Nomatter Where You Go, There You Are.

By John Drake

THIS BOOK IS A CONGLOMERATION OF STORIES, AND ALTHOUGH THEY ARE BASED ON TRUTHS. THEY ARE FABRICATED TO SUIT THIS STORY LINE.
THERE IS NO INTENT TO TRY TO EXPOSE ANYBODY FOR ANYTHING. IT IS MY INTENTION TO MAKE THIS BOOK AN ENJOYABLE READ, WITH ADVENTURE, TRAGETY, FUN, AND LOVE.
I HAVE CHANGED ALL OF THE NAMES AND HAVE MENTIONED NO LAST NAMES IN THIS STORY.
SIT BACK AND LET ME TAKE YOU TO THE PLACES THAT ONLY YOUR IMAGINATION COULD THINK UP.
THIS STORY TAKES YOU FROM A POOR BROKEN HOME, THROUGH THE DRUG INDUCED ERA OF THE 60S, TO A FAILED MARRIGE, AND FINALLY TO THE OCEAN, AND THE REAL ADVENTURES.
THIS BOOK IS A LIFE TIME OF STORIES TO BE REMEMBERED.
IT IS HOW I CAME UP WITH THE TITLE OF THIS BOOK.
NOMATTER WHERE YOU GO, THERE YOU ARE.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Oct 19, 2010
• ISBN: 9781426941757

John Drake

John Drake lives in Cheshire with his family. His hobbies and interests include muzzle-loaded shooting, history and politics. The Flint and Silver series was inspired by the many unanswered questions left by Robert Louis Stevenson’s much-loved classic, Treasure Island.

Book preview

taken to the beach

HIS MOTHER showed up and TOOK HIM AWAY FROM THE TREE FORTS AT HIS GRAND MOTHERS HOUSE.

MILES WAS NOT HAPPY AT ALL. HE LOVED THE WAY THAT THINGS WERE going BUT MOM HAD HER WAY.

SHE MOVED IN WITH ONE OF HER BOYFRIENDS INTO AN APARTMENT IN SEAL BEACH CALIFORNIA. SHE FELT THAT SHE NEEDED HER FAMILY BACK BECAUSE SHE WAS SOON TO BE MARRIED AGAIN. SHE DID MARRY HIM SOON AFTER THEY MOVED THERE.

ROBERT HAD THIS OLD BOAT WITH A BIG OLDSMOBILE ENGINE. IT WAS A PRETTY DEEP V HULL, AND WOULD TAKE THE OCEAN WAVES WELL.

IT WAS A CADILLAC OF Its DAY. IT WAS A CHRIS CRAFT SHIP LAP HULL, AND IT WAS FAST. HELL! THAT BOAT WOULD HAUL ASS! it just pounded it’s way through the waves. IT WAS A very heavy boat.

HE WAS LIKE A JECKLE AND HYDE KIND OF GUY.

SOMETIMES HE WAS REAL NICE, AND SOMETIMES HE WAS REAL MEAN.

IT DEPENDED ON IF HE WAS DRUNK OR NOT! MOM LOVED HIM WHEN HE WAS SOBER.

THEY LIVED IN AN UPSTAIRS APARTMENT RIGHT ON THE BEACH. HE WOULD GET DRUNK AND GET MOM TO DRIVE HIM AROUND WHILE HE HELD A KNIFE TO HER THROAT! SHE REALLY KNEW HOW TO PICK’EM.

HE WOULD BEAT THE HELL OUT OF HER AND ABUSE THE ANIMALS TOO! HE WOULD GET UP IN THE MORNING, AND REALIZE WHAT HE HAD DONE, AND BEG FOR FORGIVENESS.

EVEN THE DAMN DOG FORGAVE HIM FOR THROWING IT OFF OF THE SECOND FLOOR BALCONY in to the alley below.

MILES MOTHER WOULD FORGIVE HIM BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME HE WAS VERY GOOD TO HER.

HE HAD A LITTLE CARPET CLEANING BUSINESS ON THE SIDE. MOM WROTE A LITTLE catch phrase FOR HIM, USING HIS NAME.

CLEAN IT GOOD WITH ROBIN HOOD.

SHE ALWAYS SAID THAT HE WAS THE BEST LOVER. THAT SHOWS WHERE SHE HAD HER PRIORITIES.

ROBERT HAD NOTICED HOW AGILE THAT MILES WAS.

MILES WAS ABLE TO DO STANDING BACK FLIPS FLATFOOTED RIGHT ON THE SAND. HE HAD BEEN IN A TUMBLING CLASS IN THE VALLEY, AND SEEMED TO BE AFRAID OF NOTHING.

THEY ALL GOT TOGETHER ONE DAY AND ROBERT TOOK THE FAMILY OUT WATER SKIING. MOM WOULDN’T EVEN TRY SHE SAID THAT SHE BRUISED TOO EASY.

HIS SISTER WAS A TERRIBLE KLUTZ TOO, BUT THEY TRIED, AND TRIED TO GET HER UP ON THOSE SKIS UNTIL THEY HAD USED UP MOST OF THE GAS.

HE SAID THAT MILES WANTED A TURN TOO!

SHE SAID: HE AINT GOING TO DO ANY BETTER AND SHE CRIED AND SOBBED UNTIL HE FINALLY PUT HIS FOOT DOWN.

HE SAID THAT IT WAS ALMOST TIME TO GO HOME LET MILES HAVE A TURN BEFORE WE RUN OUT OF GAS.

MILES TOOK TO IT RIGHT AWAY.

HIS FIRST ATTEMPT AT WATER SKIING HE WAS RIGHT UP ON THEM, AND WAS DOING STUNTS ON THE FIRST RIDE.

FINALLY THEY WERE OUT OF GAS AND HAD TO GO BACK IN. MILES ONLY GOT ABOUT TEN MINUTES ON THE SKIS. ROBERT PROMISED THAT THEY WOULD GO SKIING AGAIN SOON. his sister was furious that he made it look so easy.

WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF PRACTICE, THEY ENTERED MILES IN THE LONG BEACH TO CATALINA ENDURANCE RACE. HE CAME IN AT FOURTH PLACE.

PRETTY GOOD FOR A BEGINNER. HE WAS A NATURAL AND A PLEASURE FOR HIS STEP-DAD TO HANG OUT WITH!

HE TAUGHT MILES ABOUT CARS AND HOW TO WORK ON THEM. MILES LEARNED AT AN EARLY AGE AS TO HOW AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WORKED. ALL ABOUT HOW TO TAKE IT APART, REPAIR IT, AND TO PUT IT BACK TOGETHER.

ALL OF HIS TEACHINGS WENT WELL WITH THE AUTO SHOP CLASSES THAT HE WAS TAKING IN HIGH SCHOOL. MILES EXCELLED IN CLASS BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE EXTRA ATTENTION AT HOME.

IN HIGH SCHOOL HE WAS ON THE VARSITY HIGH DIVING TEAM AT HUNTINGTON BEACH HIGHSCHOOL.

HE HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF THE TUMBLING CLASSES THAT HE HAD TAKEN WHILE HE WAS IN THE VALLEY AND OF COURSE HIS DREAMS, TO SEE HIM THROUGH HIS DIVES.

HE HAD ALREADY DONE ALL OF THEM MANY TIMES BEFORE DURING HIS DREAMS, SO HE HAD PLENTY OF PRACTICE.

HE USED TO GO ON DIVING EXCURSIONS WITH HIS CLOSE BUDDIES FROM THE DIVING TEAM AT HIGH SCHOOL.

SOMETIMES THEY WENT DOWN THE COAST AND IN TO MEXICO TO DIVE OFF OF THE HIGHEST CLIFFS THAT THEY COULD FIND THERE.

THE LOWEST DIVE POINTS WERE AT ABOUT 85 FEET AND THE HIGHEST POINT WAS AT ABOUT 115 FEET. NOBODY SEEMED TO WANT TO GO OFF OF ANYTHING HIGHER.

MILES WAS A THRILL A MINUTE KIND OF GUY. HE LOVED TO STAND ON THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF, WATCHING THE SURF COME IN AND GO OUT, HE WOULD TIME IT, SO THAT BY THE TIME HE GOT TO THE WATER, IT WOULD BE DEEP ENOUGH TO DIVE