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    The Building Of Joe
    The Building Of Joe
    The Building Of Joe
    Ebook145 pages2 hours

    The Building Of Joe

    By Edward Maurer

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Unwanted by his mother, abandoned by his father, unappreciated by his boss and loathed by his senator, meet Joe Johnson; he happens to be on a mission from God.

    Follow Joe and his acquaintances through chic, fashionable Paris, out to the colonial New England town of Holliston, through the rough streets of West Roxbury and battlefield of Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, to their final destination in busy downtown Manhattan and why not include a presidential election to juice things up, in this celebration of family, friendship and life.

    Part 1
    Chapter 1: First Musing
    Chapter 2: On Angel Wings
    Chapter 3: A Baby Changes Everything
    Chapter 4: Home Alone
    Chapter 5: A Solid Foundation
    Part 2
    Chapter 6: Welcome To “the hood”
    Chapter 7: Damn The Valley
    Chapter 8: Supply And Demand
    Chapter 9: Game Changer
    Chapter 10: People In Motion
    Chapter 11: The Secret Life
    Chapter 12: Who Do You Love?
    Part 3
    Chapter 13: Father To Son
    Chapter 14: Tearing Down, Building Up
    Chapter 15: Full Circle

    The author holds all rights to this work.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherEdward Maurer
    Release dateJul 1, 2011
    ISBN9781465903792
    The Building Of Joe
    Author

    Edward Maurer

    Edward's childhood was during the race to the moon, living so close to Cape Kennedy that the windows rattled upon lift-off of the Apollo spacecraft. He left home at age eighteen and joined the Navy where he traveled around the world for the next five years. He grew-up quickly. Upon honorable discharge from active duty, he pursued advanced study in Economics at Florida State University. Ten years later, he would study Computer Information Systems at the University of Tampa, finishing just in time for Y2K.

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      Book preview

      The Building Of Joe - Edward Maurer

      The Building Of Joe

      Edward Maurer

      Published By Edward Maurer at Smashwords

      Copyright 2011 Edward Maurer

      ISBN: 9781465903792

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. The author holds all rights to this work.

      Author’s Note:

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, or locales is entirely coincidental.

      Contents

      Part 1

      Chapter 1 - First Musing

      Chapter 2 - On Angel Wings

      Chapter 3 - A Baby Changes Everything

      Chapter 4 - Home Alone

      Chapter 5 - A Solid Foundation

      Part 2

      Chapter 6 - Welcome To the hood

      Chapter 7 - Damn The Valley

      Chapter 8 - Supply And Demand

      Chapter 9 - Game Changer

      Chapter 10 - People In Motion

      Chapter 11 - The Secret Life

      Chapter 12 - Who Do You Love?

      Part 3

      Chapter 13 - Father To Son

      Chapter 14 - Tearing Down, Building Up

      Chapter 15 - Full Circle

      About The Author

      Part 1

      Chapter 1 - First Musing

      I’m alive! This is so wonderful. It is very quiet though, is anyone else here? Hello. Hello.

      Hello my child.

      Hello. I do not see you, but know you are here. Your presence makes me happy.

      Your presence brings me joy as well. You are one of a kind.

      Will we always be together?

      I will never leave you. But soon, you will go back to sleep. When you awake, your journey to heaven will begin.

      Will you be with me on this journey?

      Yes my son, always. Listen and look for me in my creation. Talk to me often.

      I will Father.

      Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of my hands I have written your name. Isaiah 49, 15-16.

      Chapter 2 - On Angel Wings

      Winter 1993

      The elderly couple sipped coffee, sitting next to each other on their cloth couch.

      So there you have it Paris…a spectacular weekend awaits us said the beautiful young announcer turning to look directly at the television camera with sultry brown eyes.

      Wonderful said the man while lifting a ceramic tea cup to his lips.

      Have a nice evening, until next week said the announcer.

      She’s so lovely said the man’s wife.

      Agreed.

      Cut said the director. The intensity of the studio’s stage lights lessened and Monique let herself relax sitting behind the news desk. She was arranging her papers when the director came over. You were bang on again. Good job this week.

      Thank you

      Oh no, it’s thanks to you that the show’s ratings are on the uptick since you began. Our viewers like you. Now go home, rest, and enjoy this spectacular weekend he said leaning on the desk top with both hands.

      Monique opened the door of her townhome located in a fashionable part of Paris. From their balcony, she and her husband Renee can easily view the barges floating down the Seine. In the evening, the lights of the city reflect off the river’s water creating a hypnotic ripple of color.

      Hi darling greeted her husband, his muffled voice coming from the kitchen. She put a canvas bag down on the floor and slowly began to take off her coat hanging it up. Renee entered the living room from the kitchen. I started dinner already.

      Sorry I’m so late. I had to stop by the pharmacy on the way home. I picked us some nice fruit at the market as well…from Florida.

      Honey, are you feeling alright? he said getting close and embracing her as she turned around.

      Renee, I missed a month. I may be pregnant she said without emotion.

      Silence.

      Secretly, Renee was happy about the news but would not allow it to show for he knew Monique’s position on this.

      Now is that all so bad?

      Renee we’ve been through this before. Now is not the time for us to begin a family. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am. I’m not going to throw all that away for a…

      A baby? he finished.

      "Yes a baby, alright. Do you realize what will happen to me if they find-out I’m pregnant? My star is beginning to rise at the station.

      What if we hired a nanny?

      I would still have to be out of work for awhile and then there would be doctor visits, pediatrician visits, it would just go on and on.

      She reached down into the canvas bag and pulled out a small box. It was a pregnancy test kit.

      I cannot hold it in anymore, I have to go to the bathroom. We’ll know for sure in a moment.

      With one hand, Monique slowly and carefully lifted the dip stick from the container and fixated on the tiny window that displays the results of the test.

      As she held it up in front of her a quiet yelp escaped as she read the positive symbol and put the other hand to her mouth as if to stop anymore uncontrolled sounds.

      That evening during dinner, Monique pleaded her case espousing the fact that she had the right to do with her body as she pleased. Besides, it is just a mass of cells right now, not really a baby.

      Silence.

      Those words always engulfed the Angel of Conception with sadness, even after hearing them millions of times. But they especially hurt when coming from the expectant mother. Lailah had hoped angelic whisperings into the ear of Renee would encourage more resistance to Monique’s claims, but they did not.

      Well dear, if you are sure this will make you happy, then ok. Just keep in mind that if the chemical method fails, you will have to have to have the surgical procedure performed.

      I know; it’s the risk I’m willing to take. I’m going to make an appointment with my doctor.

      The following week at the doctor’s office, Monique ingested three RU-486 tablets, washing them down with a glass of Perrier water. You’ll have to stay in our recovery room for a few moments before we can let you leave; it is just a precaution said the nurse.

      Lailah watched with sorrow from a distance.

      Go and remove this one from danger and deliver him to this woman. Lailah was thankful for this command. She proceeded with urgency to carry out His will.

      Moments before the poisonous chemicals reached the area of Joe’s tiny embryo, Lailah delicately detached him from the womb of Monique and placed him inside of a protective bubble. Encapsulated, Lailah guarded and provided for, the tiny child until the early morning hours arrived in a snow covered Boston. There, Lailah entered the humble apartment of Shanice and Reggie, a childless working class black couple as they slept under layers of blankets, carrying to them the bubble containing the gift of Joe. Without disturbing Shanice, Lailah carefully implanted the embryo to her womb as she slept deeply beside her snoring husband.

      Chapter 3 - A Baby Changes Everything

      For years Shanice and Reggie Johnson have been trying to conceive their first child. So it was with great jubilation when Shanice realized a possible symptom. Reggie, I missed a month! she said excitedly while examining a calendar tacked to a corkboard in the kitchen.

      What? said Reggie looking up from his dinner plate. Are you sure?

      If there’s one thing I’m sure about, it’s that.

      Now honey, don’t get yourself too excited. Remember the last time you felt sure about it.

      No, this is for sure. In fact, I’ve a testing kit in the bathroom cabinet. I’m going to use it right now. She hurried past, patting him on the back. Reggie stopped eating and had a blank stare frozen on his face. For some reason, he really believed her this time.

      It was only a matter of minutes before Shanice was holding up the test strip anticipating the reading in the display window. She eagerly awaited the proscribed time for a positive or negative sign to develop on it.

      Oh my God… she said full of emotion. She began to giggle like a little school girl. Reggie, Reggie! You need to see this! There was a sound of a chair being abruptly pushed across the floor. In the next instant, Reggie was in the bathroom, eyes wide. Shanice was holding up the test strip like a winning lottery ticket.

      Let me see he said.

      We’re going to have a baby said Shanice and she hugged him. Reggie was still trying to get a look at the strip to verify for himself.

      Honey, we really are going to have a baby! he finally cried out upon getting a good look at the test strip. Ok, you need to make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as is possible. I’ll take some time off and go with you.

      They were both so excited. And for the rest of the evening, Reggie did everything and made sure his bride of seven years relaxed on the sofa. It was already too late in the evening to call on family or friends with the news but they were very tempted to do so anyway.

      No, we really need to confirm this before telling everyone they mutually concluded. Just our luck, the test was defective said Reggie, suggesting a cruel possibility. Shanice frowned at that remark.

      Within days the home test result was confirmed by Shanice’s doctor. For the next several weeks, the couple made plans for fixing-up the second bedroom, which was being used for Shanice’s sewing and craft projects. They cut back on spending like the occasional movie outing and ice cream deserts. They lengthened the time between haircuts and endured worn out shoes a longer. Little by little, they managed to save up for the items they believed their baby would need.

      It was late spring and the leaves sprouted

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