Planning Ahead

          My Brother and I

          Don’t life’s trials just seem to sneak up on you sometimes?  If we could see into the future it would make planning ahead so much easier.
          When my brother was a little guy he was pretty good at planning ahead.
I remember this one time when he committed a spanking offense. That was back when you could get a spanking without the cops coming and taking dad away to jail. I don’t remember what he did but he knew well in advance that he was going to get it.  He planned ahead.
          Our father came in and put him over his knee and gave him the spanking.  Charlie cried and generally made a good show of it.  My father put him back on his feet and left the room.   As soon as he was out of ear shot my brother wiped away the crocodile tears and started to laugh.  I was confused ,to say the least.
           My father always said that giving us a spanking hurt him more than it did us.  In this case he was literally correct.  My brother had really planned ahead this time.  He had put some comic books in his pants to shield his butt.  It worked like a charm.
          To this day I can’t explain my father not knowing the comic books were there.  I suspect that he went into the living room and told my mother about Chuck and his armored butt.  They probably laughed even harder than my brother did.
          If we only knew when it was time to stuff the comic books in our pants a lot of life’s difficulties could be avoided or maybe softened just a little.  Unfortunately that isn’t the way it is a most of the time.  Most of the time, they occur without much warning.

 Chuck in France trying to remember where he put the comic books.

          Quite a while back my wife began filling empty bottles with water and storing them all over the place.  I complained more than once about the water filled bottles.  They took up space.  They got in the way of the stuff I wanted to store.  Besides I couldn’t picture myself drinking water from any of them.  Who knew how long the bottle was sitting there building up unseen critters that would turn into something nasty inside of you.
          But like my own mother, the mother of our children, my wife is generally right about a lot of things.  She was right about the water.  When a hurricane came through and the power went out we had water for something I hadn’t thought of.  We had water to flush the toilets.  So if there were some unseen critters in those bottles they have now been processed by our septic system.
          We eventually got a generator so we can pump water even when the power is out.  But guess what, we still have the water bottles hanging around the house and I am not going to complain.  I wouldn’t want to be wrong two times in a row about the same thing.
          That reminds me about something else I better stop complaining about.  There is a bunch of stuff in the trunk of our car that I have been complaining about.  It’s some food and, get this, water bottles filled with, well, water.  There is some of our old clothes and some other stuff I hesitate to describe in there as well.  It’s called a 72-hour kit.  My wife put it together.  It’s for us if we have to go on the lam.  I complained because it takes up space in the trunk.  I figured you should put it in the garage.  Hey, the trunk is needed for other things like golf clubs and such. Of course I don’t play golf, but I might take it up someday.
          The other day a house in town burned down. I listened to the news report and was glad to hear that the family got out safely.  That’s when I figured something out.  If that happened to us I guess the food and stuff in the garage wouldn’t’ be of much use.  My wife was right again.
          So even if life sneaks up on you there are some things you can prepare for.  Keep some water around even if it is only to flush the toilet.  Have a 72-hour kit stuffed in the trunk of your car. Keep some cash aside you can grab if you have to run for the hills.
         

 My Dad- 90 years old, and still the best father a son could have.

          Before I close this time I’d like to say a little about my dad who just turned 90 in February.  He has always been a great father when we were growing up and even now at 90 years old he is still a great dad.  He lives in Florida and I call him every day and never hang up without telling him I love him.  For you men out there who might just take the time to read this blog.  Start planning ahead so that when you son or daughter talks about you when you’re ninety they will say he is a great dad.
Remember this you guys out there, nothing you do out there in the world will count if you have failed as a father and a husband.  For the two of you, husband and wife if you want your spouse and your children to love you, you need to love them first.
          The best preparation advice I can give is love each other.  Contrary to what Ryan O’Neal said in “Love Story” love doesn’t mean never having to say you’re sorry.  Love is knowing when to say you’re sorry.
          Until next time, keep the comic books stuffed in your pants and the water bottles in the trunk and I almost forgot, keep a smile on your face.  After all, it’s the most attractive thing you can put on and it doesn’t cost a thing.
          To find out about my novel “Operation Armageddon” please visit my web site at Tagewright.blogspot.com for details and remember that 50% of the royalties will be donated to help our veterans.  You may email me at any time at tagewright@aol.com for a free preview of the book.

A Look Between the Pages

I’ve got a story to tell that you just might enjoy.

I’m going to try something different this time.  You may be aware that I am donating 50% of the royalties from my novel “Operation Armageddon” to various Veterans help organizations including Soldier On and The Wounded Warrior Project.  In this segment I would like to present you with a portion of the prolog from “Operation Armageddon” If you enjoy this segment please email me at tagewright@aol.com and I will send you the first two chapters and the prologue for your review.  Here we go………

A look Between the Pages

They came that night.  They were dressed for battle.  Helmets that resembled the one worn by the stone statue protected their heads.  They were wearing loincloths and breastplates of wooden mail. 
They were ancient warriors.  The long dead warriors came only to Elias.  They spoke to him in a language that he had never heard before yet he understood all that they said.  It was as if the strange language were his.

They told him of the city.  They told him of the treasure.  They told him where it lay.  By morning he knew where to look.  His true destiny was taking shape.

Elias kicked at Jacob's prone body.  Jacob woke with a grunt of pain.  Squinting to see in the bright morning light he looked up at Elias.

“What is it?”  He managed.

“Get up.  I need your help.  I've found the city.”

“You've what?”  Jacob was still trying to shake the cobwebs from his sleepy brain.

“Come, I'll show you.”

Following Elias's direction they cut long poles from the jungle and used them to pry a large oblong stone that lie near the corner of the building.  With a great deal of effort they moved the stone.  Under it they found stone stairs that descended into the darkness.

“I'll make some torches,” Jacob said.

“We won't need them.”

“It's dark down there.  We'll need them to see.”

“Come, I'll show you.”

Again Jacob followed Elias.  Again he was right.  Once their eyes adjusted to the light they could see.  The stairs led into an underground world lit by the light that filtered in through the white boulders set like skylights into the stone ceiling.  There was a soft yellow glow as well.  It confused Jacob at first.  Then he realized its source.  It was a reflection from the paved floor beneath their feet.

“My Lord,” Jacob gasped, “the floor is paved in gold!”

Indeed this was true.  The floors were paved with gold bricks.  As near as they could tell the entire clearing was undermined by what appeared to be a small city whose entire floor was paved in gold.
Jacob was unnerved by the way that Elias strolled casually through the chambers.  It was as if he knew exactly where everything was, as if he had been here before.

When they reached what Jacob estimated was the center of the underground city heavy wooden doors barred their way.  Inexplicably Jacob felt the urge to run.  He saw a smile come over Elias's face.  Even in the poor light he saw it clearly enough.  The smile brimmed with evil, frightened him.

“It's in here,” Elias said.

“What's in here?”  Jacob asked.

“The sword, it's in here,” Elias answered.

The chamber was dark.  There were no stones placed in the ceiling to bring in the light.  Instead there were torch holders set in the walls.  Outside the chamber set in racks were torches.  They must have been placed there long ago for those who would enter.

To Jacob's amazement the torches still lit.  After all the years that had passed the ancient torches still burned.  They cast a yellow light into the vast expanse of the chamber, pushing back the darkness only a few feet.

Elias did not hesitate.  He went forward holding his torch high above his head.  Jacob followed him as he marched toward a yet unknown goal.  On either side of the path that they strode Jacob saw what was missing from the rest of the dead city.  He saw the remains of what had once been people.  Not much was left to decorate the floor.  There was enough for him to recognize what they were.  They had found the final resting place of the people who had populated this underworld.

Jacob had no idea how large the chamber actually was.  He was aware that they walked a considerable distance into it before Elias stopped.  They had entered a circle ringed by a gold chain held up by silver stanchions.  In the center of this circle a golden statue stood.  It was a duplicate of the stone effigy they found in the jungle.

It was indeed a warrior with a weapon at the ready.  This statue suffered none of the weather damage of its stone counterpart.  It was complete.  Jacob saw that the projections under the arms were indeed a second set of arms that held an infant close to the warrior's body, protecting it.  The warrior had a breastplate made of wood that covered the massive chest.  The muscular arms that held the sword and shield ended in hands that were certainly not human.  They had only two fingers and a thumb.  The digits had claw like nails.  This figure had a tail that had been missing from the stone statue in the jungle.  Its feet were bare and possessed only two toes with animal like claws.  Jacob could only stare in awe at the grotesque figure.

“What manner of god is this?”  Jacob muttered.  Then his eyes fell upon the crumpled figure that lay at the feet of the statue.  It was impossibly well preserved.  The hooded figure, lie on its back.  The eye sockets that should have been empty hollows held eyes.  They were staring up at the statue.  Flesh remained on the body.  It looked to be only hours old instead of the hundreds of years old that it must be.

Stuck between the ribs of the shrouded remains was a sword.  The hilt was embedded with jewels while the blade was ornately engraved.  The beauty of it was exhilarating.  The blood (on its blade) looked wet in the torchlight.  All this was not possible.  Jacob could not believe his eyes.

Elias knelt reverently by the body.  His manner was that of a mourner at a close friend's funeral.  Jacob felt again the urge to run from where he stood.  His mind and soul screamed a warning to the muscles of his body.  “Run, run”, he heard a voice inside his head shout.  Jacob Campbell the learned man ignored the warning and stood fast; his intellect forcing its will on the rebellion that was taking place in his mind.

Elias put his torch into a holder in front of the statue and took the hilt of the sword in his right hand.  As he did, a blue spark leapt from its hilt to the fingers that grasped it.  Elias spoke in a voice and language that Jacob did not understand.

“What are you saying?  What language is that?” Jacob croaked.

Elias slowly turned to Jacob.  He still held the hilt of the gilded sword as he spoke.  There was a fire deep in his eyes.  It terrified Jacob.

“I'm saying good bye to my brother.”  Elias pulled the sword from the body as he spoke.  He held it aloft as if to salute the statue.  As he did, Jacob looked back at the figure lying on the floor.  It began to disintegrate before his eyes.  It turned literally to dust as he watched.

When it finally ended the process a luminescent mist rose from the remains until it reached the ceiling and then it vanished.  Jacob looked in time to see the sword arcing down toward him.  It was too late to run now.  He felt the blade bite into his neck as it flashed down and across.  Surprisingly there was little pain.  He felt a strange sense of pressure and then the world slowed down.  Jacob tumbled to the floor.  Somehow he had escaped the descending blade.  At least that's what he thought until his eyes focused on the scene above him.  He blinked his eyes in disbelief.  He tried to scream but that of course was impossible.  His last mortal thought was of how silly his body looked standing headless spewing blood from the stump of its neck before the warrior god whose name he now knew.

If you have enjoyed this segment please email me at tagewright@aol.com to continue the story.  You may join me at my web site, tagewright.blogspot.com to learn more.

Until next time keep smiling and try to do one good thing a day.  You will feel better and so will the one you helped.