Chapter 1

There is a balance in the time-line of life. There are mountains of great happiness and valleys of deep sorrows. Where we go during those times, is the way others define us.

My life, though normal by others views, was my great pride. Loving wife, great kids, delightful home plus a couple of cats. Not that I had much choice about the cats, but it was a small sacrifice for my wife and kids. One moment we were on a trip to Disneyland. It seems the next thing I remember was a cemetery. One exploding tire, a truck out of control, the crash ... Suddenly, nothing was ever going to be the same again.

The long and short of it is, I sit in this house with those two damned cats, and nothing seems to matter anymore. Sure, I got the insurance settlements. Plus, there was a hefty out of court additional settlement from a trucking firm that did not care to keep its vehicles in good working condition.

But the money is just that. Not a penny of it, nor all of it, will ever make me laugh again. It offers temporary relief from boredom, and the stresses of not having money, but it makes enemies of old friends and family. As soon as they discover that you have it, and won't give it to them over and again; just that fast they cease to be your friends, and your family disowns you.

Sadly, I sit in the house, having moved past the grieving drunken days of why, the wallowing in my self-pity. I quickly worked past the 'sow your wild oats now that you're free again.' I tired of women wanting me because of what I have, how they will make my (read their) lives complete ... and, by the way, can I help raise their kids?

Now I'm at the point of: 'Shit happens, pick yourself up, take a hot shower and get on with the living.'

I was just coming from said shower, when I heard the doorbell ring. It's an obnoxious bell. One day, I will toss the damned thing out. Yeah, one day, right along with the rest of the 'museum to my past life' that I preserve in this house.

As I opened the door, there stood a college student from the University of Wisconsin (I noticed the sweatshirt). She is not some obvious beauty, but likely is just another kid trying to work her way through life. She introduces herself as Connie, and that she is here working the summer and needs a place to stay. And so it begins.

"Well, Connie, You'll have to give me a moment to go and change first and then I'll listen. No promises, but I'll listen. Come in. I'll be back in a couple of minutes"

As I'm walking back to my room to change out of my robe (it had seen better days, but that I can't toss it out, because the kids bought it for me for Father's Day' five years ago), I'm honestly thinking, 'What the hell am I doing with that girl in my great room (it used to be a living and dining room, but when we remodeled it became a great room)? Why do I need to hear some sob story?'

I've always had a soft spot, but it's been hardening the last couple of years. So a quick shave, got dressed in my favorite shirt and shorts, and back to the great room.

"Okay, Connie I'm about as decent as I'm going to get, today, so tell me all about this."

I take a visual inventory of her. She's likely about twenty-two, blond hair (could use a styling ... Hey, you learn these things, when you're married for fifteen years), she looked to be about 5'8", maybe one hundred and sixty pounds, and about a 34 with a C-cup...

Hey! I'm sad, not dead.

I'm interrupted in my further assessment, as she snickers at something down near my waist. I look down. I have forgotten to zip up.

She retorts, "If that's decent, what are you really like?"

"Connie, forgive me," I said as I zipped. "It's been a while since anyone other than myself has been in this house. By the way, I'm Von. So, Connie you have my full attention. Tell me your story."

I sat next to her and shook her hand when I did so. Damn, she looked at my crotch again and licked her lips then the story started. It had been quite a while since anyone looked at me and licked her lips. She knows how to play the game, no doubt.

The long and short of our chat boils down to this: Connie and five of her friends from the U of W have a ten week job selling door-to-door in this, and the neighboring communities.

The company that hired them by told them they should find rooms to rent from local houses, for that time. Well, it seems that she is the point person, looking for these homes. In the two weeks of being here, she has found out that it's not as easy as she thought it would be.

Now I'm the one snickering, and then the tear factory starts. The other girls arrived four days, ago and none of them can find anywhere to live, and that all the money, they had to get out; here is gone.

Their idea of making some expense money for school next year is disappearing before their eyes, and they only have the motel rooms for tonight, plus they are out of cash.

"Okay, Connie. Here's a tissue, take a breath. Let me go get you a glass of water."

Shaking my head, I know that I'm going to offer to help not only her, but all of her friends, also. I'm screaming inside my head for not tossing out that damned bell ... And wondering, did I just hear my wife laugh?

I bought that bell, and it aggravated her the day I did. Now I can hear her laughing at my aggravation. You do know that paybacks are hell, right?