Life-Changing Events - Chapter 1
I've just completed the first draft of my new book titled "Life-Changing Events" and I've posted the first chapter below. I normally go through six rounds of editing and getting feedback from beta-readers before it's ready to be released so I'm hoping it will be released by Christmas.
Chapter 1:
Frank Taylor opens the gate in front of the retirement home and shuffles along the path with his little dog toward the park. It is a walk that he has done twice a day for as long as he can remember, which isn’t that long. There are some things in his life that he wishes he could remember, and some things he wishes he could forget.
It is a beautiful park with well-manicured lawns that slope gently down toward the waterfront. Frank can see the park from his apartment on the top floor of the up-scale residence, but he likes to get out among the people.
Frank is a big man, but he has a gentle nature about him, so people don’t seem intimidated by his size. The white fur of his Bichon matches his white beard and makes people think of Santa Claus, although on closer inspection, neither the dog’s fur or Frank’s beard are as well-kept as they should be. Frank can’t be bothered maintaining either anymore.
Frank likes people, or at least he used to. Now, he is more suspicious of their intentions. The dog seems to pick up on those feelings because he’ll either frantically wag his tail or give a soft growl, depending on who approaches.
There are numerous people on the path today, some jogging, some on skateboards or bicycles, and some just walking like he is, as if they’re looking for something or someone.
Frank walks by the beggars and the homeless people who sit alongside the path asking passersby if they have any spare change. Frank always says no. He sees the same people asking the same question every day on his walk. A few don’t bother asking him anymore because they already know the answer. A few ask every day, as if they’ve never seen him before.
Frank continues walking along the path and stops at the bench in front of the playground that has numerous children playing. The playground is Frank’s favorite part of the park because the kids always seem so happy and carefree.
A small group of mothers are huddled together drinking coffee and talking among themselves while watching their kids play. But Frank knows some of them don’t always watch closely enough. A kid can be snatched in the blink of an eye.
Frank sits on the bench and watches the kids for a long time. He studies the mothers and tries to figure out which kids belong to which mother and what their lives might be like. Who is living their dream life and who is trapped in a loveless marriage, secretly plotting how they’re going to make their escape?
When his back starts to stiffen up, Frank gets up and starts his walk back home, but stops at the next bench along the path where he watches the homeless people. He knows they all have their reasons for being out on the street. Some have drug problems, some have mental health issues, and others have had a life-changing event that caused them to lose their way. Some of them caused their own problems, but some had their problems thrust upon them through no fault of their own. Frank knows both kinds, the victims and the perpetrators.
One young woman sitting about twenty paces from the other beggars catches his eye. She is probably in her mid-twenties, but she doesn’t seem as hardened as the other vagrants. Her face shows both hope and fear as she asks people for money as they walk by.
Frank watches her for a long time. She looks familiar, but he isn’t sure why. She has a big straw hat sitting in front of her holding the small amount of change that passersby have given her. The hat has a light blue ribbon around it with some writing on the front, but the writing has been scratched out, as if trying to eliminate any trace of it ever being there.
Frank turns his head to the side and squints his eyes to try to read what is written on the ribbon. “Katy”, that’s what the ribbon says. Frank takes a closer look at the woman and it all starts to come back to him. He’d always wondered what had happened to her.
He slowly gets up and shuffles his way toward the young woman. She watches him as he approaches. Frank’s dog is confused and looks at Frank for some kind of sign as to whether he should growl or wag his tail as they get closer to the woman.
“Do you have any spare change, sir?” she asks.
It is obvious she doesn’t recognize him. Frank doesn’t say a word, but reaches into his inside jacket pocket and feels for one of the envelopes that he always carries with him. There are numerous other envelopes just like it, hidden in places that only Frank and one other person knows about, but the other person will never tell.
As he walks by the young woman, Frank drops the envelope into her dirty sunhat.
“Thank you,” she says.
He’s worried that she might recognize his voice so he doesn’t respond, but just keeps walking and doesn’t look back.
This was not the first time that Frank and Katy had crossed paths.
Chapter 1:
Frank Taylor opens the gate in front of the retirement home and shuffles along the path with his little dog toward the park. It is a walk that he has done twice a day for as long as he can remember, which isn’t that long. There are some things in his life that he wishes he could remember, and some things he wishes he could forget.
It is a beautiful park with well-manicured lawns that slope gently down toward the waterfront. Frank can see the park from his apartment on the top floor of the up-scale residence, but he likes to get out among the people.
Frank is a big man, but he has a gentle nature about him, so people don’t seem intimidated by his size. The white fur of his Bichon matches his white beard and makes people think of Santa Claus, although on closer inspection, neither the dog’s fur or Frank’s beard are as well-kept as they should be. Frank can’t be bothered maintaining either anymore.
Frank likes people, or at least he used to. Now, he is more suspicious of their intentions. The dog seems to pick up on those feelings because he’ll either frantically wag his tail or give a soft growl, depending on who approaches.
There are numerous people on the path today, some jogging, some on skateboards or bicycles, and some just walking like he is, as if they’re looking for something or someone.
Frank walks by the beggars and the homeless people who sit alongside the path asking passersby if they have any spare change. Frank always says no. He sees the same people asking the same question every day on his walk. A few don’t bother asking him anymore because they already know the answer. A few ask every day, as if they’ve never seen him before.
Frank continues walking along the path and stops at the bench in front of the playground that has numerous children playing. The playground is Frank’s favorite part of the park because the kids always seem so happy and carefree.
A small group of mothers are huddled together drinking coffee and talking among themselves while watching their kids play. But Frank knows some of them don’t always watch closely enough. A kid can be snatched in the blink of an eye.
Frank sits on the bench and watches the kids for a long time. He studies the mothers and tries to figure out which kids belong to which mother and what their lives might be like. Who is living their dream life and who is trapped in a loveless marriage, secretly plotting how they’re going to make their escape?
When his back starts to stiffen up, Frank gets up and starts his walk back home, but stops at the next bench along the path where he watches the homeless people. He knows they all have their reasons for being out on the street. Some have drug problems, some have mental health issues, and others have had a life-changing event that caused them to lose their way. Some of them caused their own problems, but some had their problems thrust upon them through no fault of their own. Frank knows both kinds, the victims and the perpetrators.
One young woman sitting about twenty paces from the other beggars catches his eye. She is probably in her mid-twenties, but she doesn’t seem as hardened as the other vagrants. Her face shows both hope and fear as she asks people for money as they walk by.
Frank watches her for a long time. She looks familiar, but he isn’t sure why. She has a big straw hat sitting in front of her holding the small amount of change that passersby have given her. The hat has a light blue ribbon around it with some writing on the front, but the writing has been scratched out, as if trying to eliminate any trace of it ever being there.
Frank turns his head to the side and squints his eyes to try to read what is written on the ribbon. “Katy”, that’s what the ribbon says. Frank takes a closer look at the woman and it all starts to come back to him. He’d always wondered what had happened to her.
He slowly gets up and shuffles his way toward the young woman. She watches him as he approaches. Frank’s dog is confused and looks at Frank for some kind of sign as to whether he should growl or wag his tail as they get closer to the woman.
“Do you have any spare change, sir?” she asks.
It is obvious she doesn’t recognize him. Frank doesn’t say a word, but reaches into his inside jacket pocket and feels for one of the envelopes that he always carries with him. There are numerous other envelopes just like it, hidden in places that only Frank and one other person knows about, but the other person will never tell.
As he walks by the young woman, Frank drops the envelope into her dirty sunhat.
“Thank you,” she says.
He’s worried that she might recognize his voice so he doesn’t respond, but just keeps walking and doesn’t look back.
This was not the first time that Frank and Katy had crossed paths.
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