Chapter 60

“It was only three days ago that Ed. Rollins was taken from us. Ed lost his life in the middle of the night. He was taken from us all by a drunk driver. I know I’m speaking in a church, but I am sure there is a special place reserved for that woman in Hell.

Ed tried to understand all things, and I loved him for it, but I doubt he would understand his death. You see Ed knew that particular devil well. For those of you who might not know, Ed was a recovering alcoholic. During the five years I knew him, he never drank. So I consider Ed a recovered alcoholic. It is ironic that the demon rum got him anyway. Ed was also a rebel, but the kind of rebel we all admire not the kind we all hate.

He is survived by his son John of whom he was very proud, John’s mother Lynn, and many, many friends. We will all miss the man, not for the thing be did, but for me man he was. I for one will try to be more like him going forward,” Tommy Simpson said.

“Ed and I divorced at the height of his drinking problem. He gave me everything I wanted. He refused to say a bad word about me during that whole year, or even afterward. Trust me I said some awful things to him, and he said some to me, but he never said a negative word about me to anyone else. I wish I could say the same. He loved and cared for so many people. Ed Rollins was an amazing man,” Lynne said then left the Pulpit.

“My dad was a hard man to love, especially when he was drinking. It was much easier to love him after he left the Sheriff’s Department. He had more time, and less on his mind I suppose. During the last five years we interacted more as men. It was a joy to see how he embraced life in those days. We had learned to love each other at the end. I would have wished for it to have been that way in the early years, but in the end it doesn’t matter. It only matters that I will love and miss him,” John Rollins said before the church choir sang Amazing Grace.

Nothing ​much changed after Ed’s passing.

Angelina and Gerome took over the cookie business. Tommy left it completely. Marge continued to help Lucinda. Life just continued on.

Oh yeah, since it was her first offense, the driver of the car got a suspended five year sentence. Talk about ironic, they call it a justice system.