CHAPTER 25: “You’re kidding! No push back? No objections? Nothing?” said Rodney. “No—well—as for the prosthetic legs he was a little slower but seemed to think better of rejecting us and went for it,” said Claire. “He never even asked about the cost of them. I don’t think he has a clue about what all is involved overall. That’s a plus or he would have pushed back on that one for sure.” “Yes, for sure “Just maybe we are ov...

CHAPTER 23: I was literally shaking. I was terrified. The man strode in major concern in his look. “Jim, the nurse told me. Have you heard anything else?” said my ex-best friend.“No, no, not yet... Rodney...” I started, but paused. I really just didn’t know what to say. I knew what I wanted to say but not how to express it. I just started bawling like a baby.“Rod, she can’t die she just can’t. I mean she just can’t, Rodne...

CHAPTER 21: “So he seemed to soften a little? Is that what you’re saying?” said Claire.“Yes, sort of. He said he’d think about things. And I think he will. He has her to think about now too not just himself. That little wrinkle might just be what he needs to get him of the dime,” said Rodney.“My God I hope so. It sure as hell is time, no fucking doubt about that,” she said.“You have never been more right,” he said.“So whe...

CHAPTER 19: “I found out today that he’s dating Denise’s sister,” said Rodney. “Denise told me. Cross your fingers.”“Really! Thank God,” said Claire. “Oh and consider them crossed!”“Yes, for damn sure,” he said.“Serious?” she said.“Who knows? Probably too soon. But, Denise says that they went out four days in a row last week, so ...” he said, leaving his words hanging in the air.“Oh man, maybe we caught a lucky break. She...

CHAPTER 17: And then she was there across from me. “Before you open your mouth and go off on me,” said Claire. “I have a couple of messages for you.”“Yeah, what?” I said.“One, your daughter is out in the waiting room. She’ll be coming in in a few minutes.”“You said a couple of messages,” I said, not actually reacting to the information that my daughter was outside waiting for me.“Yes,” she said. She came toward me, smiled...

CHAPTER 15: The meeting between the Traynors and the Pollards would have to have been described by an observer as business-like. But, that said, it was fruitful.“Yes, Captain. I have offered him jobs and things and all of it. And, I still stand ready to help the man. But . . .”“But because of some of the things you mentioned here today he refuses to take anything from you? That about it?” said Captain Traynor.“Yes, in a n...

CHAPTER 13:“Well, dare I hope that the worst is behind us?” said Claire.“Not by a long shot. He’ll be looking for evidence that everything we’ve proposed was a sham, but over the long haul maybe it’ll all work out,” he said. “And, he didn’t ask for a lawyer to get involved yet, but he still may, so that’s a small concern.”“Yes, well, all we can do is hope I guess,” she said.“That cab, van, he’s always using to get around...

CHAPTER 11:Lawyer Donnelly was nothing if not knowledgeable of how to do these kinds of negotiations. But, he was wrong about getting the check on the same day that the deal was consummated. It took two days. The guy was actually apologetic. I was sitting in his office looking at the actual check from Marcort.“They actually thought they’d be in litigation for forever,” said Mr. Donnelly.“Well, I guess they got something o...

CHAPTER 9: As I watched my ex-best friend across the room, he looked down, no, frustrated. If things worked the way I hoped, depending as I was on my own impromptu planning, I’d be changing that look he was wearing quite significantly. Oh yes, yes I would.I saw her come in. She was short, she was chunky, she was plain looking, and she was mine.“Okay, Jimmy, what’s all of this about? Why the tone of voice, the urgency,” sh...

CHAPTER 7“What! He just disappeared! What!” said Rodney.“Yes, I went into the back to get something. When I came back, he was gone. It was my fault I guess,” she said. She had a sheepish look about her.“Claire? Is there something else?” he said.“Maybe," she squeaked. "We- I, suggested that we needed to be careful about confusing the baby. I suggested that the baby call him by his name for the time being. Just for the time...

PART THREE OF THIRTEENCHAPTER 5: He was in his office. It’d been a full year since the last he’d heard of his old friend. He didn’t dwell on it much, not anymore. That was something, thought Rodney Pollard. But at the moment he was on his mind, Jimmy was on his mind. One couldn’t save the world. And some things were written in the stars. It looked like his old bud was condemned to be part of that mass of humanity that wou...

CHAPTER 3: Sammy was right; I did drink too much, but I didn’t give a damn. I needed to drink and to drink often. And why the hell not, John Daniels loved me. I wonder what they’d named the baby. I wondered if it were a boy or a girl. I guess it didn’t matter; I’d never be meeting it—him, her.It was strange it was. I couldn’t get the kid out of my mind. I couldn’t get the two of them out of my mind either. The way they’d...

Young people today have an acronym for it: BFF or best friends forever. But, as is often the case in the real world, “forever” is a word that has no substantive meaning. For me, James Clausen, and my best friend Rodney Pollard, both currently and commonly 27 years old, the acronym had, however, been meaningful since the second grade.Yes we were tight the two of us. And the nature of things being what they were, the gods s...

“I’m nervous,” said Jenna. “No, scared—no nervous. Oh, I don’t know what I am.” There was still a good fifty miles to go. But, the road was clear and the sunny day nice. He smiled over at her. “We’re doing this right,” said James. “We know what we have to do, and, we can do it.” “We have to convince him,” she said. “We will, I have a feeling,” said James. “You wanna stop and get something to eat before we get there?” She...

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR 2015“He just disappeared, again!” said Ronald. “Yes, and I have no idea why,” said Stacey. “But, we do,” said James. His new wife looked down. “Huh? What?” said Stacey. ‘“Before we came here today, Jenna and I talked. I’d asked her why her dad hadn’t said that ‘he’ was giving her away. At first she didn’t know, but then she started thinking,” said James. “And,” said Ronald. “Well, Jenna said, that befo...