baked potato, a cob of corn, and a salad. As Cora cleared the table before getting dessert, they noticed that I had gotten quiet.


    Cora, concerned, asked. ¡°David, have we done something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, I have!¡± the three of them looked at me like I was crazy, ¡°I have been so wrapped up with seeing Sharron that I forget to ask where and how the munchkin is.¡±


    Sharron laughed.


    ¡°David, John McGregor is staying with Uncle John and Aunt Margaret tonight because I did not know how late I would be. He is an active two-year-old boy who keeps me quite busy,¡± she said with a wink and a smile. ¡°I have to warn you that Uncle John expects you to learn some serious Irish songs because he likes to sing when he''s been drinking.¡±


    Cora, Paul, and I were flabbergasted until she explained. ¡°Steve Pollard had his original birth certificate thrown out by court order because of my ex admitting it was fraudulently created. So, when he submitted the corrected form, his name was changed, and you were registered as the birth father. So now you¡¯re the dead beat dad of my son.¡±


    Paul and I retired to the den while the ladies tidied the kitchen. I thanked them for doing what they had done. I had to admit; I was still in shock. Paul pointed out that Sharron had proven she was going to wait forever. That kind of love is rare and hard to find. If I, were you, I would take her to the jewelry store and get that diamond tonight because neither of you is going to sleep. Become Joseph and then take your Mary to your tent. So that''s what I did. After saying good night, I asked her to drive me to the mall as I needed to get a few things. She just handed me the keys to her car.


    We went to Jarod''s where she picked out a three-ring set. After purchasing it, I got the big diamond out and got down on my knees. Sharron blushed and said yes.


    We went to her apartment so she could grab some clothing then went back to our new home. Sharron took a picture of the ring, sending it to both Cora and Aunt Marge. She carried on texting the two of them until we got back. Cora had told her that she would be doing field training according to the timecard so as not to worry about coming in. I know you will want to move in asap. Have David drop by so Debra can honestly say she talked to him.


    I wish I could say that we spent the night making mad raw passionate love. I can''t. We were still floating on air. I told her I regretted not taking her out for a romantic dinner, but Sharron just laughed.


    ¡°This has been a romantic dream come true. I think I fell in love with you over our first cup of coffee when you gave me hope and a chance to dream,¡± Sharron explained. ¡°How many can say they had a whole parish bring them together dear?¡±


    We ended up falling asleep on top of the bed still fully clothed; our bodies locked together. We both woke up many times because our minds needed convincing that this was real.


    ********


    Everyone could not help but notice how upbeat Cora was that Tuesday morning when she walked in more than a few minutes late. Her face seemed to glow. Some were wondering if she had gotten lucky last night. Cora loved it when her plans turned out better than expected. With her married sons so far away the grandchildren''s visits were almost nonexistent, and she looked forward to having a little one around again.


    Sharon and I met John and Marge at Denny''s for breakfast. It was good to see little Johnnie. He took to me like a fish in the water. Once Sharron decided what she wanted to keep, we got to work. The items we would be putting in storage we loaded first. Using the wardrobe boxes, it did not take long to get that part done. Then we loaded up the baby furniture and went back to unload while the girls cleaned out the apartment. On the way back we dropped the stuff at the storage unit and returned to load what was going to Goodwill. By one, we appeared to have it all done so Sharron went to work.


    It was nearing four when I went to the counter at the social services office to see if Debra was in. She was so I waited for her to come out to get me. When she greeted me, she was shocked to see me with a two-year-old and a diaper bag in my arms. As we worked our way back to her office, Debra spoke.


    ¡°I thought your children were older.¡± she said, ¡°So I''m wondering who this little boy is with you?¡±


    I laughed and responded, ¡°This little fellow came back into my life thanks to some very special friends.¡±


    ¡°My office is right here.¡± She said, ¡°Come on in.¡±


    ¡°Not without me you won''t,¡± Sharron said appearing at my side, sliding her hand into mine. ¡°Anything being done with David now has to include me.¡±


    Debra''s mouth dropped in surprise. Sharron giggled, her face glowing in pride. She then held up her left hand and said he''s promised to make an honest woman out of me as soon as he is free. Debra screamed her congratulations. Sharron then introduced her son. Very quickly the hall filled up with people wondering what was going on. Cora slipped in and took Johnnie from me while ordering everyone to break it up. As Debra made some notes in my file, I heard someone say now I know why I never got to first base. The four of us spent the last hour talking.


    Sharron and I stopped at the grocery store before we went home, just to pick up a few basics to tie us over until we stocked the house. Every married man knows quite well it¡¯s not worth arguing with a woman on the price or brand of household supplies. Every man stupid enough to open his mouth has already lost the battle.


    We took two carts. I pushed Johnnie while following his mother around. I was entertaining him as Sharron filled them up. I did not notice when or how Maria and Sharron met up. I just heard the swearing and looked up to see Sharron walking up to her. Their eyes were flaring. Their nostrils looked as if they could blow flames.


    ¡°Maria, you stupid bitch, I have been waiting for this day,¡± Sharron said getting in her face.


    ¡°I knew you two were involved,¡± Maria said as she raised her hand, slapping Sharron hard.


    It left a red mark. Maria started calling her every foul name in the book. Sharron''s first blow hit Maria in the gut. Maria swung back just as hard. The catfight was on. I stood back, not wanting to get between these two determined ladies. Their anger was edging them both on. It was drawing a lot of attention.


    ¡°Maria, you blame him for your pathetic life. I praise him for saving mine. You threw what you had away just to get your revenge. Bitch, it¡¯s not going to work,¡± Sharron said. ¡°So, I have to thank you for driving him to me. I claim him. He''s mine. Go after him bitch, and you¡¯re going after me. I can be just as dirty as you because I learned how to be by watching you.¡±


    They charged at each other. Hands and bodies hitting each other in such a way as to maximize the hurt. It was Sharron that took Maria down to the floor before landing right on top of her. The way Maria landed her hip was going to be sore for quite a while. Both were landing punches as they went. The store staff finally showed up to break them up. As they led Maria away, she yelled ¡®we¡¯re not done. I''m going to make you pay.¡¯ Sharron yelled back, ¡®go for it bitch.¡¯ Sharron, in front of all, gave me a deep kiss then hollered, ¡®Maria, remember, I fight for my man. Maria started crying. It wasn¡¯t going according to the plan. I knew she was losing it.


    ********


    It was ten o''clock in the morning and I was sitting at my store, having appointed a new store manager and two new assistants when I got served. The paperwork contained a court order freezing all our bank accounts. I was restricted from being within 500 feet of her or my kids. It proved my thinking right. I was beating her at her own game. I called Steve Pollard¡¯s office and requested a copy of the store¡¯s incorporation papers so I could prove ownership of it because things were coming to a head. I had my staff fax him a copy of the divorce papers.


    A few minutes later, my soon to be ex-wife¡¯s youngest brother pull up on his motorcycle. After getting off he walked over to me.


    ¡°Listen asshole, you hit my sister or touch your sons again I will kill you,¡± He spoke, ¡°she told me everything. I know about your illicit affair and your new son.¡±


    The fool was buying her lies!


    I laughed, ¡°Are you sure about that? Maybe you should ask Tony Landers, the man she¡¯s shacked up with. Better yet, have you talked to our sons.¡±


    His face went red when I said I¡¯d recorded his threat and would pass it on. He was an asshole who had never really grown up. He worked to buy his drugs while still living at home. I also had a video of when he tried to get my oldest son to buy grass for him because he owed his dealer too much.


    It was about one o''clock when Maria walked through the store¡¯s front door with two police officers. It was funny because the locksmith was changing the locks. One was a female, one a man. She had a court order to take possession of the store because it was a marital asset. Once it was served, they wanted me to leave the premises.


    That''s when I pulled out the corporation papers showing that it owned the store and that I was just a corporate representative. The male police officer left the store and when he came back in, he said the court order had been voided. I handed my soon to be ex her termination papers. She lost it and screamed. It wasn¡¯t going according to her plans.


    I raised the question of entrapment. The police asked why? I showed them my copy of the restraining order. They led Maria out the door trying to calm her down. I smiled knowing that in their logs it would not look good for Maria.


    I had gotten Johnnie finally settled down for the night. This house was slowly becoming a home. Sharron and I had prepared our first meal together while Johnnie entertained himself in the highchair. The little two-year-old was getting quite attached to me.


    I walked into the master bedroom to discover Sharron was in the shower. I quickly undressed and slid in behind her. Using the body soap and a washcloth I began to soap down her body as I discovered it for the first time. From the top of her neck, I massaged her down with lathered soap using the gentlest of touch. Slowly, I worked down her back and along her sides heading towards her waist. Reaching around, I soaked the washcloth then worked more body soap before using the same technique on her soft full rear cheeks making sure my finger explored her folds. I continued my exploring, soaping down the outside and the inside of her thighs; not stopping until I had reached the back of her feet.


    Standing up, I got her to turn around so the water from the shower was hitting the back of her body. I started with her face, soaping down her facial cheeks between planting kisses. Soaping down her neck and the front side of her shoulders; moving down the top of her chest until I reached the orbs of her breasts. I slowed down, making sure I gave that area of her body extra attention. Her nipples were erect as my soapy washcloth and my hands lingered quite a while before continuing down over her tummy.


    Once again, I soaked the washcloth and put more body soap on it before doing the front part of her thighs, then moving steadily downward till I had completed her legs. She had stepped back into the water allowing its gentle spray to run down the front of her body. I was on my knees when I moved into her Y. I started kissing its outer lips, then I explored it with my moist tongue. Sharron must have found what I was doing very erotic because she was already moist. Using my tongue¡¯s tip, I began to explore the inner side of her outer lower lips. I could hear her moans, so I pushed right in. I could taste the sweetness of her juice as it flowed into my mouth.


    I flicked my tongue around, looking for her man in the boat that was being soaked to the extreme. When I found it, I went at it like a kid licking a popsicle. I could feel her hands on the back of my head. I wondered if she was holding my head or steadying herself. The hot water was running out, but I did not stop until she climaxed at least once. Then I got up and turned the water off.


    Sharron met me in a deep tongue exchanging kiss as our bodies met together naked for the first time. My stiffness pressed into her.


    I love you was whispered to each other before separating to climb out and dry off. I used the soft towel patting each wet spot down until she was done then she did the same for me. Naked we climbed into our bed for the first time. I could see the passion, the love, and the fire in her eyes.


    ¡°No man has ever worshipped my body like you did or treated it with such tenderness and respect,¡± Sharron said. ¡°Now I want to mount you, drawing you into me while looking into your eyes.¡±


    So, she did. There was no further foreplay. She climbed over me with her legs bent and her body resting on her knees she guided my manhood to her and lowered herself down. The heat of her womb was consuming. Her wetness and tightness engulfed me as she slid down further. Finally, my testicles rested against her flesh. I arched up as she moved down, and our mouths and tongues met. We were filled with the need to share a deep long kiss.


    Thus, we began making this our lover¡¯s dance, with both of us trying to put the needs of the other first. I let her ride me as she saw fit, watching her body movement. Our passions were exploding. I was trying to see it through her eyes. We both realized we were giving ourselves fully to the other for the first time. I could tell she was having a mini organism the way her body suddenly stopped then started again, breaking the flow of the moment. Once she recovered, we started again working at building each other to the very edge. Using my fingers, I ran them up and down the sides of her body before focusing their attention on her nipples. I twilled them back and forth. Then stretched them before releasing as I tried to discover what turned her on. When she said ¡®now,¡¯ I released, shooting my seed as deep into her as I could. Each time my manhood pulsed; her muscles gripped me more.


    Sharron collapsed upon me with my semi hardness still inside her as she moaned, ¡°It was so good.¡±


    ********


    Little Johnnie woke me up before the alarm clock went off, so I got up to get him after throwing my pajama bottoms on. I brought him to our bed after I got him ready for the day. Sharron looked so peaceful and contented this morning. Johnnie and I started horsing around and it was his giggles that woke her up. Sharron slowly opened her eyes. She had a huge look of contentment shining through.


    After Sharron left to drop off Johnnie before she went to work. I started to prepare the outline for Sunday¡¯s sermon. It was based fully on Mathew 5:7 ¡°blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.¡± I wrote it to explain how God sees everything. That sometimes the littlest thing one does can be an act of mercy upon another. By the time I was done, I had used eight scriptures and two illustrations in the forty-five-minute sermon. With research time it had taken me over four hours to get it done. From this point, I would start to memorize it. I emailed my assistant his copy.


    It was time for me to get back to my regular schedule. My assistant, who served as our youth pastor, had stepped up big time. We normally split the office duties. He went in in the mornings while I took over for the afternoons. The office was open to the members three days a week, but we were both on call twenty-four seven.


    After a shit, a shave, and a shower, I got dressed in a suit. I called our receptionist informing her I was now back on my regular schedule. She said, ¡®good see you after lunch.¡¯


    After supper, I went into my home office. I took the printed copy of my sermon and began working on it. Each time I rehearsed it; changes were made. I had to get the sermon to the point where it seemed natural. Sharron stood at the entrance of the room watching me as I worked it. I was still dressed in my suit. She smiled, noticing that my hands were always moving unless I was reading the scripture I was stressing.


    ¡°I could watch you all day,¡± Sharron said. ¡°Each time you pause I see your mind working. You¡¯re improving it by finding out by discovery what works better.¡±


    ¡°Each sermon outline I compose has a certain theme, with major points mentioned. The rest comes by working it through in my mind. Another person can take it and make it their own,¡± I replied. ¡°Like Jesus, I try to simplify it to the point that those who hear it that day will take it with them when they leave. A great teacher leaves an impression of thought in those who hear them in their mind.¡±


    Friday night I was at the store doing paperwork when my youngest son, James showed up. At ten years old he was big for his age. As soon as I saw him, I knew he was upset. His clothes were dirty. His face was tear-stained. I grabbed a couple of cokes and muffins and led him to the last table furthest from the store¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°What wrong, James?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I heard Mom and Tony fighting loudly. I got scared,¡± James said.


    I could relate to that. As a child, I could remember feeling the same way. I explained to him why he had never heard his mother and I argue like that.


    ¡°James, for a lot of people, what your mom and Tony were doing is quite normal. Sometimes serious discussions get overheated because of its human nature that causes our emotions to get us carried away. There is not much I can do. Neither of them will listen to anything I say,¡± I said with natural concern.


    ¡°Can I come and stay with you for a few days?¡± my youngest son asked.


    I got up after explaining that I would be right back. I went into the file taking the restraining order out. I gave it to James and allowed him to read it.


    I waited for him to hand it back to me before I spoke.


    ¡°James, I would love to be able to say yes. Sadly, the court order your mother got makes that impossible. I¡¯m in a situation where if I took you home, I could be arrested and jailed.¡± I explained.


    Just then, one of the clerks showed up and said ¡°It¡¯s your wife on the phone. She¡¯s demanding that she be able to talk to you.¡±


    I brought James into the small office and asked him to remain quiet before I clicked the phone¡¯s speaker on.


    ¡°Hello, Maria, what do you want?¡± I spoke.


    ¡°James saw Tony and I fighting. He¡¯s disappeared. I think he is on his way to you. If you see him send him home. The court order makes it clear that you are not allowed to have any contact with him. If you don¡¯t send him home. I will contact the police department. If he is with you, you are dead meat,¡± Maria stated. ¡°I would love to see you in jail.¡±


    James heard that and ran out. He told a clerk ¡¯Tell my dad I was never here,¡¯ before leaving the store. By the time I got off the phone and through the door, he was gone. I called the police station and explained what had transpired. I faxed them a photo of him from my wallet. After receiving it the officer said dispatch will send an alert out.


    I called Sharron to let her know what had been going on. She knew I was worried.


    ¡°Stay at the store. The elementary school routinely teaches children that if they¡¯re in danger to call 911. James just might do that. If he does, they will transfer his call to the child services emergency helpline. Only they can overrule the state court order,¡± Sharron explained. ¡°James ran to protect you.¡±


    I knew Sharron was right. Being a worrywart dad is not good. I kept walking in and out of the store trying to see if he was around. My staff being supportive, they kept telling me things would be fine. It took about an hour before I received a call from social services. James had done what Sharron thought.


    I disclosed, to the representative, about the court order and why? I also stated that I¡¯d been investigated by the local office and that I had been cleared. The problem is that I still had the court order standing against me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got James on the other line. Will you take him in and keep him if you could?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, I have rented a three-bedroom furnished home. There is room for James and his brother if he wants to come. The problem is, James heard his mother say that she would have me thrown in jail if she caught me with him.¡±


    ¡°Give me a fax number. I will send you a temporary custody order that will allow you to keep custody until the issue is fully resolved. I will also inform the local police department,¡± She replied.


    I agreed joyfully.


    ¡°Your son is on his way to you at the store,¡± the agent stated.


    I called Sharron to let her know that she was right.


    Sharron must have been watching for us because she was at the door before, we got out of my car. James ran into her arms as if they were old friends. While she had worked for me, she had spoiled him rotten.


    ¡°Grab Johnnie, we got to get James some clean clothing, something to eat and a shower,¡± Sharron said. ¡°I¡¯ve already got his bed made up.¡±


    So off we went to Walmart then Macy¡¯s. Like most, we ended up getting more then we needed. Sharron finally got James to try on a suit. He balked but she put her foot down explaining that since she would be going to my church for the first time. We both must present ourselves together at our best.


    ¡°James, first impressions are often misleading. With what is happening with us all right now we have to present a united front for your dad,¡± Sharron explained. ¡°I will be more inspected because they know you are his son.¡±


    James asked, ¡°Will everything about us being together be questioned?¡±


    ¡°Indirectly, yes. They will be watching how we react to each other together and with little Johnnie. Although they have already approved of what we¡¯re doing publicly, what they personally feel maybe something different,¡¯ Sharron expressed.


    ¡°James, she¡¯s right. Apply it to yourself for a second. Ask yourself if any of your friends have said one thing about you to your face and something else to a mutual friend behind your back,¡± I added. ¡°That¡¯s the situation that Sharron and I are in, put simply.¡±


    I was pleasantly surprised by how James accepted his new reality. It surprised me when he told Sharron right out, that Sunday morning, as she inspected him in his new suit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I like the term stepmom and using your name just seems too formal. Is it ok when I¡¯m asked that I refer to you as my second mom?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Yes of course,¡± Sharron replied. ¡°If you agree to be our ring bearer when we get married.¡±


    I was worried but would not admit it. As the four of us entered the church I realized that I had not needed to be. Paul and Cora were waiting for us. As soon as we arrived, Cora took little Johnnie into her arms. Soon she was telling all she was his godmother. Sharron was introduced as my intended. Quite a few comments were made about her ring. Everyone commented on how beautiful she looked. I agreed fully with that. I heard James explaining to his friends that soon Sharron was going to be his second mom. Paul opened the service then invited me to the platform.


    Although Sharron had heard me repeatedly as I worked out my sermon, I have to say her attention to me seemed a bit extreme. Sharron, James, and John sat with Paul and Cora. Uncle John and Aunt Marge were sitting on the other side of her. It was their first time in our church.


    I focused on the beatitudes which are in the fifth chapter of Matthew. I brought out the point that applying Christian standards had brought relief and blessings into my life. Every man knows it¡¯s their spouse that keeps peace in their house. Too often we take them for granted. Other times instead of asking, we assume. Don¡¯t forget, my dear ladies, these words can apply to you. That brought out a few smiles and chuckles. I ended the sermon with the scripture found in Hebrews were the bible writer implied ¡°do not accept another man¡¯s sin for they will be added to you on judgment day.¡±


    ¡°Look at me and my situation;¡± I said, ¡°it¡¯s the sins of another that brought what happened to a head. None of us could stop it yet we must deal with the circumstances and move on. We forgive, but never forget and remain forever guarded because of it.


    After the service, I went to the front entrance with Sharron at my side so introductions could be made. She got more than a few tips on how to be a pastor¡¯s wife. The eight of us went out to brunch. During brunch, Marge commented on how well she liked the sermon. Sharron then explained about watching me working on it.


    ¡°I never realized just how much prep work it takes. Even the sermon today was a little stronger and different,¡± she said.


    Paul convinced James to work with him on the farm. Little did we know that he would develop a love of the land. James would end up being a farmer like his namesake had.


    We had peace and quiet for a couple of weeks. My first court appearance was soon coming up regarding the divorce. One of my regular staff was sick; as a result, I worked the store that Tuesday night. I had locked up, vacuumed the floors, cleaned the tables, preparing the store for the next day.


    As I walked out the back door at midnight into the darkness I was attacked. I felt the knife going into my side just before I went down. The next thing I knew I was in the hospital.


    I was still coming out of it. Not knowing where I was when I heard a voice calling out. What they said did not make sense in my mind. I opened my eyes, seeing nothing because everything was a blur. I just knew someone was holding my hand. I felt exhausted drained and tired. All I wanted to do was go back to sleep. I wanted to close my eyes. ¡®Fight it,¡¯ a voice kept saying. You¡¯ve got to stay awake. I forced open my eyes trying to focus. Slowly, I followed the voice. Driving me towards a clearing in the fog.


    ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡± Cried Sharron in relief, ¡°he¡¯s going to make it. God heard my prayers.¡±


    Almost instantly, doctors and nurses surrounded me. Lights were shone into my eyes. The stethoscope felt cold upon my chest. My blood pressure was being taken, so was my heart rate. There appeared to be a bunch of tubes flowing out of me.


    ¡°Welcome back, Pastor, we thought we lost you for a while. It was a tight race,¡± A doctor I did not know said. ¡°Sharron, your wife made us fight like never before. She was right when she said my David¡¯s too stubborn to die. She¡¯s been here all night waiting for some good news.¡±


    ¡°Can I see her.?¡± I asked with my eyes still fighting to open.


    ¡°I¡¯m here baby. Cora and Paul are here to. They¡¯re in the surgery waiting room.¡± Sharron said.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You got stabbed seven times after leaving the store,¡± Sharron said. ¡°Uncle John went looking for you when you didn¡¯t come home. It was he that called 911 while trying to slow down you¡¯re bleeding. They didn¡¯t believe that you were going to make it; I did. They had to use eight pints of blood during the night. Your inners had been torn apart that much.¡±


    The doctor said, ¡®he¡¯s stabilizing; all his vital signs are good. If he has no infections or flare-ups, he¡¯ll be released in about a week.¡¯


    I looked at Sharron, seeing the worry and stress upon her face. She was tired and needed rest. Looking around the room, I noticed it was eleven. It must have been in the morning because there was daylight flooding through the window. Sharron leaned over, kissing my cheek just as her tears of relief let go.


    I wished I could hold her, but I didn¡¯t have the strength. Thankfully, the call button lay at my right hand. I pushed it and the nurse¡¯s aide came in. I asked her to find Cora and Paul and get them to come in. She found them. Cora got Sharron to settle down. We talked about my ordeal and how I was coping with it. Sharron explained that both our boys were with Marge and John. The nurse came in and requested that they do not stay long because I needed to rest.


    ¡°They caught the guy who stabbed you,¡± Paul said. ¡°He is a mentally challenged adult with the mentality of an eight-year-old. He has admitted that he is a friend of Maria¡¯s.¡±


    Sharron said ¡°Cora, Paul when I last talked to Steven Pollard, he warned me that David thought Maria could be dangerous. That¡¯s when I was given the power of attorney for my David.¡±


    ¡°The question is, will the police be able to tie the attack to Maria or does she escape again. If no money changed hands, there is only the suggestion. Which won¡¯t hold up in court,¡± I explained. ¡°Sharron, let Uncle John know he¡¯s not to do something stupid.¡±


    They said their goodbye¡¯s because they could see I was falling asleep.


    It was ten days of living hell for Sharron before I was released. Cora and Paul stood fully beside her. Paul and James were developing a deep friendship. Everything they did together on the farm was pure enjoyment to both. Paul said his own boys never bonded in the way that he and James had. Everything he does seems natural to him. When I explain something to him, he listens, thinks about it, and then asks what if we do this or that. I must admit that boy of yours has gotten me thinking about a lot of things. Together we have changed a few practices for the better.


    As soon as I was home that Friday morning, Sharron started to relax. Marge and John were coming over for dinner on Saturday. It came out that Sharron¡¯s greatest fear was that I was going to make her a widow before we were married. I picked up my cell and called Steven¡¯s office, leaving a message for him to call me.


    Johnnie was down for his afternoon sleep. James was in the fields with Paul. I was still weak, so I was laying down on the master bed watching a rerun of law and order when Sharron joined me. I took her in my arms. We just cuddled while whispering I love you to each other. It turned out it was something we both needed. We were reconnecting our intimacy in a perfectly normal way.


    James came running in yelling ¡°Mom, Dad where are you.¡±


    Sharron replied. ¡°Laying on our bed watching tv, why?¡±


    James ran in all excited, ¡°Grampa Paul wants to sponsor me in 4h. If it¡¯s okay with you guys.¡±


    We both smiled and said that it was great. He was off and running to let his new grandpa know he had our approval. Four h would introduce him to kids his own age who were into farming.


    Sharron smiled, ¡°So now I¡¯ m just Mom. Paul is now grandpa. I wish it could be that simple for us adults.¡±


    ¡°It will get better soon I promise,¡± I said. ¡°We are going to have to start planning our wedding.


    ********


    John and I were walking around the house. I was slowly building my strength back. Marge and Sharron were inside working together to prepare our evening meal. James was helping Paul clean out the barn for the first time. If I were right in my thinking, the shower in the laundry room would be used for the first time due to country life.


    ¡°Make sure you can account for most of your time between next Tuesday to Thursday,¡± John quietly stated. ¡°Something going down where the words frame up and entrapment is going to be used. There may be some collateral damage incurred.¡±


    ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t involve my oldest, I¡¯m fine with it,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want or need to hear the details beforehand.¡±


    ¡°Sharron is still flying high. She¡¯s never been so happy,¡± John said. ¡°Marge said it¡¯s like she¡¯s found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Now, if only we could get her relationship with her parents back on track.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t talk much about them. Perhaps if she did, she might find it¡¯s not as big as she makes them out to be!¡± I spoke. ¡°Until she¡¯s ready to, I won¡¯t push it.¡±


    ¡°Her father had lined her up years ago with someone who had lots of assets. She told him she was not going to become someone¡¯s broodmare for a roof over her head,¡± John explained. ¡°They just grew apart after that, leaving her mother stuck in the middle.¡±


    I smiled and suggested, ¡°John, arrange a surprise engagement party and invite them. If you need funds to pull it off, let me know, I will gladly help. Set it up so it happens after a Sunday service. That way it will seem natural because we always get offers to go out for Sunday brunch.¡±


    John laughed. ¡°You¡¯re a sly one, but it¡¯s a great idea. That way you can be introduced to the whole family. Everyone will see for themselves that Sharron has made the right decisions in her life. Most know you by your rep. Without saying a word, Sharron¡¯s father will be shown that he was wrong.¡±


    My assistant did a wonderful job handling the service. I enjoyed sitting beside Sharron and James listening to someone else. Marge and John were now becoming regulars. Steven Pollard was there with his wife, which was rare. After the service, he said I was now legally separated. I told him I wanted the divorce done fast. Offer them the house and the apartment buildings. I keep the store, the children and pay no child support. Also, make me a new will with Sharron entitled to everything.


    Steven said. ¡°I thought you were being over-generous until I remembered that you had refinanced the apartments. You¡¯ll come out way ahead.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but in six months to a year, I will own them again because Maria will not pay to have a property management team run them. She¡¯ll end up being foreclosed on,¡± I spoke. ¡°She was never able to see value in anything I did.¡±


    ********


    Thursday afternoon, I was in the church office after having a long discussion with a member about her relationship with her youngest son. For the most part, it was me listening as she let it all out. He had been developing some major problems brought on by friendships with people she deemed not acceptable. Nothing they said or did seem to work. I said he¡¯s declared his independence. He believes he knows it all. Prove to him he doesn¡¯t. How she asked. I said take him back to your roots for a month. Back to the old country with the outhouse, the different customs and life. Let him experience what it was like when you were growing up. Make him participate in it just like you had to, just to have a place with a roof over your head and something to eat. The length of time must be long enough for him to appreciate what you have done to give him the life he has. If that doesn¡¯t work, nothing will.


    Sometimes people must be hit with the truth in such a way it overwhelms them. The church¡¯s secretary stepped in saying that the police were here with my oldest son. He and his uncle had been caught in a drug sting. Adam could be charged as an accessory after the fact. Seems he was sitting in the car his uncle was driving while he was in buying the grass. Adam looked scared stiff.


    I told the detective that his mother had custody and that he should be taken to her. I was under court orders to stay away from him.


    ¡°Pastor, we can¡¯t. She got arrested today with Tony Landers. They¡¯re both sitting in jail,¡± he spoke.


    ¡°Best call Judge Donald Rotterdam and asked him how he wants to handle it. I can¡¯t afford to be sent to jail because of this,¡± I replied. ¡°You can use my office to call him.¡±


    Adam looked at me. ¡°Dad it was a stupid mistake. I had no clue what Uncle Gordon was doing. We¡¯d been at grandma¡¯s, and he offered to drive me home. Wait till she finds out her cars been impounded.¡±


    ¡°Either way you may still have to go to court. Because you¡¯re a juvenile and it¡¯s your first offense you¡¯re looking at community service. Association has just bitten you in the ass,¡± I explained. ¡°Plus, with your mother in jail, the judge is going to come down extra hard on you because he may view your actions with more seriousness because of the conduct of your parents.¡±


    Dad, I¡¯m telling the truth,¡± Adam said.


    ¡°I believe you are. I know you. The problem is those you will be facing don¡¯t,¡± I pointed out. ¡°How do you prove what you say is true. You can¡¯t. Your mother¡¯s credibility is shot. With the court order out against me, even my credibility is in doubt. Let this be a life lesson. Learn from it. The only one protecting you is you. Try to think things out.¡±


    The officer came out and said I will take your son to the station, and we will watch him till after your meeting with the Judge. He is expecting you to drive over to his office right now. While driving over I called Sharron and explained what was going on. She said she¡¯d make the third bed up when she got home.


    It took about an hour. The judge told me he had called Social Services who made it look like I was a saint. Maria came across as a demon out of hell. He did not like it when I broke out laughing. I couldn¡¯t stop. I thought the situation was funny.


    ¡°Pastor, I talked to the police officer and got him to reconsider his threat of laying of charges against your son. The fact that your son was telling the truth about the car being his grandmothers gives credibility to his story. We agreed that if it went to court, he would get off with a warning because he did not commit the crime. The police offer will make Adam report to him for a few weeks. I think you''re being over-generous with your offer of asset split in your divorce. Her lawyer has accepted it gratefully. I¡¯m granting the divorce,¡± the judge said. ¡°Your lawyer is bringing me the paperwork for approval, and we will be making it official tomorrow. After the customary ninety days, it will be done. I have voided the restraining order. Custody of the children will be decided when and if she gets out of jail.


    I thanked the judge and went to get my son. I texted Steven to ask him to find out what the details were concerning my ex. When I arrived at the police station to get my son, I learned that my ex had been taken to the psych ward at the hospital for seventy-two hours of observation. Before heading to my new home, we went back to pack some of my son¡¯s articles of clothing. The house was a disaster. It looked like it had been ransacked in a home burglary.


    ¡°Did your mother go off her meds?¡± I asked Adam.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know dad. Since the separation, I have been staying with friends. Coming back when I figured she would not be home just to change my clothes and shower as needed,¡± Adam stated. ¡°Even the maid you had coming in quit.¡±


    We packed up what we thought was worth keeping, dropping it off at a laundry service to be cleaned. No way was I going to stick Sharron or me with it.


    ¡°Dad, I stayed with mom because of James. I knew he needs me to replace you,¡± he said. ¡°Mom really became unstable after you left. I think she lost it totally when she lost James. Tony had no clue really. He was just a fool in love with a female who had money. Do you think Sharron will allow me to move in? I did her wrong when she was working with you. I guess I believed Mom.¡±


    ¡°Tell her privately when you get the chance what you just told me. I¡¯m fairly sure I know what her answer will be. In all relationships we have son, we have to work out the problems we create directly,¡± I stated.


    ¡°Dad, in December I will be old enough for my learner''s license. These past few weeks have forced me to grow a little. It¡¯s been you that kept the family together. I know that now. I was just too blind to see. Do you think I could spend the rest of my summer working with Pastor Seth in his youth ministry?¡± Adam asked.


    In total shock, I stopped the car. Looking at him I said, ¡°Really, why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I want to spend my life in the ministry like you, but it¡¯s something I¡¯d like to explore before I close that door,¡¯ he answered.


    I handed him my cell phone and told him to talk to Seth. I let them work out the details. Seth was excited. I was pleased with the maturity of my son was showing.


    Getting off the phone, Adam said. ¡°Seth says I need to get a couple of suits or at least a sports jacket or two and dress pants, shirts, and ties, for official church functions. Blue jeans and T-shirts are okay for social things.¡±


    ¡°Never confront Seth publicly. If you don¡¯t agree with something, ask him in private. Just like you do me. Open communication is important as a minister. Tact is one¡¯s greatest asset. Learn to use it like the pen you write with. You can say ¡®lady your looks could stop a clock,¡¯ or you could say ¡®lady your look makes time standstill. One would be taken as an insult, the other a compliment,¡± I suggested. ¡°The only time it¡¯s fitting to be an asshole is when you have invited someone out behind the barn door.¡±


    Sharron had dinner almost ready when we got home. Paul and Cora had taken James and Johnnie so we could talk. While I set the table, Adam and Sharron had a private talk. I knew it went well because they were both smiling when they came back. I was shocked when Adam asked if he could say grace. He did amazingly well. After dinner, I left them alone as I went to work my sermon.


    I came out of my home office to hear voices in the kitchen. Paul and Cora were here visiting with our three sons.


    ¡°Adam,¡± Paul asked, ¡°Since you¡¯re going to get your learners in a few months would you like to learn how to drive a tractor?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I would, but we will have to work out a schedule because for the rest of the summer I am going to be helping Pastor Seth in the youth ministry. I asked dad if I could, but he said I had to work it out with Seth myself, ¡°Adam said. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Sharron said. ¡°Meet me at work tomorrow. After picking up Johnnie we can go shopping to get you the proper attire you¡¯re going to need. While picking out stuff tomorrow remember that you¡¯re not only representing your dad and the church but God¡±


    The look on Adam¡¯s face was priceless!


    ¡°I never saw it that way,¡± Adam said honestly. Paul and Cora laughed.


    ¡°Most don¡¯t,¡± said Cora. ¡°It¡¯s something that is no longer considered important enough to be taught by most parents these days. Most people Sharron and I deal with have no respect for anyone or anything. Yet they all respect your dad.¡±


    ¡°Adam, when I was your age, I got mouthy. I figured I knew it all and as a result, I disrespected someone. When my dad heard about it, he took me out behind the barn. It was the first time he took off his belt and used it on me. He wasn¡¯t angry, he was angry to the extreme. It was like he went mad. To this day I remember it well. He said my conduct had made him look bad,¡± Paul said.


    ********


    Big John walked into the bookstore on Friday to let me know the surprise party was on for Sunday, after the service. I¡¯ll leave it up to you whether you tell Sharron her parents will be attending Sunday service. They will be coming with us so we will slip in just before the service starts.


    It was later towards the end of the day that Steven called me. It seems that Maria and Tony were arrested for illegal wiretapping, theft of government property, and money laundering. The charges had come down from the State Attorney General¡¯s office. Of course, both were denying it all.


    I was doing my usual bookkeeping in the office when one of the clerks handed me an envelope that she found lying on the coffee counter. It was addressed to me. It contained a note. It read. They will both get a dime {ten years) if they¡¯re lucky. Expect a donation to the church to cover their losses. Thanks again, my unknown friend. Sean McKay.


    My sermon was received well even though I had thrown a couple of curveballs into it. I did it to catch a few off guards. Boy did it ever work. It dealt with the blessing we take for granted. It hit home to quite a few. After ending the sermon, I asked Pastor Seth to close with prayer. I had told him about the planned date for our wedding while asking him if he would honor us by doing the service. He stepped up to the platform as I went down and stood beside Sharron as the parish sang. When we were done, he asked us all to sit down.


    ¡°It¡¯s exceedingly rare a pastor can say he receives an unexpected blessing. Even rarer is when two come in the same week,¡± Seth said. ¡°David, Sharron, and Adam, will you join me please.¡±


    We did.


    ¡°On Friday I got an unexpected phone call. It seems that our pastor¡¯s son wanted to work with me in the youth ministry. His father wisely said he had to work it out with me. I am pleased to announce that Adam McGregor will be my assistant for the rest of the summer. If he likes it, he will continue it part-time throughout the school year.¡±


    The parish clapped.


    ¡°Secondly, I¡¯m told David¡¯s divorce has been granted. I was asked by both Sharron and David to officiate at their marriage on the 28<sup>th</sup> of November. It will be held right here.¡±


    Everyone stood up and clapped. Then Seth led us in prayer. It was noted that Adam had held Sharron¡¯s other hand in prayer with me.


    It took a while for us to get away; everyone had questions. Big John waited till almost the end before telling Sharron and me about the surprise engagement party being held for us. He had to explain to Sharron that Marge had gone ahead and would be meeting us there.


    It was a bring-your-own-bottle event with whatever food you might share. The legion hall was packed by the time we arrived. Before we went in, Adam asked if he could get rid of his necktie. I responded by taking mine off. Sharon then told him to undo the top two buttons of his shirt. In we walked, with me carrying Johnnie, Sharron, and my boys arm in arm. The first thing we heard was they¡¯re here. Then a big congratulations.


    We were expected to go through the food line first before there was a mad rush. I had Sharron go first. Marge came over and took little Johnnie, taking him directly to Sharron¡¯s mother. I didn¡¯t know it would be the first time she held him. It was a two-hundred mile trip for them, and they would be staying with Marge while they visited. We were sitting down with our plates when Sharron looked for him. It took her a few tries, but she found him.


    ¡°Mom, Dad. What a wonderful surprise. What are you doing here?¡± she asked walking towards them.


    The room suddenly went quiet. Everyone knew their history and were waiting for what was next.


    Sharron¡¯s father spoke. ¡°John called me because he said he had a problem. The problem was my daughter¡¯s future husband wanted to meet me. I asked John what he was like. John said he¡¯s the best. Knowing John as we all do, I had to find out for myself. For once John wasn¡¯t exaggerating the truth. From what I¡¯ve been hearing, he¡¯s been understating it. David, I will be proud if you allow me to call you a son.¡±


    Sharron ran into his arms just like she did when she was young. Somebody yelled, ¡®crack open the bottles the party is on.¡¯ Throughout the afternoon my sons heard often how respectable they looked. Adam was impressed by the attention he was getting from all the girls his age. Once the music started, Sharron¡¯s father asked her to dance.


    ¡°Give Johnnie to me, Mom, I¡¯ll watch him while you¡¯re on the floor,¡± Adam said.


    Whether it was what Adam had said or dancing with her father, Sharron was being twirled around the floor with tears of joy in her eyes. John pulled me aside, pouring us a cold draft.


    ¡°We did it right, David. At church this morning, Sharron¡¯s father, a diehard, old fashioned Christian, eyes watched your every move. He said he was overly impressed with your sermon. He still had no clue who you were. It was seeing the three of you at the end of the service that broke him. He never expected that. He still can¡¯t believe that Sharron is going to be a pastor¡¯s wife.¡± John said. ¡®Sharron¡¯s problem with her family is now history.¡±


    I finally got the chance to meet her parents. Sharon and I took them out for Sunday dinner. We took them to Clarks, a family restaurant that served good basic food. When her mother learned how bad it had gotten, she almost lost it. Sharron and I held nothing back. My sons put their two cents in. Both of us learned a few things that we did not know. By the end of the meal, it was all out. I got told quite plainly there would be no more Mr. and Mrs. Johnston, it was just mom and dad.


    The psychologists and psychiatrists all agreed that Maria was medically incapable of standing trial. She was now suicidal and ended up being committed. Her fall, I had to admit, was the worse I¡¯d ever seen. Tony Landers didn¡¯t get a dime he got fifteen. I bought the apartment buildings back when her lawyer put them up for sale with no money down. With the interest so low I got an open mortgage for thirty years knowing I would pay it off in ten. I hired the old property management group with the same terms as before.


    It¡¯s been six months since our wedding. Paul and Cora sold us a two-acre piece of land off the back corner of their hundred and fifty-acre farm. We are busy building ourselves a new six-bedroom home. Everybody is excited about the new granddaughter coming into this world.

 A Certain Kind of Balance

    Life is interesting because each one of us sees things with eyes that have a different perspective because of our point of view. This is what is wrong with our society because our perception of what is the truth is shaped by what we do, what we experience in life, those we associate with, and from those who are involved in our circle of life. Each one has a different point of view.


    Unless you have developed a form of individuality you most likely have a lot of friends or acquaintances who claim they know you better than you know yourself. If you do, then you may have a problem because it implies that you are a shallow person and have no depth. I was like that at one time, but I learned the hard way I had to change.


    Don¡¯t feel bad that you¡¯ve been trained to act, think, and behave a certain way ever since you started kindergarten school. Conformity to the group as a whole is a must. Sharing everything you have, becomes normal. Show any signs of individuality and it must be cut off in the bud and stunted before it''s allowed to grow. Indoctrination was started even before you have learned to think. You are taught what to believe, how to believe and why you should believe it.


    Show independence and soon your parents are contacted and dragged in for an after-hours discussion about your unacceptable behavior, your inability to keep attention to what''s going on in front of you. It might only be the fact that your hyperactive, or that what''s been taught is so juvenile in your mind that your board stiff. It strongly suggested that they get medical help. i.e., drugs to calm you down.


    I know, I was one of those kids. For ten months of the year, I was kept doped up. From the moment school was out for summer to the first week back I was drug-free. As soon as the teachers saw me that first week of school my parents were ordered to put me back on the drugs or remove me permanently.


    You see the powers that ruled believed I needed the drugs to be socially normal. In grade six, someone finally got the idea to have my I Q tested before they put me back on the drugs. When my parents discovered how high it was, they sued the school board, their medical professionals, and the teachers for their incompetence.


    That was also the last day I spent in school owned and ran by the state. My parents learned the hard way to no longer believe that drugs were the answer to everything or that those with superior education knew everything. I was sent to a private school where I excelled. Thanks to their suite the state agreed to cover all the costs of my education until I had graduated from the university of my choice.


    By the time most were graduating high school, I had graduated from university and was employed in computer sciences. The problem was I was not experienced with normal life. I was and could be considered a geek in every sense of the word.


    It was my parent''s brilliant idea that I go to a youth camp and work for a summer or two during the last two years of my education. I learned the hard way about relations with females, but it brought a needed balance to my life. I had to learn to relate to others outside of my family who were the same age.


    As a result, I found myself working full time like all who didn¡¯t take further education after high school and learned quite quickly how to relate to both sexes in a normal way. My parents felt I had become a well-rounded person.


    Most don¡¯t understand that who and what we are, is based on what environment our parents raised us in. Did we have sisters or brothers, where we exposed to different cultures or races, were we raised as Hindus, Christians, or some other faith. What kind of society where we raised in, has to be asked?


    All of us are allowed to look at facts, and reality differently. Because of our different experiences in life, we are allowed to arrive at different points of view about the outcome at a situation we are looking at. It doesn¡¯t make one¡¯s truth any better than everybody else¡¯s.


    Part of our learning is what we experience in life in relation to those we are surrounded by. Yet the underlining facts are common to us all. We tend to be continually influenced as adults by what our friends are into more than anything else.


    The progressive can look at the drug addicts on the street and say we should provide clean needles to support them in their addiction while ignoring the fact that crimes are usually committed to keep the addict in their supply.


    They will provide them with safe places to shoot up in and teach them how to do it safely. Progressive¡¯s feel, by keeping them high, it will lessen the burden they are on society in general, and they will gladly proclaim how many needles they have supplied to accomplish that. Yet they will do nothing to ensure that the product their shooting up is of good quality.


    The conservative will say, that to solve the problem we have to get them off the street, into a program and get them rehabilitated and drug-free before releasing them back into society. They will point out quite effectively that encouraging drug use is not good for anybody.


    That is true, but when did ever doing the right thing get a political party the people¡¯s vote? Both are right yet both are wrong. They both forget that you can lead a horse to water but you can¡¯t force it to drink.


    Both sides fail to see that you truly cannot help someone until they reach the point that they admit to themselves that they need help. Oh, they will take whatever they are offered and go on doing what they want because they don¡¯t give a damn about anything or anybody.


    Both are speaking their truth, even drug addicts. But what is the truth? One dictionary defines truth as ¡°the quality of state of being true.¡¯ That same dictionary defines true as ¡°in accordance with fact or reality.¡± The dictionary fails to add ¡®according to how we see it.¡¯


    What is not allowed in our society is your truth and my truth. We witness that in everyday society. Don¡¯t accept the truths of some could put your life and liberty in danger. The truth is in accord with facts and people talking about their own truth using emotions and feeling more often than not are completely different. As a result, what is presented to society in general by the mass media is not presenting or promoting the facts. It¡¯s doing nothing but promoting their version of their reality.


    To them, their truth or reality may have nothing to do with the real truth, or the real facts. It¡¯s just a mass of brilliant bullshit designed to promote their feelings. Perhaps they''re promoting their own truth with a built-in bias.


    What¡¯s really sad, is that most of our society are suckers enough to believe them. They are the shallow ones that are nothing but the blind sheep being led in whatever direction the mass media leads them. They have been taught from childhood to accept what anybody says as being truthful. They are no more individual than the drones in the Star Wars movies.


    It¡¯s with this truth that we are preached too by their interpretation of the facts that may or may not have anything to do with what is true. May God have mercy on your soul if you refuse to believe them, because their followers won¡¯t.


    No wonder as a society we are screwed up because there is no truth, and nothing is true. Each one of us individually has to decide what our truth is whether right or wrong. After all the news, Facebook, and Twitter don¡¯t misrepresent the facts, do they? The answer to that depends on who you ask.


    It¡¯s with this interpretation of our common reality that I author this story. I hope you got your thinking cap on otherwise you will be lost because the truth and what is true will confuse your mind.


    ******


    Three years ago


    I was on a business trip heading back on to the interstate after having stopped to refill my gas tank. As I pulled onto the on-ramp, I saw two females hitchhiking with nice-looking luggage. I stopped to offer them a ride. I knew there had to be a reason why they were hitching so overdressed that you knew they were hiding something or were scared stiff.


    By the way they were dressed I knew automatically they were trying to disguise what they looked like. It gave me the impression that this was the last thing they had ever planned on doing. After throwing their baggage into the trunk we climbed into the car.


    I was headed to Penn State because I had been invited to give a speech based on how I had changed my life. By turning the lemons, I had created because of life into lemonade. It was still a five-hour drive, so I had a lot of time to spend in conversation if the two ladies were inclined. I got the impression, that they were trying to get to where they were going because their money had run low. Like all young people, I assumed they had been lacking in self-control and had overspent.


    ¡°How far are you going,¡± I asked as they climbed into the car.


    ¡°We¡¯re headed to Pittsburgh,¡± One of the two ladies said.


    ¡®Cool,¡± I said, ¡°because I have to pass through it on my way to Penn State.¡±


    ¡°Why are you headed there,¡± The other girl asked?


    ¡°I¡¯ve been invited to be a guest speaker,¡± I replied, ¡°but I¡¯m not expecting a good response when I get there.¡±


    ¡°Why,¡± the curious one asked?


    ¡°Simply, I¡¯m going to discussing accountability to a group who is being taught to accept none,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why would you say that¡± the first one asked?


    ¡°Because Penn State has the rep of being one of the top twenty liberal Universities in the country. Most teachers there are liberal and will preach their gospel that most of the problems we face as a society are always someone else¡¯s fault.¡±


    It was at the moment the curious one removed the hoodie off of her head and removed what she was using to disguise her looks. I was stunned at just how beautiful she looked in my rearview mirror. What surprised me even more, was that she had caught my eye, because I had stopped looking a long time ago. For the first time in a long time, my heart fluttered with the anticipation of a possible love interest.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Carmen do you mind if I join you on the front passenger seat before we take off,¡± The curious one said.


    ¡°Be my guest,¡± I replied.


    As soon as the switch was made, we were off.


    ¡°So, what''s your name?¡± Carmen asked as she continued to remove layers of clothing.


    ¡°My name does not matter, never has,¡± I replied. ¡°If it does by the end of the drive, you will be able to find out what it is on their campus. When you see a flyer with my image it will identify me under my writing name, and that is how most know me.¡±


    I watched as Carmen signed into her cellphone going to the universities web page for upcoming events.


    ¡°So, Mr. Nobody what will your discourse be about,¡± Carmen asked?


    ¡°Self-discipline and learning to be able to say no to yourself,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°To do that you have to be able to hold yourself accountable,¡± Carmen said with a smile.


    ¡°You caught on to it,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, more like I walked into it,¡± Carmen said with a chuckle. ¡°But it¡¯s not always as simple as that.¡±


    ¡°Thus, you get to the meat of my discourse,¡± I said. ¡°So, what¡¯s your major and what year are you in?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that we were in university,¡± Carmen said.


    ¡°True, but your logic did,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°Working on my thesis on Psychological behavior, So I¡¯m heading into my last year,¡± Carmen said.


    ¡°Interesting, because you will be working with people who are trying to deal with the problems,¡± I said. ¡°I am trying to show them how to prevent in the first place.¡±


    Carmen laughed, and said, ¡°God your good I walked into it again. Are you always this sharp and thoughtful?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Wish I had of been. It¡¯s something I had to learn the hard way.¡±


    ¡°I see you¡¯re not married,¡± Carmen said, ¡°there is no ring and no giveaway signs that you removed one.¡±


    ¡°Came close once,¡± I said, ¡°and that scared me straight, not going to allow that to happen again.¡±


    ¡°Who was he,¡± Carmen replied?


    I laughed and said, ¡°Nice come back I guess I walked into that. I¡¯ll have to watch my phrasing a bit closer while were chatting. He, was a she just a bit older than you are.¡±


    ¡°What happened? May I ask,¡± she said.¡±


    ¡°I lost the girl and my best friend on the same night,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at that.¡±


    It turns out I was right; the girls had overspent, and money was tight. It had been confounded by them being robbed. By the time that I dropped them off at their doors, I had found out that they were sisters just over a year apart.


    *******


    The auditorium was filled when I got introduced by the host. Sitting in the front row where Carmen and her sister Corinth. I thought I must have gotten their curiosity up during our long conversation.


    The Host introduced me as Mr. Nobody. I could see the questioning eyes coming from the crowd.


    ¡°They call me Mr. Nobody,¡± I said into the mike. ¡°If you saw me on the street dressed in blue jeans you all would walk right by me without giving me a single thought. That¡¯s how unimportant I am. If anyone disagrees, please stand up.¡±


    I looked over the crowd to see if there would be one that would stand up. I was hoping one would stand up. Carmen and her sister did. Their conduct forced me to change my approach.


    ¡°I said two out of all in attendance,¡± I said. ¡°Unfortunately, these two ladies are disqualified because we met yesterday and started developing a friendship. In our budding relationship, these two ladies and I in our banter with each other found ourselves walking into it. We both said something in such a way that it could be taken in a completely different way.¡±


    There were a few chuckles in the crowd as I went on. ¡°Congratulations ladies you got me.¡±


    Everybody got a chuckle out of that and started to relax. That is what I had wanted to happen because it made them more willing to listen.


    ¡°Now we can begin the journey,¡± I said as I began telling them the story that had brought me here.


    In the two hour discourse, they learned about me growing up in a dysfunctional family life where both parents were more concerned about chasing the opposite sex than their actual marriage. The only wrong for either one of them was if someone outside the family caught them.


    I took them through the time where my father found out that three out of his six children were not biologically his. Bringing out the problems it caused along with how it had divided the family further apart.


    They learned about my falling in love with a woman who I discovered two days before our wedding was just like my mother. I had walked into my best friend''s place to discover my soon to be wife and him doing the horizontal dance.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice that both Carmen and Corinth had tears in their eyes. It was eye-opening for most to learn that in looking for someone to become our partner in life that we tend to look for the qualities that we know so well.


    ¡°There I was, at the point when my life had hit rock bottom,¡± I added. ¡°I had just lost my girlfriend, my best friend, and most of those who we all associated with. I was employed in a job that I hated, and my brothers and sisters were scattered across the country.¡±


    ¡°I was at the lowest part of my life, ¡°I said. ¡°In a lot of emotional pain caused by the truth of others, who felt so little about what they did, that I was considering ending my life. At that time, I thought it was the answer to everything.¡±


    It always amazed me at how quiet the auditorium becomes when I reach this point. Suicide is something that is not talked about by the general society. It''s treated like it¡¯s a dirty secret meant to be kept behind closed doors.


    ¡°I was holding the gun to my head and was beginning to do my count down from ten to pull the trigger,¡± I said. ¡°When my sub-conscience spoke up, it asked me why you are giving them what they want.¡±


    I heard a few gasps. I wasn¡¯t surprised. No one considers that in committing suicide you¡¯re doing just that.


    ¡°It was then that I realized that my suicide would be freeing them from any quilt that they may have felt. They would be able to justify what they did by claiming I couldn¡¯t handle real life. It freed them from having any accountability for their conduct.¡±


    ¡°Out of sight, out of mind,¡± I added. ¡°With me dead, they would be free from being reminded what their conduct had done to me.¡±


    I could tell by the complete look of shock on a lot of the faces in the crowd the point I was making was hitting home. The host and I watched as one person stood up in the crowd and started clapping. It took less than a minute for the rest to follow suit.


    To most, the understanding that committing suicide was a way of giving others an easy way out tended to make it less plausible because in part they had driven you to it. The moment you were in the ground their guilt and sorrow disappeared.


    ¡°Suicide may have been the answer, but not in my circumstance,¡± I said. ¡°The reason did not justify it. I wasn¡¯t dying from an incurable disease, nor was I unable to cope with physical body pain caused by health problems and the loss of quality of life long gone. My decision had not been made with facts and logic. It was my emotions that had made my mental thoughts so dangerous. When those two sides of our mind are working together our emotions causes our mental side to lose its logic. Believe it when your emotions are driving you it can lead you to places mentally that you would never normally go to.¡±


    ¡°When you realize that you¡¯re continuing to get on with life, will cause them more pain and hurt because of their quilt, you begin to heal,¡± I said. ¡°It is at that moment your life begins to change because you have. Little did I realize that at the moment that the thought just registered in my mind, would take my life in a whole new direction. Within weeks others were saying I had changed. In truth it had because I learned that one must always separate emotions from making decisions that can affect you wellbeing.¡±


    ¡°Those who put me in that situation are still paying the price,¡± I said. ¡°They did not get married; they didn¡¯t have any lasting relationships and over time their lives have gone downhill. I learned; I too was at fault. After all, I had allowed myself to be trapped into it because I could have walked away if I had listened to my inner thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Michael Jackson said in a song, if you want to change the world take a look in the mirror and change yourself,¡± I said. ¡°That is the only truth that should matter to each one of us because the only world you can change is the one you create for yourself!¡±


    It always amazed me to see the look on people¡¯s faces when I bring out that point. Most never see that where they are in life, what they are doing and who they''re doing it with was their choice. When faced with multiple problems they fail to see that what they have created can be undone.


    ¡°There are going to be times throughout your life when the problems you face or are dealing with will take you to the place where I was once,¡± I said. ¡°Doctors have told me that most humans will consider it because, they have complicated their lives with so much that it overwhelms with-- too much burden.¡±


    ¡°The best advice I can give you is to just stop. Think and find a way to uncomplicate it. Simplify your life by putting what¡¯s not important in your life behind you as quickly as possible.¡± I added, ¡°The more you do, the farther from that edge you get. You will find that the changes that come will amaze you. I know it did me. I can honestly say that I am not the same person I was back then. I learned to follow Michael Jackson¡¯s advice, I changed everything in my life and in doing so it changed my world.¡±


    ¡°In doing so you will learn a lesson that will carry you the rest of life,¡± I said. ¡°To be true to yourself first in all you do. It¡¯s up to each one of us individually to decide what kind of world we want to be surrounded with. Learn to disassociate yourself from those things that will pull you down into a spiral you might not get out of.¡±


    The crowd stood up and gave me a long-standing ovation before I concluded with, ¡°Whenever I feel that I am losing my logic I think about the creator of the world who created all life. From the littlest insects to us humans he created male and female so that all species could recreate life. Yet because of the mental and the emotional we now have multi different types of sexes none of which were created by the creator.¡±


    The host took the mike and said, ¡°It¡¯s hard for anyone to come and give a discourse on something that most of us feel that we would never consider. Yet our guest speaker explained how we get to that point better than anyone. Each one of us can take on too much and not realize what it is doing to us psychologically. He learned the hard way to slow down and take the time to enjoy life. The best advice I can give you is you have to find your balance and stick to it.¡±


    When we walked off the stage Carmen and her sister Corinth were waiting for me.


    ¡°Is your name Mr. Nobody,¡± Corinth asked?


    ¡°Believe me,¡± I said, ¡°It¡¯s my public name. In everyday life, I¡¯m Adin Hahn.¡±


    ¡°Good because now that we have got new debit cards, we are taking you out for something to eat,¡± Carmen said. ¡°For saving us from God knows what.¡±


    We went to a neighborhood restaurant just off-campus. As soon as we arrived, I took off my tie and stuck in the inside pocket on my jacket before taking it off.


    Carmen I learned was twenty-two, Corinth was just about to turn twenty-one. I admitted I was twenty-six. We got into a big discussion about relationships and what we look for when we are considering dating. I left them feeling better about myself than I had for a long time. They, although not knowing it, had reaffirmed my belief that I could relate to the opposite sex. By the end of the evening, we agree to stay in touch, and we did but over time it faded out.


    ******


    Present Day


    I had just finished working for the day on the part of my old farmhouse I was remodeling. I had inherited it from my grandfather and had been working on it for years. The lower floor was completely done. I was now focusing my attention on the back of the second floor, the last area needing to be redone. When the doors and trim were put in, I would be finished.


    I was deciding what to make for supper when I got called by Pamela Mayo. She had a huge problem. An old friend from her university days had just moved into the area and was coming for dinner. Herbert her husband, a friend of mine thought that I should join them so he would have someone to talk to since their evening would be spent primarily with them catching up with things.


    I could just see Herb dealing with two females talking about the good old days, eventually climbing the walls, especially after their kids went to bed. So, I asked what time she would like me to be there. She said seven. After a quick shower and a shave to clean myself up, I headed out, wearing a clean pair of blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a denim shirt long-sleeved left open.


    On the way over, because it was a nice spring day, I stopped and picked up a large couple bottles of red wine and some spring flowers for the host. Pamela loved flowers and Herb didn¡¯t see the value in spending his hard-earned money on them.


    Herb greeted me at the door and warned me about Pamela¡¯s visiting girlfriend.


    ¡°Not only is she a looker Adin but she sharp and intelligent,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s single so let me warn you that if she finds you interesting, she might start flirting with you.¡±


    I laughed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been immune from that for years. I have been a confirmed bachelor for too long, not going to change now. We both know that I¡¯m just to set in my ways.¡±


    ¡°When are you going to let go of what my sister and the idiot did,¡± Herb asked? ¡°You¡¯d make a great father. My kids think you¡¯re the greatest uncle. We both know that so let your guard down and start living.¡±


    ¡°I forgave them years ago because I learned that I had fallen for someone like my mother,¡± I said. ¡°So since then, I have been painfully aware of my weakness for women just like her. I protect myself from getting involved with their type and so far, it¡¯s worked very well.¡±


    ¡°Adin,¡± Herb said. ¡°I love you like a brother, but you have to convince yourself that not all women are like your mother and my sister. Pamela¡¯s lady friend is the first woman since I have met the wife that had me looking again before I snapped out of it.¡±


    I laughed, and said, ¡°Pam would cut your balls off if she ever thought you were interested in another woman.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know it,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯ve been happily married to an eight, but her girlfriend is a ten.¡±


    Just then Pamela and her girlfriend walked in, taking me completely by surprise because it was Carmen. We looked at each other in total shock. Pamela watched as we both ended up with big grins on our faces. I saw Pam relax immediately because she could see our mutual attraction.


    Carmen was five foot seven, a natural blonde whose long straight hair hung down below her shoulder blades. She had an hourglass figure. A nice full set of breasts with curves that complimented her personality and it showed. Her sparkling hazel blue eyes shone as she looked at me. I got the feeling that Pamela was enjoying this because she got a huge dumb assed smile on her face. She was dressed in a dress that suited her personality to a tee.


    I was still a lean mean machine as my friends said. I was five foot ten with a thirty-two-inch waist. At my age, I could still crawl through an old milk box if a house had one that was a standard size. My diet was such that I did not gain much. I ate healthily more on the protein side instead of carbs and it suited me well.


    My brownish red hair was starting to show signs of thinning out but for most part, it would still be a good head of hair, with blue eyes. Most of my friends felt I needed to be fattened up.


    I handed Pamela the flowers and said, ¡°These flowers are for you. Where do you want me to set the wine bottles?¡±


    ¡°Give them to Herb he¡¯ll look after them,¡± Pamela said. ¡°Adin this is my friend Carmen, and like you, she¡¯s not married. The question is how do you two know each other?¡±


    ¡°I gave a speech on her campus a few years back and we met,¡± I explained. ¡°Nice to see you again Carmen how¡¯s Corinth?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing good, has graduated and gotten herself married,¡± Carmen explained.


    Herb and Pamela left the room together. That allowed us to break the ice and by the time they got back with a glass of wine for us, we were talking like we did the first time we had met. Pamela got a kick out of the fact that we seemed to have picked up where we had left off. She noted that we seemed to be quite comfortable sitting beside each other on the couch.


    Herb couldn¡¯t help noticing our attraction for each other and quipped sarcastically, ¡°So much for immunity.¡±


    During the evening Carmen brought out the point that she had finally picked up one of my self-help books on self-improvement and had actually found it quite stimulating. Pamela asked what books, so Carmen told her.


    ¡°Adin, I didn¡¯t know that you were Mister Nobody and I have read two of your self-help books,¡± Pam said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡±


    ¡°Because Adin has always been a private man,¡± Carmen said. ¡°It took me and my sister two days to find out what his real name was. The question I have always wondered is if Adin had always been like this?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Herb, ¡°My sister caused him to lose the ability to trust. Since then, he has no longer jumped in but stands at the edges as the reliant one, as if watching over everyone to protect them. Hopeful if you¡¯re around long enough he might open up.¡±


    I guess Carmen got a look of puzzlement on her face because of what Herb had said.


    ¡°Let me put that a bit better,¡± Herb said. ¡°He grew up and became a man quite different from before. He went through a period where he was reinventing himself by letting go of certain values that seemed no longer valid. He no longer went along to get along. He backed away from a lot of causal friendship and focused more on himself. Life had forced a hard lesson on him and as a result, he became a changed man.¡±


    ¡°I decided to let go of those things that were not making me a better person,¡± I explained. ¡°Like friends who were only friends because I like to party and be the center of attention.¡±


    Thus, Herb had to explain the story of his sister and me all over again. As he when through the highlights of the story Carmen sat beside me holding my hand in friendship. She got attentive when Herb disclosed how far I had allowed myself to be taken down because of them.


    ¡°You were telling the truth when you gave that speech,¡± Carmen whispered in my ear. ¡°My sister and I had often wondered.¡±


    When Herb was done Carmen asked, ¡°Adin are your parents still together?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re not,¡± I said. ¡°It took them a long time to realize, as a couple, that they were destructive to each other. Each one brought the worst about the other out. Once they got divorced, they both became better persons and now live a good moral exclusive lives with their new spouses. As far as I know, they have been faithful to their new partners in their new relationships. They are better friends now than they ever were as a married couple.¡±


    ¡°What about you,¡± Carmen asked? ¡°Are you actively looking for a new relationship?¡±


    Everybody looked at me. I knew Pam and Herb had been wondering the same thing for years. I knew that I had to answer that question very carefully.


    ¡°Between writing, speeches, and remodeling the farmhouse,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve led a busy life. Dating by choice has not been a priority. To be honest, Carmen the last time I went to a restaurant with the opposite sex was with your sister and you.¡±


    Carmen looked at me with eyes that showed their surprise then said ¡°Were going to have to change that. Starting next Friday, because some of the staff at the hospital are having a welcoming party for me, and you¡¯re going to be my date.¡±


    ¡°You think,¡± I said with a small laugh.


    ¡°I know, you are still just as interested in me,¡± she responded, ¡°as I am in you.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your story,¡± I asked?


    ¡°Believe it or not,¡± Carmen said. ¡°I¡¯ve dated a few but nothing serious. My problem was the fact that most of the men came across as being kind of full of themselves. I just realized seeing you again that they were the opposite of you and more like my father.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like me and my relationship in general with females,¡± I said. ¡°So, have you accepted the fact that you''re more like your father than your mother?¡±


    Carmen burst out laughing. Herb and Pam looked puzzled because they couldn¡¯t see what was humorous about the question.


    ¡°I walked right into that didn¡¯t I,¡± Carmen said while still giggling. ¡°Pam, you got to understand that when Adin and I met those first few hours were spent with the two of us walking into something that could be taken the wrong way. Both of us saw the humor of it and It¡¯s so refreshing to see that for us it¡¯s still the same way.¡±


    It took all of us by surprise when Carmen leaned over and kissed me on the cheek before saying, ¡°When I listened to his discourse, I did not realize until later how much of what he said hit home. Over the next few weeks, both my sister and I found who we associated with changed as we developed new understandings about ourselves. You were right because it changed our whole outlook on life and what we wanted out of it.¡±


    ******


    I met her at Bythia¡¯s on Bythia at seven pm that Friday night. She was watching for me to come in. I had dressed casually in black dress pants, a blue shirt, and my sports jacket. One of her co-workers noticed me right away and asked, ¡°Who is that good looking man.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°He¡¯s one of the reasons I accepted the position at the hospital,¡± Carmen said. ¡°Adin is a personal friend and I want to find out if there could be anything more between us.¡±


    Carmen stood up so I could see her. She looked stunning in the dress she was wearing. I guess my face showed it because she got a huge smile on her face. I walked over to her to discover she had saved me a seat. After sitting down beside her introductions were done.


    I ordered a drink because we were waiting for a few more of her new coworkers to join us. I got asked what I did for a living and responded with the explanation that I wrote self-help books for the do it yourself folks. Carmen got a kick out of that because it told the simple truth without explaining anything.


    Carmen told them the story of her and her sister being on a break and getting robbed and having to hitchhike home because of a lack of funds. She explained that they both had put multiple outfits on in an attempt to disguise themselves.


    ¡°It was Adin who offered us a ride,¡± Carmen said. ¡°We have been friends ever since.¡±


    When the table filled up, we gave our orders. Carmen ordered Sheppard¡¯s pie I got the Irish Lamb stew with cheddar biscuits. By the time the dinner was done we saw the band setting up. I asked Carmen if she wanted to stay for a few dances and of course, she did. We ended up staying until the last song was played. I walked to her car before heading off home.


    I was busy sanding down a door Saturday morning when Herb and his daughter pulled in. I told little Linda Sue that there were popsicles in the fridge freezer that she should go get herself one. At six years old she squealed in delight and ran off to get herself one.


    ¡°Adin, you old dog you,¡± Herb said. ¡°You haven¡¯t lost your touch. Pamela is already talking about your wedding date.¡±


    ¡°Herb, we haven¡¯t even had our first date yet,¡± I said. ¡°Why has Pam decided that Carmen is my one?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°I woke up late last night to discover Pam talking to Carmen on the phone. I got the impression that all Pam was doing was answering questions. It appears that you have somehow got Carmen very interested.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like Pam is more excited about the possibility of us being us,¡± I said. ¡°Then either Carmen or I am.¡±


    Herb laughed and when his daughter came out, they headed out. Herb was smiling as he said, ¡°Be sure to let me know how it feels to be chased.¡±


    I had just finished staining the door for the last bedroom I was remodeling when I saw her drive-in. As she climbed out of the car, I saw she had brought a picnic basket. I have to admit she looked good and wholesome in blue jeans, but I knew the ins and outs about marketing a product. So, I had my guard up.


    ¡°What time did you get up,¡± Carmen said as she walked towards me?


    ¡°About six,¡± I said. ¡°I thought I should get my stiffness out before the sun rose high into the sky. After all, I still have a lot of work to get done.¡±


    ¡°Do you ever stop moving,¡± Carmen asked? ¡°Because you always seem to be moving even when you are sitting.¡±


    ¡°I was hyperactive as a child and I guess I still am,¡± I replied. ¡°In adult life, it served me well as I see myself being very productive in my life so far.¡±


    ¡°Close up your stain can and wash your hands,¡± Carmen said, ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet you haven¡¯t even eaten yet today.¡±


    I had to laugh without showing it because to do so would let her know that she was right.


    I followed her into my kitchen. Carmen seemed to be impressed the kitchen had been fully modernized and made up to date. It had a bar counter and an island. She seemed impressed with the pull out deep drawers for the pots and pans.


    ¡°Does you wood cookstove work,¡± Carmen asked as she checked it out.


    ¡°Not at this time it don¡¯t,¡± I responded. ¡°It needs to be filled up with wood and started on fire before it could.¡±


    ¡°Smartass,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Where do you keep the wood?¡±


    ¡°Outside the back door stacked against the wall under the roof of the porch,¡± I explained. ¡°I also have a huge generator for when the electricity goes out. Why?¡±


    ¡°My grandmother and I used to cook on hers all the time,¡± Carmen stated. ¡°During bad winter storms, it was a lifesaver. My grandfather kept the whole house warm with it when the power was out. It¡¯s nice to find a man who still finds value in the old ways.¡±


    ¡°Ah then step out onto the porch,¡± I said as I opened the door.


    As soon as she stepped outside, she saw it and said, ¡°Does the old hand water pump still work.¡±


    ¡°I use it weekly when I water the outside flowers and plants,¡± I said, ¡°and have the water tested for purity twice a year.¡±


    For some reason, Carmen got a tear in her eye. I just assumed that what she had seen in my house was bringing a lot of good memories back into her mind.


    With the kitchen fully explored Carmen unpacked the picnic lunch and I have to admit I was impressed. She had made egg salad sandwiches with onions, herbs, salt, and pepper. Along with some homemade potato chips. She had two small glasses and a bottle of wine.


    It¡¯s a good thing she had made lots because I had overeaten. I told her it had been a long time since I had tasted food as good as that. After cleaning up I took her for a two-cent tour of my house. She was surprised by how warm and inviting it was.


    On the main floor was the kitchen, formal dining room with table chairs and a complete set of Royal Dalton with service for twelve. The living room with the fireplace and chimney which now had an insert placed in it. A mud/laundry room and a half bath. Finally tucked under the stairs heading upstairs was my small office for working in.


    Carmen asked about the china set and I told her that it had been my grandmother''s. I pointed out that I had never used it but did clean the whole set at least twice a year.


    I had remodeled the second floor to make the master bedroom larger with its master bath and two walk-in closets. The three remaining bedrooms shared the other bathroom. Each of them had larger than normal closets. But what surprised her the most was the linen closet I had built in which hid a mini washer and dryer inside of it.


    The whole house had been drywalled and painted twice. The only thing I was working on was redoing the doors and the trim.


    ¡°You remodeled this old home to be one that should be filled with love,¡± Carmen said. ¡°My grandfather always said that when you''re finished making the changes you want in your home that you should ask God in prayer for his blessing on it. He would always ask for the home to become a haven from the problems in the world.¡±


    ¡°Your grandfather sounds like a wise man,¡± I responded. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the memories, I had of this place growing up it would have cost less to tear down and rebuild then to remodel it for sure.¡±


    ¡°Why was it passed on to you,¡± Carmen asked?


    ¡°My brother has a different father,¡± I explained. ¡°My grandfather wanted this land passed on to someone related by blood because it¡¯s been in our family for ten generations. My brother and four sisters got cash from his estate, and I got the farm.¡±


    ¡°I think your grandfather would be very proud of what you did with the place,¡± Carmen said. ¡°I know because mine would have.¡±


    Carmen saw how her words touched me and said, ¡°My grandfather had his moments when he got sentimental too. It¡¯s nice to be with a man who¡¯s not afraid to show it.¡±


    I took her out into the back yard to show her the patio as I had laid it out, with the gas barbeque and flat grill. The picnic table and lounge chairs spread around. She loved that it a high roof built over it with a few skylights to allow the sun to come through it and a huge fire pit.


    We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing before deciding to go out to Red Lobster for supper. Carmen noted that she was able to get me to relax. Over dinner, she asked what my plans were for Sunday. I explained that besides going to the non-denominational church for service in the morning nothing. When she found out the service started at ten-thirty in the morning, she told me to pick her up at ten.


    ******


    The pastor and his wife were surprised when I arrived with Carmen on my arm. Both of us carrying our different bibles. The Pastor noted mine was the same one he used regularly. I had been attending regularly by myself, so he thought that we were in a serious relationship. Since I had introduced her to him, he welcomed her warmly and introduced her to the congregation as my girlfriend.


    We ended up going out for lunch with him and his wife after the service. It was an interesting lunch as they tried to discover things about us, as being us. One of the things Carmen disclosed was when she had seen my kitchen, she felt like she had come home.


    When questioned by the pastor''s wife Carmen explained that the old wood cookstove gave a sense of security that she had felt when she spent a lot of time with her grandparents with her sister. It was a haven that they had gone to when their parents were having difficulty which we were all left with the impression was a lot.


    The Pastor suggested the idea that he wanted me to become his assistant and fill in for him when the need came up. Carmen looked at me and smiled and said, ¡°Adin would be a natural at it. I think it¡¯s a great idea.¡±


    ¡°If you were to do a sermon what would be the subject of your first sermon,¡± The pastor asked?


    ¡°Spirituality,¡± I replied. ¡°Using the parents of the prophet Samuel, as an illustration, to work around.¡±


    ¡°Why, and how,¡± The pastor''s wife asked?


    ¡°Samuel was kept at home until he was weaned,¡± I said. ¡°During that time water was scare. He most likely was well towards six or seven before he was cut off. Each year at the time of atonement his mother would bring him clothing that would be designed a bit big for further growth. At first, he would be uncomfortable, having difficulty because the clothing was too big and would have to gown into it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with spirituality,¡± Carmen asked?


    ¡°Our spirituality, if it is growing, should feel at times like Samuel did when he got his new clothes,¡± I said. ¡°If not then, we have stopped growing and are in danger of losing it.¡±


    All three of them looked at me in amazement. The pastor said, ¡°Two weeks from today you¡¯re going to do the sermon I will open and close the service.¡±


    I balked but Carmen was all for it, and I soon gave in and agreed to do it. The pastor brought up the point that it took a wise man to accept the counsel of a good woman. Carmen was bursting in pride.


    After lunch, Carmen and I took a walk in downtown Cape Girardeau along the floodwall of the Mississippi. She sure got a kick out of the murals painted on the walls. It was about five when I dropped her off at her apartment.


    We touched base with each other during her workweek. I picked up a couple of tickets to a concert at South Missouri University of classical music. Carmen found it enjoyable when we went Thursday night.


    *******


    We were leaving the church after I had given my first sermon, Carmen''s face was glowing because of the comments and praise we had received. The sermon had been received that well. Herb, Pamela, and their three kids had been in attendance. The pastor got asked often when the next time was going to be when I was going to be used to fill in.


    ¡°Herb and Pamela,¡± Carmen said. ¡°Be at Adin¡¯s at six for dinner with your kids. I¡¯m going to cook us all dinner.¡±


    That came as a complete surprise to me. So, an hour later saw us unloading the groceries we had picked up for the dinner.


    If you ever want to get someone on a very personal nature, cook a full meal with them from scratch. Carmen decided on what the meal would consist of, but I made sure that I got my two cents in. She had decided on a nice roast of beef, mash potatoes, corn on the cob, gravy, Yorkshire pudding, and a tossed salad.


    Once she had the roast in, she started to get ready to strip the corn. I told her no, that I would cook them on the barbeque so leave them on. That gave her the idea that I should grill the peppers she had bought for the salad.


    When I got the chance, I poured us both a glass of wine. It allowed us to get to know a bit more about each other. We both knew that we were drawing closer but neither one of us wanted to admit it.


    Herb, Pamela, and their three brats showed up right on time. Pamela came in with her face glowing in surprise to see the good china was set out. Herb gave Carmen a nice bunch of flowers. I had to get a vase out so she could put them in water.


    I was out at the barbeque cooking her peppers before I put the corn on. Heb joined me and said, ¡°For someone immune, I think you maybe need to go in for a booster shot.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± I said. ¡°Carmen and I are still at the friend stage.¡±


    ¡°Nah that not true, she¡¯s already cooking a big meal for you and your guests,¡± Herb said. ¡°Everybody at Church said Carmen looked like a very proud wife this morning.¡±


    I just gave Herb a dirty look which got him going on more. When we went back in with the grilled peppers the ladies were working together. I saw Carmen slid the Yorkshire pudding into the oven. Bent over she looked divine. Herb caught me looking and laughed. He had a big grin on his face.


    Red-faced and embarrassed I went back out to grill the corn. Herb joined me and said, ¡°The way it looks to me my friend it''s not if but when.¡±


    ¡°Herb, I wasn¡¯t looking,¡± I said. ¡°It was the last thing on my mind.¡±


    ¡°That how it happened to me,¡± Herb responded. ¡°Pam and I met when neither one of us was looking. It took time for me to understand that was the very reason it was right. From that point, it took me six months to ask her. To this day she proves every day just how much better she has made my life.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ve given me food for thought.¡±


    ¡°Just remember Adin you¡¯re not like either your mother or father,¡± he added. ¡°You¡¯ve proven that by how you have changed your approach in life. You found yourself a balance but it''s empty, perhaps with Carmen you can find that certain kind of balance that makes your life complete.¡±


    When the corn appeared to be done, we lifted them off the barbeque. Using hand towels, we stripped them before taking them into the house. The ladies were already putting the food on the table. The spread looked amazing. We all overate. The Yorkshire puddings were something completely new to Herb and Pamela and their kids. Carmen had to explain how to make them to her. Everybody thought the earthly flavor in the corn gave it a whole new texture.


    The kids got a kick because I got them to peel the banana¡¯s so I could caramelize them in brown sugar. Once we had done that and placed them on the plate, I added a scoop of vanilla ice cream, some strawberries, and whipped cream. I admit it was a bit over the top, but the kids loved it. So did the ladies. Both complained that because of it they gained two pounds.


    After they left, we cleaned up the kitchen together. Then we were going to watch a movie on HBO when she got paged. One of her patients was on the bridge crossing the Mississippi preparing to jump. So off we went. I watched her trying to talk to the young lady through a bull horn for half an hour. The lady was not responding well, and I thought drastic action was required.


    A few minutes later everyone saw me sitting down beside the lady in question. The fire department had allowed me to use their extended latter to climb up to talk to her one to one. She didn¡¯t want to talk so I told her not to, but I asked her to listen to what I had to say.


    I did a short version of how close I had come to take my own life and why. I explained how the ones who had pushed me to the edge own guilt had eventually taken them down. More importantly by the time I was done she had learned how she could overcome.


    When she started to edge towards the ladder everybody started to relax. They were pleased to see her climb down the latter before me. As soon as she got off the truck, they took her into the ambulance to transfer back to the hospital.


    Carmen, when I got down off of the fire truck, had tears in her eyes. She rushed into my arms and kissed me for the first time. She felt weightless against me. I hadn¡¯t felt that in a long time.


    ¡°You talked her down,¡± Carmen said as I drove towards her apartment. ¡°She is so headstrong that no one was able to reach her. We had her on a watch. I¡¯m surprised the hospital let her out.


    ¡°No, not really,¡± I said. ¡°I got her to not only to hear me but to listen. She realized that she was hearing someone who had been where she was mentally. It allowed me to build trust. It was by me telling her my story that got her to see that she had a way out that did not need her taking her own life.¡±


    ¡°What do you think would be the best way for me to help her going forward,¡± Carmen asked?


    ¡°Focus on her problems one at a time,¡± I said, ¡°and not her state of mind. Help her resolve them one at a time. She sees her problems like a forest of trees, and she is lost in the middle of them. Tackle it by taking out one tree at a time and soon the forest in front of her won¡¯t be so big.¡±


    We spent the next few hours making it out at her place before I decided to go home for a cold shower.


    Carmen and I did not talk to each other all week. She was busy dealing with the patient that had been prematurely released. When I heard from her Friday night, I received word that the patient was off the danger list and had been making great progress.


    Little did we realized that our relationship with each other had changed. Carmen and I were drawn to each other more emotionally than before. Herb and Pamela when seeing us afterward knew that it was just a matter of time before we would take the next step.


    ********


    It was three months to the day that Carmen and I had our first test concerning our growing relationship. Her sister flew in on a Thursday afternoon bringing with her all her problems. It seems her expectations about marriage, kids, and commitments were not turning out the way she had it all planned.


    For me, it was an eye-opener because it forced me to look at what my fears were. I was afraid of being in the same situation that Corinth was. Her expectations about her life were not turning out as she thought they should.


    I had to ask myself if she and her husband had sat down and discussed their future plans about marriage, love, and children before they had discussed marriage. Had they been united in their goals and approach or not?


    Corinth wanted children now, her husband wanted to wait until they were a bit more secure in their situation. It did not help that she was late in her friend''s visit, so she had the fear that she was already knocked up. As a result, she was an emotional basket case. In her eyes, her big sister was supposed to have all the answers.


    Corinth¡¯s husband flew out Saturday to try to work it out with her which caused Carmen to show up unexpectedly that night. She was in a dither about them because neither of them would listen to her. We got into an argument about it. It was getting to the point that if we did not approach it differently, we were going to end up saying things that we would regret later.


    ¡°Can you walk in another person¡¯s shoes,¡± I asked Carmen? ¡°Feel their emotions as they are experiencing them. Understand their mentality as they see it at that moment?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, but we can guide them,¡± Carmen said. ¡°Their problem is that they¡¯re not seeing it as I would.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because they are too emotional,¡± I said. ¡°Both have ranked each other up so much emotionally that their speaking without communicating with each other. They need to walk away calm down then come back calm and be honest with each other about their fears and hopes.¡±


    Carmen paused in thought for a few before saying, ¡°It¡¯s their anger that¡¯s driving them. Why couldn¡¯t I see it?¡±


    ¡°Because you''re emotionally involved,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe not by choice, but because of your relationship with both. Has Corinth told Tom that she might be pregnant?¡±


    I guess that one statement spoke volumes because Carmen picked up her cellphone and texted her sister saying, tell him you think you might be carrying your first.


    ¡°They have to learn to be honest about everything,¡± Carmen said. ¡°So, do we, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°We have been so far,¡± I said. ¡°Except for admitting to ourselves that we have fallen in love with each other.¡±


    With that one remark, the dam broke. If I thought our kisses were passionate before I was proved wrong. There is nothing better than kisses shared with tears of joy. I learned she had felt that way for weeks but was afraid to tell me because of my previous walk in life.


    After we got settled down, I told Carmen that she had to get her sister and her husband to come for Sunday service. I would use the pulpit to try to get a message across to them. While Carmen was returning to her apartment, I called her sister Corinth and asked her a question. While she was answering she was squealing with delight. Using contacts, I was able to get a Jeweler friend to open up his safe after hours.


    It seems that little gesture on my part got Corinth and Tom talking because, by the time Carmen got back to her apartment, they had resolved their problem. My actions had reminded the couple what was important in their relationship, each other. The rest could be worked out if they wanted to. Thankfully, they did.


    The Pastor did a quick review of my quickly thrown together rewrite of my sermon. I had him review it in his office just before the service was to start. He handed it back to me with a smile.


    ¡°Your view on the subject matter was enlightening but correct,¡± The pastor said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be huge because it puts the teaching of headship in a whole new light. In reviewing it I tried to find arguments against the logic behind it. I could not. Even I was surprised by it. Your simplification of it all removes all the complexities we as humans have put on it. Well, done! A lot of men will be eating crow because to them it will be a revelation that they have never understood before.¡±


    ¡°It came out a need to deliver a message for a loved one,¡± I said. ¡°When I started writing it the words just flowed.¡±


    ¡°Love, the unknown quality to everybody,¡± he said. ¡°Because what love is, is different to everybody.¡±


    I was the one that was surprised the most because the pastor said when he opened the service after prayer. ¡°I am very pleased to be able to invite our newest appointed pastor Adin Hahn to the pulpit.¡±


    The congregation stood up and clapped showing their approval. Corinth and her husband were supporting Carmen because it had overwhelmed her. I would learn later the reason why.


    I started the service by reminding them all that the bible was written for one reason and one reason alone. It was the only road map that showed us the way into God¡¯s kingdom. I could tell that most had never thought of the bible in the manner.


    I brought out the point that it was inspired to teach, for reproving, resolving, and setting things straight. The apostle Paul in explaining the teaching of Christ had said it was for all things spiritual.


    The problem is that we as humans fail to fully comprehend that simple truth. For the most part, we see God as spiritual but relate to Jesus as a mere mortal man.


    Jesus and God are spiritual and as a result, the bible in all its teaching should be viewed with that in mind. We, humans, fail both God and Jesus daily because we refuse to look at their teachings in that way.


    It was a pure joy to witness the change of expressions on a lot of the older sisters'' faces when I brought out that headship from the bible was for a spiritual basis only. A lot of the men''s faces showed their out and out rejection of what I was explaining. I needed to take them back to the beginning.


    I explained that when God took a rib from Adam to create a woman who would be call Eve, he said the two would become one. That one rib was needed to make the two one whole. God designed women from the man. Symbolically without a woman, a man was not complete. Then I hit them with a truth bomb that none could see coming. It would forever be embedded in their minds.


    In God¡¯s eyes, both are equal because there is no male or female in the spiritual world. On earth, in God¡¯s eyes, we are all equal. He will judge our sins on judgment day with equality weighing them all in the same way.


    Another way of looking at the relationship between a man and a woman is that each was needed to complement the other. Because each has attitudes and concepts that make their partner a better person in the long run.


    I could tell by the expressions on the congregations'' faces that I was changing their perception of what they believed. It was clear that few of them had thought about life, death, and judgment in that way.


    I explained that God created headship to give structure to the spiritual part of your family not the physical. Men and Women were meant to be each other¡¯s Alpha and Omega. Proof of that could be found in the religious structure of those of the old Hebrew faith.


    Just like in the old days it was the husband''s responsibility to make attornment for the family''s sins by bringing the sacrifice to the priest for the offering. It is his responsibility to ensure all his family makes it into God¡¯s Kingdom. Similarly, it¡¯s the responsibility of the Christian husband to fulfill that obligation today.


    In your relationship with your spouse or your partner in life, remember that every time you do something in spite or to hurt, you are in fact, hurting yourself also. What you do to the other that is not done with the quality of love, God will use what we call as karma to pay you back whether you realize it or not.


    I could not help noticing the glowing faces looking up at me. Corinth, Tom, and Carmen¡¯s faces shone out among the crowd. Just as my service was coming to an end, I left the pulpit and walked down the aisle towards Carmen.


    When I got to her, she got out and stepped out because I asked her to. With the cordless mike still on my face, I got down on one knee and proposed to her in front of them all.


    She answered me by saying, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, I¡¯m going to be a pastors wife!¡±


    With that said she stuck out her finger and I slid on the ring. Of course, we had to kiss as the whole congregation displayed their huge expression of their joy. It took a while before we could get the congregation to settle down so we could close with prayer.


    Herb and Pamela stood in line as everyone had to congratulate us. They wanted to make sure that Carmen and I would join them for Sunday dinner. They invited Corinth and Tom too. We all agreed to come. Herb had the biggest shit faced grin I had ever seen in my life.


    We had just got in the car when Corinth said, ¡°Promise me, Sis, that you will allow me to be there when you break the news to our parents that you¡¯re going to be a Pastors wife.¡±


    Carmen laughed, and said, ¡°Adin my mother¡¯s father was a Protestant Minister all his days. My mother turned against formalized religion and did not believe in its structure. As a result, our parents had a rocky relationship for years and we spent a lot of time with our grandparents.¡±


    ¡°In a way, you''re saying your life has completed its circle and come back to what it always was supposed to be,¡± I said. ¡°It took me a lot of years because I never knew anything about God or his ways growing up.¡±


    ¡°Grandma is going to love the way I was proposed to,¡± Carmen said. ¡°It took me totally by surprise. I still can¡¯t figure out how you got my ring size.¡±


    The four of us went to Appleby¡¯s for lunch. Corinth explained while we ate that it had been my call last night that got them to realize what was important in their relationship.


    ¡°Sis, Both Adin and I have come to realize that we needed balance is our lives long ago,¡± Carmen said. ¡°From this day forward, we will be working full time on making sure our life has a certain kind of balance.¡±


    ¡°With all the problems going on in our society, ¡°Corinth said. ¡°That¡¯s almost impossible to do.¡±


    ¡°The problems of the world are the worlds,¡± I said. ¡°In general, they will be left in the world when we enter our home at the end of the day. Carmen and I will not allow them to affect our relationship with each other going forward.¡±


    ¡°You''re saying that the quality of your home life,¡± Tom said. ¡°Is what matters most why do you feel that way?¡±


    ¡°The world is full of stress, pain, greed and all things that can eat at you in a personal way,¡± I said. ¡°We can¡¯t change it, but we can change how it affects us by making our home our sanctuary from the things in the world by filling it with love.¡±


    ¡°We can do that by planting an imaginary tree in our minds,¡± Carmen explained. ¡°To hang the problems, we face in the world daily before we enter the house and pick them up when we leave the house the next day.¡±


    ¡°I love that idea,¡± Corinth said. ¡°But it will take a lot of effort on both your parts to accomplish it. I think Tom and I are going to have to think about working on that concept in our lives going forward. How did you come up with that idea?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in Adin¡¯s book,¡± Carmen said. ¡°The one I bought after meeting him. It¡¯s what gave me the balance I needed to get this far.¡±


    We got to Herb and Pamela¡¯s about five o¡¯clock to find they had a whole crowd there to celebrate our engagement. Even Herb¡¯s parents were there. Carmen met my parents and their new spouses for the first time.


    *******


    Meeting Carmen¡¯s Grandma was an experience that both of us will never forget. We had flown back to where her parents and grandparents lived. After renting a car we had gone over to see her in the house that she had lived in all their married life. It was a home that was filled with memories of life and love.


    Carmen first introduced me as her intended. Her grandmother did not seem to be impressed with me. She had lived a long rich life and not much surprised her. It was not until Carmen told her that I had proposed at the end of a sermon that her eyes lit up with excitement and joy.


    ¡°Are you serious Carmen,¡± She asked?


    ¡°Yes, she is,¡± I said. ¡°I had just been appointed a Pastor that morning and I was giving a sermon on what headship meant in the eyes of God. At the end of the sermon while still wearing the mike I went down the aisle to her seat and proposed. Let me tell you your granddaughter was not expecting it at all.¡±


    A huge smile came across her face as she said, ¡°Carmen on the left side lower drawer in your grandfather¡¯s desk is his favorite bible. Can you bring it to me.¡±


    Carmen did as she asked. It was wrapped in a protected cloth. I could see it was an early eighteenth-century leather-bound edition still in mint condition. Based on its thickness I knew it was a multi-use bible designed and written for research and deep study.


    ¡°Carmen when you get married it¡¯s your husband¡¯s. Jake always used it when he wanted to find further depth about scripture when he was preparing his sermons. I always found the old proper English hard to understand.¡±


    Carmen handed me the bible and I automatically went into it too look for a certain scripture. Most modern bibles had changed that scripture which effectively changed its meaning. I knew the bible was a good one because the scripture was in its original form. The hand-stitched binding was still tight its leather as soft as a baby¡¯s bum. Its former owner had appreciated its value and treated it accordingly.


    The bible had the original Hebrew, the Greek, and the English type. Each scripture was compared with each other. I guess I got consumed by it because Carmen had to bring back to our current reality. I wrapped the bible back up in its protective cloth and set it on my lap.


    Her Grandma said, ¡°My Jake was just like your young man Carmen. He got spell bonded by that bible too. He said it changed his view on a lot of things that he taught because of what that bible was able to show. Has your mom met him yet?¡±


    ¡°No were staying at Corinth¡¯s and Tom¡¯s, they will meet him during a family dinner this evening,¡± Carmen explained. ¡°We came here first as soon as we got off the plane. Grandma, we will be living in his home. It has an old wood cookstove and a hand water pump just outside the kitchen, so I want you to send me all those recipes, so I got them.¡±


    ¡°Adin you¡¯re going to be spoiled rotten,¡± Grandma said. ¡°Jake to his dying day said some of the best meals he ever had was made on a wood stove. One of his favorite chores was filling it.¡±


    We visited with her until we noticed she was needing an afternoon rest, then after Carmen tucked her in, we departed.


    ¡°Grandma told me she was not only very happy for us but also very proud,¡± Carmen said. ¡°That I was going to be a pastors¡¯ wife. She told me that in our walk of life we would be receiving a lot of blessings unexpectedly.¡±


    ¡°That is most likely true, but we are also going to be faced with a lot of hate by those who see us as a punching bag to promote their political agenda,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s acceptable in society these days to attack Christians because of what we believe.¡±


    Carmen got quiet for a few. I guess she was pondering over my last comment, then she said, ¡°It¡¯s not like when grandma and grandpa were young. The truth is right in front of everyone, but they refuse to see it.¡±


    ¡°There are many who are blind,¡± I said. ¡°For the simple reason, they have been taught for years not to see. The easiest way to hide the truth is to publicly call it a lie. Politicians get elected by doing that all the time.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what your implying,¡± Carmen asked?


    ¡°Individually the truth still matters,¡± I said. ¡°Collectively in society, it doesn¡¯t mean shit. That¡¯s what years of dogmatic teaching have done. It used to be when we were young because we saw it through innocent eyes. But with innocent lost if we look at it honestly that is the real truth.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that¡± Carmen asked.


    ¡°When I was young under the direction of the school authorities my parents kept me drugged so I could fit in with what was considered social norms. I can still remember feeling like a prisoner in my own body. It was my grandfather who suggested that I have my IQ tested.¡±


    ¡°When they discovered how intelligent I was they understood that my behavior problems were caused because of my ongoing boredom. I was pulled from the public system and taken off of the drugs. I excelled as a result. They sued the school board and its system and won,¡± I said. ¡°Throughout history, there are many stories of individuals like me who did not fit into the collective¡¯s view of what is normal. In general, the collective would drive them out.¡±


    ¡°Society has blurred right and wrong so that there is no longer a clear meaning to what is and what is not acceptable, ¡°Carmen said. ¡°That makes it more important that our home will be a haven from the problems of the world.¡±


    ¡°You will never hear me disagree with you on that,¡± I said as we pulled into Corinth¡¯s and Tom¡¯s driveway.


    After greetings were done, Corinth noted that we seemed closer and more secure in our relationship since the last time she had seen us. I thought that honest communication between the two of us had created that.


    To say my meeting of her parents went smoothly would be spreading it a bit. Towards me, Carmen¡¯s parents appeared to be standoffish. It would be after they had said goodnight for the evening that I would learn why. They had no sooner left when the mood changed.


    ¡°Mom is still in total shock,¡± Corinth said in laughter. ¡°She cannot get over the fact that my sister is marrying her dad. Tom get out the rye we are going to have a toast to my future brother in law.¡±


    As Tom poured us all a drink Carmen explained. ¡°What our mother sees as a burden was her father¡¯s approach to life in general. He was more reserved and protective, so she thought he had no excitement for life. She wanted what was in the world and he protected them from it. Mom could not see that her friends wanted what she had because it was so different from what they knew. She felt trapped and wanted their freedom which she didn¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to our parent''s relationship with each other,¡± Corinth explained. ¡°We were exposed to both lifestyles most of our childhood. With our grandparents, we had boundaries, rules, and an order to live by with our parents we had none.¡±


    ¡°We saw what we had with our grandparents as having security and structure. Their home was a place where we were loved, and respected while being encouraged to become the best we could be. Our parents came across in the long run as not giving a damn,¡± Corinth said. ¡°They pretty much left us to grow on our own.


    ¡°Mom¡¯s problem with you Adin is that she sees you as having the same morals, principle¡¯s and standards that she has run away from all her life because they are old fashioned and outdated,¡± Carmen said. ¡°I find them perfect because they make me feel so complete.¡±


    We stayed with Corinth and Tom for the rest of the weekend. We left for home Sunday night. On the plane ride home, Carmen slept with her head on my shoulder. I spent the flight being stared at because I was studying my newest bible.


    *******


    It was a beautiful summer Saturday afternoon in August that saw Herb standing beside me with the two ushers watching for the maid of honor and the bridal party to walk down the aisle. What had originally been started as a small affair thanks to the family it had gotten big.


    I guess for my side of the family it was I have to see it to believe it sort of thing because they were all here in mass. All five of my siblings and their spouses along with their children. Both my parent¡¯s with their partners. If you looked at the five of my parent''s children together you would question if we were related.


    Finally, the march started. The mother of the bride started walking down the aisle. Herb whispered in my ear that the wicked witch must have taken a few pills because she seemed to be smiling. I had to hold in a chuckle with that. Carmen¡¯s grandmother saw our wedding as a validation of her walk in life.


    That got me to relax because I started to smile. We could see the ladies in waiting, begin to come forward. My youngest sister and Corinth looked stunning in their matching burgundy dresses. Pamela the maid of honor was next, and her matching dress suited her well.


    Herb said that she looked stunning then we saw Carmen walking with her dad. He looked like his chest was about to burst. Carmen¡¯s face was glowing with anticipation. I did not start to breathe until she was standing beside me as I was a nervous wreck.


    Why is the biggest event in one''s life always the shortest? It took less than ten minutes for the actual ceremony to be complete. The Pastor who married us had been the one that announced my appointment. He took great delight in dragging it out by giving us a few minutes of wise counsel before starting us on our vows.


    As soon as the service was over, we walked hand and hand down the aisle and stood outside the church doors. That way we were there to greet our guests as they came out the door. I got worried when I didn¡¯t see the pastor come out. So, after the crowd thinned, I slipped back in to find him in his office in duress. Calling for the first responders I waited for their arrival with his wife.


    Carmen and I thought he might have had a mild heart attack. We would later learn he died on the operating table while he had open-heart surgery.


    Carmen and I spent our honeymoon on a ten-day tour of the Alaska coast on a cruise ship. When we returned to Seattle, we spent a couple of days in that city before heading home. We arrived home late Friday afternoon.


    Saturday morning the head Deacon showed up at our home to talk to both of us. We learned then about our friend''s death and burial. He was at our place to see if I would be willing to assume the position of head pastor effective immediately. Carmen told him before I had the chance to accept that of course, I would.


    I was busy working on my first sermon as head pastor when I heard the phone ring. I let Carmen answer it. After a few minutes, she came into my small office.


    ¡°Pat and Herb have already heard that you¡¯re our new pastor,¡± Carmen said. ¡°I told them you were already working on tomorrow''s sermon. They were wondering if they brought over supper would you have time to eat?¡±


    ¡°Sure, and time to visit,¡± I said, ¡°because I going to be dwelling on Pastor Steven¡¯s favorite Chapter in the bible because he always saw it as a celebration of life.


    ¡°Which chapter is that¡± Carmen asked.


    ¡°One that shows the walk of man,¡± I said, ¡°because it shows the balance of life, do you know which one that is? Let me give you a hint. It was used for a hit single back in the sixties.¡±


    ¡°Ecclesiastes chapter three because it deals with a time for all things,¡± Carmen said with a smile.


    ¡°Your right but did you know that it also shows what we will experience through our life,¡± I said? ¡°To teach us what is and what is not important from birth to death so that there will be a balance to our days.¡±


    Carmen looked at me in complete amazement as if she had been given a vision. She smiled and said, ¡°God was showing us a way to have a certain kind of balance. If your sermon is taken seriously, you will be releasing a lot of burdens from people¡¯s minds.¡±


    ¡°No, Pastor¡¯ Stevens will be,¡± I said. ¡°it¡¯s his final blessing to those he loved.¡±


    When I took the pulpit to begin my sermon, I started by saying I was only sharing Pastor Stevens''s final thoughts to the congregation. During the discourse, there were a lot of emotions shown as I presented in a way that celebrated his life journey.


    My closing was short and straight forward. I said, ¡°Pastor Steven¡¯s was a great fan of Michael Jackson and took these words from one of his songs to heart. If you want to change the world, take a look at the mirror, and change yourself. He used that teaching to inspire himself to make himself one of the best spiritual teachers most of us will ever know to help us to reach for the goal of walking side by side with him in his father¡¯s kingdom.¡±


    After closing with prayer, I stepped down off the pulpit Pastor Stevens¡¯s widow hugged me tight and said, ¡°he said you would be a better pastor than he ever was. That inspired sermon proved him right.¡±


    Carmen heard those words and got tears in her eyes. As we walked towards our car later Carmen said, ¡°She will remember that sermon the rest of her life as one of her fondest memories.¡±


    ¡°So, will most of the congregation,¡± I said. ¡°For the very reason, his walk was in line with the biblical chapter we discussed.¡±


    We had been married for about six months when Carmen¡¯s Grandmother¡¯s doctor insisted that she move into assisted living. Like all elderly people she was no longer looking after herself like she should. Carmen¡¯s mother was having difficulty because her mother was having none of that.


    We had just learned the Carmen was carrying our first and we were trying to figure out how it was going to work in with both our busy schedules.


    ¡°Carmen the reason her doctor wants her to move into assisted living is not because of her physical health it''s because of her physiological heath,¡± I said.


    ¡°Adin that¡¯s stupid, my grandmother is still sharp as a piercing whistle,¡± She responded. ¡°What your saying does not make sense.¡±


    ¡°Do you eat better when you''re surrounded by others,¡± I asked. ¡°Or when you¡¯re by yourself?¡±


    Carmen thought about it for a moment then came over and gave me a great big kiss before asking, ¡°How do we resolve this?¡±


    ¡°You''re going to fly back,¡± I said. ¡°To convince her to move down here and live with us. That way she will have the older sisters in the church, her family, and some of the prestige she lost when her husband passed away.¡±


    ¡°Carmen¡¯s eyes got big as if it were something she had never thought of. She said, ¡°That¡¯s a great idea but how do I get her to agree to do that?¡±


    ¡°Tell her you''re going to need her help in learning how to be a great mother,¡± I said. ¡°If that doesn¡¯t work nothing will.¡±


    Carmen flew out that night. Her grandmother accepted right away after saying, ¡°If your mother had suggested that I would not have gone a step of the way.¡±


    It took about a month to get all the coordination done. Grandmother became Nana to us and fit right in. The older sisters accepted her as one of their own. Sunday dinners in the winter had to be cooked on the wood cookstove. Nana was right the best meals were created on that old stove with the recipes that were older than dirt. Carmen was surprised how much healthier her grandmother got having a purpose in her life again.


    When Caylean came into the world weighing five pounds eight ounces Carmen¡¯s grandmother was thrilled to death. As long as she was healthy no one would babysit her except her. Nana would get teared up at times when she saw me using her husband''s bible to prepare my next sermon.


    Our congregation was growing, we were now doing a local radio show of our Sunday service. Carmen¡¯s practice was growing. Life was good. Caylean was three years old when her younger brother came into the world weighing six pounds.


    Nana lost it when Carmen broke the news that we had named him Jacob Adin. Jacob had been Jake''s proper name. Our two kids were in their teens when Nana passed away at the age of ninety-three. She had lived a blessed life and would be missed.


    When cleaning out her room we found a handwritten note. It read.


    Jesus said he would provide us with a comforter. I could never see that it would be provided to me in a loving granddaughter and her husband. I thought I had lost all the love in my life until the two of you brought me home. Keep building your love because it is a perfect bond of union. Love always Nana.


    Finished

 Any Day Now

    Every man reaches the point in his life where he says in the back of his mind, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this bullshit.¡±


    It had taken me more than a few months of constantly counting to ten, biting my tongue, turning my cheek, and walking away to find myself at the point I found myself in. It would not take much to get me to the boiling point. I am a patient man, but patience had its limits, and I was reaching it.


    I loved my wife Lauren dearly. From the moment we met, we were a couple. We had accidentally run into each other at the Sikeston fall fair. She and her girlfriend had come into the stage show area late. As they slid their way past me, she had stepped on someone¡¯s cold drink.


    The next thing you know I had a mass of soft, sweet-smelling flesh sitting in my lap. My automatic response was to help stabilize her by grabbing her by the hips. By the end of the stage show, we were flirting with each other.


    Lauren was three years older than I was. I was still in school working at becoming a veterinarian. With a five-foot-eight frame, long black hair, blue sparkling eyes, and a set of soft inviting lips begging to be kissed it did not take exceptionally long until I was drawn in by her charms. Right from the start, I felt she was hot.


    I was five foot eleven and had a slender frame. When she wore heels, we were almost the same height. She fell in love with my small goatee and mustache. She said it made me look distinguished. One month after I graduated, we were married. It was a small wedding which took place in the backyard of her parent''s place in ST. Louis.


    What surprised me was that we seemed to share the same views about life in general. Her father a family doctor, I found was a man that was down to earth with a common sense of things. Laureen did not like politics and that thrilled me to death because I did not either because my view is that, in general, politics had nothing to do with the truth.


    She was religious, as was her whole family, but it did not seem to fill her world and consume her. Things started to change about eight months into our marriage. I learned later that it all started when the saintly Father Eric Brown took over St. Mary ¡®s. Now things were reaching the breaking point something needed to change.


    If things kept going the way, they were going it would be any day now that I would explode. I could no longer hold in the crap I was putting up with much more. After all, there is only so much that any man can be expected to take. I was reaching my limit. Things were going to have to be set straight or else there was going to be bloodshed when I beat that son of bitch into pulp.


    This newfound attuite that the Lauren had developed over the last few years was sticking in my crawl and it would not let go. It was reaching the point that everything we had ever planned or wanted as a couple was being canceled out.


    I did not understand at that time, that what I was experiencing was exactly what a certain group of the population was trying to do on a national basis to those who did not support their point of view. You see, I had long ago had quit watching the national or cable news because it was full of too many things that were proved in the long run not to be true. As a result, I did not want the added drama and false concerns taking control of my life. What they were creating brought to the fore their agenda of creating anger and hate.


    I had a little problem in real life caused by a man I thought was a horse¡¯s ass. You know the type of person I am writing about. A man whose self-importance caused him to need to be the center of attention. He believed he was better than everybody else. His greatest asset was that he saw himself as an elitist and it was reflected in everything he did.


    My better half and I did not have any personal problems until she was hired by him two years after we got married. Now we had a problem that had started the day she got hired. Her employer, James McCormick was an elected official who could and would not get his head out of his ass. He came across as believing his shit did not stink. I thought it was because he had long lost his ability to smell.


    Over time, working under that piece of shit, Laureen started to develop some of the same attitudes, thoughts, and views of her boss who she thought was the most important thing in our community outside of the ten different churches that claimed to be the true followers of Jesus Christ. It did not hurt that the idiot had the full support of Father Eric Brown and the Catholic church.


    The Lauren I married years ago had not seen herself better than anyone else. Yet over time, she started to behave a lot as he did. Her new elitist point of view had insulted a lot of our family and friends. At times, I even felt like I was being treated as a second class citizen in our home.


    Lauren had been working for the pompous self-serving bigot for about six years while the idiot built his career and political image. In my eyes, he was a flake who, I thought, had long ago given up the right to call himself a man. He was not a man, a man¡¯s man, or a transgender, I like to refer to him as a ¡®shit.¡¯


    The most successful thing he had done in his life was that he married into money and had gotten himself elected to a job nobody wanted. Everybody who knows him understood he was just a figurehead, and his wife was the one with the power and control.


    Yet in the ten years, his wife Maureen and he had been married, they had managed to bring three babies into the world. In contrast, my wife and I were still trying to conceive our first. That surprised me a lot because I did not think James had it in him. I had been proved wrong and I admitted it. After all, even a blind squirrel can find a nut occasionally.


    If you wanted something done in our town you talked directly to James'' wife Maureen. She and her husband were as different as day and night. She had what we called common sense. When you finally approached her, you were shocked by how fast the mountain moved. Her henpecked husband, we learned fast always did as he was told. It was soon an inside joke: we all knew who wore the pants in their house.


    ********


    If you have not figured it out by now, I guess its best I tell you. My wife god bless her soul, is a devoted, baptized Catholic, a follower of a corrupt faith who is employed as the personal assistant to a man who, I believed, had no background of ever having any moral fibers.


    If we lived in California, he would fit right in because he had all the flash and sparkles that people out there seem to go for. His favorite colored suit was a soft pastel pink. Need I say more? It has also been my belief that in California the last thing that matters is the truth because they never seemed to resolve or fix things.


    In my eyes, Californians are well on their way of proving how well socialism could work in the good ole USA. It was becoming clear, by their conduct they wanted the rest of the country to pay for it, because the governor always had his hands out to the feds for something.


    You¡¯ve got to love California for the routine brownouts caused by not having enough electricity because of people using their air conditioners, especially as the state was going green to the extreme. How about the endless forest fires in the summer because they refused to manage their forests properly?


    Yet, in today''s society, they were changing the rules on how pedophiles would be treated by the courts. The new law would force the judges to consider if consent had been given by the child. As if a child had the same power and influence as an adult. I could just see some pervert getting off because he told the right progressive judge ¡®You should have seen those baby blue eyes smiling at you.¡¯


    Sadly, the governor in California blamed the forest fires, for the most part on the electrical transfer lines whose owners could not trim the trees near them back because of state law. Then the governor had sued them to recover the costs. If I were the owner of the electrical suppliers, it would be resolved fast. With a flick of a few switches, I would have cut the power off until the ¡®we can¡¯t interfere with nature bullshit¡¯ was resolved.


    But you had to have a real pair of balls to do that, and that type of person was not wanted in California the place where queers, lesbians, pedophiles, and gays were looked upon favorably while heterosexual males and females were becoming the least of social importance.


    It was a state that was becoming the state for certain types of people to go to, because of the new protections given the worst in society. It was becoming clear the way California was going it would soon be an open meat market for the selling of underage children.


    The problem for my wife¡¯s boss, if he moved there, is that he would no longer be so unique or special. James¡¯s weirdness out there would be considered quite normal.


    After all, most of the countries idiots seemed to flourish on the  east and west coast. On the west coast, stupidity was considered as being unique. Half of them walked around as if they had something shoved up their ass and maybe they did. After all, in California common sense was out of date because it held none of the bells and whistles of being with it. It did not just apply to those in the movie business as it affected all walks of life.


    My wife¡¯s boss would fit right in because he had never made an honest day¡¯s wages doing anything. I had even spread the rumor that he and his wife were thinking of moving to a more moderate climate but that did not work. We, in small-town America, were still stuck with the jerk. No matter what I had tried he could not see that California was the place to be.


    Since his election as mayor in our town, he had done nothing but make himself seem important to the general population by having some new idea or concept on how to improve the quality of life in our little community of about eight thousand.


    When he produces these new ideas, you are guaranteed it is going to cost a lot of money and a new tax will have to be created to pay for it. More than once he had been shot down by the voters who had a more common sense about the way things worked then he ever did. Yet, I suppose, I have to give him kudos for trying.


    Every two years he was re-elected because no one wanted to run against him. Most of us in our small town were sick of politicians that did nothing but cost the taxpayers more money. Yet my wife Lauren was his greatest supporter.


    Lauren still believes in going to the cubical once a week to confess your sins through a blackened screen to the man in black who is, supposedly, Jesus Christ¡¯s living representative here on earth. She still believes that this man in black has the authority of God, to forgive you of your sins. Once he gave you what was needed to make penance and you followed through it, you were forgiven.


    He taught that your sins were automatically forgiven when you went to confession and had done your penance. To most Catholics, it meant that you were free to go out and commit the same ones next week all over again with no guilt or remorse.


    I believed that, For Catholics, their faith gave them the ability to lie to your face with a clear conscience because they knew it would be forgiven. Their faith made truth and honestly worthless. As a result, there were very few Catholics I trusted.


    A faith like that makes it clear there is no accountability for its own or anybody¡¯s else conduct. If it were not for the public outcry, they still would be in denial that some of these holy anointed fathers were nothing but pedophiles. Did that mean that since they are ordained as Jesus'' physical representative here on earth that Jesus was one too?


    If you think about it, the religious leaders of the Catholic Church have been teaching the masses for years that its acceptable to do anything, at any time, because everything will be forgiven provided you believe that the holy roller Jesus Christ died for your sins. Have you ever noticed how many elected officials in the various elected governments claim to be devoted Catholics and when confronted with their bad conduct use it to justify themselves?


    I guess that explains why so many who were in the mob were the church''s biggest supporters. Must be nice to be able to blow a man¡¯s brains out or rape a woman and have no guilt or remorse because all things are forgivable by the holy father when you¡¯re in the cubicle. Even when you say you believe in that cubicle though, really, you did not.


    All it took was admitting your guilt in private without revealing your name. After all, God knows everything. It was safe to believe that the believers in the Catholic faith figured the father did too.


    Yet even a moron as simple-minded as me knew that the bible says the wages of sins is death. My thoughts were if our sins were forgiven by God¡¯s representatives here on earth why did we still die in the end.


    Father Eric Brown couldn¡¯t explain that point to me and when he tried to, I countered with the fact that if Lazarus had died and Jesus did indeed resurrect him, he should be alive and be living here on earth today without sin because the wages needed to be paid for sin was death.


    Father Brown thought I was the most intelligent idiot he had ever talked to. He saw my logic towards things made it impossible for me to develop any type of faith because I saw the teaching of the Bible in a way that he would never understand.


    From that point on Father Eric Brown left me alone. The saintly father passionately believed that I was a good man who was going to burn in everlasting damnation because I would not confess my sins to any man.


    I guess, to him, the scripture in Ecclesiastes that says ¡®the dead are conscious of nothing¡¯ meant nothing because, according to the teachings of the Catholic church, that scripture had to be a lie.


    Every time he saw me, he would shake his head, bow his head, and refuse to even look at me. I guess,  in the saintly Father¡¯s eyes, the judgment of God and Jesus Christ upon me had already been given.


    It had always been my thought that if you read something out of that holy book called the Bible and it questioned what was being taught by the religious leaders. then their teaching had to be wrong, or the Bible was full of lies. I went with the Bible because God said, ¡°it was impossible for him to lie.¡±


    The problem was that my wife, my wife¡¯s boss, and his wife all attended Saint Mary¡¯s church and were members in good standing. All three had a good strong relationship with the saint of a man named Father Eric Brown. After all, they were all members of the church¡¯s board. They spent so much time together that, if you did not know their relationship, you might have thought they were related.


    The rumors around our town implied the saintly Father was having an ongoing affair with a married woman who was an active member of his flock. Every few weeks someone produced a different suspect, but nothing was proven. I had refused to attend from day one because I hated dealing with those who I saw as nothing but hypocrites.


    Not going to church like all the country rubes and hicks got me the reputation of being a horse''s ass when it came to anything to do with religion. Even the Jehovah''s Witnesses went running when the saw it was me answering the door. I loved it because it saved me a lot of unnecessary conversation.


    Even with my limited knowledge about God and his son, I knew that the kind of instructing the Father was preaching just did not make sense. If I had used their understanding to explain my actions to my parents for something I did when growing up I would have gotten my butt whipped for weeks.


    My dad loved putting the fear of God into every one of his six children. It did not take us all much time to learn that regardless of what people believed or said, there were always consequences for conduct that did not meet up to his view of community standards.


    Right was right, wrong was wrong, and there was no gray area in between. It was just bull shit that people spread to try to explain something they got caught doing when they should not have done it in the first place.


    There was no such thing as showing disrespect or being sassy. Doing such meant you ended up with a burning red tush for a few days that would remind you when you sat down what you did. You may think it was harsh, but we learned quickly where we stood and how to act when out in the community.


    By the time we all graduated my dad had raised his six children to be achievers in the careers, they had chosen. None of us had gotten in trouble, none of us did drugs, and most of us did not drink. He often said we all had turned out better than most of those Bible thumping parents kids did.


    With this bit of information having been revealed, I can get onto the meat of the story of how became the mayor of Marble Hill Missouri. Folks who still live in our little town still feel it was the best thing the voters ever accomplished because the taxes have not gone up in the ten years since I got elected. As a result, I am referred to being the most honest, reluctant politician the town has ever seen. The added plus was that I was not catholic.


    After all, to appreciate it you must understand that to most in our small community I was just a backward rube of a country hick who was lucky enough to have gotten educated.


    ********


    I came home that Monday from my veterinary clinic after having had to do an emergency major surgery on a big ¡®ole bulldog that had been hit by a car. I ended up having to insert metal pins in both of her back hips. Thankfully, the pet owner was extremely happy when I told him that his baby was going to have a full recovery despite his stupidity.


    Yes, he had hit her while pulling out of his driveway. As a result, it cost him almost twelve hundred dollars for me to put her back together. Until she fully recovered, he was going to have to have to help to do the things, she would normally do herself.


    After doing a major surgery like that it was my normal routine to come home at the end of the day to throw my overalls in the laundry basket and have a quick shower to get anything off of my body that the clothing had not caught.


    As I was drying myself, I notice in the small garbage container two items that looked like those pens they give out as professional promotional giveaways by the drug companies. After hanging up the towel I leaned over and took a closer look.


    They were both home pregnancy tests but made by different manufacturers. The problem was both were showing a positive result.


    I was surprised, but quite pleased and hoped that the tests were not false positives because I was under the belief that we were both wanting children. So, I pretended I did not know and went on with life waiting for my loving wife Lauren to tell me.


    I waited for two weeks but nothing was said to me about her condition. Every man who has been in this situation knows with time passing that something does not add up. He automatically begins to get suspicious.


    While she was showering that following Friday morning preparing to go to work, I got the chance to go through the calendar on her cell phone. There had been no scheduled doctor¡¯s appointment nor was there one scheduled in the future. If we had of indeed succeeded in finally creating a bundle of joy, I thought she would have gone to get it verified.


    The more I found out the more the questions started playing games with myself in my head. I watched and talked with Lauren as we got ready for the day. Once she was done with the shower, I headed in. Once I  had gotten dressed and had gone downstairs the Ego waffles were ready.


    As usual, we discussed what would be going on during our day. Nothing she brought to my attention was out of normal. Yet I knew, because of the lack of her forthcoming, that she deliberately hiding something.


    ********


    Around eleven that morning Gwen Persil showed up at the clinic with her little princess. A female white Persian cat that was getting overweight because of a lack of discipline of its owner. If it was not clipped in the bud, she was going to be forced into an expensive daily physical fitness routine down the road.


    No pet owner likes to be told that they must cut down giving their precious pet those calorie building treats their pets do not need. Those products are all designed in a way that you grab eight to ten at a time when only four is recommended as a serving.


    In desperation, I said to her, ¡°Gwen what would you do if your husband George suggested you lose weight?¡±


    ¡°After knocking his block off, I would realize that he was just showing his natural concern about my health and I would change our eating habits to get us all, as a family back in shape,¡± Gwen replied. ¡°You know that my George has never learned how to use tack. That¡¯s why I always handle the OTC items at the store.¡±


    ¡°Use that same logic,¡± I said, ¡°with Shadow if you want to keep your cat around for years.¡±


    I guess she got the message because she said, ¡°Bob Carson, you¡¯re a really good vet but your bedside manner needs improving. Do me a favor and remind Lauren that her thirty-day supply of levonorgestrel that was on backorder has come in.¡±


    I guess my face showed what I was feeling because Gwen said, ¡°Oh God you had no clue she was taking the morning after pill did you?¡±


    I just affirmatively nodded my head because I was just too emotional to speak. Based on what I had just learned my whole world had been turned upside down. If she was taking the morning after pill, then what did the two positives mean. Were they her tests or someone else¡¯s? If she was taking the morning after pill, why was she checking?


    Gwen and George, our small town pharmacists, and we spent at least one evening a month playing cards with each other. During that time, it was a way of having a few drinks as we built our friendship and relationship with each other as couples.


    There were few secrets between the four of us, but this was a whopper.


    ¡°Gwen how long has that item been on backorder?¡± I asked.


    ¡°About three weeks, because she has a standing order and the staff forgot to order it while we were on a vacation,¡± Gwen explained.


    I thanked her for letting me know, before leading her out of the viewing room to the lobby. Now things were starting to make sense and I did not like what it was pointing to. Why didn¡¯t Lauren want kids? More importantly, why couldn¡¯t she be honest with me?


    Thankfully, it was a lightly-booked day, and I was able to get away early. I called my dad and told him I needed to have a man to man private chat with him and asked him when he was free.


    ¡°If you were not working now would be a good time,¡± Dad said. ¡°Your mom has gone out for the weekly grocery shopping and that means she won¡¯t be back for at least three hours.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on the way,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll just have the rest of the appointments rescheduled by the staff.¡±


    My dad knew that by my saying that what I needed to talk to about was something serious. He knew I would never walk away from work deliberately unless it was something so serious that required my undivided attention.


    As soon as I pulled up to my dad¡¯s farm, he had the front door open holding a beer for me. Of all his six children, I was the only one that had stayed near home. The rest were spread around the country.


    Over the beer, I slowly told him what I had learned about Lauren¡¯s conduct over the last few weeks.


    ¡°What¡¯s considered a month supply,¡± Dad asked?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied. ¡°Why is that important.


    ¡°Because if that¡¯s a thirty-day supply, can you honestly tell me you''re making love every day,¡± he asked? ¡°Or is it like most couples who have been married for a few years down to about an average of once or twice a week?¡±


    I was stunned. I did not know how to reply because that thought had never entered my mind. I must have been in shock because my dad had a worried look come over his face. I made a quick call to George who verified that my dad¡¯s thinking was right.


    ¡°Your thinking is right dad,¡± I said. ¡°Lauren is buying thirty pills at a time.¡±


    ¡°Son of a bitch, it looks like Lauren has been getting a lot on the side without your blessing,¡± Dad said, being as polite as he could. ¡°Back in my grandfather¡¯s day the husband when he found out would have taken the slut for a deep walk deep into the woods and returned without her. Do you think she could be the one that¡¯s been doing the saintly Father Eric Brown?¡±


    ¡°Not going there until I find out what''s going on for sure,¡± I said. ¡°Right now, I need your help to figure out the best way to handle it discreetly.¡±


    ¡°You know son the simplest way to find out something is to use what most of society, even here, don¡¯t pay attention to,¡± Dad said.


    For some reason I could not figure out what his words were applying to so I said, ¡°Okay Dad what would use,¡±


    ¡°A bunch of red neck rubes, like me who prefer to stay on their homesteads, instead of getting involved in this modern society,¡± Dad said. ¡°With us keeping a low profile it allows us to move around and not be noticed even though most know what we are. A bunch of red-necked, back-wood boys who mind their own business. It helps us to be able to disappear back into the trees when making what we need to refill our stashes. If you want our help, I think I can put a team together, but you will have to agree to step up and pay the price we will demand if we are successful.¡±


    That was my first mistake. I should have not said, ¡°Let''s do it. Lauren has had plenty of time to step forward and tell me the truth.¡±


    ********


    Bubba Bridges¡¯ grandfather had been the one that had donated the land that St. Mary¡¯s was built on. For most of his life, he said he regretted having been bitten with that religious bug. In his later years, he would drive past it and curse aloud because of his stupidity.


    No one knew why he had turned against the church, but he had. When you asked him about it all he would say is ¡°no comment.¡± Only once had I heard him tell my dad, that there was more evil going on within that church¡¯s walls then all our local society.


    Bubba was the first that my dad got to come into the arrangement. I was surprised because he owned the local weekly newspaper. Looking back, I must admit it had been a stroke of pure brilliance on his part. None of us could see the role he would end up playing.


    Bubba was a man who filled out his frame. He was just a big man who carried his three hundred and fifty plus pounds quite well. Yet he did not look fat. He was wide, thick, and wherever he went people knew automatically, by looking at him, to give the man a lot of room.


    If you did not know him, you would never have guessed that he was a gentle soul who would cry when his wife forced him to watch a Hallmark romance movie because his sentimental side came out. Bubba doted on his wife, Becky, and she felt the same way about him. In my eyes, they were what Lauren and I used to be like until the mayor came into our lives.


    Since Bubba had a good working relationship with the local chief of Police the whole force was brought in. That brought the team to five professional people. Those doing the work behind the scenes would never be seen publicly.


    It was an added plus that the chief of police hated having to work out of the same building as my wife, and especially, our town''s ¡°beloved¡± mayor. Their relationship was strictly a working one because we all knew he hated the self-serving idiot.


    I was sitting in the staff lunchroom the following Wednesday when the four-page local rag came out which was always half-filled with advertisements.


    Jed was a good old boy who walked and talked slowly. He was another old-timer that, in looking for something to do, had become the delivery driver who delivered the newspaper bundles to the delivery boys and personally dropped off a copy to all the local businesses. Having known him for years he would always bring it right into the lunchroom instead of leaving it with the receptionist. That way he could help himself to a fresh, free cup of coffee.


    ¡°Have you heard the news?¡± Jed asked with a sound of excitement!


    I instantly was interested because for Jed to be this excited about anything it had to be big.


    ¡°What news?¡± I replied. ¡°It must be big. Did you become a great grandfather all over again?¡±


    ¡°Nah I¡¯ve got sixteen of them already. That kind of excitement has worn off years ago,¡± Jed said in laughter. ¡°It looks like Mr. Fancy Pants is going to have to fight to keep his position as mayor this year.¡±


    ¡°Where did you hear that,¡± I asked?


    ¡°It¡¯s in the paper. Bubba is talking about it in his editorial,¡± Jed said, ¡°There¡¯s no name mentioned but he says that a local businessman with a stellar reputation that has had enough of what the mayor is doing to our town. Bubba has listed a whole bunch of things the mayor has done that has pissed this businessman off.¡±


    ¡°Any idea who the person is?¡± I asked. ¡°Have you delivered it to the mayor¡¯s office?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did. When I told your missus about it her face went Lilly white,¡± Jed noted. ¡°She grabbed the paper out of my hand and ran into the mayor¡¯s office, closing the door behind her. The way she reacted made it clear that no one in that office was going to be happy.¡±


    I got to admit that statement made my day. Lauren by the sound of it was upset. It was going to be an interesting evening at home tonight just in seeing how she would handle things.


    Jed left, so I read the editorial, and man it was good. Bubba was putting in words what most of us thought. I went on with my day checking up and taking care of the client''s pet¡¯s needs.


    It was about four-thirty in the afternoon when I got called out to Josh Palmer''s place because a cow was having problems delivering. I went over with the full knowledge of where my hand and arm would soon be going.


    It took me about three hours to get the two calves out of the mother, and by the time we were done she was exhausted. Both calves had survived the breech birth and so did their mother. The Palmers were tickled pink. Josh¡¯s wife allowed me to clean up in their mudroom and gave me a freshly baked apple pie to take home.


    I pulled into our driveway and noticed right away that Lauren was still not at home. I found that interesting because if she were going to be late, she would call. Before getting out of the car I gave her a quick phone call to see what was going on only to learn that she was at St Mary¡¯s church because there was an emergency meeting of the church board.


    Once I got in and had cleaned up, I gave my dad a call.


    ¡°Hey, dad did you know there¡¯s an emergency meeting going on at ST, Mary¡¯s?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sure do, it¡¯s being going on since two o¡¯clock,¡± he replied. ¡°Lauren, Mr. and Mrs. James McCormick, and Father Brown  who make up the board are all in attendance. They left the mayor¡¯s office within fifteen minutes of receiving a copy of today¡¯s paper. What¡¯s interesting is that once the meeting was started the church secretary was sent home.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what it¡¯s all about?¡± I said aloud.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know but it looks like the story Bubba planted has got a hornet''s hive buzzing,¡± Dad said with a laugh. ¡°Just wait until next week¡¯s paper comes out. Our mayor, Mr. McCormick is going to be fuming.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s coming out next week,¡± I asked?


    ¡°Just a bit of gossip that will show up in the classified section as a paid ad,¡± Dad said. ¡°If the group''s feelings are right, and by the way, things are starting to unwind, it looks like they might, it¡¯s going to be an exciting week.¡±


    Lauren finally showed up at home around eleven p.m. She looked tired, worried, upset, and emotionally drained.


    After I made her a gin and tonic and I handed it to her, I said. ¡°You look exhausted. Care to elaborate?¡±


    ¡°I wish I could,¡± Lauren responded with a bit uncertainty. ¡°But you know I can¡¯t discuss confidential church business with you.¡±


    ¡°Do you think whatever the problem that it¡¯s going to be resolved quickly?¡± I asked. ¡°Do you want me to make you something to eat?¡±


    ¡°The problem with the church is going to be going on for a while because so much is not known,¡± Lauren explained. ¡°So, no decisions can be made. As for eating two grilled cheese sandwiches would be perfect.¡±


    I left my wife alone and went into the kitchen to prepare her sandwiches. I could not help thinking that whatever was discussed had to have serious consequences if the facts came out. It was the fact that she did not say it was a monetary problem that caught my attention. Did it involve the Catholic school and some of their students? After all, that¡¯s where the mayor''s children attended. That meant that whatever was being discussed was personal in nature and that the four of them were involved in some way.


    I had to wonder what it was that the church board was afraid of? Was it tied into something that was going on inside the mayor''s office? Things were starting to get interesting. One thing that had been proven by the four of them was that something was going on that they all felt needed protecting from our community.


    It was leaving a lot of questions I had unanswered. To get them, I knew I would have to play a waiting game. It gave me time to look at the various businesspeople in our town and what I knew about them. After doing all of that, I still could not figure out who I thought would be stupid enough to run for Mayor of our village.


    ********


    The only thing I remember about that weekend was that my wife Lauren seemed preoccupied and out of sorts. It was not until Monday morning that I saw Lauren starting to become herself. I knew that there was trouble brewing in paradise because she was not looking forward to going into work with her usual enthusiasm that morning. For her, that was not normal.


    I had wondered if quilt about something was pricking at her because she had a keen sense of what was right or wrong. I did not let her problems slip from being in the front of her mind, because I wanted to keep whatever pressure the editor¡¯s editorial created on.


    As we were cleaning up after breakfast that morning, I said, ¡°I am looking forward to learning who is challenging your boss because I will be supporting him. It¡¯s time we got back as a village looking after the needs of its citizens.¡±


    The look I got from Lauren was one that could kill because she had not expected that from me. She truly was not a happy person. I saw that what I had said was the last thing she wanted to have heard.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Maybe they will once again start patching the streets so that the grass and weeds won¡¯t grow in the cracks,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised the village hasn¡¯t been sued because of poor road conditions.¡±


    Lauren tried to defend Mr. McCormick, the mayor, and her boss by saying, ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it seems, the main roads are well maintained.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we both know the main drag is owned and maintained by the state because its where two state highways interconnect,¡± I said. ¡°And with it being an election year they have been repaved. With your boss''s progressive views, we all know that he does not consider it¡¯s his job to see that things are maintained.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Lauren shouted out.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± I countered back. ¡°On my drive to work, I drive over the grass he has allowed to grow in the roads. It is so bad that it is has become a joke. Bubba¡¯s running around town with his camera trying to catch a picture of someone using a Weed Wacker trimming it.¡±


    Lauren grabbed her coat and headed out the door. She was in such a very foul mood that she did not kiss me goodbye. I knew I had might of exaggerated it a bit, but I knew that she knew that I was right, and it maddened her because she had no defense.


    A few minutes later I saw her stopped on the side of the road with a flat tire. It seems she had driven into a deep pothole that had cut the tire because she was not paying attention to what she was doing. Her mind, because of what I had said, had been preoccupied elsewhere.


    She waved me down and asked me to help her. I replied, ¡°Either change the tire or call the mayor¡¯s office because of its a lack of attention to the village¡¯s needs that caused this.¡±


    I drove off and left her there to think about it, knowing that after our morning conversation she had gotten a firsthand of experience of it. I knew that if looks could kill I would have been dead.


    Okay, I admit it: I was acting like an ass, but man was I enjoying it. She texted: ¡°You are making a mountain out of a molehill. It only proves you are the one going after James''s job. I responded sarcastically, ¡°with the way you have been behaving maybe I should.¡±


    I figured I would not hear again about it until I got home. Boy was I wrong. It was around ten in the morning when the county¡¯s health inspector and the fire marshal came in. They both had received a complaint from the mayor¡¯s office about my place.


    The reason they were called was that the location of my veterinarian clinic was on the outskirts of the village and the mayor had no control or authority over how I conducted my business.


    It took them about two hours to review everything and provided me with documentation that I was passing beyond all expectations concerning both.


    ¡°Bob what did you do to cause the mayor to decide to try to sabotage your stellar record? ¡° Abe Stewardson asked.


    ¡°You got me,¡± I said. ¡°The only thing I can think of is that my wife cut a tire on a pothole while on the way to work. She stopped me and asked me to change it. I told her to call the mayor¡¯s office because the flat was caused by them.¡±


    Both the gentlemen laughed. ¡°I think we all can put two and two together. The mayor has decided that you¡¯re the businessman that¡¯s considering running against him, ¡° Abe said as he added a  couple of notes on the back of his report.


    Charles Rittenhouse pulled out his cell phone and called Mr. McCormick and said, ¡°Look, James. Just because you think you got a spy working in the village office don¡¯t you dare try this again. If  you do the county will send you a bill for wasting our time.¡±


    ¡°Thanks a lot, asshole,¡± I said as soon as he ended the call. ¡°You will have that idiot firmly believing I am the one thinking of running against him.¡±


    ¡°Better you than us,¡± Charles said. ¡°Besides with your wife working under him, it automatically gives the thought credibility.¡±


    ¡°With my luck,¡± I said.,¡° and thanks to you, I most likely will learn when I get home that my wife is at another emergency meeting of the Catholic church¡¯s board.¡±


    Let¡¯s just say the words out of my mouth were proved right. As soon as Lauren finally got home the argument was on.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go after James''s job,¡± Lauren said as soon as she walked through the door.


    I thought it was humorous because she never asked me if I was. That meant there were four like- thinking idiots believing something that was not.


    ¡°I never said I was,¡± I replied. ¡°What makes you think that I am? If I were would it be a danger to his plan of going after a state seat in the next election in four years?¡±


    Lauren''s face went white. She could not answer why I felt that way and I knew that, so I decided to throw another twist at her that I was starting to believe even though I did not know for sure.


    ¡°Are you afraid that if I was it would bring an end to your relationship with your lover,¡± I said. ¡°Because you two could no longer use the mayor¡¯s office as cover for those extended lunch hour romps?¡±


    The look on Lauren''s face was priceless. Not even a deer caught in the bright lights of high beams at night could look that stunned. The question I had to ask myself, was at that moment, was she stunned because I had spoken the truth or because I accused her of it.


    ¡°While you are standing there gather your thoughts as you try to come to terms with what I just said,¡± I said with a coldness in my voice, ¡°start thinking of how you¡¯re going to explain your standing order for the morning after pill and the positive pregnancy tests that I found in the upstairs bathroom trash to me.¡±


    Lauren broke out crying and ran towards our master bedroom. I knew she would have to get her emotions in check before she could face me. I did not give a shit. I had reached the point where I was no longer going to hold it in. Until I found out what the truth was, I was going to keep the pressure on.


    No need to tell you that I ended sleeping in the guest bedroom. Tuesday morning as we prepared for the day, I was met with a wall of coldness. Thanks to the fact that I had no appointments scheduled for early Tuesday morning I was able to move my items like clothing into it before I left for work. Until I got the answers, I was looking for things to get worse between the wife and I before they got better.


    By the end of the day my father had received fourteen phone calls from a bunch of the good ¡®ole boys, he called friends. It seems that the saintly Father Eric Brown was doing a lot of running around outside of the parish office and had left the assistant principal in charge of the school.


    It seems the father was either doing a lot of one on one counseling or trying to make sure the slowly rising smoke did not become a raging fire. Everyone described the father as wearing a face that was full of concern. He had been out to the McCormick place to have a talk with Maureen, her estranged father¡¯s place, and at the mayor''s office spending a lot of time at each stop.


    My father and I both agreed that regardless of what was going on, we had put cracks into the foundation of it. Then, on Wednesday, the classified ads in the local rag dropped a bomb.


    ********


    Jed walked in that Wednesday afternoon with a spry to his step. The silly grin he had on his face was contagious. I was just heading into the lunchroom for a coffee break and asked Jed to join me.


    ¡°Bob there hasn¡¯t this much excitement in our town for years,¡± Jed said. ¡°I overheard Lauren telling James you had moved your clothing out of the master bedroom because of the questions you asked her.¡±


    ¡°I asked them because James and she have accused me of being the one that¡¯s planning to run against him,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Jed said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Lauren understand that you see the Catholic church and politicians in the same way?¡±


    ¡°Both constipated and so full of their shit that their unable to see the hypocrisy between what they say and what they do,¡± I said in seriousness. ¡°Both promoting their versions of lies as truths.¡±


    ¡°Why do you feel that way,¡± Jed asked? ¡°You have never really explained.¡±


    ¡°Look at our mayor,¡± I said. ¡°He is so empowered by the power and control he thinks he has that he has lost sight of what needs to be done. It¡¯s consumed him and controls everything he says and does?¡±


    ¡°Consider, Jed, this thought for a moment,¡± I said. ¡°The Roman Catholic church had its foundation in the birth of Christianity. They believe that their organization and  the religious views they hold make them the elite of our society. The Pope gets voted in because of his so-called god-like qualities by men who sin.¡±


    ¡°Yet Pope Constantine, in the third century, took over the church establishing the doctrines and structure they still have today. Constantine, at that time was not even a Christian. He was most of his life a pagan king. The Catholic church became a political-religious group because of the power it gave Constantine the king in controlling his citizens,¡± I explained. ¡°He combined Christianity, the pagan religious structure, and the politics of the time to create what we now know as the Roman Catholic church. Since then, it has not been an honest religion.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the unintended consequences that we, the general public, end up being rewarded with because of those with elitist attitudes,¡± I said. ¡°None of them care about the truth or those they claim to be working for. Never have and never will.¡±


    ¡°Bob everyone knows that we chat,¡± Jed said. ¡°What should I say when if they ask me if I asked you?¡±


    ¡°Tell the truth,¡± I said with a big grin. ¡°That I would neither confirm nor deny.¡±


    ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± Jed said. ¡°You damn well know that¡¯s only going to get more and more people saying it¡¯s you.¡±


    I laughed.


    ¡°Jed for too long there have been things dumped into a rabbit¡¯s hole so that they are never seen,¡± I said. ¡°Even in the gossip we are generating there are hidden truths. Those hiding them will become more panicked when they hear them.¡±


    ¡°Shit you¡¯re playing a fishing game on them, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jed asked. ¡°Your dad will love it when he hears your using the ole bait and hook.¡±


    ¡°Fear when used the right way is a powerful weapon. There appears to be a group that I am dealing with who fear the truth getting out. Whatever that is,¡± I replied, ¡°those people driven by those emotions end up panicking. Their conduct ends up revealing what they didn¡¯t want out in the first place.¡±


    With that said, Jed left. I got back to work. It was at the end of the day before I thought of the ad dad said would be placed in the classified section of the paper. It was a hoot. Not for what it said but what it implied, it read.


    ¡°A question for the saintly Father Earl Brown. When a marriage is not a marriage, but a business agreement for political benefit with the couple involved having never slept with each other. Are the children conceived in the marriage considered to have been conceived by ¡®Immaculate Conception?¡¯ Shouldn¡¯t the diocese in ST. Louis be asked to investigate so that it can be proven via an investigation that this is possibly a miracle that equaled the birth of Christ?¡±


    I do not think I have sat and laughed for so long in my life. It said so much without revealing a thing. Only those with inside knowledge would be freaking out. With all the seeds that were being planted by a bunch of rubes, it would not be long until everything came out.


    I went home to find Lauren was waiting for me with a copy of the newspaper in her hand.


    ¡°We have to talk about the ad you put in the paper,¡± Lauren said in pure anger. ¡°There are some in town who don¡¯t think it¡¯s funny at all.¡±


    ¡°Have you cleared it with Maureen¡¯s real husband the saintly Father Eric Brown, and Maureen¡¯s shield, our Mayor James,¡± I asked not knowing anything for sure. ¡°Also are you prepared to tell me how long James has let you in on the ruse? Oh, if it is true, are you the one that James is supposed to be sleeping with?¡±


    Sometimes pure bullshit hits gold because Lauren¡¯s face went pure white.


    ¡°No need to explain,¡± I said directly to her. ¡°You have never had a poker face. I will give you until the end of the week to move out of the house. I do not understand how the four of you decided that I was the perfect patsy to use to keep your appearances up. Was this all set up before you met me?¡±


    ¡°But I am not sleeping with James,¡± Lauren said without conviction.


    ¡°And I did not put the ad in the paper,¡± I said knowing that she did not believe me. ¡°You all best find out who you all have hurt before blindly accusing me of it. Payback can be a real bitch if revenge is the motive.¡±


    Her face showed pure fear and concern as I said, ¡°How long ago did the four of you decide that because I was not of the Catholic faith it was not your duty or your concern to tell me the truth?¡±


    With that said I grabbed my keys and went out to the car. I went over to my favorite pizza restaurant to get a pizza and a pitcher of beer. I needed to be alone I had some serious thinking to do.


    The fact that I had used their basic faith and belief¡¯s to justify and explain their actions had to hurt. Even Lauren, with the blinders she had built up by working beside James five days a week, had to see that.


    One of those customers who knew the family, Connie Retford, saw me drinking more beer than eating the pizza in front of me. She knew I had never drunk much. After she had paid her bill, she came over and sat down across from me.


    ¡°Bob, you best slow down. Eat more or allow me to drive you home,¡± Connie said. ¡° Is Lauren stuck at another church board meeting?¡±


    I guess she saw the look on my face because she said, ¡°Whatever is going on can I assume it has to do with the ad about Father Brown.¡±


    I quietly nodded my head in the affirmative and said, ¡°Lauren is more than just involved in the coverup.¡±


    ¡°Is it safe to say that Maureen McCormick and Father Eric Brown are two of the people referred to,¡± Connie asked?


    ¡°Jesus fucking Christ,¡± Connie said after seeing the expressions I wore on my face. ¡°Maureen¡¯s three young daughters are his.¡±


    ¡°Bingo,¡±


    ¡°So, Maureen¡¯s and James¡¯ marriage is just a fraud to protect Father Brown''s true relationship from coming out,¡± Connie said, ¡°That raises the question who is James involved with?¡±


    ¡°Think about it for a second,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can figure out who else is on the church board. Even though nothing about what that ad implies is confirmed, that¡¯s how it starting to look.¡±


    Connie¡¯s face went white before she turned to the waitress and asked for another beer glass to be brought to the table before saying, ¡°I think you shouldn¡¯t drink alone we can always call for a taxi to take us  home.¡±


    For an old-timer, Connie had held her age well. It was nice to have someone sitting with you holding your hand. Once Connie started talking about other things going on around town, I was able to seriously start eating. After the extra-large pizza pie and sharing two pitchers of beer, I was still sober enough to drive home even though I would not have passed a breathalyzer test.


    ********


    Tip-over a can of worms when fishing and, if you do not set it upright, you will discover when you look that half had found their way out. Truth is like that: it can be bottled up, sealed tight, but when the seal gets broken it flows out in a steady stream.


    Someone must have been bitten by a bug. While Connie and I were in the pizza restaurant the diocese in ST. Louis received an emailed copy of the ad that had run in our little village¡¯s paper. Thursday morning saw the saintly Father Eric Brown heading into St. Louis for a one on one private meeting with the bishop. I guess he had some explaining to do.


    One of the rubes sent an email around ten in the morning informing us all that Maureen had been seen using a key, entering the mayor¡¯s office only to discover that Lauren and James were not there. That was not surprising but knowing that Maureen did not know where he was, was puzzling.


    About an hour later we received another saying Bubba, and I are following Maureen in the residential side streets in Cape. It appears she knows where she is going.


    Shortly afterward, yet another one came in saying ¡°Found the house where Maureen was going to. Guess whose cars are parked in the driveway. Bubba¡¯s working his Canon digital camera as fast he can.¡±


    I could not help thinking that Marble Hill, Missouri, was nothing more than a modern-day Penton Place and the Catholic church board was nothing more than the Harper Valley¡¯s PTA.


    Just as I was heading out to go to a drive-through to pick up lunch, I got a call on my cellphone from a number it did not recognize. I saw that it was local, so I answered.


    ¡°Bob, its Bubba,¡± he said. ¡°Promise me that you won¡¯t start any more shit until Wednesday?¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s been going so well,¡± I said. ¡°From the way I see it, whatever is going on is starting to come apart at the seams.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I got the money shot that will blow it all wide open,¡± Bubba said with excitement in his voice. ¡°Looks like Wednesday''s paper is going to be a big ten-page edition including a tell-all revelation.


    ¡°Sounds like you have a winner,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s big enough to double my circulation from the interest it will bring back to the local news,¡± Bubba said. ¡°I guess I owe you and your dad big time.¡±


    ¡°So, I guess you and your partner in crime will be headed back,¡± I said. ¡°Now that you got the story of stories.¡±


    ¡°Bob we only have begun. It¡¯s off to country records to find out who owns the house,¡± he said. ¡°Then we will try to interview them to learn if he knows who he is renting too.¡±


    ¡°Why are you going after this story, like a dog digging up a buried bone?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because the village needs a commonsense man like you to be its mayor,¡± Bubba said. ¡°I¡¯m going to be trying to push you into it.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to submit the application to run.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Bubba said. ¡°Our two councilmen have given me their word that if Mayor James is forced to resign in disgrace, they will appoint you to finish his terms. The rest can be done with a write-in vote. I will be using the paper to encourage that.¡±


    For the rest of the day, I was wondering why they wanted me to be the next village mayor. I am not anything special. I am like most common folk who are as honest as they can be.


    The staff and I were going through the normal shutdown procedure for the day when an older man and a young lady came in asking if they could talk to me.


    He had to be at least six foot four with short well-styled peppered hair. Other than that, nothing stood out, but I knew that he was a newbie to the area in the last few years. The young lady with him caught my attention because I could tell there was a family resemblance to Maureen McCormick, the mayor¡¯s wife.


    ¡°What can I help you with,¡± I asked as I held my hand out.


    ¡°I¡¯m Walter Deans, and this is my youngest daughter, Casandra,¡± he said as he shook my hand. ¡°We would like to talk to you about a personal problem we both seem to have.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think that we have a personal problem?¡± I spoke. ¡°The only problem I have is with my wife Lauren and her employer.¡±


    ¡°You are being diplomatic, Mr. Carson, I¡¯m impressed,¡± said Walter Dean. ¡°You fail to mention Maureen and Father Eric Brown.¡±


    I admit that got my attention fast.


    ¡°Susan, we are going to go into the lunchroom and closing the door,¡± I said. ¡°Let me know when everything¡¯s locked up and you are leaving. ¡°


    ¡°I can offer you a coffee or a coke,¡± I said after we had closed the lunchroom door.


    ¡°Thanks, but we would rather get this conversation done,¡± Walter said. ¡°Maureen is my stepdaughter and I want you to know we, as a family, do not approve of  her ongoing conduct.¡±


    ¡°That makes two of us,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°If what I believe is going on, she¡¯s about to be hit with a martial interference civil case as soon as I have started my divorce.¡±


    ¡°Good, she can afford it with the trust our great grandfather set up for her,¡± Casandra said. ¡°Dad and I want to know if you would like notarized statements about what we know.¡±


    ¡°Why would the two of you be willing to do that,¡± I asked?


    ¡°Because we believe this was all set up before Lauren met you,¡± Casandra said. ¡°And please call me Cass, all my friends do.¡±


    That one simple statement led to a three-hour conversation. It was almost nine before I left the shop. Most of what I learned was the background material of Maureen, Lauren, and James'' high school years and their long term friendship.


    Maureen and Father Eric Brown met and fell in love when he was on a sabbatical In Jamaica. When Maureen learned she was pregnant, they had produced the scheme to protect their ongoing relationship.


    She had moved to our village to be near the man she loved who was our local parish priest. Maureen and James had never legally married, and they slept in different bedrooms. Yet her three kids had his last name because they had to keep the appearance of being a loving married couple.


    James McCormick agreed to sign on when she promised she would fund his running for a state seat. At that time Lauren and he had been engaged. When he was offered the deal, part of the cost was his ending his relationship with Lauren. Having that information provided to me allowed the pieces of the puzzle to start to come together.


    It left a few unknown answers but until Wednesday I had to play dumb. Cass, I learned was in her last few months of training before she would get her veterinary diploma. In genuine interest, I had asked her to keep me informed.


    *********


    After showing the Deans out and rechecking to make sure everything was locked down, I headed over to Cape trying to decide what I wanted to eat. I guess it was at that moment I finally realized that my marriage to Lauren had been a fa?ade conspired by four people to protect two from their long-term, sexual relationship being made public.


    Lauren had willingly prostituted herself out to me to forward an agenda. I had to laugh because the Bible, in the book of Revelations, describes the Catholic church as the great harlot because of her political dealings and commerce deals with big business.


    What people who followed the Christian faith today failed to see was that what most of us know about God and his son from his death until the third century was pure and unadulterated. Since then, most Christian organizations had their birth caused by the actions of a corrupted source the mother church of Christianity.


    Learning that you have been used for what others considered to be a ¡°greater purpose¡± sucked. Yet I knew that what they had done was no different than what the elected official in the federal government did all time to the public in general. Few ever told the truth or kept their word. Those who thought they were, soon found themselves corrupted by the system.


    I was thankful that the supper rush crowd would almost be gone because it would give me a chance to figure out how to handle the changes in my life. I felt used by those of the local Catholic board.


    Just as I was approaching the Hickory House in Jackson, I decided to pull in. I had just entered their door and standing in front of me was Casandra and another lady that I did not know.


    Cass turned and looked back at me and said, ¡°Bob, you should have told me you were coming here. I would have asked you to join us. Beverly, meet Bob. He¡¯s the local vet in Marble Hill.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to join us?¡± Beverly asked. ¡°If  you do, we''re going to pester you with all the questions we can think of because were both graduating as vets later this year.¡±


    ¡°If you two ladies promise to keep it about shop, I would love to,¡± I said. ¡°Have you decided on a particular field you¡¯re going to focus on?¡±


    By the time we had finished dinner Cass and I had exchanged phone numbers. I learned she was twenty-three years old, and she learned I was approaching thirty. She had a personality that came out bright when I told the ladies a few of the funniest moments I had in my profession.


    Her laughter was so loud it got the attention of all the guests in the restaurant.


    ¡°Can you find humor in a lot of the things you do?¡± Cass asked with a touch of seriousness in her voice.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°It may not be humorous at the time, but it can be when you look back at the situation. You have to look at it that way because of how stupid you made yourself look.¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡± Beverly asked.


    ¡°When you are dealing with a life or death situation, where everything you do can make a difference,¡± I explained. ¡°There are at times when your professionalism goes right out the window because the training and experience do not work. Your knowledge gets stuck inside in your mind and it cannot get out. It becomes the ¡®whatever moment¡¯ of the day because stupidity rules the day.¡±


    ¡°Are you always this straightforward and honest,¡± Cassandra asked?


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°If you can¡¯t be honest about yourself, can  you be honest about anything?¡±


    I saw a tear forming in Cass¡¯s eye, but I thought it was best not to pry. When the ticket was brought to me, I took it. When Beverly went to question what I was doing I raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I want to thank  you ladies by taking care of this,¡± I said while holding onto the ticket, ¡°For keeping my mind from going to where it did not need to be.¡±


    It was well after midnight when I pulled into the driveway of our home to find the lights all off. Lauren''s car was parked in the garage.


    Entering the house, I found her sitting at the kitchen table, which was at the back of the house with Maureen McCormick, the Mayor¡¯s supposed wife. Maureen had Betty Davis''s eyes which gave her a look that implied she had no inner soul.


    ¡°Maureen thought that she should explain to you, just what my relationship is with her and her husband,¡± Lauren said believing that she had found the perfect way to resolve our issues.


    ¡°Before we go any further with this, answer me one question Lauren,¡± I said. ¡°Just how long have  you known the mayor¡¯s wife?¡±


    ¡°We met shortly after I got hired onto the village staff,¡± Lauren said. ¡°When she stopped to see James.¡±


    ¡°Stop it,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m on to your lies and manipulations. The truth is Maureen, James, and you went to high school together In St. Louis. Maureen met the saintly Father Eric Brown when he was on a sabbatical from his priestly duties because of his crisis of faith issue. For appearance sake, she says she is married but her driver¡¯s license shows her last name as Dean.¡±


    I started to walk away, Lauren said, ¡°Bob, we have to resolve this if we can because there is too much at stake.¡±


    ¡°Why? I have no reason to,¡± I said.


    ¡°Because if we don¡¯t Father Eric Brown will be put in a position where he will have to decide to accept a transfer to the other side of purgatory or leave the church,¡± Lauren said seriously.


    ¡°Lauren, I no longer have a reason to believe anything you ever said or did,¡± I said. ¡°Also, I¡¯m not running for mayor. I did not place the ad in the paper, but none of you believe me, because you all lie so much that you all have lost the ability to discern when someone speaks the truth.¡±


    Lauren and Maureen sat there in shock. They did not know what to say because neither had an answer to the facts as I presented them. My observation about their conduct and what it implied said it all.


    ¡°Did any of the four of you ask Bubba who placed the ad?¡± I asked ¡°He may not tell you who placed the ad, but I am fairly sure all his staff will verify it wasn¡¯t me. Finally, since I know about the love nest in Cape, Lauren, I expect  you to be out of this house for good by the end of this week.¡±


    ¡°How much money do you want to keep everything quiet and get through your divorce quickly?¡± Maureen asked after gathering her thoughts. ¡°Will three-quarters of a million be enough?¡±


    ¡°You are barking up the wrong tree with that one,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why?¡± asked both Maureen and my wife.


    ¡°First of all, since I am not Catholic, that does not make me an elite,¡± I said. ¡°Money, power, and the greater need of the Catholic Church mean nothing to me. I am what you all have proved you are not: An honest man who will not be bought by anyone.¡±


    ¡°Secondly my morals, principles, and standards would not allow myself to do what the four of you have done,¡± I said. ¡°I will not prostrate who and what I am for the protection of the church.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you want?¡± Maureen asked figuring everyone had their price.


    ¡°The four of you to burn in eternal damnation with the rest of our society that is not of your faith,¡± I replied. ¡°This conversation is over as I got work in the morning so good night.¡±


    ********


    It was around two o¡¯clock on Friday that Bubba called me. It seemed the Catholic church¡¯s version of the Harper Valley¡¯s PTA had been in to see him.


    ¡°I told them, and my staff did too, that it wasn¡¯t you who placed the ad,¡± Bubba said in laughter. ¡°I think they are beginning to comprehend they have been chasing the wrong scent.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°Two of the idiots who still see themselves as elitists tried to sandbag me last night but failed.¡±


    I ended up having to explain to Bubba what I had learned about the four''s background and history with each other as he wrote it down in shorthand. I made sure to stress that, James, during his formative years had always seen himself as God¡¯s gift to women.


    Bubba was planning to include the information in the big exposure on Wednesday. James was not doing it only for a political reason, but also because he had been in love with Lauren for years and wanted to keep her close to him.


    ¡°The love nest we discovered yesterday is part of a whole subdivision that is own by the Catholic diocese in St Louis, ¡° Bubba explained. ¡°Century twenty-one in Jackson is the property manager. The bishop told me, in my chat with him this morning, the Saintly Father Eric Brown admitted that the ¡®immaculate conception¡¯ was hogwash because the mother had confessed in confession who the father was but was not revealing it because she was protecting his identity.¡±


    ¡°Did you inform the bishop about what we know?¡± I asked wanting to be somewhat prepared for what might be coming. ¡°At least we know that the saintly Father Eric Brown told the truth to a point?¡±


    ¡°No, but he knows I¡¯m writing an explosive story and he got me to agree to send him an email copy of it just before the paper is released,¡± Bubba said. ¡°When the Bishop asked if there was more to the story then what was explained to him, I said hell ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°I told James¡¯s lover she had until the end of the weekend to move out,¡± I said. ¡° I will list the  house with the realtors sometime this weekend and start looking for some farmland that I can build a  house and a new clinic on before the lease on this building runs out.¡±


    James McCormick made my day by walking into my clinic just as I was preparing to leave.


    ¡°Mr. Carson, I¡¯m here to inform you that Lauren took the day off to remove her items out of her former residence, ¡° the mayor said. ¡°She should be done in a couple of hours.¡±


    I did not say a word, I did not have to because my fist did. I let my staff handle the mess once they got over the shock of witnessing what I did.


    ********


    I was in the clinic feeding the animals, checking up on my clients, and following up with notes in the medical reports on each animal early Saturday morning. I heard a knock at the clinic¡¯s front door.


    I came out to the front to discover Cassandra and Beverly at the door. After unlocking, I invited them in. They had been driving by and had seen my truck parked outside.


    It took me about three hours to give them an official tour because with each animal they saw they had to know what the medical problem was and how I was resolving it. It was nice to share my thoughts with people who were going into my profession.


    We had just finished saying goodbye as I was letting them out when the Chief of police showed up to recommend that I turn myself in on Monday: I was facing a charge of aggravated assault.


    ¡°Just so you know,¡± Cass said  to the chief, ¡°Bob will turn himself in at ten with his lawyer present.¡±


    ¡°Any time Monday morning is fine by me,¡± Chief Pearson said. ¡°It¡¯s the asshole mayor who is pressing the charge, and that puts me in the middle.¡±


    ¡°What did you do,¡± Cass asked me?


    ¡°He came to tell me that Lauren was almost done moving out,¡± I said. ¡°I lost it and threw my fist at him, landing a couple.¡±


    With that Cass got her phone out and called her father. It was then that I learned he was a lawyer. They talked for a few minutes then she handed the phone to Chief Pearson.


    ¡°Beverly, I am going to have to break our plans for the day,¡± Cass said. ¡°I¡¯ve got to take my boyfriend to my dad. He wants to see him.¡±


    ¡°Good thing we were using my car,¡± Beverly said. ¡°I got to admit this is a novel way of getting  your first date.¡±


    I could not help noticing Cass as she blushed. Until that moment I had not thought about a new relationship with someone of the opposite sex. But it was clear by her reaction that she was interested in me.


    The chief handed back the phone to Cass and said to us all. ¡°I¡¯ve been asked to talk to our favorite mayor and inform him what your father''s plan of defense is. The way it has been explained, it is going to be temporary insanity because of the emotional turmoil you were dealing with.¡±


    ¡°Why is that important?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because it means that what drove you to that point will have to be explained to the court,¡± Chief Pearson said. ¡°I¡¯m going to be telling the asshole mayor that everything you know will have to  disclosed.¡±


    ¡°Cass, I think your dad has put this mess back in the mayor''s hands,¡± I said with a smile on my face.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Chief Pearson said. ¡°My gut is telling the charges will be dropped by the end of the day. Your lawyer made it clear that Mr. Fancy Pants our mayor knows what will be revealed.¡±


    Cass smiled and slid her hand into mine as if it were the most natural thing to do. It forced me to admit that she was more than interested,


    After locking up, Cass said, ¡°I hope you got a pair of swimming trunks because were having a barbeque out at my parent''s place.¡±


    ¡°I do but I wanted to go over to Jackson and list my home for sale, ¡°I said. ¡°Do we have time to do that first?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Cass replied. ¡°Are you perhaps rushing things?¡±


    ¡°I lease the building the clinic is in,¡¯ I said. ¡°The divorce will start as soon as I hire a lawyer. That gives me the  perfect opportunity to look for some land along the highway on which I can build an expanded clinic, a barn, and a new  home.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Cass asked out of concern. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want you to rush into something and end up regretting it down the road.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already been approved for the loan,¡± I explained. ¡°This was going to be happening regardless. I just consider it a blessing because it will help put my former life behind me faster.¡±


    It was about two hours later that Cass directed me into her father¡¯s place. Walter Dean¡¯s spread was amazing. Just seeing it left me with the impression that he spent more money a year on landscaping and maintenance than I did in on my mortgage. His U-shaped home was fantastic. I soon learned I was wrong.


    ¡°Mom has a green thumb,¡± Cass explained. ¡°Most of the plants and shrubs have been grown over the years from cutting that friends and neighbors have given her. She spends about an hour at the crack of the day tending the garden and the various flowerbeds.¡±


    Surprisingly, Mrs. Dean was as down to earth as her husband and Cass. I commented that I was surprised because I expected her to be more like an elite.


    ¡°Bob, my first husband was like that, and Maureen takes after him,¡± Shania stated. ¡°It took me five years to realize it. I met Walt at a fishing hole that I was hiding out in so my soon to be ex couldn¡¯t find me.¡±


    ¡°At first she thought I had been hired to bring her back,¡± Walt said. ¡°She tried to run me off with a shotgun. When she fired the gun in the air, my fishing buddy and I got out of there fast. Shania ran into me after her divorce was over and apologized. Eight months later we were married.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s never let me forget it,¡± Shania said. ¡°He tells everyone we get to know that we had us a shotgun wedding.¡±


    Cass told her parents about Beverly and her getting the royal tour of my clinic and how it was set up before I was shown where I could change into my trunks.


    I had just returned from changing when the news I received through me for a loop.


    ¡°Bob!¡± Shania asked. ¡°Did my husband and daughter inform you that Maureen and James are half brothers and sisters? Maureen is two years older. James¡¯ mother was my ex-husbands executive assistant that he impregnated when we were married.¡±


    ¡°So, does that mean that Maureen¡¯s last name has always been McCormick?¡±


    ¡°Afraid so,¡± Shania responded.


    I could not help but laugh thinking that when Bubba heard what I had just learned he was most likely going to have to rewrite the front page.


    ¡°So, he did not get involved because of the money Maureen offered him,¡± I asked?


    ¡°Yes, he did,¡± Shania explained. ¡°Maureen got her inheritance from my parents. Maureen¡¯s father has always lived thirty days away from bankruptcy.¡±


    Cass rejoined us from having gone to get changed into her two-piece, white bikini. I thought at that moment if I opened my mouth, they would have seen it drooling.


    Cass was eye-catching. With her tight well-shaped body on full display and long blonde hair resting on her shoulders, if I had been single, I would be chasing her all over. Her curves were in the right spot, and she knew just how and when to display them. The bathing suit was designed to draw one''s attention to her shape, and it did its job well.


    I knew with that white bikini, if it got soaking wet, you would be able to yell ¡°free show¡± because nothing would remain hidden.


    Walt was sitting beside me in a lounge chair, and we were both enjoying a couple of cold buds. He leaned towards me and said, ¡°You look like I did when I met Shania for the first time. I thought she was husband-hunting. Turns out, in a way I was right. If I¡¯m reading this right it might be your last chance to run.¡±


    ¡°If that is true,¡± I said. ¡°Why would she be interested in a country hick like me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re down to earth,¡± Walt said. ¡°Don¡¯t put air¡¯s on for anyone. You have the rep of being a fair and honest man who does not interfere with others. Cass, like you, has a love for animals. She told us after the dinner you shared, where you entertained her and her girlfriend, that the stories you told poked fun at yourself for being human.¡±


    ¡°It was later that they both realized that you were showing them how to be prepared for the worst moments in the industry that they were going to experience,¡± Walt said, ¡°It made everything they were preparing for seem real.¡±


    ¡°School prepares you for so much,¡± I said. ¡°Reality does not hit until your knee-high into it. I often wished that someone had given me a cushion to hold onto. I learned the hard way on my own just  how tough it can be .¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we all,¡± Walt said. ¡°I give it eight months?¡±


    Give what eight months?¡± I asked, not cluing in.


    ¡°Until I have a son in law that I am actually going to like,¡± Walt said with a chuckle before adding, ¡°Cass has already planned on having four rugrats running after her.¡±


    It actually turned out to be an enjoyable afternoon for the four of us. Chief Pearson called about four that afternoon to inform me the mayor had decided to drop the charges.


    After dinner, Walt walked out with me to my truck.


    ¡°Bob, congrats. You handled the situation well,¡± Walt said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Cass so frustrated in  years.¡±


    ¡°I really have no choice,¡± I said. ¡°Not going to do something stupid until I get my divorce done but believe me, I can see myself doing a lot of stupid things with your daughter if she would allow me to.¡±


    ¡°I will handle your divorce case, but I do want your word on one thing,¡± Walt said.


    ¡°Agreed, but what''s the one thing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That it won¡¯t have to be a shotgun wedding.¡± Walt said with a laugh.¡±


    *********


    I spent Sunday with my parents catching them up with what had been going on with the events of the last few weeks. What we could not figure out was if Lauren and James had been involved with each other when we started dating.


    Early Monday I called Bubba at his home and revealed the whole story as I now understood it. That¡¯s when Bubba produced the title for his editorial: ¡°What happens when the church will not allow their fathers to marry.¡±


    ¡°Bubba, you know what a brilliant idea would be,¡± I said. ¡°Run a special edition on Tuesday with the regular paper on Wednesday. I will buy a one-page ad to help you with the cost of doing it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea,¡± Bubba said. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to our councilmen revealing to them what''s coming out and see if they want to call for the mayor to resign.¡±


    ¡°It will be too late to deliver to deliver the copies to the businesses because of the time limits caused by printing,¡± Bubba explained. ¡°But Jed will bring it with him on his usual Wednesday drop.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the Cape stations will pick it up,¡± I asked. ¡°After you publish?¡±


    ¡°Hell, the snobs will be all over it,¡± Bubba laughed. ¡°They think we''re so small that we shouldn¡¯t be calling ourselves a newspaper.¡±


    Later that day Walt Deans called me to inform me he had Lauren served with the petition for divorce papers at the mayor¡¯s office at two that afternoon.


    On Tuesday, the special-edition paper was delivered to the house between seven and nine at night. The headline read ¡°Councilmen demands Mayor resignation.¡± It then went on to explain the whole situation. My ad in support of the four-page paper promoted the need of spading their dogs and cats and getting their shots for protection.


    The paper revealed the long term affair of my wife and the mayor, and their relationship before the brother and sister started pretending that they were married. The article also revealed the cover-up and hiding the fatherhood of Father Eric Brown, his three daughters, and his biblical relationship with the mayor''s sister, Maureen. I had to laugh because it truly was a family affair.


    The fact that, quite often, Lauren and James could be found at their love nest when they should have been at the mayor¡¯s office conducting village business, I found quite amusing. Bubba raised the question if they could be charged for getting paid while making ¡°hankie pankie.¡±


    It even showed the couple in a state of undress while talking to Maureen at the front door of their rented love nest, which was owned by the Catholic church. Bubba was right: the money shot was a goldmine. It proved beyond a doubt the relationship between the three and how it was interconnected.


    After two hours of answering cellphone calls, I finally shut it off and went to bed knowing that I would spend more hours answering questions the next day then getting work done.


    ********


    I was sitting at the kitchen table eating the two toasted egg and cheese sandwiches I had made while drinking hot coffee when I decided to finally turn my cell back on. Casandra was the first to call.


    ¡°Did you know that they were all going to be outed?¡± Cass asked sounding totally pleased.


    ¡°Bubba was part of the team I put together,¡± I  said. ¡°After learning that Lauren was taking the morning-after pill, I decided that I had to find out what the truth was. It took about three weeks to put it all together. Do you think that James will resign?¡±


    ¡°Maureen called dad for advice last night,¡± Cass explained. ¡°He told her that, either way, James was gone. The ongoing investigations into everything he has done, and going forth if he stays, could lead to charges being filed.¡±


    While we were talking a second call came in, ¡°Cassandra can I call you back? Someone else is calling me.¡±


    ¡°How about we meet at the clinic. I¡¯m not due at school until one because I was doing some fieldwork on Sunday,¡± Cass asked.


    That would be perfect,¡± I said as I hung up.


    I answered the incoming call. ¡°Bob, its Bubba,¡± Bubba said. ¡°The city council called an emergency council meeting last night. About twenty of the local businesspeople and I attended. Both Lauren and James resigned from their positions effective immediately.¡±


    ¡°Peter Stroud, George Persil, and I nominated you to take over the position of mayor,¡± Bubba said. ¡°Councilman Davis asked if there were any further nominations that the public wished to consider. When he got no response, he asked for a show of hands of those present who approved of you being appointed as the new mayor. It was unanimous. Congrats Mr. Mayor you will be sworn in on Friday during the regular monthly meeting.


    All I could say was, ¡°Well shit.¡±


    Bubba laughed and asked, ¡°I hope you can find a suitable assistant fast, Mr. Mayor, because we both know you got a lot of things to get straightened out in our little village.¡±


    ¡°For the mayor¡¯s office or for my clinic,¡± I asked being a bit of a smart ass.


    ¡°Beverly Jackson is my second cousin,¡± Bubba said. ¡°I hear, her best friend Casandra Deans has told her to keep her distance from you. Care to tell me why?¡±


    ¡°I met her father and her last week,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°He¡¯s Maureen¡¯s stepfather and my lawyer. Walt Deans warned me that Cass sees me as husband material. I told him I had my running shoes on, and she would have a hard time catching me.¡±


    Bubba laughed and said, ¡°You are going to be so busy just getting into the swing of things that she will have you hog tied before you know it.¡±


    ¡°Now you are pulling my leg, you bastard,¡± I said seriously. ¡°There is no way I¡¯m going to let that happen.¡±


    **********


    It has been ten years since that Friday that I got sworn in as Mayor. It is now a job and a title that I cannot get rid of. Shaina and Walt are coming over to pick up the rug rats, all six of them. The kids know somethings up because their Pa is not in his overalls. Lauren and James got married and moved to Lodi California.


    Father Eric Brown is a father no more, but he did make an honest woman out of Maureen. They now live in Florida. We see them around about once a year when they come to visit if we run into them.


    I am taking my wife, Cassandra out to Red Lobster for dinner. She¡¯s due to drop our seventh, with our luck it will be tonight. With four boys and two girls, we do not care what it is as long if it is healthy.


    We built the house and the clinic with two barns. We have become the best known veterinary clinic in our county. Because of the size of our family and the mayor¡¯s job we only work in it part-time. I started it with a staff of four and now it has sixteen. We got Beverly basically running it.


    I must be doing something right because Marble Hills Missouri now has a population of twelve thousand, I still don¡¯t run, but win with a landslide because of write-in votes. To this day, the town thanks God every day that I am not Catholic.