Book Three of Fate Laughs

By Janus Kane

Fate Laughs is a study of what happens when the hate, bigotry and racism that a person puts out into the universe comes back to them with a vengeance.

Fate Laughs is a dark and disturbing story about a Southern family that gets caught in the backlash of their own hatred and bigotry. The story is set in the late 1900's in the fictional town of Altuna, Georgia.

WARNING: this story contains graphic language and content that some, nay most, will find offensive, but I assure you it is not gratuitous and lessons are learned.
Wanda hates 'niggers and Jews.' She doesn’t have much choice, given her upbringing. Wanda is the 15-year-old by-product of life in the Whitaker household. It is a life that revolves around hatred and the teachings of a local white supremacist group. ‘Fate Laughs’ is a contemporary story that follows the tragic events that befall a Southern family that has made hate the cornerstone of their lives. As perspective cycles between the members of the Whitaker family, they learn what can happen when fate laughs at everything you believe to be true.

In the Third book of the Fate Laughs series, we get some insight into why Jim Whitaker has become the hate-filled misogynist that he is. How did the young boy, filled with promise and hope for the future turn into the person who effectively destroyed the lives of himself and his family in one broad stroke? Does is make him less culpable? Perhaps not, but it gives us some understanding of how the boy became a man who could reap such destruction on those he claims to love. Perhaps we can realize that, but for a simple twist of fate, anyone might find themselves struggling with similar choices. We are all at fate's mercy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Janus Kane
• Release date: May 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781935367635

Janus Kane

Marchbooks is a small publishing company located in Tennessee. We strive to offer books that are fun, interesting and thought provoking. We currently have two authors: Janus Kane who writes for adults and M.J. Claire who writes for tweens and young adults. Janus Kane makes his primary residence in New York City. Would-be lawyer, sales rep for a multi-line distributor, telemarketer, bartender and Kirby vacuum cleaner salesman are a few of the career paths that Kane has followed. Interesting as they were, they were all dead ends. Ultimately, fate put a pen in his hand. His first novel, 'The Little Insanity' was the result. It is a novel that shines a spotlight on the complexities of relationships and addictions. With the fast pace of a literary soap opera this first novel will be sure to please readers who follow these characters on their path of self-discovery or destruction. The 'Fate Laughs' series is another foray into the lives of a very dysfunctional group of people. This southern family is ruled by an authoritarian husband/father and his philosophy of hate. This toxic environment blows up in their faces in very short order, leaving the children to pick up the pieces. When Janus wrote this novel, we feared that it might be too 'out there', too far fetched, given the themes of bigotry and white supremacy. Unfortunately, we were all to be proven wrong as each day shows us more examples of this kind hatred in our current world. M.J. Claire is a quiet, middle-aged woman who has always had a passion for books, adventure, magic, fantasy and animals. You will find that most of her stories embody at least some of those themes. .

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Book Three of Fate Laughs

Jim

by Janus Kane

Published by Marchbooks

Distributed by Smashwords

Copyright 2016 Elizabeth Marchand

This is a pure work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Other Titles by Janus Kane

Books I & II of Fate Laughs - Available through Smashwords

Books IV, V & VI of Fate Laughs - Coming Soon

The Little Insanity - Coming Soon

Contents

Prologue

Book Three - Jim§

Other Books by Janus Kane

Get Book Two of Fate Laughs

Get Book Four of Fate Laughs§

Connect with March Books

March Books Blog

Fate Laughs

by Janus Kane

Sometimes, fate laughs. Sometimes, life looks you dead in the eye and has a good old belly laugh at your expense. Sometimes, everything we think we know about ourselves, everything we believe about ourselves; our values, our beliefs, what we want, who we are, is proven to be a lie.

Sometimes Fate Laughs at the hate you send out into the universe and sends it back to bite you in the ass?

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Jim

Guilt is a heavy cross to bear, one that does not grow lighter with the years.

The crack was swift and sharp, like a gunshot. But it was nothing compared to the pain. The young boy gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut to hold back the tears. The belt whistled through the air, tearing into his bare thighs, again and again.

Ten year old Jimmy Whitaker wrapped his hands around the legs of the chair and prayed for his back side to go numb. An involuntary cry escaped his lips.

He clenched his muscles in anticipation of what was coming.

Don’t you cry like some goddamn baby, his father yelled, bringing the belt down three times in quick succession. On the third time, the heavy metal buckle hit him squarely on the tailbone.

Jim Whitaker awoke with a start. He tried to move his head, but couldn’t. ‘Oh boy. His Dad had really done it this time.’ He tried to make sense of the little he could see in his limited field of vision. Everything was white and brightly lit. Jim wondered if he was in heaven. ‘Probably not.’ He doubted that there were drop ceilings in heaven. Besides, Jim guessed that his reserved spot was a little closer to basement level. He was, after all, a good-for-nothing little shit. His father made a point of reminding him of that fact each and every day.

A white blur breezed by him. He struggled to bring the figure into focus. Hey. Hello.

Oh! Mr. Whitaker. You scared me. I didn’t realize you were awake.

Where the hell am I? What the hell is going on? Why can’t I move my goddamn head?

Calm down, Mr. Whitaker. It’s not good for you to get upset.

Don’t you tell me what’s good for me, you stupid whore.

The young nurse recoiled from the verbal attack. Mr. Whitaker. We’re just trying to help.

I don’t need your goddamn help, you stupid bitch! I need to know what the hell is going on.

The young girl burst into tears and ran from the room.

Jim lay there, his head buzzing with questions. Slowly, his memory began to return. Well, at least part of it.

He remembered the meeting. Jim cringed at the image of all the members, standing around, watching his daughter rolling across the floor like some out-of-control banshee. He remembered the long, silent drive home. He remembered storming around his room, like a barely contained tornado. Then, Jim remembered Shooter coming in to deliver the news. That stupid slut was bad mouthin’ him to his baby girl.

After that, things got a little hazy...hazy and red. Everywhere he looked, everything he saw had a hazy, reddish hue. In his mind’s eye, Jim could see the pools of red on the kitchen floor, seeping into the grout between the tiles.

He saw Shooter holding his hand to his chest, blood staining his shirt. Jim saw Wanda, standing there, begging him to stop. But he couldn’t stop, because he wasn’t really doing anything. It was as if someone or something had taken over his body. Jim had no control, he was just along for the ride. He remembered the feeling. It had happened once before - almost 20 years ago. It wasn’t the type of thing you were likely to forget.

Jim Whitaker remembered staring at the little girl in the crib. She was a travesty, a mistake, an insult to his manhood.

Katie - Jim Whitaker laughed to himself. That slut actually thought that giving this defective runt his mother’s name would make a difference - that it would make Jim Whitaker love the little whelp. Oh well, maybe it did make a difference, just not the way Betty Whitaker had hoped.

This little freak of nature shouldn’t even exist. Jim Whitaker had pretty much lost all interest in his wife after Wanda was born. He had what he wanted; a boy and a girl; his progeny, to follow in his footsteps.

It was a mistake. He had had too much to drink. She was on her knees, scrubbing the kitchen floor. As they say - the rest was history.

From the very beginning, when he had first heard the news, Jim had been unable to get excited about this new addition to the family. Not like for Shooter and Wanda. When she had been pregnant with his first two children, Jim Whitaker had treated is wife as if she were made of glass. He knew she was hearty stock, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

As soon as that cow popped Wanda out, the gloves were off for good. From that moment on, all of Jim Whitaker’s love and attention went to his two little red-headed reflections. They were perfect and they were his.

When Betty Whitaker had joyously approached him with the news of their third child, he had slapped her across the face. You lousy tramp. Who have you been sleeping around with? Because it sure the hell hasn’t been me.

Betty stood there, holding a hand to her reddening cheek. It happened that night you came home late from the meeting. I was in the kitchen, washing the floor... Her other cheek blushed bright red.

Recollection dawned as the few meager details he could salvage from that drunken haze came back to him. That was months