I pulled off the highway for a break from the road, I was traveling on highway A1A in Florida on my way to what I hopped would be a new job and a new start. Greensboro North Carolina is, or should I say was my home up until a few days ago. My wife Barbara and I decided to break up and make a new start on our own.
I worked for Barbara’s father at the mill, it is a paper manufacturing plant, and we all called it the Paper farm. I was the ambient employee. I was the guy that found a home for the unused pulp. I am pretty sure Barb’s dad made up that position so he could tell his pals down at the club that his son in law was paying the bills with six figures and his little girl was as happy as a pale full of kittens.
Meanwhile, I had a job that consisted of a phone call a week to Cottonweed manufacturing who made toilet paper for just about everyone, if you ever wondered where the blue bears got their toilet paper, it was from Cottonweed, almost everyone did.

I walked into the Travel America to fill up and use the facilities and grab a Mountain dew while I was there.
After washing my hands, I will spare you the details of the prior events. I went to the counter to pay for my Dew and the gas. There behind the counter was the prettiest little girl I had ever seen, I just stared until I noticed the uncomfortable glance from Mom who was the cashier. I said I feel like I have seen you’re little girl before, Mom just smiled and said yes we get that a lot.
I nodded and looked at the little girl as she sat on a blanket in the middle of a bunch of Barbie dolls, she seemed to be in her own world, I smiled at her when she looked up at me and said “go back, Peggy needs you!”
I looked at the little girl and I said, what was that? She just played with her dolls and ignored me.

I got back in my truck pointed it towards Jacksonville and hit the road, I thought about the little girl and shook it off thinking to myself that I should have just said no in my younger days when I had the chance!
About two hundred miles down the road I pulled off the road to a Cracker Barrel, I like the sunrise sampler and decided to have one for dinner. I walked into the restaurant. You know what they look like, a country store full of replicas of yesteryear, the row of rocking chairs on the front porch for sale for $100 each.

After I had dinner, I paid the tab and walked out, not wanting to buy any replicas of yesteryear. I was almost to my truck when the hostess came out and said Sir, you have a message. This was rather bizarre considering I am on the road and no one knows where I am. I took the hand written note and it said, “please come back, I need you, Peggy”
This is just too weird, I just shook it off, I have enough problems right now.

Mine and Barb’s break up wasn’t what you would call an angry split, it was more like two strangers that never spoke deciding to go in separate ways, easy right? Well it wasn’t easy, it was definitely not easy.
After the second miscarriage, both ended in the third month, we were not the same. The more we tried to console each other the more we became estranged.
She just said “maybe it is for the best” when I told her I had accepted a job in Jacksonville and I was moving out.

Six months later I had settled into my new job and my apartment when Barb called me out of the blue and asked me how the job was going and she wondered if I liked Jacksonville. I asked her if everything was ok, I could tell she wanted to tell me something. She said I’m pregnant, I didn’t want to say anything to you because I was afraid it would be another miscarriage and you had already moved to Jacksonville when I found out, but it has been six months and the Dr. says there is a very good chance this time it will go full term. I was so happy I couldn’t speak.
Finally after three tries it looked like we were going to have a baby. I told her I couldn’t get away from work right now but I would love it if she would come and visit, or even stay with me for a while or as long as she wanted, I had really missed her.

When I met her at the airport she was beautifully pregnant, we picked up her luggage and we drove to my apartment on Southside Boulevard.
After we got her unpacked we caught up on a few things, I made pasta salad and we ate it in bed.
I asked if she knew if it was a boy or girl and she said she didn’t want to know until it was born, she was a bit superstitious because of the first two miscarriages.
I said we had better think up some names, she said I already did, she was so excited, I just laughed.
Barb said if it is a boy I want name him Steven after you, that made me smile, and if it is a girl I want to name her Peggy, what do you think?

The End

Jeff didn’t think too much about today, to him it was just another day. In a couple of months he will graduate from MIT and from there it will either be the beginning of a great career or just another over educated engineer trying to make his way in this world.
He was running down the stairs of his apartment building, he was late for class.

On his way out of the building he saw a letter sticking out of his mailbox, he grabbed it as he ran past and stuffed in his pocket.
After class was over and he walked back to his apartment and as he came around the corner he saw the mailman sorting out the mail and filling the boxes. He thought this was odd because he got mail this morning. He reached in his pocket and retrieved the envelope, it was yellow with a red border and in the upper left corner was a triangle and inside the triangle was three circles, one had a green leaf and one had a water drop shaped like a tear and the third had a snow capped mountain in it.
It was addressed to Jeff Henderson and under his name it said do not open until 4:00pm.
He looked at his watch and it was 12:30, he put the envelope back in his pocket and thought ok I’ll play along and went about his day.
Jeff gathered some of his books and was on his way to the book store to try to sell them to the undergraduates, he didn’t need them anymore and he could sure use the money.

When he got to the bookstore he was met by a man in a suit that called him by name and came up to him, the man seemed very serious as he put out a gloved hand and said I am Eco Sal and I am glad to meet you, do you have the envelope with you?
Puzzled Jeff said yes and then said who are you again, I am Eco Sal said the stranger and then asked about the envelope again. Jeff removed the envelope and handed it to the man but he the man did not take it, instead he said open it please. Jeff looked at the envelope and then at his watch and said it is only 3:30 and the letter says to open it at 4:00.
Jeff wasn’t sure but he thought the man smiled a little but he couldn’t say for sure. The man said, can I buy you a coffee until then?

Jeff said look man I really have to go I have to… the man held up his hand and said I will buy your books from you and held out a perfect $50 bill that looked like it was printed yesterday, desperate for cash and a humongous student loan looming over his head he took the $50 and held out the books, the stranger said just put them down I will come back for them.
They went to a coffee shop, the man sipped from his cup in silence, Jeff thought I could just get up and excuse myself and then go home. The man said, as if he could read Jeff’s thoughts, don’t be silly it’s almost 4:00.

When 4:00 finally came the man said open the envelope. Jeff opened the envelope and read, he stopped half way and looked up and said, you have to be kidding, this isn’t possible and then he continued reading, a minute later he slowly put the letter on the table but did not let go of it and without looking up he said this has to be some kind of a joke.
Eco Sal said I assure you it is not, and reached in his pocket and took out another envelope set it down and slid it across the table.
Jeff looked at the envelope, it was the same as the first, yellow with red border and the triangle with the three circled emblem in the upper left corner. On the front it read
Mr. Jeffery Henderson;
Do not open until February 12, 2012. 9:17am

Jeff looked at the envelope and said and this is? Eco Sal said those are the plans for the device.
Jeff reached for the envelope and Eco Sal put his hand over the yellow envelope and said there are rules that go with this information.
Rule one, if the envelope is opened before the date the information will become worthless.
Rule two, the envelope must be on your person at all times until that date, if it is left on a shelf or in a safety deposit box we will take it back immediately.
Rule three, no one is ever to know about the two letters or this meeting.
Can you live with these rules Mr. Henderson?

Yes I can, Jeff said but why me? Those before you received three letters, the first is the invitation, the second is the plans or the idea and the third is the price for the plan or idea.
All of your questions will be answered on that date, this letter may make you wealthy or famous or both but only if you follow the three rules, if the device works you will get a third letter.
What is the price Jeff asked? Eco Sal stood and said you will find out on February 13th won’t you?

Several months went by and Jeff only thought about the envelope that was with him constantly nine or ten times a day now, he made up several reasons why he had it with him all the time to his friends, his girlfriend thought it was cute that he carried a letter written by his niece that he couldn’t read until her ninth birthday on Feb 12, 2012.

One day he was watching Biography on the learning channel, the subject of the biography was Bill Gates, and they showed several film clips of him from his early years. They showed a picture of young Bill during the short time he worked for Apple computers. He was standing next to Steven Jobs. Steven had a yellow envelope with a red border and a triangle emblem on it in his chest pocket and young Bill was looking straight at it.
Jeff almost fell out of his chair but did not let on to his girlfriend for fear that she would recognize the yellow and red envelope.
He did almost give it away one day when he saw a very young Elvis Presley in a black and white program playing his guitar and singing on stage and in his suit pocket where a handkerchief should be was a yellow and red envelope with a triangle emblem in the corner.

Samantha opened the closet door and noticed how large it was.
The real-estate agent asked her what she thought about the house. Sam said I think you should take the "for sale" sign down. Rene the agent thought to herself, the closets get them every time.
A week later Sam was in her new house, it felt strange to be doing something so special without Robert. She has done a lot of things on her own since She and Robert split up a year ago, but nothing this significant.
She busied her day with settling in and decorating the old house, it had a lot of character, lots of dark wood trim and the stairway was unbelievably cool.
She felt that she got a pretty good deal from the realtor.

When Rene got back to her office her boss was waiting for her, did you get rid of that house on Maple leaf he asked. Yes thank goodness, if I had to show that house one more time I was going to set it on fire! They both laughed.

Sam was in the kitchen painting the walls with a light yellow she bought at Home Depot this morning. She dropped a glob of paint on the counter, she went to the sink to wet a rag when she saw a man in the back yard on his hands and knees with his head in the bushes. She walked outside and said can I help you?
The man backed out of the bushes and said oh excuse me I thought this house was still empty.
I just moved in Sam said and then pointed at the bushes as if to ask what he was doing. He said I was looking for a soft ball that I lost he said, I was hoping it was still there. When did you lose it she asked, about twenty five years ago when I was a kid. My name is Walter Reynolds he said an extended his hand for a shake.
The man looked to be in his late thirties or early forties and as it turned out he grew up in this house, he knew all about what it looked like on the inside, he seemed pretty harmless so Sam asked if he wanted go in and look around.
When they were finished with the short tour he thanked her for her hospitality and left.
She kind of hoped he would come back again, it's nice to have a conversation with someone, it seems that Robert got custody of all their friends in the divorce.

Sam didn't see the man again until one day she was working on her garden in the front yard, Walter walked into the yard and startled her when he said "hey there".
She and Walter talked about the garden and the weather and shared a laugh about the nosey neighbors that just seemed to stare at them as if they were doing something weird. It got uncomfortable enough that Sam asked Walter to come in the house for a glass of tea and out of sight of the nosey neighbors.

Walter told her all about growing up in the house, he broke his arm when he was eight years old sliding down the banister, good thing too because if he hadn't got hurt he would have got a real spanking.
His parents retired to Florida and they gave him the house and he lived in it with his wife until 1980.
So you are married she asked, not any more he answered but did not offer any more information.

They seemed to bump into each other all over town and every time they did they got the strangest looks from people all around them and every where they went.
They were in the grocery store when Sam asked Walter if he would like to have dinner at her house tonight and the woman in front of her said "I beg your pardon" and Sam said I am talking to him and pointed at Walter, she and Walter quietly laughed.

It was Friday and Sam and Walter were going to go out for dinner and a movie when Sam heard a knock at the door, it was only 4:30, too early for Walter.
She opened the door and it was Rene, the realtor. Sam invited her in, Rene said I am sorry I should have called first but I was nearby looking at a house and I had to come over and tell you something. What is it Sam asked? This house sat on the market since 1980 because of what happened here. Sam's curiosity was in high gear.
Rene told her a story about the couple that lived here, the man had inherited the house from his parents and he and his wife lived here for about nine years until... Sam was on the edge of her seat.
When the man’s wife died all of the sudden from a heart attack the man literally stayed here and soon died from what can only be described as a broken heart.

That is impossible Sam said I met the man that grew up here and lived here until 1980.
His name in Walter Reynolds she said, he'll be here in a little while.
Oh my god, Rene was on her feet, you’re kidding right?
No Sam said and then she remembered the weird looks from the neighbors and the woman at the groceries store.

Rene quickly left and Sam's mind was reeling. When there was a knock on the door, Sam wasn't sure if she was going to answer it. When she got up the nerve she opened the door it was Walter and when he looked at her he could tell that she knew. He dropped his head and said I'm sorry and turned to leave.
Sam said, where do you think you’re going, you owe me dinner and a movie.

THE END

The hawk soured through the air, circling and riding the thermals. Down in the dense forest below she saw movement, it was a mouse. It wouldn’t be much of a meal but at least it was a meal.
She turned, pulled her wings in close and pointed her body straight for the prey below. The dive was exhilarating going ever faster and faster as she approached the unaware rodent.
From a hundred feet in the air she must be traveling at least seventy mile per hour.
A mere seconds from the target she opened her wings and stretched out razor sharp talons that snapped up dinner in one smooth motion and with wings flapping and pouring on speed she was back in the air again.
Perched on a Redwood six stories in the air she feasted on the small but nutritious animal and then it was time to rest, she closed her eyes and drifted off to another place.

When Linda woke up she was in her hospital bed, she was alone in the locked room small by comparison to any room and absolutely claustrophobic compared to where she just came from.
When the door opened and the familiar faced doctor came into the room with a nurse behind him and he said, Hello Linda, welcome back. She looked up at the camera in the corner near the ceiling pointed at her bed. It had a red blinking light on it.
How long was I gone she asked.
The doctor said you were not gone you were right here but you were in a coma like state for eight days this time. The nurse was removing the IV’s from her arm.

The doctor said we have to talk about your medication, we have a pill that you can take every day so you will not go in to the comas anymore, each time you go under, it takes longer and longer for you to come out, someday you may never come back at all.
Linda tried to explain to the doctor how she felt when she was in the coma, how alive and free… the doctor stopped her in mid sentence. Linda it is not real, they are just dreams. Don’t you want to have a life?

Linda thought about her husband who still comes to visit now and then but had divorced her while she was addmitted and then remarried and their two children Ike and Stephanie who never come to see her. Ike is too busy in high school and all that that entails and Stephanie says she is afraid that she will turn out the same way so she would rather stay away.

Linda asked the doctor, if I take the medication will I have to go home.
Someday I think you can go home to your family but only after we try the meds out, they are still experimental at this point.
Why don’t we start right away, I want you to get some solid food in you first and then we will start before you go to sleep again?

After a small dinner of salad and some applesauce the nurse came in with two small paper cups. The nurse said, the doctor says that you won’t have to take the medication for long, maybe a few weeks and then you shouldn’t have to worry about the commas anymore.

She handed Linda a cup with a red and white capsule in it and then the other cup was water.

That night Linda couldn’t maintain sleep, every time she started to dose off she would dream about falling and startle awake. This went on all night until the next morning when the familiar doctor came in again and said “your still here” how did you sleep he asked.
Not very well Linda said, I had nightmares that kept waking me, so I finally just made myself stay awake.
That might pass someday said the familiar doctor.

The next night the dreams were worse and more frightening, several times she woke up so scared that sceamed for someone to come to her room but no one came.
The following nights the dreams got worse until the doctor said I have to give you a shot to help you sleep, you can’t go on like this.

That evening after dinner the nurse came in with a silver tray on wheels, she parked it next to the bed and said I am going to hook up an IV sedative for you so your medication will have time to kick in before the sedative puts you to sleep ok?
Linda took the pill and then drank the water from the other cup, after the nurse left.
Linda spit the pill into her hand and then hid it under the mattress. A little while later she felt drowsy and then…

She swooped and circled and swooped some more, she rode the thermals as high as she could go, she had never been this high before.
From over the ridge she saw another hawk, instinctively she opened her talons in attack mode.
As the large bird got closer she could tell he was a large male. He flew past her as if she was not there and then went into a fast dive a hundred feet below, she circled and watched from the safety of a hundred feet in the air.
When he returned he had a gopher and he perched on a tree limb and squawked loudly with his wings outstretched.
When she finally got the nerve she perched nearby and they took turns looking at each other, then he took flight but left the gopher. As he circled nearby, she went to the gopher and ate, then she joined him in the sky, high above the forest.
They flew and hunted all day and when the sun started to set they both perched near each other and she dosed off.

The next morning she awoke and was well rested she did not know where she was at first and then it slowly came to her, as her eyes adjusted to the light she could see the sun come up over the ridge, there was a layer of thick fog hiding the forest below. She was startled by a loud squawk.
The male was still there, he squawked again and then took flight. She guessed it was his way of inviting her to breakfast.

Robert got out of bed this morning, walked into the bathroom and followed his same routine.
Turn on the TV that is built into the mirror so he can listen to the morning stock reports.
Brush his teeth, one minute eleven seconds for the top and one minute eight seconds for the bottom.
Take a shower, careful not to step off of the white bath rugs after getting out.
Go into the walk in closet, sit on the chair and get dressed.
Robert followed this same routine for the last forty three years without fail.

After the morning bath routine he went downstairs to have breakfast, two eggs over medium, four strips of bacon fully cooked but not crispy and toast with orange juice. Joanne, the full time house keeper knew exactly how he liked his breakfast and that he ate at precisely 8:00 am.

On his way to work, sitting in the back of his personal limo, Robert wondered how the rest of the world could live the way they do in all the filth that regular people create and how they survived on so little money.
Robert Hanson was a very wealthy man, he always had been, his parents were wealthy and they left their money to their only son. He had never actually had a real job, he only knew since he was a boy that he could have anything he wanted.
He was watching the news in his limo one day about the ground breaking for a playground for inner-city kids when he saw in the back ground a sign that read, This Hospital is owned by Hanson development group Inc. He called his lawyer John Billingsley to ask if this was one of his investments, John said it sure is Bob, we are going to make a shitload of money on this deal, we build it and the state takes it over and you make twelve points over prime, sweet deal.
Robert said, Ok thanks John, and pushed the button on the speaker phone and hung up without saying goodbye.

While he was at work, all Robert did was stair out of the window of the ninetieth floor of the Hanson building. He would watch the city and wonder how everyone down there knew what to do, was there a schedule somewhere, did a memo go out every day? He thought he would ask Louise to get him a book about the subject, he pushed the button on the phone and Louise answered, yes Mr. Hanson? Louise would you get me a book on the day to day life of regular people? Right away sir was her response.
You see Louise was used to odd request from Robert, he simply did not know how the world worked, the only reason he came into the office was because his father did every day, so he just thought he should too.

The next day during his morning routine the TV in the mirror beeped twice to let him know there was a message. Robert looked at the scroll at the bottom of the screen, it said that he was scheduled for a physical today at 1:00pm with Dr. Ferguson.
Louise would schedule the doctor appointments months in advance because Robert insisted that he was the only appointment that day because he didn’t want to be in the same room with sick people.
Louise even had a special cleaning crew go in at four in the morning to clean Dr. Ferguson’s office before the appointment, Dr. Ferguson didn’t mind because they were very thorough.

Ten days went by after the appointment, Robert was in his office, when Louise came over the intercom and said Dr. Ferguson is on line two, do you want to take the call? Dr. Fergie had been his doctor since he was a little boy so he took the call. I need to talk to you can I come over to your office this afternoon Dr. Ferguson asked?
Robert said, absolutely, I will send a car. See you at twelve o’clock and we will have lunch. He then called Louise and asked her to have lunch brought in for the meeting.

Dr. Ferguson looked solemn and pale when he walked in to Robert’s office. He had that look on his face like he had something terrible to say. Robert shook his hand, and then motioned for him to sit down.
Robert leaned back on the edge of the desk and said, just say it…
Dr. Ferguson told him that he had a rare disease called endioensephilacticongeiniealitetis. He went on to say it was very, very rare and that it was extremely hard to find in a physical. We tested your blood several times to be sure.
Is it going to kill me Robert asked? Dr. Ferguson paused for several seconds and then he said Yes, my best guess is about four to six weeks.

Robert spent the rest of the day just looking out of the window at all the little worker bees on the streets below his building and for the first time he was thinking how lucky they were because next July, they will still be on this earth and not in it. He decided that if he was only going to live for four to six weeks then he was going to go outside for awhile.
He got up from his desk and walked out to the outer office, got on the elevator and pushed the button for the lobby instead of his private parking deck.
When the elevator door opened, he stepped out. His office had been in this building for six years and this was the first time he crossed the marble floor of the Hanson building lobby.

When he got to the doors he reached out and then pulled his hand back, he almost touched a public door handle with his bare hands.
What would happen to me if I touched that door, would I die today instead of next month? Robert reached out very slowly and his hand was trembling, he was about to actually touch the door when a little tiny brown eyed girl around five years old or so said, Sir-do-you-need-help-with-the-door? She talked real slow as if I was mentally challenged. Robert laughed out loud and this made the little girl run back to her Mom and say there is something wrong with that man Mamma. Mom came over to Robert and said Mr. Hanson are you ok?
You know me, he asked the dark haired woman? She was pretty, in her late twenties.
Why yes sir, I clean your office every day, I am Marcela Wiese and this is my daughter Gina.

Robert said with head down, because he had never asked for help before, I want to go outside and am not sure If I can do it.
You don’t know how to go outside, little Gina asked. She pushed the door open and pointed to the paved bricks and said here you go, easy as cake, piece of pie two steps forward and your outside!

Gina’s Mom quickly said let me call someone to come and take you back to the nineteenth floor.
Robert looked at Marcela for a second and then down at little Gina. Is it safe out there he asked the little girl?
Yes she said and then she put one hand on her hip and pointed a finger at him with the other and said, you can’t cross the street unless you have a grown up with you and even then you have to look both ways and you have to know your phone number, mine is- niner, niner seven, twelve thirty six. Robert smiled at the little girl because he didn’t know anyone that would talk to him like that, it was refreshing in a way.

Robert looked at Marcela and said I am sorry if I was a bother in any way, may I compensate you for your trouble? Robert reached in his coat for his check book, he opened it and started writing very fast and ripped the check out of the gold embossed leather fold. All the time Marcela was trying to stop him, but he was holding the check out to her, but she didn’t take it and then she said we have to go, she took little Gina’s hand and started away, Robert pointed the check at little Gina, who snapped it out of his hand without a second thought. Gina turned and waved at Robert and said bye mister as she was pulled away by her mother.

Robert looked down at the crash bar handle of the tall glass door and heard the words in his head “piece of cake, easy as pie, take two steps and your outside”
He reached out and pushed on the handle and the door swung open, he took a step and then another and there he was outside. He wondered to himself what to do now, he looked around and saw people walking in all directions, he wondered where they were going to or coming from.

He came to a street crossing and he stopped with everyone else. The light changed and everyone started across the street. Robert took a step and then stopped, he looked to the left and then to the right and then crossed the street.

Marcela got Gina home it was getting late. Marcela told Gina to go get cleaned up for dinner. When they sat down for some macaroni and cheese and the leftover roasted chicken for dinner, Gina looked at Mom and said, that crazy man gave me the check. Marcela said how much was it, we could use the money? Gina said it was for 1. Just one Mom said, well now we know why he’s rich and they both laughed but Gina really didn’t get the joke.

Several weeks went by, Robert was at home, he hadn’t been to the office since the doctor’s visit. Today he got an urgent call from the doctor.
Dr. Ferguson said there has been an awful mistake, your blood results got mixed up with someone else, when my patient passed away for no obvious reason we did some test and found that he had endioensephilacticongeiniealitetis. You are not going to die the Dr. said.
Robert felt relieved to hear he was not going to die, but several things went through his mind at the same time.

Robert had a meeting with John Billingsley that same afternoon to see what the damage to his holdings had been. John informed him that the check you wrote was for the entire amount of your personal bank account.
John said you will be penniless if that check gets cashed. Your house and your cars were all leased, the building and all the office equipment was part of Hanson investment group which isn’t yours anymore, because you let the board take it over.

Robert decided to go for a walk and think about his future. On his way out of his building for the last time he ran into Marcela. I see you have learned how to leave the building she said. Yes it turned out to be a piece of cake, easy as pie, take two steps and I’m outside.
They talked for a few minutes and Robert asked about Gina and then said, you never cashed that check? With a sarcastic look on her face she said no!
Robert touched her arm, looked her in the eye and said cash it as soon as you can and then walked away.

Marcela never saw Robert again after that day, when she got home she asked Gina if she still had the check that the crazy man had given her, Gina said yes I am going to buy Barbie a new summer outfit with it.
Go and get it for me please she asked and when Gina brought it to her it was all wrinkled and smelled like gummy bears, her Mom asked what happened to it and Gina said it was in my secrete hiding place.
When Marcela unfolded the check she was shocked to see that it was made out to Marcela Wiese for one hundred million dollars.
Gina looked over her Mom’s arm at the check and said see I told you momma, it’s a 1 and then a bunch of Oh's …

Robert opened a chain of agencies called TOP GUNS for temporary labor and permanent job placement. He is well to do but not even close to being a millionaire. When he gets up in the morning he has two eggs over medium, four strips of bacon fully cooked but not crispy and toast with orange juice, he makes it himself, and before he opens the door to go to work, he hears the words in his head “piece of cake, easy as pie, take two steps and your outside” then he walks the thirteen blocks to his office... everyday.

The Beginning…