Locomotive to the Past by George Schultz (iphone ebook reader .TXT) 📕

a year-or-so ago… a little more, maybe… when someone did me a big favor! A great big favor! A really big favor! That act . . . that one, really-generous, act . . . well, it got me to thinking!” She laughed. “Always a dangerous thing,” she continued, with a broad smile.

Clarence laughed! Probably more loudly—and for a longer duration—than was called for.

“It… this gargantuan favor . . . it really got me to thinking! Got me, in fact, to actually begin to reevaluate! To hash over… my entire life!”

“That was another thing… that absolutely astounded me,” responded Clarence. “You see? I did check you out! As I said, we’ve never gone into the thing! Not really deeply! Listen, I did go through your background! Thoroughly check you out… before I had ever made my recommendation, to the Board. I know about your… ah… difficulties! Know all about them! Your problems… with Doctor Keltner, you know! And all about termination, of your benefits! And all the…”

“You… you knew? You knew . . . about all that?”

“Yes. Yes… of course I did! I wouldn’t have been doing my job . . . if I had not!”

“Then… then, why, in heaven’s name, did you ever nominate me? Put my name up… put it up, for consideration? I mean, if you knew all the…”

“I really can’t tell you. Or, at least, I couldn’t! Not at first! Actually, at first… I thought it might’ve been the loss of your son, Jason. Your big turn-around! But then, after having talked to your brother and sister-in-law… as well as your friend, Deborah… I dismissed that thought! Blew it right out!”

“Then, how did you… ? Why did you… ?”

“I don’t really know! Well, at least… I didn’t know. I guess I was more intrigued . . . than anything. Totally intrigued! You had turned your life around! A-hundred-and-eighty-degrees! Turned it… totally… around! I just guess… that there’s a part of me! A portion of me… that was just, simply, caught up, in how someone… how anyone . . . could turn their entire life around! Would make such an earthshaking change!”

“Look, Mister Crowder… Clare… listen! I can’t even begin to explain to you… explain to anyone . . . exactly why I did anything, back then. Anything!”

“Actually, I think you can! You may not choose to… which is fine! I do know, though, that you were given a gift, back then! And that… almost immediately… you moved! Moved out of that… you should excuse the expression… crappy apartment, of yours. The one, in Dearborn. To that really nice complex… here, in Wayne. I know that you went ahead… and took that, minimum-wage, job, at Wendy’s. Flipping hamburgers. I know that it took less than three months… for you to make shift leader. I know that… three months later… you were managing that branch. The one… in Westland!”

“I… you knew all that? You knew?”

“Yep! Of course I did! And all of that . . . along with taking in all those poor kids, after the fire! Well, that was enough! Enough… for me! I wanted you… wanted you, in the worst way . . . to become our administrative assistant. Some people thought that I’d gone, and stuck my neck out… stuck it way out… for you! To nominated you… and endorse you… for the position! Never happened! I’d never jeopardize my standing here… on anything, as flimsy as that! Listen! I knew . . . knew, deep down . . . that I wasn’t risking a thing! Not one single thing!”

Sheila Rutkowski retired—as head, of the entire, sprawling, institution—in November, of 2013! She—and Jason’s, still-beautiful, “Aunt Debbie”—now share a, small-but-comfortable, two-bedroom, duplex, in suburban Wixom!

She owns, by the way, a 2011 Buick Lacrosse!