Hello everyone,
I'm so very sorry … I feel horrible doing this, but I have no choice. You see, I have published my first book on Amazon/Kindle! This piece (and many others) had to be taken down because they do not allow published material to be available online for free. (Go figure) I wanted to leave the shell of the posts because I felt compelled to leave all your helpful and loving comments. (Silly sentimental, I know), but I also didn't want to just have the pieces disappear without an explanation. I feel bad enough as it is!
I owe ALL of you so, SO much for all of your reads, love, and support. It was YOU that gave me the gumption to FINALLY get off my **** and publish! Thank you all for the warm comments, camaraderie, and encouragement! I will still be here, reading, uploading and just being the Rascal that I am. How could I EVER leave you guys?
The book is called “The Way I See It – FictionPhilosophySoul Food” and it will be FREE for the first few days on Kindle Select, so watch for it, if you are interested. I hope that you go and grab it. If you do, I would also hope that you find it worthy, you would leave me a good review. That will help me get in the public eye! Soon afterward (2-3 days or so), it will be available in paperback.
Find the book(s) here: www.amazon.com/author/jeff.gaines
Or find the book(s), and all about me, here: www.JeffGaines.world
Soon after, I also hope to have my first novel (a supernatural thriller), called “Wanderer” available as well!
Wish me luck!
Big, Biggest Love,
Jeff Gaines
When I lived in my beautiful cottage by the river, the old house across the street had been converted into a "flophouse", much like what unscrupulous landlords do in the 5 boroughs of NYC. They take a studio and make it a 3 bedroom ... they take a two bedroom and make it a 5 and ... well, you get the picture. The owner of this home had done the same.
SO, being low rent for being crammed into such a small space with others, it attracted ne'er-do-well's and transients ... at best. One morning I awoke to sirens and such invading my normally quiet and peaceful, dead end street. Apparently, a guy had been stabbed to death in the flop house ...
A ****** in my quaint little fishing village?
NO!
But, it was all confirmed by one of the local Police Officers there that was also a pal of mine. He told me that one of the "flops" was actually renting the couch and that another 'tenant" had placed a beer in the fridge for his early morning shakes. When he awoke and found it missing, he saw one of the same brand beside the guy on the couch. Infuriated that the guy took his beer, he repeatedly plunged a 10-inch kitchen knife into the guy in his sleep ... The poor soul never woke up.
What was really sad, was that it all came out somehow that it was NOT his beer and that the stabber's beer had been drunk by the stabber's own female "house guest" while he was asleep. I'm guessing her shakes came earlier than his?
Somehow, I'm reminded here of the W.C. Fields quote:
"Ah, the evils of strong drink!"
Also during that time in my life, I had helped two "friends" that were really struggling ... who, in turn, had then stolen from me ... one opportunistically and the other refusing to pay a large debt after I bought him a used car to help get him back on his feet.
Those frustrating "lessons" and the poor soul on the couch became this piece in my often-hard-to-understand mind. I know that he didn't actually steal the beer, but the parable, as-it-were, remains.
