Awesome Journey (eBook)
392 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
978-1-0983-1544-3 (ISBN)
An Awesome Journey is a poignant story that is an uplifting reading experience filled with mystery, romance, and humor presented against a background of the exciting, extreme-life-extension-movement now going on in our world of face-paced advancements in technology. Handsome, sensual young man on his way to extreme success falls in love with beautiful High School Senior. They make plans for a wedding right after her graduation. The young beauty dies in a tragic accident shortly before the wedding day. The story of the young man continues until his death years later. Both lovers are revived 100 years later after a successful journey to the future thanks to the fast developing technology of cryonics, the technology of freezing people at legal death to be revived in the future when aging reversal is a common practice for humans. The author uses a very believable description of how cryonics works and transports people to the future. But this story is not just a typical time travel story, it is a powerful love story, with mystery and humor that will make you laugh out loud and then bring tears to your eyes. The author, David Pizer, first realized how short a lifetime is in 1953 when he was in sixth grade. Back then school girls had slumber parties in one of the girls bedrooms and boys had camp outs in one of the boys back yards. David and his friend Max set up a tent in Max's parents back yard and they were sitting there looking at the massive array of stars that filled the unpolluted, smog-free skies in Phoenix Arizona in 1953. Max's dad brought out 3 cups of hot chocolate and the three of them sat there sipping as Max's dad explained a lot about the stars, theories on the birth of the universe, and things like that. Max's dad was a professor at Phoenix Community College, while David was in sixth grade. When dad explained about the formation of a star and the billions of years they 'lived"e; David was mesmerized! Max and his dad then went back into the house to make some more hot chocolate and get some marshmallows, coat hangers a bag of charcoal and some matches, while they left David all alone in the backyard to gaze at the billions of bright stars in the sky, each one with a life-span of billions of years. As David sat there entranced in deep thought, a very sad feeling came over him. David realized that even if a person lived to be 100 years old, that on a cosmic scale a 100-year life span is a very, very brief time. Now David is convinced that only up to a 100-year life span may no longer be our sad fate, and the latest discoveries in life extension technology seem to suggest human aging may soon be reversible and quality life spans may reach much, much longer than 100 years. "e;An Awesome Journey"e; is the story, and an awesome journey is going to be the feeling you experience as you read this exciting, humorous, romantic novel.
Chapter one
Ralph’s chance meeting with Honest John that hot August day in 1955, seemed so insignificant at the time. There was no way that Ralph could have known this simple encounter would lead him to an extremely rare and unparalleled life. And it was all quite by accident.
Ralph was driving west on Van Buren Avenue in downtown Phoenix, the massive ‘49 Buick Roadmaster he was driving was sputtering and heaving from side to side like an elephant with a bad hangover. The engine was sounding awful. Now the car slowed to a crawl, started to rally, then weakened again. Ralph fought a long, losing battle to gather up speed. An impatient motorist honked behind him and shouted something. The engine gave a final death rattle and conked out and now the car was coasting. Ralph aimed for the curb, and the big Buick bumped it lightly as it wobbled to a halt.
Ralph Dombrowski, as a teenager, was not perfect, but he wasn’t as bad as the guy behind him had said. Bright, ambitious—he probably would have earned high marks at West Phoenix High if school hadn’t been so boring. Anyway, school was history now, and it was time for him to start making a living. Besides, he didn’t know if his aunt could afford to send him to college.
All his young life Ralph had wanted to amount to something. His friends were average and Ralph wanted more than that. Sometimes in the cool of twilight he’d drive up Skyline Lane to the top of Camelback Mountain where, in the distance, the lights of Phoenix sparkled over the desert floor like a galaxy come home to rest. Below him, exquisite white-walled mansions decorated the feet of the steep mountain slopes and whispered alluringly of fortunes yet to be made in a thriving, young metropolis.
Ralph was a very good-looking young man. He had short, dark hair and a finely chiseled face with a jaw that signaled authority. Girls often commented on his well-turned, powerful arms, broad shoulders, and hard muscular stomach. But Ralph was more than just a physical specimen. His radiant blue eyes could look right through you and there was something street-smart inside. Girls considered him more than handsome—he had a frank sensuality. He was the solid example of youthful manhood a girl would like to take home to mother—but only after she’d had her way with him.
In spite of his startling appearance, there was a hint of shyness about him, a not-quite-grownup innocence that brought out a woman’s maternal instinct.
At the moment, Ralph’s handsome face was drawn with worry. The damn car was out of gas, and that put the driver on the hook. He shot a frustrated sideways glance through the open passenger window on his right. Twenty feet away stood a man holding a paintbrush and painting on car windshields while talking with a woman whose lithe back was arching toward Ralph. The woman said something to the man, and they both laughed. She wore scanty white shorts and her wavy blond hair plunged down toward her narrow waist like a gold-plated waterfall. Her hips were curvaceous, her legs long, and Ralph thought she really filled out those shorts. She turned suddenly, caught Ralph staring at her picture-perfect behind, and smiled seductively. Ralph was surprised to see someone like her out this early.
The woman was a Van Buren Street prostitute. She knew all types of men—and was weary of all types. Still, as she studied the fine young specimen now blushing in his car seat, she couldn’t help thinking how great he looked. Experience told her he probably had too much going to make a good prospect.
Phoenix, Arizona was an exciting town in the 1950s. It had all the conveniences of a large eastern city, but the palm trees and giant cactus told you it wasn’t one. In the first few blocks east and west of Central Avenue in the main part of the city, stood attractive office buildings, some motels, a few government structures, generally clean and unobtrusive. But as one traveled east, things gradually changed.
East Van Buren Street, three blocks north of Washington Street, ran through the poorest, most rundown part of downtown Phoenix, Arizona. East Van Buren Street was famous for two businesses: selling used cars and the world’s oldest profession. Driving east past Seventh Street, the motorist entered “used car row,” seventeen consecutive blocks of car lots that finally ended at the iron gate of the Arizona State Insane Asylum. Each lot overflowed with a medley of old cars and trucks, ranging from the common to the rare and unique. A touch of variety was added by an occasional camping trailer or weathered boat. The side boundaries were narrow, and the lots squeezed against each other creating miles of iron jungle. Rows of light bulbs hung quietly overhead on sagging wires, waiting their turn to brighten up an evening. These were flanked by faded old pennants that waved silently in the warm breezes as if mutely trying to cheer them on. On every lot, a dilapidated building or converted mobile home served as an office. New car dealers, the original tenants, had long since migrated north to the new Phoenix area. Now the poor, underprivileged, and minorities came to the row to bargain for wares they could hopefully drive away, not too far from home.
The blonde prostitute was now standing on the corner, trying various seductive poses for the benefit of the passing traffic. The man she’d been talking with had gone back to his painting.
Finally, there was no putting it off. Ralph got out and stood on the curb, eyeing the rough old Buick with disgust. The corners of the massive Buick grill turned down like the mouth of a huge dead beast. Ralph imagined for a moment a giant slack tongue protruding in front and cursed himself for not being more careful and checking the gas before he’d started out, even though that was supposed to be the owner’s responsibility. The temperature must be past a hundred already—a bad day to have to go outside on foot.
“Sounds like you’re out of gas,” said the man who’d been talking to the hooker. He was now painting a slogan in gaudy orange on the windshield of a bright red ‘46 Ford coupe. ‘’And, it looks like your tie-rods are shot too, judging from the way your car was wobbling.” The man pointed toward the Buick with his brush.
Honest John’s Used Cars, where Ralph’s car had come to rest, seemed like a typical Van Buren used car lot. On the front line were vehicles ten to twenty years old, while the next rows consisted of cars a few years older. There was an office, an aging brick building painted over a few times too many in now-peeling shades of yellow and green. Far in back was a collection of pre-war models and really ancient derelicts, which seemed to be leaning against each other to keep from falling down. The cars in the front had newly lettered slogans, like NO MONEY DOWN, E-Z PAYMENTS, or LOW MILEAGE. All were freshly polished, and their glass and chrome sparkled in the noonday sun.
Ralph glanced over to the corner, now to his left, where the prostitute was beginning to shimmy. When any car passed, she would undulate her pelvis, inviting stares from male motorists, causing them to slow down. As Ralph watched, a pickup with three boys stopped at the corner. Smiling, the hooker walked over to the truck and started talking to the boy on the passenger side, whose mouth hung open. Meanwhile the man had finished painting the windshield, placed the brush in a can of thinner on the ground, and was cleaning his fingers with a rag. Ralph approached. “Sir, I wonder if I could please borrow a can to get some gas.” The man flashed a friendly smile. He was short, stout, and fiftyish, with a bright red-and-white checkered sport coat and a red bow tie. The well-oiled dome of his bald head shone like the polished autos, and short black hair fringed its sides. But the two things Ralph noticed most were the oversized sunglasses with the dark blue lenses, and the huge, friendly smile.
The man extended a stubby, but sturdy right hand. “Hi. I’m Honest John, owner of this place.” As Ralph reached out to shake hands, he noticed two rather large diamond rings on Honest John’s fingers. “How would you like to trade that old Buick in for one of our little beauties?” Before Ralph could answer Honest John had opened the door to the Ford coupe. “Step over here and check out this interior. I’ll bet you’ll think it’s brand new.”
‘’Wait a minute, sir! That car I’m driving isn’t mine. I’m just taking it down to the shop where I work, a company called Golden Coat Auto Paint and Body. I’m a delivery boy.” Ralph paused. “Not that I’d object to owning one of these fine-looking autos of yours, but it’ll have to wait for now.”
The last thing Ralph wanted was to offend the owner of the nearest gas can or telephone. He nodded at the front row of cars and pointed to some of the more interesting ones. “They’re sure beautiful,” he commented. “I see you’ve got a ‘51 Olds Super 88 with the Holiday hardtop, and a repainted ‘50 Ford Custom Crestline, and over there’s a ‘51 Kaiser—I think that’s the Deluxe Traveler model.”
“Hey, you know your cars, son.”
‘Yes sir, but I don’t have the money for one. I just started work a few months ago. I’m sorry I can’t buy one now, but I sure would appreciate it if you would let me borrow a can so I could get some gas.”
Honest John flashed his wide smile. The whole...
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 3.7.2020 |
|---|---|
| Sprache | englisch |
| Themenwelt | Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Science Fiction |
| ISBN-10 | 1-0983-1544-8 / 1098315448 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1-0983-1544-3 / 9781098315443 |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
EPUB (Ohne DRM)Größe: 1,4 MB
Digital Rights Management: ohne DRM
Dieses eBook enthält kein DRM oder Kopierschutz. Eine Weitergabe an Dritte ist jedoch rechtlich nicht zulässig, weil Sie beim Kauf nur die Rechte an der persönlichen Nutzung erwerben.
Dateiformat: EPUB (Electronic Publication)
EPUB ist ein offener Standard für eBooks und eignet sich besonders zur Darstellung von Belletristik und Sachbüchern. Der Fließtext wird dynamisch an die Display- und Schriftgröße angepasst. Auch für mobile Lesegeräte ist EPUB daher gut geeignet.
Systemvoraussetzungen:
PC/Mac: Mit einem PC oder Mac können Sie dieses eBook lesen. Sie benötigen dafür die kostenlose Software Adobe Digital Editions.
eReader: Dieses eBook kann mit (fast) allen eBook-Readern gelesen werden. Mit dem amazon-Kindle ist es aber nicht kompatibel.
Smartphone/Tablet: Egal ob Apple oder Android, dieses eBook können Sie lesen. Sie benötigen dafür eine kostenlose App.
Geräteliste und zusätzliche Hinweise
Buying eBooks from abroad
For tax law reasons we can sell eBooks just within Germany and Switzerland. Regrettably we cannot fulfill eBook-orders from other countries.
aus dem Bereich
