My Desperate Journey (eBook)

Alan E. Losure (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2017 | 1. Auflage
218 Seiten
Yorkshire Publishing (Verlag)
978-1-947491-51-9 (ISBN)

Infos

The freight car doors were opened, and planks were laid that we were forced to walk up and enter the cars.

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There were no seats, and each freight car was packed tightly with our people. Mother, Vicki, and I managed to stay together, and we soon found ourselves jammed in tightly, like pigs going to slaughter. Before closing and locking the open doorway, a Union soldier placed a wooden bucket inside and instructed that it be placed in a corner. is bucket was our only latrine for all of us to use. He then gave us a bucket of water and a box of army biscuits that was meant to last for the trip. We beggedhim not to close the door, but soon we found ourselves in near darkness as the train slowly began to move.

Textauszug

Chapter 2 – The Jackson Silas
Property Auction

The auctioneer was very pleased at the large turnout for the estate auction of Jackson Silas. Many local people had wondered exactly who the very powerful man was in life, and here was their chance to view and own a piece of his multigenerational belongings. Many items were clearly original to the home and most likely purchased by his grandfather. Some of the better pieces were expected to command top prices, and Ted had decided on the spur of the moment to go and watch the sale, which had started an hour ago.

The weather in early June was very pleasant, hovering in the low seventies. Long lines of tables contained the items from the house, many which he had not seen before and that must have been stored in cabinets, closets, or on shelves. There was a small concession booth selling food and drinks to the people attending, as well as a tiny trailer for registering other latecomers for the auction and where buyers would finally pay for their purchases.

Melody and Robert Thornton were there also, and as Melody looked around, she recognized a very familiar face. “Hello, Mr. Ryan,” she said. “Do you remember my husband, Robert?”

Edgar Ryan smiled. “Yes, I do believe we met after I discovered the cabinet card of the old ex-Confederate schoolmaster.” The two men shook hands. “Good to see you again, Mrs. Thornton.”

“Finding any new treasures here today?” she asked him.

“Actually, quite a few,” Edgar replied. “Apparently, none of the Silas families who lived there believed in throwing away old documents or paper items, which I love to collect. I have already purchased several flats and am waiting for a few more boxes to come up for bid. I also have my eye on an old family portrait and a few more items.”

“Well, we’ll let you get back to the bidding. Good luck, and nice seeing you again.”

“Same here. Please stay in touch,” he said as he returned to listening to the ongoing sale.

Robert then said to his wife, “So, Sherlock, see any new mysteries to solve here today that you want to bid on?” She shook her head no, and the couple continued to search, moving over to watch the other auctioneer selling the furniture. At the end of the day, Melody had purchased a lightly used crock pot for only three dollars. It had been a fun day, but she doubted there would be much of a mystery to the crock pot…unless it didn’t work.

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Walt “the Worm” Thompson was becoming concerned with his on-again, off-again causal dating of Rebecca Davis. Walt enjoyed dating her and had hopes it might progress beyond what it had to a more serious level. Rebecca, though, seemed to have other ideas and stayed at an emotional distance. He suspected there might be someone else in the picture, or she was just being very cautious, but so far, he had been unable to get a straight answer out of her. They had made plans to meet tonight at Steak n’ Shake and then perhaps go to a movie later. Walt told himself that he was going to get some needed answers tonight and settle his doubts one way or another.

Walt had arrived and had been standing outside the restaurant for only a few minutes when he spotted her familiar Honda Civic pulling into the parking lot. “My, you look very pretty tonight,” he said as he held the double doors open for her. Rebecca smiled briefly, but she gave off the impression that something was troubling her. Maybe problems at work or a headache? he wondered.

After being seated in a booth, Walt picked up the menu, “I’m in the mood for a caramel shake tonight.” At that point, Rebecca reached out and took the menu from his hands, laid it down and took his hands in hers. She was about to speak when the waitress came up.

“Welcome to Steak n’ Shake. May I take your order, or do you require a few more minutes?” Rebecca told her they needed time to decide, so the waitress quietly left to attend to other customers.

“What’s wrong?” Walt asked her with genuine concern in his voice.

“This is hard for me to tell you, Walter,” she softly replied. “You are such a nice man, and I like you a lot. I have started seeing an old boyfriend again, and I think I may be pregnant with his child.”

Walter was stunned by this admission. “Oh my” was all he was able to say as his mind now filled in all the missing pieces. Now everything was starting to make sense.

“He knows that you and I have been seeing each other and that nothing physical has happened between us, but he wants me to break things off with you anyway, and…under the circumstances, I think I must. I am so terribly sorry that I have hurt you, and I wish you nothing but the very best.” Rebecca then stood up, grabbed her purse, and walked out.

Walt sat there in stunned silence, having lost his appetite for a caramel shake. After a few more minutes, he left the restaurant and drove home, replaying her conversation over and over again within his mind.

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Many people were surprised that money had not changed Ted Richardson all that much. He still lived in his one-bedroom apartment and drove his now almost-three-year-old Ford F-150 pickup truck wherever he went. Fancy clothing, jewelry, or an air of being rich just did not fit his lifestyle and personality. He still looked and acted like the young assistant parts manager he’d been only a short time ago, and he hoped that his deceased parents might look down from Heaven and approve of his new life. As for women, well…most had paid little attention to him before the money had arrived, but now he even found little notes left on his windshield or slid under his apartment door. It was not hard to see that money did attract the wrong types of admirers, and Ted was determined to avoid any involvement that could lead to trouble down the road. Lasting love could not be purchased by gold or silver.

Now that the fifty-three rentals had been refurbished and the Silas house project all set to begin, it was time to consider what he wanted to do with his life. There were no easy answers, so Ted would continue to pray for guidance and direction. He had not remodeled all of those rentals just to receive praise from the occupants, but that had certainly happened. People now stopped him in the street to thank him, and he was pleased that his choices had made his renters very happy. Still, there were a few who considered him a meal ticket, asking for new cars and other gifts. Luckily, they were few and far between.

His attorney, Mr. Willis, had been a great help in vetting out the phony requests for aid. One of the brighter moments that Ted was very proud of was in helping the Atchison family with their out-of-control medical bills. Their daughter, Patricia, had been diagnosed with childhood leukemia, and it had brought back memories of his own little eight-year-old sister, who had died from that terrible disease many years ago. Someone once said that money cannot buy happiness, but sometimes it can help relieve needless pain and suffering.

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The second Saturday in June was known for one thing at the Fonzie Wilder American Legion Post: taco night! Jeff, Walt, and Ted made it a point to attend and get together for a little non-work-related relaxation. Walt was the last to arrive at their table, and the men were becoming concerned he wasn’t going to show up. “Where ya been, Worm?” Ted asked of his lifelong friend. “Been foreclosing on some poor, defenseless, little old ladies?” he joked. Walt pulled out a seat as the waitress took their drink and food orders. Jeff thought his friend seemed somewhat sad, so he asked what was troubling him.

Walt hesitated before finally replying, “Rebecca is seeing an old boyfriend, so I got thrown to the curb.” Everyone sitting at that table knew full well what it felt like to be in Walt’s shoes. He continued, “I’ll be fine. Don’t be concerned. There are plenty of other fish in the sea.”

Ted replied, “Yea, but you gotta admit, she was a mighty good-looking fish.” That comment got Ted dirty looks from both his friends. Sensing his statement hadn’t gone over very well, he moved to change the subject. Luckily, the beer and plates of tacos arrived. The conversation soon drifted to other topics. Walt then turned to Ted, asking, “So, how did the auction turn out?”

“We did real well, and I’m glad it’s all out of the house and sold. Now Jeff’s crew will begin some internal demolition Monday before the new construction can begin. I think I’ll drop by that morning and watch the ugly wall paneling come down. It really does look like an old funeral home inside, doesn’t it? That may have been the going style back then, but certainly not today. The crew will tear all that out and modernize everything for the new women’s shelter. I’m still undecided...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 28.7.2017
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror
• ISBN-10: 1-947491-51-2 / 1947491512
• ISBN-13: 978-1-947491-51-9 / 9781947491519