A Million To One 3h211n

A Million to One

A Short Story

E. Bassey

Copyright © 2012 by E. Bassey.

ISBN: Softcover 978-1-4797-2622-6 Ebook 978-1-4797-2623-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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

To order additional copies of this book, : Xlibris Corporation 1-888-795-4274 www.Xlibris.com [email protected]

123787

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1 Genesis

Chapter 2 Who’s That Girl?

Chapter 3 Brothers From Another

Chapter 4 Something in the Air

Chapter 5 Paths and Choices

Chapter 6 Meant to Be

Chapter 7 Expectations

Chapter 8 New Beginnings

Chapter 9 Man and Wife

Chapter 10 She’s Due

Chapter 11 Malinda Robin Crope

Chapter 12 Family First

Chapter 13 Glory Years

Chapter 14 Untimely Demise

Chapter 15 The Pain

Chapter 16 Taking Care …

Chapter 17 Downward Spiral

Chapter 18 On the Edge

Chapter 19 A Friendly Plan

Chapter 20 Places Everyone

Chapter 21 The Performance of a Lifetime

Chapter 22 Exodus

Chapter 23 Restoration

This book is dedicated to all the parents of the world who love and worry about their children.

Acknowledgements

First and foremost I would like to show my appreciation to God for my life, time, forgiveness, mercy, patience, comion, grace, wisdom and the ability to express myself through writing in an original fashion. I would like to recognize my true family and true friends for their constant love and . I would also like to credit the many diverse scribes from varying breeds throughout existence, who have encouraged and inspired me to take a risk and explore another region of my craft. And last but not least I would like to offer thanks to you (the readers) for taking some time out of your life in order to share some of mine. Peace, Respect and Understanding!

Introduction

This publication is a concise fictional , inspired by my appreciation for short stories. This narrative has actual locations, but not real people. However their situations make them truly tangible. I would love to have an effect on the lives of individuals in a constructive way, be successful and leave a legacy. However if anything comes from my composition(s), it would be my dearest desire for my work to influence other writers. I anticipate that you will all be entertained.

Chapter 1

Genesis

It took place in the state of Missouri, the mid summer of 1977 and a baby boy was born by the name of Joel Crope. Ever since he could smile Joel always kept one on his face. He was a cheerful child and as the years went by he knew that he wanted to make other people happy too. Joel came from a dual parent household, although it was hard to survive even with both of his parents’ incomes. His mother worked in a school cafeteria and his father was a self employed plumber. Mr. and Mrs. Crope loved their son immensely, he was their pride and joy. Joel was an only child and he had a great relationship with both of his folks. From a young age he was very artistic and had a heightened awareness of the people around him. Even though Mr. and Mrs. Crope did their best to provide for him, he wasn’t oblivious to the fact that he was growing up in a poor household. Joel was mindful of his parents’ efforts to him. He was sensitive to his family’s circumstance and tried his best to please Mr. and Mrs. Crope. Joel thought the least he could do was be a blessing and not a burden to his parents. He was not allergic to work either, he was able to maintain part time jobs. With his earnings he helped his folks with the bills, he bought his art supplies and he also bought his clothes. Joel was a slim fella and for a poor kid he had good style and taste. He had a boyish charm and physically he resembled his mom more than his dad. He had a few friends growing up and he was semifamiliar with the ladies. Joel was an average student, he was never really interested in school, although he was intelligent. It just didn’t hold his attention, he only did enough work to . His ion was drawing, one of his dreams was to became a famous artist and then finally be able to take care of his parents. He shared the same enthusiasm for being creative with his best friend Morris. Morris and Joel met in grade school and they’ve been best friends ever since, actually they were more like brothers. It was 1995, Joel graduated high school and he was now attending community college. He was also about to meet somebody else that he would hold dear to his heart.

Chapter 2

Who’s That Girl?

Joel only enrolled in college because he wanted to make his parents proud of him. His grades were good enough for him to be accepted into community college, also without a scholarship his parents wouldn’t be able to afford to send him elsewhere. Joel got a part time job working security around the campus, it would also allow him to work on his drawing(s) when there was some leisure time. He was majoring in Art, but he had to get through the prerequisites first which he was not fond of. Although one class he learned to love was English 101. It had nothing to do with the professor or the subject matter, but a stunning young lady by the name of Margaret Addams. Margaret kind of grew up in the state of Missouri, she was born in California and moved when she was thirteen. She was raised by her mother who was a single parent. Mr. Addams was a sanitation worker who loved his daughter extremely, although a poor decision would remove him from her life. Her father was serving a ten year sentence for imperfect self-defense. He was imprisoned when Margaret was only ten. Her mom was employed as a data analyst, she tried to stay in California, but she just couldn’t afford to. She also received a job offer that would require her to move to Missouri. Margaret loved her dad and missed him dearly. Ever since her father was imprisoned she new that she wanted to study law. She was always strong willed. If there was something she desired she went after it. Margaret came from a middle class upbringing, she was also a little spoiled. Her mother coddled her to somehow compensate for her father’s absence. She was an “A” student all throughout her academic life. She was on the debate team and was class president in high school. She dated boys, but not often. Margaret was the kind of girl who was aware of how pretty she was, although never let it go to her head. She had a ton of friends, mainly because she had a caring personality and was easy to talk to. Margaret graduated high school and received a partial scholarship. She made the choice to go to community college, because she wanted to stay close to home and she knew that it would make things easier on her mom’s purse. She had two years before her father would be released from prison. Margaret was growing happier and more anxious at the same time, so much has changed over the past ten years. In the meantime she would be well on her way to becoming a defense attorney.

Chapter 3

Brothers From Another

Morris Bailey was born and raised in Missouri. He was stocky, funny, loyal and loved sports. Morris was an average student, but he always had a knack for being innovative. He had quite a few friends. Morris wasn’t the best looking guy in the world, however he had personality oozing out of his pores. That made him a little popular with the ladies, playing high school football didn’t hurt either. He was the go to guy if you had a class project to do. Morris was so detailed and crafty at creating things that the teacher never caught on to the idea that he was doing at least fifty percent of his class’ science projects. He made a pretty penny charging people reasonable amounts to do their assignments for them. He was looking at a full scholarship for football until he got into a very bad car accident that would permanently damage the nerves in his left shoulder. Luckily he was right handed, he still had the use of his left arm, although it caused him a little pain to do so. Morris was depressed about his missed opportunity at a football career and got addicted to pain medication. Joel only lived fifteen minutes walking distance from his best friend. They went to the same middle school, survived junior high and high school together. It was in the fifth grade when they became acquainted, they were assigned to work together on a class project. They both had an appreciation and skill for art, they had great chemistry and realized at that moment that they made a great team. They been through a lot in life together. They endured fighting, puberty, girls, sports, school, work, parents, driving, trouble, smoking, drinking… etc. All the things that young men go through while growing up they experienced in collaboration. Morris was an only child who grew up with just his dad. Mr. Bailey lost his wife while she was giving birth to her son. Mr. Bailey worked for a private security company. He was hard on his son, but only because he wanted the best for him. He didn’t know how to express his feelings and believed in tough love. Sometimes it made living with Mr. Bailey a little difficult. His father was disappointed when Morris got into the car accident that ruined his chance(s) to play football in college. Morris’ creative abilities were always second to his athleticism. The stress from his father also attributed to his reliance on pain medication. Morris always felt like he owed Joel his life, because he was the one who talked him out of doing drugs and got him help. Joel saw his best friend’s life being wasted and coming to an abrupt end if he didn’t stop. He told Morris that he had more to live for than just his father and football. Joel reminded him of that precious gift that he had with his hands, the ability to generate something out of nothing. Morris listened to Joel, detoxed and applied for a different community college. He wanted to go to one that was far from his home. He got accepted and was also going to major in Art like his “brother”.

Chapter 4

Something in the Air

Joel used to rush and be the first student present in class, just so he could see Margaret walk into the room. Margaret was the same age, a little shorter than Joel, she had long hair, she wore glasses and had an athletic build with all the right curves. Some days she came to class looking ravishing and some days she came to class looking ordinary. Either way Joel was highly attracted to her, no matter how she dressed for the day she always looked gorgeous to him. One day the professor was placing the class into groups of two and Joel was nervous, although also hopeful that Margaret would be his partner. The professor wanted one student to read a book to the other while the listener in the group took notes. It was a project on listening, comprehension and criticism, each group would give a presentation when the exercise was complete. Joel kept his fingers crossed and was wishfully thinking as the professor called out the names of the students and paired them up. Finally Joel heard his name and Margaret’s called out together, he was so excited and so lost in his thoughts that he yelled out “YES”. The whole class laughed, Margaret was a cool girl so she wasn’t embarrassed. She laughed too, Margaret was also very flattered and blushed. “There goes that old Crope charm”, Joel confidently and quietly thought to himself. The project would take a week to complete, so that gave Joel and Margaret enough time to get to know each other. He allegedly asked for her phone number so that they could discuss their assignment. Margaret knew that he didn’t want to talk about the exercise over the phone. However she thought Joel was cute and liked his style so she gave him her phone number anyway. As the week progressed they would work on the assignment in class, have lunch together and talk on the phone in the evening. Joel informed Margaret that he thought a woman like herself wouldn’t be interested in a guy like him. It was clear to see that she was financially in a better situation than he was. She made Joel aware that she doesn’t judge a book by its cover, but by the content inside. He shared his dreams of being an artist with her and she shared her goal of being a defense attorney with him. They discussed their views and opinions on a number of topics notably love, family and careers. Joel enjoyed that Margaret was open minded, driven, had a sense of humor and that she ed him in his quest to be a great artist. Margaret took delight in Joel’s lightheartedness, the fact that he could make her laugh, his ion and morals. They both received a “B” on their English 101 exercise, although they were now working on an “A” in Romance.

Chapter 5

Paths and Choices

Joel and Margaret were officially a couple, they both met each others parents and everything was going well in their relationship. Margaret’s father was released from prison and they had a lot of catching up to do. He was still in California, although they spoke on the phone everyday. Mr. Addams always understood that Margaret’s mother couldn’t wait for him and they weren’t married anyway. He knew that on the outside of prison walls life goes on, but he was always grateful that she allowed their daughter to keep an open line of communication with him. Mr. Addams informed Margaret that either he would come to Missouri and visit her or she could visit him in California. She agreed and promised to arrange something with him in the future. Morris still kept in touch with Joel and hung out when the time permitted. Morris has been drug free for over two years. He was on the verge of receiving his Associates Degree and got an internship with a small budget film company doing special effects make-up. Joel told Morris about Margaret and introduced them. Even though they both had no siblings, Joel and Morris have always been like brothers and thats how they were viewed. Margaret and Morris got along quite well, so well that she kept trying to set him up with some of her colleagues. Unfortunately, Morris was running through them like mice in a cheese factory, he just couldn’t see himself settling down so soon. Joel got his Associates Degree and landed a job as a cartoonist for a newspaper called “The Plant”. It didn’t pay the most money, although it was a step towards the right direction and he was able to help his parents even more. Margaret was employed as an istrative assistant in a law firm while she continued her education. She was going for her Bachelor’s Degree and then hopefully law school. So far Morris and Joel were content with their educational prowess, they were going to parlay their degrees into one day being their own bosses. Margaret and Joel have been dating since they were eighteen and they were now twenty one years old. Joel was madly in love with Margaret and he truly believed that she felt the same way about him. They were getting older and they both felt it was time to move out of their parents’ home(s). With the blessings from both of their families Joel and Margaret got a small one bedroom apartment and moved in together.

Chapter 6

Meant to Be

It was wise for Joel and Margaret to move in together and see what living with each other would be like. Joel was pleased with his life so far. He was young, he had his girlfriend, he had his best friend and a world full of opportunities in front of him. Joel would find himself daydreaming and imagining his life with Margaret. He knew that she completed him and he wanted to take their relationship to the next level. Joel bought an engagement ring with some of the money that he’d been saving from his job. The ring wasn’t huge, but it was a reflection of how big his heart was. One afternoon he called Margaret from work and told her urgently to be ready that same evening. He advised that she look her best and then joked about how it shouldn’t be hard, because she always does. He informed her that around nine o’clock a limo would be downstairs waiting for her and she should get in it. That evening Joel had her picked up and taken to an exclusive restaurant. He gave both the driver of the limo and the host of the restaurant nice tips, to have Margaret escorted from the car door to the table inside where he was waiting for her. They had a lovely dinner and Joel had a serenade for her. After desert Joel expressed to Margaret that he wanted to give her something, he excused himself and went to the bathroom. She noticed on his way to the bathroom that he whispered something to the server. The waiter started to walk towards Margaret, when he reached the table he said “the gentleman wanted me to give this to you.” He handed her a ring box, when she opened it her eyes lit up and began to tear. Shortly after Joel returned to the table, Margaret was wearing the ring and she whispered in his ear “yes, I will”. The ring had an engraving that asked “will you marry me?” If she wore it then that would basically answer his question… and it did.

Chapter 7

Expectations

It was 1998 and the year had just begun, Joel and Margaret were planning their wedding. Joel shared the good news with Morris and told him that he was going to be his best man. Morris was happy for him, but he also felt that Joel might be rushing things a little too fast. Or maybe he just felt a little jealous because he was officially going to have to share his brother with somebody else. Mr. and Mrs. Crope were thrilled, they loved Margaret and were grateful that their son found a nice woman. Margaret’s mother was also joyous, she approved of Joel and had a feeling that they were meant for each other. Margaret informed her father that she was getting married and told him that she wanted him to give her away. Mr. Addams heard a lot about Joel and spoke with him briefly over the phone, although he never met him. Mr. Addams was not going to miss his daughter’s wedding for the world and happily agreed to attend. This would also give him a chance to talk man to man with his future son-in-law. A month later Margaret started to notice that she was having morning sickness. She told Joel, but he assumed that maybe she had a bug or the flu. One morning she also disclosed to him that she was late. He thought that she meant for work, Margaret chuckled and informed him that she didn’t get her period. That evening they purchased a home pregnancy test and the results came back positive, they were going to be parents. They decided to keep the news to themselves until she was four months pregnant.

Joel was elated and Margaret was blissful, this was the perfect way for them to solidify their bond alongside marriage.

Chapter 8

New Beginnings

Four months had ed and it was time to let family and friends know about Margaret’s bun in the oven. If Morris felt that Joel was rushing before he would definitely think he was speeding now. When Morris received the news he was smiling, especially when he found out that he was going to be the godfather. He jokingly started to speak in a “Vito Corleone” voice played by Marlon Brando. Joel and Margaret arranged for their wedding to be in five months, they wanted it to be right before or right after the baby arrived. Joel’s folks were jolly about being grandparents, they missed the sound of little feet running around the house. Margaret’s mom was very ive, although she wasn’t really delighted about the idea of becoming a grandmother so soon. Margaret’s father was shocked and taken back a little, but he was confident in his daughter’s decision making and trusted her judgement. This would also give Mr. Addams the opportunity to be a great grandpa since he missed out on so many years of being a great dad. Margaret’s family, friends and coworkers were going to throw her a baby shower in the months to come. She put in her time for maternity leave at her job and unfortunately she would have to discontinue school for a little while. Things were looking better for Joel financially, he was offered a job to work on a new animated series scheduled to come out the following fall. Opportunity came knocking at the right time because with a new mouth to feed, the need for a new place and Margaret eventually going on maternity leave, the extra money would go a long way. Morris was ultimately hired by the film company that he was interning for. The new job would enable him to move out of his father’s home, he intended on taking over the apartment that Joel and Margaret were moving out of. At one of Margaret’s sonogram appointments they discovered that they were going to be having a baby girl. Now they had to decide on a name for their little princess.

Chapter 9

Man and Wife

The day had finally arrived that Joel and Margaret were getting married. It was a lovely, bright and sunny Spring day on a Saturday morning around eleven o’ clock. The wedding was outside in a marvelous park not far from their home. They had a live band, a makeshift altar, chairs set up, beautiful flowers and other decorations. Margaret’s maid of honor and bridesmaids were present and they looked elegant. The best man was perfect, Morris and the groomsmen were handsome in their tuxedos. Joel was especially dapper in his outfit as he stood at the altar waiting for his bride to be. Margaret was striking in her gown. She was still pregnant so she was glowing with her baby bump. Family and friends cried tears of joy, particularly the bride and groom’s mothers. Margaret stepped out of a limo at the entrance of the park and was greeted by her father. Mr. Addams was proud to be giving his daughter away. A few days before the wedding Joel and Margaret’s dad went out for dinner and some drinks to get better acquainted. They conversed like men, Mr. Addams appreciated and respected Joel. Margaret’s father was a good judge of character, he liked where Joel’s head and heart were regarding his future family. Mr. Addams escorted his daughter to the altar where she came face to face with her husband to be. Morris and Margaret’s maid of honor handed the rings to the reverend. The reverend conducted the ceremony and had them exchange their rings and vows. Nobody objected to the union between this man and woman, the reverend then pronounced them man and wife and gave Joel permission to kiss Margaret. They were officially married. As rice was thrown at them they ran down the aisle into their limo and headed to the reception hall.

Chapter 10

She’s Due

The newlyweds made it to the reception hall and waited for everybody else to arrive. When the guests showed up they were seated at their tables. It was an open bar, so people were going to have a really good time. After people were settled a glass was being tapped with a fork. Morris was the first person to make a speech. He wanted everybody to know that Joel was a brother to him, a good person and a lucky man. Mr. and Mrs. Crope made an announcement about how pleased they were to have Margaret as an addition to their family. Margaret’s mother stood up and stated how delighted she was for them and if they needed anything she would be the first in line to assist them. The made of honor and a few other people expressed their best wishes to the newly married couple. Finally Margaret’s dad made a toast to their future success. He also divulged that he had missed a huge part of his daughter’s life, although he was joyful to be presently in it again, mainly at a time like this. The guests were served their food and then it was party time. The wedding band was playing great music and people were festive. Joel stayed close to Margaret every moment of the event, ing his wife. She was due any day and he knew that as a result of her pregnancy she couldn’t do much, he also didn’t want her to feel alone in the celebration. Guests were dancing, laughing, talking and genuinely enjoying themselves. Eventually all the ladies gathered around as Margaret was about to toss the bouquet. She turned her back to the crowd, closed her eyes and threw the flowers over her shoulder. Out of all the women Margaret’s mother caught the bouquet. People started to make noise and tease her as she briefly glanced over at Mr. Addams. She laughed and said “yeah right…” The party started to simmer down and it was time for the bride and groom to open up some of their wedding gifts. When they started to go through the presents Margaret began to feel a lot of pressure in her back. Actually she was feeling the cramp like sensation(s) ever since the wedding. She was able to make it stop whenever she changed her position or relaxed. Margaret assumed that she was just a little nervous, but this time she couldn’t halt it and had a feeling that she was going in to labor. She notified Joel and the reception ended a little earlier than expected, they got a ride and immediately headed for the hospital.

Chapter 11

Malinda Robin Crope

Joel, Morris, Mr. and Mrs. Crope, Mr. Addams and Margaret’s mother rushed along her side to the hospital. Margaret was itted and taken to the maternity ward. She was in labor for eight hours, she was in a lot of pain, but she was a trooper. Joel was in the delivery room with her while everybody else waited outside. Joel was very ive of his wife, he held her hand, told her to breath and keep pushing. He was highly excited. Even though it was obvious by how they were dressed, he was telling the nurse and the doctor that the birth of their child was on their wedding day. Joel was ranting “it doesn’t get any better than this”, soon he started to witness the head of his daughter coming through. A few seconds later they were the proud and honored parents of a beautiful baby girl. The day after their wedding at one-thirty in the morning Malinda Robin Crope was born. She was twenty-two inches long and weighed seven pounds. Joel cut the umbilical chord and then Margaret held her newborn briefly. The nurse took the baby to get cleaned up, prepare her and take notes. Malinda was given back to Margaret to begin bonding while she readied herself to deliver the placenta. At that time Joel stepped out of the delivery room and informed everybody waiting that the birth was a success. He went home to grab a bag for Margaret since she would be in the hospital for the next couple of days. The whole ride home he shared his enthusiasm with his best friend about being a father. Morris congratulated him and pulled out a couple of cigars to celebrate. Then they proceeded to smoke en route to their destination.

Chapter 12

Family First

When Joel and Margaret returned home with their baby girl, they soon realized what being a family and putting it first was truly about. They embraced their role(s) as guardian(s) to Malinda, although they couldn’t help but notice that it was no easy task. They understood that it required patience, teamwork, love, care and the will to continue on. Parenthood was bittersweet for Joel and Margaret in the beginning. Margaret appreciated the relationship that she was building with her daughter. However she was at home most of the time for the next couple of months and she was starting to go a little stir crazy. She decided to breast feed her baby and it was causing her nipples to be soar. Margaret was losing sleep and she was also slightly upset with Joel for abandoning her and going back to his job so soon. While he was at work certain duties solely fell into her hands. In reality he had no choice, because somebody had to make sure that the bills were going to be paid and on time. Things were a little easier for Joel because he had the opportunity to get away for a few hours a day while he was at his job. This also led to an increase in Margaret’s insecurities, she felt that Joel was no longer attracted to her like he once was. She was briefly delusional and convinced herself that he was seeing somebody at work and gave him hell for it. During the late afternoons and evenings he took on most of the responsibilities, even after a long day at work. He fed Malinda, bathed her, changed her diapers, read to her and played with her. That was how he made sure that he shared the load, bonded with his child, gave his wife a break and demonstrated that this was the life he had always wanted with her. As time progressed some things got easier and some things got a bit more challenging. Margaret’s mom would visit and help take care of her granddaughter, although there were times that Margaret wished she wouldn’t come over. Her mom had a vague way of making her feel like she wasn’t ready for motherhood. Mr. and Mrs. Crope would also stop by to spend some time and assist Margaret with the baby. As Malinda grew older her parents felt more comfortable spending time with her outside of the house. On the weekends Joel and Margaret would have “mommy, daddy, daughter day(s)”. They would go to the park, take long walks, go out to eat, take the baby for pictures… etc. Those moments were the highlight of their experience with their child. There were some rough spots as a newly wedded couple and first time parents, but eventually things smoothed out.

Chapter 13

Glory Years

The year was 2004 and Malinda was five years old. Time flew by and she was growing up to be a beautiful little lady. She had character traits of her mother and father. She was silly just like her dad, although focused like her mom. Malinda loved to draw and be creative as well as voice her opinion and try to get her point(s) across. She had more in common with her father and was definitely a daddy’s girl. Mr. and Mrs. Crope were retired so they used to babysit her while Joel and Margaret went to work. Some of their knowledge and wisdom surely rubbed off on Malinda. Physically she was noticeably the perfect combination of both of her parents. She was extremely smart and did exceptionally well in kindergarten. In conjunction with her intelligence she was also a little sassy for her age. Malinda was a bit of a chatterbox too, sometimes it worked for her and sometimes it worked against her. She was able to make friends and had plenty of them, due to her numerous trips to the park, from her neighborhood and school. Every year she had a huge birthday party, her parents would invite as many kids as possible and videotape the occasion. Margaret was able to go back to college, get her Bachelor’s degree and complete law school. She was employed as a public defender, slowly but surely working herself up the ranks. Everybody was proud of Margaret especially her father. Nobody was foolish enough to doubt her, she had too much ambition to settle for less. Joel knew that he had married the woman of his dreams. She was accomplishing her goal(s) and living life on her . Joel was still working on the animated series titled “The Unlikely Hero”, although now it was as the head animator after a promotion he received. Joel was doing what he loved for a living, he couldn’t believe that his life had actually turned out the way he always wanted it to. Sometimes he felt that it was too good to be true and slightly worried about what the future had in store for him to balance things out. Joel’s parents were very delighted that their son’s plans were being executed. Margaret was in awe with the man she married and her parents were also pleased with her selection. Malinda loved her Uncle Morris too, they had a lot of fun together. Probably because he was like a big kid himself. Morris was on his way to California to continue working as a special effects make-up artist. He was getting recognition for his work in small budget horror and science fiction movies. Many times it was his craft that actually made the B-movies he worked on tolerable. He was gratified and still believed that Joel’s words of encouragement were the secret to his success. Joel and Margaret threw Morris a going away party to celebrate his new career in Hollywood. Things appeared to be moving in an upward motion for everyone and life couldn’t be better.

Chapter 14

Untimely Demise

It was 2009 and a few things have changed since the last five years. Malinda was ten years old and in the fifth grade. Academically she was an excellent pupil, although she was exceedingly talkative. That caused her to be disruptive in class, it upset her parents, but they were dealing with it the best they could. Morris moved to California and was making excellent money. He was successfully working on a number of films. He has been providing blockbuster movies with his special effects make-up. He hasn’t seen Joel since he left Missouri, although they still talk on the phone and communicate via email at least once a weak. He keeps telling Joel to bring the family so that he could give them a tour of a real live Hollywood studio. Morris was eventually able to patch things up with his dad too. He finished the payments on the house that he grew up in and allowed his father to retire. Mr. Bailey apologized for the unnecessary anguish that he caused his son. He was truly sorry and grateful, his dad assured Morris that he was tremendously pleased with the man that he had become. Mr. and Mrs. Crope were enjoying their senior years and grandchild. Margaret’s mom was still at her job, although everyday brought her closer to retirement. Truthfully she didn’t mind working. It kept her busy and allowed her to spoil Malinda a little bit, something that would be more complicated on a fixed income. Margaret’s father has been able to bounce back after his time spent in prison and regained his independence. He moved to Missouri to be closer to his family and had a pretty good job working in a factory. Joel was still employed as the head animator on “The Unlikely Hero” which was in its twelfth season. He enjoyed the time that he spent with his daughter when it was allotted. Whether as a whole family or just the two of them they would go to the movies, rollerskating, amusement parks, fairs, the beach, parks, museums, plays… etc. Joel enveloped himself in the concept of being a good father and lived it practically. Margaret won most of her cases and was slowly making strides as a well known defense attorney. She was part of one of the biggest law firms in the state. She adored being a mother and was appreciative to have Joel in her life. He was the perfect husband and a terrific father in her eyes. One Wednesday morning Margaret was rushing out of the house because she was late to court. She was so pressed for time that she barely said goodbye to Joel and Malinda as she flew out the door. On Margaret’s drive to work she called Joel and apologized. She informed him that she loved them, she asked him to tell Malinda that she was also sorry and to give her a big hug and kiss from mommy. Joel responded “We love you too and I will.” Before hanging up the phone Joel jokingly said “I think we’ll be able to forgive you.” That moment would be the last time that Joel would ever speak to his wife. After moving hastily Margaret made it to the courthouse on time. She had to go up to

the fourteenth floor, as she stepped off the elevator she realized that she forgot her briefcase in the car. She turned around to press the button in an attempt to catch the elevator, but it was already gone. During the time that Margaret was waiting her cellphone began to ring and she was searching in her purse to find it. The other elevator door opened up, but because of an equipment malfunction there was no elevator present. While not paying attention she stepped into the shaft and fell to her death. That dreadful Wednesday morning a husband lost his wife, a daughter lost her mother and so much more.

Chapter 15

The Pain

Later that morning, while at work Joel received a phone call from authorities stating that his wife had been killed in a horrible accident. When Joel heard the report he just stood still, motionless and was reduced to tears. A few of his coworkers rushed over towards him to see what was wrong. Joel explained while sobbing the news that he just received regarding Margaret. He had to leave, he notified his boss and departed from the building. Joel didn’t know whether to pull his daughter out of school or to let her finish out the day. He decided to let her continue, that would also give him time to figure out how he would break the news to Malinda about her mother. Joel stopped by his parents’ house to let them know what happened. Mr. and Mrs. Crope were terribly saddened and consoled their son. However their major concern was Malinda and how she would be able to deal with the situation. They prayed with Joel, after which he went to the morgue to identify Margaret’s body. When Joel arrived at the morgue and viewed his wife’s body, he knew that this wasn’t some nightmare that he could just wake up from. Reality started to set in and he knew that things would never be the same for his family. On his way home he reached out to Morris, but his phone went to voicemail. He left him a message and told him that he needed to speak with him ASAP. Joel called Margaret’s father and notified him that something bad has happened and he needed to converse with him urgently. He asked his father-in-law to meet him at his home at his soonest convenience. Mr. Addams didn’t know what to expect, he expressed to his supervisor that he had a family emergency and had to leave work early. When Margaret’s father got to the house Joel shared the news with him. Mr. Addams was devastated and burst out into tears. Joel tried his best to comfort his father-in-law, but to no avail. A few minutes later, while wiping tears from his face Mr. Addams asked Joel if he ed Margaret’s mother or Malinda yet? He said no, Mr. Addams told his son-in-law to leave telling Margaret’s mom up to him. He knew Joel had been through enough already and he still had to inform Malinda. Joel appreciated the gesture, they hugged each other and Mr. Addams left the home. Shortly after, Joel received a phone call and it was Morris on the other line. Joel told him about Margaret’s death, Morris was awfully sorry to hear the news and gave Joel his condolences. He assured his best friend that he would be in Missouri the next day. Morris let him know that if there was anything he needed, that he shouldn’t hesitate to ask. After a few hours had ed, the time had come for Joel to get Malinda from school. Deep down he didn’t want to face this situation, although he didn’t have any other option. Joel accepted the task like a man and let Malinda know that he had something to share with her about her mom. On the drive home Joel picked up Malinda’s favorite food (pizza). When they arrived,

he allowed her to eat before they started to talk. When she finished her meal Joel sat his daughter down and tried his best to clarify things. “Sometimes people have to go away because God needs them a little more than we do sweety, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t love us anymore.” Joel continued, “thats what happened this morning, mommy had to go with God and now they’re in Heaven together.” Malinda replied “like Flip (her goldfish) dad?” Joel responded “Yep, just like Flip baby.” Joel added, “everything that es away goes back to Heaven and waits for us they’re, watching and protecting us.” Malinda started to wail as she thought about never seeing her mom again. Joel comforted his daughter and began to cry alongside her. While shedding tears Joel guaranteed, “It will take some time my love, but we’ll be alright, mommy will always be with us.”

Chapter 16

Taking Care . . .

Its been a full week since the unwelcome death of Margaret and her body was headed for its final resting place. There was no wake only a funeral, it was an enormous turnout. There were quite a number of gorgeous flowers that decorated the event. Because of the countless amount of people that attended, there wasn’t enough room. Therefore they didn’t have the service at a church, but at the cemetery along with the burial. There weren’t too many chairs so a lot of people had to stand for the funeral. Peers from Margaret’s high school, college, law school and work showed up to pay their respects, not to mention relatives and other friends. Joel knew his wife was exceptional, especially to their family, although he had no idea how many lives she had touched. As promised Morris was in town to be there for his brother, Malinda and the rest of the family. The people who allowed their to be visible really made a difference with how Joel and Malinda grieved during the process. A lot of people wanted to speak about their experience(s) with Margaret, so many that everybody didn’t get a chance to. Mr. and Mrs. Crope said a few words, Mr. Addams expressed his feelings about his daughter and of course her husband and daughter pronounced there love for her. The person whose comments really shook the service with heart felt emotion and left an impact on everybody, was Margaret’s mother. Unfortunately the funeral took place on a cloudy day, although something remarkable happened towards the end. As the casket was being lowered into the ground the sun burst through the clouds and began to shine directly onto Joel and Malinda. After a few weeks Morris returned to California, Margaret’s mother and father went back to work and Malinda’s education resumed at school. Joel was a little unsure, although everybody agreed that it would be therapeutic for her, by allowing her mind to be occupied with other thoughts. Even though he would always have from his family, friends and in-laws, he had to figure out what his next move was going to be. Joel and Margaret didn’t have an astronomical amount, but they had their fair share of expenses. He still needed time to grieve, although he had no other choice but to go back to work. The responsibility of taking care of his daughter’s wants and needs were now completely on his shoulders.

Chapter 17

Downward Spiral

A year and a half had crept by and the dust was starting to settle somewhat. Joel had been back to work for a while, sadly he was demoted. During his time away from the job, he was replaced as the head animator for “The Unlikely Hero” series. Joel and Margaret had all types of insurance(s) together, including car, health, home, although NO life. They were so young that it never crossed their minds to have any at that point, but death comes in many forms and at various times. The moment Malinda was born they should’ve been looking into life insurance, when Margaret ed away her family received nothing. Joel gained wisdom from the experience and decided to apply for his own life insurance. Due to his age and good health he was insured for one million dollars at a decent monthly . He felt more comfortable knowing that if something ever happened to him Malinda would be taken care of, at least financially. Bills were starting to mount and Joel’s income just wasn’t enough to keep him out of debt. He knew that he could ask for help, although his pride wouldn’t allow him to. In fact the only person who was aware of his financial woes was Morris. He would vent his frustrations to his best friend whenever he had the chance to speak with him. If money wasn’t a big enough concern, his daughter was now starting to add to Joel’s stress. Malinda was starting to be more than just very talkative in school, she was misbehaving and her grades were slipping as a result of it. The school counselor believed that she was acting out for attention due to the loss of her mother. Child therapy was recommended, if her misconduct continued she was at risk of being left back. Joel was upset, but he also empathized with Malinda, aware of what she was going through. He let her know that he was disappointed with her behavior, although he reframed from scolding her. Joel considered taking Malinda to be evaluated, but she was no longer insured and paying out of pocket would’ve been too expensive. Malinda was covered by her mother’s health insurance and when Margaret died Joel put his daughter under his. Unfortunately Joel was missing payments and his insurance lapsed, now neither one of them were protected. He wished that it was just a phase Malinda was going through and hoped that it would soon fizzle out. Joel visited his parents often enough and kept in with his in-laws, however he never disclosed the problems that he was facing. Joel was becoming a mess and it was staring to reflect in his work. When things couldn’t get any worse… they did.

Chapter 18

On the Edge

Six months disappeared and the end of 2011 was approaching. The country was struggling financially and a lot of people were suffering because of it. It was hard for even the most qualified candidate(s) to find a job anywhere. Joel reasoned that he needed a second gig in order to maintain the bills, he was willing to turn to his parents and in-laws to help him with child care. Joel filled out application after application and unfortunately no one was hiring. He was even willing to work for minimum wage, which was far less than what he was accustomed to, although nothing was available. Joel started to sink deeper and deeper into a state of unhappiness. Then finally one day it happened, he was called into his boss’ office and given the axe. When Joel returned to work after Margaret’s ing he was slowly becoming a shell of his former self. He missed deadlines, his artwork was becoming subpar and his lack of energy was bringing down the morale in the office. The higher ups sympathized with him, although they were running a business and they had to cut their losses. Joel didn’t whimper, beg for his job back, kiss ass or act inappropriate. He simply packed his belongings and left the building, he didn’t even say goodbye to the staff that he had worked with for over a decade. Joel tried to file for unemployment. Even though it would not be enough to his family, he figured what the hell, something was better than nothing. Sadly, he was denied. His former employer contested his request and claimed that Joel was terminated because of insubordination. The next few days lingered on and Joel really started to develop a defeatist’s attitude. Aside from taking Malinda to school and picking her up, he barely showed his face in public. No matter how tough the circumstances were he tried his best not to let his daughter see him distressed. Before he was able to conceal his torment at work, but now while at home he would just retire to his bedroom earlier than normal. Joel was becoming unusually fixated on all of his expenses, although the one that stood out to him the most was his life insurance policy. He had to maintain those s, that money was supposed to take care of Malinda if anything was to happen to him. One evening while his daughter was sleeping and he was sitting at his desk, Joel caught himself staring at his life insurance invoice. He began to wonder, what if his daughter would be able to collect the one million dollars without him actually being dead? The gears in his head started to turn, and then an idea hit him.

Chapter 19

A Friendly Plan

For quite some time since Margaret’s death Joel’s ability to do fun things with Malinda started to diminish. He struggled with his will and energy level, but the real inconvenience was his financial restraints. Joel didn’t have the money to take his daughter out and enjoy entertaining activities. It crushed him inside, although the responsibilities of the house came first. Every dime that Joel had essentially went to paying the bills. His daughter was picking up on the changes that her dad was obviously going through, despite Joel’s attempt(s) to mask them. Malinda was wise beyond her years and she also understood that her dad was enduring some heartache too. She loved him no less and dreamed that one day things would get better. Joel took his daughter to school, picked her up, cooked for her, did her laundry and helped her with schoolwork, but not much beyond that. This resulted in Malinda staying with her grandparents from both sides of her family over the weekend(s). She would alternate between them every other weekend. She looked forward to spending time with her grandparents, she would have a great time and it also allowed her to still enjoy life as a young lady was supposed to. On one particular Saturday morning Joel gave Morris a call, although there was no answer. He left a message on his voicemail and later that evening Morris returned his call. Joel went into great detail about the difficulties that he was experiencing. Morris asked him if he needed to borrow some money, Joel declined and told him that he appreciated the offer. He explained to Morris how that would only be a temporary solution and he needed something more long term. Joel made him aware that he had an idea about faking his own death so that Malinda would get the money from his life insurance. Morris felt that Joel had went out on the deep end, he warned his best friend that he could end up in prison if he got caught. Joel informed him that he was conscious of that, but that was also where Morris would come in. Joel knew that if he was able to pull this off he would never be able to show his face again. More than likely he would leave the country and relocate to some remote island. Joel recognized that Morris was extremely talented with make-up and special effects and if anybody would be able to help him convince people that he was dead, it would be him. He would also need Morris to take custody of Malinda as her godfather and then eventually reunite him with her. At first Morris felt conflicted and was a little unenthusiastic about getting involved, if they got caught he could get into trouble too. Then he thought to himself “this is my brother, if he needs my help then I’ll do what I can, no matter the risk(s) involved.” Joel had thought long and hard about his loved ones, especially Malinda and his parents. He had to consider the psychological affect(s) that it would have on his daughter until she learned the truth. Then he thought about his

parents having to go on believing that he was deceased. However, those were sacrifices that he was willing to make in order to give Malinda a better life. His mind was definitely made up and Morris was now on board. They both decided not to discuss anymore over the phone. Morris notified Joel that he had some leisure time in between films and he would be in Missouri by Monday. They would be able to go over everything more specifically and then try to execute the plan over the following weekend.

Chapter 20

Places Everyone

Monday morning Joel picked up Malinda from her grandparents’ house and took her to school, then he headed to the airport to scoop up Morris. After stopping for breakfast and some coffee they arrived at Joel’s house and immediately got to work on the plan. The idea was to create a situation where Joel would be inebriated behind the wheel of his car. He would lose control and crash, then burn to death after the vehicle erupts into flames. Morris brought some supplies from the studio that he works in back in Hollywood. He was going to build a dummy model of Joel to place in the vehicle, so that when it burns people would think it was him. Morris was going to need some things from Joel to make the scene believable for when the inspection begins. He was going to need a small laboratory tube’s amount of blood from him. Joel didn’t mind giving up a little to get a lot, although the blood was semi-pushing it. Morris advised him to trust his judgement because it would be absolutely necessary, they would need certain proof that it was Joel’s body in the car. No insurance company was going to just cough up a million dollars without running a thorough investigation to make sure that he was actually dead. Joel complied, but he would definitely not like Morris’ next request. Morris reluctantly told Joel that he was going to have to lose some of his “chompers”. If they decided to check his dental records to identify the body he would need some of his teeth to be present. Joel realized that he was going to have to make some sacrifices too if he wanted this plan to be successful. Morris gave Joel the number to a dentist who was an acquaintance. He advised Joel to only have four teeth from the top and four teeth from the bottom rows in the rear of his mouth extracted. He also told Joel to remind the dentist that he wants to keep his pulled teeth. Joel called the dentist’s office to make an appointment and said that Morris Bailey referred him, he was able to be seen the next day. Morris informed Joel that he would pay for the surgery to make him feel better. It was time for Joel to go and pick up Malinda from school, Morris went along for the ride. Malinda was so surprised to see her Uncle Morris, for the rest of the day they all hung out and enjoyed each other’s company. The following morning after taking his daughter to school, Joel made his way to the dentist. While everybody was out of the house Morris worked on the model of Joel in the garage. When Joel returned from the dentist he barely had any words for his best friend and not only because his mouth was in pain. He asked if Morris could drive on their way to pick up Malinda from school, because he would be on pain medication, Morris agreed. The following evening while Malinda slept, Morris invited Joel to the garage and showed him the dummy of him that he was working on. He was amazed at how lifelike it looked, Morris was even able to implant Joel’s eight teeth into the back of the model’s mouth.

Needless to say Joel was impressed and felt a lot more confident about how the plan was coming together. The next couple of days Malinda could notice a shift in her father’s attitude. She wasn’t sure if it was due to her uncle being in town or because her dad was starting to adjust to the world around him. That Friday after school, Joel took Malinda to her grandparent’s house and she wished her Uncle Morris farewell. Morris told Joel to get a bottle of alcohol ready to put into the car for the next evening. That Friday night they toasted to their future success, drank, laughed, reminisced and most importantly made sure that the plan was airtight. After all the following evening was showtime and they had to be at their best.

Chapter 21

The Performance of a Lifetime

It was Saturday afternoon and the moment was drawing near for Joel to meet with his pretend end. Morris had latex gloves and put them on when necessary. Even while he was crafting the dummy he wore them, this way the only fingerprints left on anything significant would be Joel’s or none at all. He grabbed a container of gasoline and a couple of bricks from Joel’s garage and put the items into the car. They went over the plan a few more times to make sure that they both factored everything in. The time was now eight o’ clock in the evening. Joel decided that he would go to a bar around nine and then leave around eleven o’ clock. Morris was going to take Margaret’s car and meet him at the tavern. Joel left and went to the bar, he hung around and had a few drinks. Although, he didn’t allow himself to get drunk. Around ten-thirty Morris phoned Joel and asked him how to get to the watering hole. Joel gave him the directions and he made his way over to the bar. Morris waited in the parking lot for his brother to exit the establishment. When Morris saw Joel, he signaled for him to follow him to where the accident was going to take place. It was a dimly lit, deserted byway that vehicles barely traveled at night, especially during that time. When they arrived Joel pulled out the bottle of alcohol and poured it all over the interior of the car. He left the empty bottle on the floor. Morris put on the latex gloves and pulled the model out of the trunk. They surveyed their surroundings to find something to crash the car into, they spotted one of the few light posts presently out there. Joel positioned the vehicle quite a distance from the light post, so that it would pick up speed. Morris put the model into the driver side of Joel’s vehicle, next he took out the tube of blood and poured it on to the dummy. Joel then moved over to the enger side of the car next to the dummy model. Morris ed him the two bricks and while the vehicle was in park Joel placed them on the pedal. Morris also removed the container of gasoline from the car. Just in case the car didn’t explode on impact they could douse the vehicle and set it ablaze. They looked at each other, nodded their heads and agreed to continue. Joel took the car out of park, he had one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand on the enger side door. The tires burned rubber and then the car took off. As the vehicle got closer to it’s target, Joel made sure it was aligned with the light post and then jumped out. All of a sudden BOOM, there was a loud crashing sound, the vehicle was totaled, although it didn’t go up in flames. Morris rushed over to Joel to see if he was ok. He helped him up and they both made their way over to the crash site. Everything was picture perfect except the car wasn’t burning, they both turned away and walked back towards the gasoline container. By the time they got back to the other vehicle Joel’s car exploded, it was completely engulfed in flames. It would also probably be a while before

anybody would even notice the fire, giving the vehicle and everything in it enough time to burn to a crisp. They both got into Margaret’s car, but Joel had to lay on the backseat with a blanket over him, this way nobody would recognize him. As they headed to the airport Morris jokingly stated “I sure am going to miss that guy.”

Chapter 22

Exodus

Morris pulled into the airpot parking lot while Joel was still hiding in the backseat. They were triumphant in constructing a way to make Joel die. Now it was time to move onto the next phase of the plan. They had to make certain he disappeared for good. The past week that Morris had been in town they didn’t only strategize Joel’s death, but also how to make him vanish. They searched online for remote islands, trying to find one that Joel could relocate to. Joel came across the Cook Islands in the South Pacific Ocean and instantly fell in love. Morris was financially stable from his job in Hollywood so he gave Joel fifteen thousand dollars to set him up. Morris also booked two plane tickets for his brother. One ticket would allow him to fly to Los Angeles that night and camp out at a hotel. The other one so that early the next morning he would be able to leave the U.S.A for the main island Rarotonga, with a stop over in Auckland. Once he arrived at his destination, he would be on his own. He would have to find his way around and make good use of the money that Morris left him with. During that week Joel also videotaped himself verbally giving his last will and testament. In addition he also typed it and had it notarized. It stated that all of his belongings should be equally distributed to his parents and his daughter. It also made it very clear that Morris Bailey was to become the legal guardian of Malinda Robin Crope. This ensured that Morris would be able to someday reunite Joel with his daughter. Joel already had his bag packed from the night before, when he stepped out of the car he gave Morris a big hug. He thanked him for all of his assistance and for being the best brother that anybody could ask for. Morris informed him that he would tie up any lose ends if necessary. He also assured Joel that they would see each other again soon and that he could be trusted to take good care of Malinda until then. As he walked through the airport he started to process the notion that Joel Crope no longer existed. Morris returned to Joel’s house, he parked Margaret’s car in the garage and went inside the home. He cleaned up and discarded any evidence that could get them caught and have them accused of insurance fraud. Morris locked the door behind him and left the home. Two days later, during his stay at a hotel, Morris received a phone call from Mr. Crope disclosing to him that Joel had ed away in a tragic car accident. Morris had to pretend to be shocked and devastated on the other line, he could’ve won an Oscar for the way that he acted. He told Joel’s father that he couldn’t believe it, he just saw him a couple of days ago. He informed Mr. Crope that he happened to be in town and he stayed at Joel’s house for a few nights. Morris asked how Malinda was dealing with the news. That was the hardest part of the conversation, knowing that he was a part of a lie that caused a little girl to believe that her father was dead. Joel’s father shared with

Morris that his son left a videotape and a last will and testament that involved him. Morris told Mr. Crope that he would be over the next day. He gave Joel’s parents his condolences and hung up the phone.

Chapter 23

Restoration

The next morning Morris arrived at Mr. and Mrs. Crope’s house. He left the hotel and stayed in town with Joel’s parents and Malinda. Morris remained in Missouri for about forty five more days. He helped Mr. and Mrs. Crope situate their son’s belongings and handle his affairs. Joel’s parents showed Morris the videotape and the last will and testament. They enlightened him about how their son wanted him to become the legal guardian of Malinda if something was to ever happen to him. Morris faked like he had to think about it for a while. Then shortly after, he gladly accepted the responsibility of raising his goddaughter. Joel’s funeral was held on Friday at Mr. and Mrs. Crope’s home. His parents had some of what they believed to be their son’s ashes placed in an urn. The service was also truly intimate, only a few loved ones showed up to pay their respects. After the funeral Margaret’s parents thanked Morris for stepping up and taking care of their granddaughter. They asked him to please keep in touch, Morris agreed. However, he knew deep down that wouldn’t be possible once he reunited Malinda with Joel. Malinda was still coping with the loss of her mother and now she had to handle the death of her father. She was willing to go to California with her Uncle Morris, although the sadness and confusion on her face was noticeable. Morris felt guilty about being dishonest with his goddaughter and couldn’t wait for the truth to be revealed. Four and a half months later a substantial amount of progress has been made with Joel’s matters. One day while at her new home in California, Malinda checked the mail and came across an envelope addressed to her. She opened it and it was a check from her father’s life insurance policy for one million dollars. Malinda showed her Uncle Morris the check and he was relieved that everything had went smooth with the plan. He asked her to sit down and told her that he had something extremely important to share with her. Morris began to disclose to his goddaughter that her father was still alive and waiting for her. Malinda had disbelief written all over her face. After explaining to her the situation surrounding her dad, Morris pulled out a letter that he received from someone named “Walter Fundman” about a month ago. There was no return address, only a message inside from Joel. “Hey brother, I hope all is fine with you and Malinda. I am eternally grateful for what you have done for my child and I. The fifteen thousand dollars that you gave me went a long way. I brought my social security card and burned it along with my ID and port. I started a new life as Walter Fundman. Coming to this Island is one of the best things that could of ever happened to me. The change of pace and scenery is exactly what I needed to help me manage with the loss of Margaret. I am doing pretty good for myself. I’m currently employed as a painter and I took up sculpting. When the smoke clears and the check comes in please me

so that we can arrange for you to bring Malinda to me. I will also need you to open up an international bank for my daughter so that she can have access to money from here. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing the both of you soon. Please tell Malinda that I love her. Thank you again Morris, I owe my new life to you. Take care and I wish you both well.” Joel left a number that he could be reached on. For the rest of the day Malinda was at a loss for words and kept to herself. Morris completely understood and apologized for his part in the deceit. The next morning Morris took his goddaughter to open up an international bank . They met with a financial advisor, after the meeting Morris took out his phone and proceeded to call Joel. When he glanced at Malinda he couldn’t help but notice that her face was melting with tears. He asked her what was wrong? She wiped her face and replied “nothing”. The truth is she was aware of how much her father really loved her. And thats why he went against the odds, to leave “a million to one.”