I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two.
I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.
“Lucy you think Friday is coming?” “*Sigh* In two days, Little One.” “Thanks. I just thought this week might be different.” “Nope same as last.”
It is Wednesday Story Day again, and last week we witnessed a small breakthrough between Larry and Cortez. It looked like Cortez is worried about keeping his family safe, and Larry made some sense in suggesting that the government could protect his family better than Cortez could. Cortez is taking a moment to think through the consequences of continuing to fight or turning himself in. I see Cortez has lowered his gun into his lap. That could be good news. Let’s get over there and find out his choice of action.
Larry leans forward in his chair. “Have you come to a decision, Joachim?”
“Not so fast. I need to know that if I surrender, your offer of protection for my family will be honored.”
Larry leans back. “That’s easy. I’ll have the FBI agent draw up a contract, and you can sign it.”
Joachim’s shoulders slump. “He can do that?”
“He will be speaking for the Justice Department. So, yes, he can do that.”
Joachim waves his gun again. “Call him.”
“I’ll put him on speaker so you can hear for yourself.”
“Yeah, do that.”
Larry dials Mike’s number, and Mike picks up on the first ring. “Yeah, Larry.”
“Hey, Mike. We are on speaker, and I’m here with Joachim.”
“Okay, what’s going on?”
“I think Joachim is ready to call it quits if we can guarantee the safety of his family.”
“Um, okay. How many on the family?”
Larry nods to Joachim, who leans closer to the phone. “There is my wife and two daughters and a French Bulldog.”
“That is doable. Where are they now?”
“They are on an airplane in the executive hanger at the airport.”
“That is excellent. For a minute, I thought they were in Mexico, which would have made things a little more difficult. But, I think the government can make a deal for their safety. So, if you can hold on one minute, I will call the Attorney General to confirm.”
Larry speaks up. “Hey Mike, we have an ADA right here. Can’t she authorize the deal?”
Joachim and Larry stare at the silent phone. Then, finally, after what seemed like forever, Larry says, “Mike?”
“Sorry, Larry, I was on the phone with the AG. The deal is confirmed. I will draw up a preliminary rough contract. What was your question?”
“I was wondering if the AGA could approve and sign.”
“A good idea, but somehow having a captive AGA commit to a deal might not hold up later.”
Larry smiles. “Good call, Mike.”
“So, how do you want to do this?”
Larry points at Joachim. “Let’s have you sign the contract, and then one of your guys bring the contract in here. Joachim will guarantee no shooting. I will witness, and once signed, we will have everyone file out with their hands on their heads. Okay?”
“That sounds fine, Larry. I’ll call you back went the contract is ready.”
“Good deal, Mike, and thanks.” Larry disconnects the call. “Well, that’s it, Joachim. You need to tell your team it’s over.”
“I’ll call in Juan and explain it to him. He can handle the others.”
Joachim yells for Juan to come into the little room. Juan must have been right outside since he appears almost immediately. “Yes, boss. We leaving now?”
Joachim looks down. “Not exactly, Juan.” Joachim swivels the easy chair around so that he can face Juan
“What do you mean?”
“Were you eavesdropping?”
“I couldn’t help overhear that you are giving up.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“But boss, what about the rest of us.”
“You’ve been very loyal, and I will try to get you some kind of deal.”
“That’s not good enough. We have families too. You know what’s going to happen the minute we get nabbed by the feds. The Balthazars are going to move in, and for no reason other than pure spite, they will torture and kill all of our families.”
“Well, maybe we can make a deal where the Feds just take me and leave you here.”
“Still not good enough. With you gone, there is going to be a war to end all wars. The result will be the same.”
“So, what do you recommend?”
“We stick with the original plan and get to the airport. Then, at least back home, we have half a chance of defending what’s ours.”
“Sorry. That’s not going to happen.” Joachim raises his gun. “Give me your weapon.”
Juan’s face grows dark. “You are forsaking the brotherhood, but you can have my gun. I’m going to pull it out. Be careful with yours.”
Juan slowly reaches to withdraw his gun from his holster. He shifts his weight to the balls of his feet and, with astonishing speed, vaults into the chair, burying his shoulder into Joachim’s chest. At the same time, he grabs Joachim’s hand with the gun and shoves it back behind Joachim’s head. Larry is taken totally by surprise and is just beginning to rise from the chair as the gun goes off. The force of the bullet to the chest slams Larry back into the chair.
Joachim and Juan struggle, but Joachim is no match for the powerfully built Juan. He tears the gun out of Joachim’s hand and places the cold steel on Joachim’s forehead while holding Joachim by the neck. “Tell me we are going to the airport, or you’re a dead man.”
“You honestly think those feds out there are going to let you walk out of here? You just shot one of their own.”
“I have the hostages, old man. I’m not afraid to kill one at a time to get my way.”
Larry is trying to make sense of what happened. He can hear Joachim and Juan arguing but can’t understand the context. His chest hurts, and he can feel his lungs getting congested. He tries to get up but is too weak to move. He coughs and can feel the metallic liquid in his mouth. Then, almost like a fist to the gut, several stun grenades go off simultaneously all around the house. Larry can hear and smell the automatic rounds that come from all directions. The blurred forms of Joachim and Juan are lifted and thrown across the room. Larry struggles to hold his eyes open but finally gives in to the wish for sleep.
Larry can feel a soft hand on his face, “It will be over soon.”
Larry opens his eyes. “Gloria. My love. Where did you come from?”
“I’ve been with you all along, my love. You need to relax now. Everything is fine. I have you” Gloria wraps her arms around Larry and hugs him tight. Larry relaxes, and for the first time since losing Gloria, he feels at peace.
“Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.
Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”
This post originally ran on August 3rd, 2015. I think there is still some good advice in here.
***
The inspiration for this list came from spending over 3800 Sundays so far and not making the best decisions always on how to spend the day. Now that this is Monday, maybe there is enough time to plan for next week. Hope you enjoy it.
Top Ten Things Not to Do on a Sunday.
10 On a Sunday, do not clean out the garage. If you do, at best, you will only rearrange the junk since trash day is at the end of the week. At worst, you will find several long-lost repair projects that you totally forgot to finish. (Hiding them again may not be practicable)
9 On a Sunday, do not use a leaf blower. If you do, at best, your neighbors will call upon the Almighty to forgive you. At worst, the person next door who you thought was a minister turns out to be a coven leader and has drawn a funny symbol on your front lawn. (You begin to notice the hair on the back of your hands getting thicker)
8 On a Sunday, do not pack up the family for a drive in the country. If you do, at best, you will be carting several sullen children with you. At worst, you will be sitting in traffic for hours. (And you have yet to enter the freeway.)
7 On a Sunday, do not go to the grocery store. If you do, at best you’ll be wondering why all these people can’t shop during the week while you are working. At worst, you will comment to someone named Brutus, who just happens to be unemployed and decides you need a lesson in manners. (You notice his fist is the size of your head just as the lights go out.)
6 On a Sunday, do not think you can go to the park for a picnic at the last minute. If you do, at best you will enjoy your lunch in the car. At worst, you will try to sneak a spot next to the Smith Family Reunion sign only to discover the Smiths have their own Hell’s Angles chapter. (And your Ralph Lauren cap is now part of a keep-away game.)
5 On a Sunday, do not think you can check out with a six-pack of beer before the lawful time. If you do, at best, you will win a bunch of friends as the line comes to a halt waiting for the manager to void the sale. At worst, the loudspeaker announcement of “Alcohol violation on register seven” will have the entire store in stitches, knowing by looking at you that you aren’t trying to pass a fake ID. (But are just plain dumb)
4 On a Sunday, do not go any distance without checking to see if your destination is open. If you do, at best, you will have given the family a ride in the country. At worst, you will have a full mutiny on your hands that will take some ice cream volleys to quell. (Not to mention the loss of leadership respect.)
3 On a Sunday, do not attempt to take a nap before you check with everyone to see if they need anything. If you do, at best, everyone will need something. At worst, they will need something, and you are the only person who knows the location of the something. ( The request will come in one at a time.)
2 On a Sunday, do not invite the whole family to your house for pot luck dinner. If you do, at best, a few will pass, and there will be enough to go around. At worst, all will attend, and most will have forgotten to bring anything other than an enormous appetite. (Not to mention a 102-degree temperature and runny noses.)
1 On a Sunday, do not try an experimental recipe that you found in the Sunday supplement. If you do, at best, you will be substituting some ingredients that you did not have on hand to mixed results. At worst, the mixed results were manifest in several of your household members rushing quickly from the table. (With the sound of large quantities of running water covering several noises)
Well, today, gang, we will go out into the Lakeway neighborhood to see if there are any new and different mailbox toppers. It has been over a year since we checked them out, so it is about time. We are being catered by Café No Sé in Austin. Since I still have not figured out how to post a YouTube video in the Classic editor mode of WP, our entertainment will be all of us humming Bohemian Rhapsody in five-part harmony. No, I’m not going to Block.
I went on a long walk today to clear my head since I knew I would be challenged to complete the Stream of Consciousness prompt later. I was in deep thought about some inconsequential matter, like should I powerwash the driveway. Then, all of a sudden, my attention was snapped to fully aware as I heard someone screaming, “Help me.”
My gaze went to a rather large brown van that was caroming off what is now a collapsed lamppost. The post altered the vector of the van so that now it was headed directly for me. As it got closer and larger, I could see a wide-eyed, uniformed driver clutching the wheel and screaming his head off. This was clearly a delivery van out of control, and not wishing to find myself the thickness of a pancake, I managed to jump to the right and grab what some would say is a sissy bar connected to the driver’s side of the van.
The three of us continued down the street, which was now taking on the topography of a soapbox racer course. I swung into the van and asked the driver if I could be of some help. “No brakes,” he yelled. For the first time since seeing this run-a-way train, I grew concerned. The law of physics dictates that the vehicle velocity will continue to increase until such time as a deceleration event occurs. The speed at the point of deceleration will mean the difference between survival or not. “We need to slow this mother down,” I yelled. The driver looked at me with an expression I have seen on countless teenagers’ faces before the “No shit” statement.
Long story short, the van did indeed slow down by jumping a curb and tearing through several layers of shrubs, fencing, and into the Donavan’s pool. As we were sinking, the driver asked me my name and then handed me an envelope. Of course, it was from Linda Hill. As the water was reaching my chest, I tore it open and read the note. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “the last photo you took.”Take the last photo you snapped. What’s the first word that comes to mind when you look at it? That word is your prompt. Enjoy!
As the water rose to my chin, I thought about that last photo and remembered it was of Twiggy and Lucy. The word “cute” went through my mind, and the darkness crept into my consciousness.
“Stand up,” I heard from the edge of eternity. I opened my eyes and did indeed stand up to find I was in water up to my waist. “We are saved,” I screamed. The driver had nothing to say.
If you would like to enjoy visit Linda Hill’s blog and read how. Here is the link.
“Boss. Twiggy keeps running away.” “Isn’t that what tag is all about?” “Not when one gets older it isn’t.” “You’ll be fine. Go get her.”
It is Friday again and the beginning of that period of rest that we all need. I hope your week went well.
We all learned that the CDC issued some revised guidelines for mask-wearing. They advise mask-wearing even if fully vaccinated in public places, indoors in those areas where there is a high and substantial level of Covid transmission rates. This covers about 225 million Americans or about 63% of the population. So if your area has between 50 and 100 new cases per 100,000 population or a positivity testing rate of 8% to 10%, then you are in a substantial to high transmission rate area.
Also, the CDC is recommending those school-age children in grades K through 12 wear masks when they go back to school. This has caused so much confusion in the school districts here in Texas. The governor issued a directive that school districts and communities are not allowed to mandate mask-wearing, so at best, any decision on masks has to be an advisory position. Texas shares the no-mask mandate with Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Montana, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Makes your head spin.
We also learned this week that eating foods high in flavonoids can help beat cognitive decline. To all you youngsters out there, this knowledge has little relevance. To we old codgers, what it means is all the strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries, red cabbage, onions, peppers, kale, parsley, black tea, oolong tea, green tea, wine, chocolate, soybeans, and citrus, that we have consumed is keeping our cognitive abilities from diving into the dirt. This was a study done over a 25 year period with 75,000 participants, and results were published in the American Academy of Neurology journal. So keep eating and drinking that stuff, and if you are not eating or drinking it, you should start.
Today’s JohnKu talks about cognitive decline. I hope you have a super weekend.
“This is as much fun as Friday, Lucy.” “Maybe the new turf has something to do with it.” “I think you have something there.”
It is Wednesday Story Day again, and last week Cortez indicated to Larry that he was ready to move to the cars. He instructed Larry to contact those on the outside to let them know they are coming out. As you can imagine, the vector of this story has taken a turn for the worse. Cortez indicated that if anything went wrong, Larry would be the first to get shot.
Before we join the group, we need to talk about the story for a second. As you have seen, this serial has been laid out using nothing but dialogue with no tags at all. So as a reader, you have had what all the scenes and people look like in your mind. You have been able to construct the backgrounds and sensory cues to your own liking.
This was the purpose of telling the story the way it was told. You have invested of yourself in these 88,600+ words over the last two years. I must honor that investment with the construction of an ending that is satisfactory. Yes, we are coming to an end. All the characters we have met previously are lining up backstage for the curtain call. Our MCs are getting ready for the final scene. As the author of this continuing saga, I think it would be wise to expand to a narrative plus dialogue form to catch all the action leading to the end. With your permission, here we go.
Cortez waves his gun at Larry and tells him to get on the phone. Larry gets out of the chair and holds his palms out in one last gesture of supplication. “Come on, Joachim. Just say the word, and you all can spare yourself a lot of trouble.”
Cortez wipes his face with his hand. “You know it might be easier to just shoot you now. If you don’t start listening to me, I might just do that. I’m in charge here, damn you. Now call.”
Larry holds up one hand and reaches for his phone. “Okay, you win. I’m calling.”
Larry reaches Mike. “How are you doing? Good. Listen. I have a situation here. Cortez does not want to take a deal. In fact, he wants to move right away. Hold on. Yes, Joachim.”
Cortez takes Larry’s arm. “Put it on speaker.”
Larry pulls his arm away. “Sure, Joachim. Anything you say. Hey Mike. You are on speaker. His majesty is listening.”
Cortez does not smile at Larry’s humor. Instead, he waves his gun again. “Just get on with it.”
“So, you heard that, Mike.”
“Yes, I sure did.”
Larry looks at Joachim. “Here’s the deal. Joachim is going to take this whole crowd and move them to the airport. He is warning me that if our team does anything funny, he’s going to shoot me—”
“Say again”
Larry can’t help but smile. “Yeah, that’s right, he’s going to shoot me, so I have an interest in making sure he gets in the car and gets to the airport in one piece.”
Mike is quiet
Larry shrugs his shoulders and turns more toward Cortez. Cortez frowns and waves his gun again. “Looks like the head guy is getting a little upset.”
The escape of Mike’s breath is auditable over the connection. “Yeah, okay. We’ll stand down.”
“Thanks, Mike. His Nibbs has a better look on his face. I’m not sure if we will talk again, but I appreciate anything you can do to keep this situation from getting out of control.” Larry disconnects the call. “Looks like you have a free passage to the airport, Joachim.”
Joachim calls for his right-hand man Juan and gives instruction to gather everyone in the living room. Once the guy leaves to get the hostages, Joachim tells Larry to sit. Larry immediately sits. “You know Joachim, this is not going to end here in Nevada. These guys are going to hunt you down.”
Joachim sighs. “You know as well as I that once I reach my compound, there is no one who can get me back to face charges.”
Larry smiles and crosses his arms. “Have you ever heard of a patriot missile?”
“They wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Holding an ADA hostage is not something the government soon forgets. Besides, who will ever know the source of the missile? It could be one of your rivals.”
Cortez sits across from Larry and hunches forward. “They would harm my wife and daughter?”
“How many Wives and daughters have you harmed?”
Cortez pulls on his chin. He sits in silence until Juan breaks the spell. “Yeah, Juan, what is it?”
Juan explains that everyone is in the living room and that their hands have been zip-tied. Cortez nods and dismisses Juan telling him to keep an eye on everyone. He looks Larry in the eyes. “So if I give up, you are telling me my family will be safe?”
Larry holds Cortez’s gaze. “I think we can arrange for your family to go into a program where they will be protected.”
Cortez’s eyes fill. “Their safety is the only thing that has driven me to this point. My enemies would like nothing better than to get their hands on them. So now you tell me of the possibility of assassination by the US government. You have given me enough to think about.”
Larry sits forward. “I would think it over, Joachim. There has got to be a better way than to keep fighting.”
Joachim’s shoulders slump. His complexion takes on a gray tone of weariness. “You have no idea how long I have been fighting.” He places the gun on a side table and puts his hands on his face. “I have to figure this out.”
Sally Cronin is featuring Eternal Road along with two other fine authors. as you know, Sally is the most supportive blogger for indie authors. She has several ways to support you as well. So while you are there, check out her books and see how she can help you promote yours. Thank you for this honor, Sally.
