His Soul Mate

By Paul R Meredith

They met by fate and were destined to be soul mates forever. Only one thing could change that.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Mar 12, 2001
• ISBN: 9781462080007

Paul R Meredith

Paul R. Meredith writes stories that define and capture real life romantic experiences in a new and exciting way not seen in recent years. His stories are not easy to lay aside.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

It was a beautiful autumn day in Decatur. The leaves on the trees were turning to a burnt flame red color. Around the entire perimeter of the lake, the reflections of the brightly turning tree leaves made the surface of the water alive with a new life—made the surface of the lake a Renoir of naturalism. A drive around the lake and west along the Sangamon River at this particular time of the year was almost inspirational to a person who appreciated the beauty of the things created by the almighty God.

Decatur is an industrial and agricultural city of approximately 85,000 souls. It is a city one either loves or hates. There is little room for anyone in the middle. There are those who believe Decatur to be the armpit of the world, while others view the city as a wonderful place to live, work, and to bring up their children.

Those who do not support the city say that crime has been on a steady rise, but those who do strongly support Decatur ask where any city is in the country that has not experienced the same problem. Supporters argue that the police do a great job of keeping crime under control as well as or better than most other cities the same size. A basically sound and trained police force is in place and has the support and appreciation of most of the citizenry, but not all by any stretch.

Over the past several years, the city suffered from an extraordinary amount of bad publicity due to the labor climate. Three of the largest industries in town were affected either by strikes by their union work forces or lockouts by management, and the atmosphere was extremely volatile in the area at times. Potential new companies looking for a place to build new facilities found the labor problems to often be on the verge of explosion, and certainly not something to walk into blindly, so some of them shied away from Decatur.

Time passed, and all three of the local industries eventually resumed work, but none under circumstances considered ideal by anyone. All three of the large firms hired temporary employees who crossed union picket lines to work. A few gutsy union members crossed their own picket lines in order to work and keep their family needs above the fray between the employers and the unions. Several of these people paid a heavy price for their actions.

The three labor situations came to different solutions in the community at approximately the same time, but none of the solutions were popular, and an air of distrust developed between the unions and the company management. That distrust continues at the three locations even today, smoldering in silence. The labor problems made Decatur a focused center of attention to the entire labor world for a few years, and it’s possible the attention will come back again, because several of the major problems continue without a final resolution. The largest employer of the three was the most recent to sign a contract agreement with the union, but a lot of tension still exists among the more senior members of the work force. When the company offered a new contract proposal to the union, it was summarily turned down by the union members in Decatur, which was ironic since the proposal was supported by the highest of their union officials. However, since other plants belonging to the same union, only located in other cities, overwhelmingly supported the contract offer, it was implemented at all the

locations covered by the representing union across several states.

***

Ellen Meacham saw Wayne Granger for the very first time as they passed on the street, walking in opposite directions of each other. The sight of the handsome stranger nearly took Ellen’s breath away as she focused on his manly good looks and great, upright walking stride. She momentarily surprised herself by focusing on the area below his belt as he approached. She looked up and into his eyes just as they passed— just in time to hear him speak. Hello, nice day, isn’t it?

Almost choked for a response, feeling he had noticed her looking where she should not have been, she quickly recouped in time. Yes, beautiful day. Their arms nearly touched as they quickly passed. Ellen noted that not only was he a beautifully handsome man, but he also smelled great. Several steps after passing, Ellen turned to look over her shoulder at the handsome person walking quickly away from her. She immediately jerked her head back to the front, embarrassed that she was caught by him doing the same thing to her. Ellen walked quickly away, but she knew immediately that she would need to meet this man again when the time was right. She was determined it would be on her terms, and it would be when she could do more than just speak in quick response to him. She silently asked God’s forgiveness for her impulsive and disrespectful momentary behavior.

Wayne Granger was the type of man who made a woman look long and hard as he approached. Almost always, women would turn and watch him walk away, just as Ellen did. It was not anything special that he did, but more just the fact that he was so much of a woman’s type of man. He was almost too damn good looking for them to believe at first glance.

Wayne Granger was new in Decatur. He came from the St. Louis area, where he was an independent contractor, specializing in small business construction. He had started in the construction business several years before, building low cost economy homes for cash-strapped customers. The quality of his work soon earned him enough respect to allow him to be more selective ofhis clientele and his type of construction. Wayne had long wanted to build upscale housing, and slowly migrated to that type of construction over the next few years, earning a very comfortable living for himself and his small family of four. He worked feverishly to build his family a good life. He wanted a bright future for his two children. The downside of his work meant that he was gone from home much more than he wanted, but he had to go where the work was, so it often meant being gone from home for days at a time.

Late one evening as he walked into his house from a hard day of work, his wife Noreen approached him as he was preparing to take a shower in the downstairs bath. She announced, Wayne, I can’t handle it anymore. I have thought it all through and I have decided to leave you. The children and I are moving out this weekend.

Stunned at first, Wayne caught his breath, saying, What! What the hell do you mean you’re moving out this weekend? I didn’t know we had a problem.

I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, Wayne. I can’t take you being away from home like this any longer. I told you before that I want a life with a man in it, not one where my man is gone more than he’s home. My children need a father figure. You didn’t listen to me. You never have listened to me.

But I haven’t done anything wrong. I’ve only been away making a good life for all of us, and I haven’t been away that much. I just don’t get it.

Yeah, that’s precisely the problem, Wayne. You just don’t get it, and you never will get it, unfortunately. Noreen promptly went upstairs, with Wayne in close pursuit, wrapping a towel around his waist as he climbed the stairs.

Look Noreen, just what the hell is going on here? You haven’t so much as hinted we had marital trouble between us. I thought our marriage was on solid ground. What has happened?

Noreen turned to face him from her position near her dressing table. You’ve been away too much. The children don’t really know you as they should know a father. To them, you are just a guy who eats here once in a great while and buys them a few toys. I want more than that for them…more for myself too.

This is all a bunch ofbullshit. I’ve been a good dad and a good husband. There’s something else going on here. Why don’t you just tell me what it is, he demanded.

Noreen turned back and sat down to her dressing table mirror and ignored his request, brushing her hair with long smooth strokes.

Wayne got the cold, clear message. She meant every word of what she said.

***

Three months later Wayne found himself a newly divorced father of a daughter and a son, ages eleven and nine respectively. Noreen remarried one week after their divorce was final. Wayne discovered, after the fact, that Noreen had been seeing the man, who was now her husband, for nearly two years prior to her split with him. It was a bitter pill to swallow, finally realizing he had been duped, but he knew he had to swallow it and go on with life, but he struggled hard with it.

Two months after marrying her new husband, Noreen and her attorney announced to Wayne that she would be leaving the city to accompany her husband to California where he could earn a decent living at his occupation. Wayne Granger put up a valiant struggle to keep his children in the area, but in the end, he lost and had to concede the move. The court granted him a liberal visitation with his children. He knew he would abide by the decision of the court, realizing there was no other alternative if he wanted to maintain a healthy, solid relationship with the children he loved so dearly.

Continuing to live in the area after the children moved away proved to be too painful for Wayne, so he eventually sold his business, packed his tools and equipment, and moved to Decatur where he once had a good friend from his days in the military. The friend had moved on, but Wayne liked Decatur each of the times he was in town for a visit. It was

as good a place as any to start over.

***

Starting over in business a second time was tough, but not as tough as the first time. Wayne had learned a lot since the early days, and he was able to avoid many of the mistakes others might make starting all over again in a new area. The early stages of building his construction business in Decatur and the surrounding area was fulfilling to him, because he was achieving a decent level of success fairly early, and he knew it would only get better as he became more widely known and accepted in the community. He was extremely pleased with his early progress, especially in light of business not being terrific in the area at large, due to a large degree from the labor strife that continued to smolder with the large industries in town.

***

Ellen Meacham had lived in Decatur for the past twelve years, arriving with her husband who was transferred in with his company. She divorced her husband in their fifth year of living in Decatur. She caught him cheating with a woman who was a co-worker of his. Ellen originally planned to go back to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she had grown up and lived before coming to Decatur, but an opportunity to own her own small business presented itself in such a way that she could not turn her back on it. After careful research, she quit her accounting job, jumped at the advantage and bought the business and stayed in Decatur.

The day after she signed the final papers, she called her sister Debra in Cedar Rapids. Deb, I know this will shock you and the folks back home, but I’m not coming back the way I said I would after all. I’m staying in Decatur.

You’re doing what? Debra said.

I’m staying here. I just bought my own business…a printing shop. I own a business here now.

But Ellen, you said you were going to come back home and try to find a business to buy here. You said you wanted to be near the folks in their declining years so you could help out with them.

I know Deb, and that was my plan, but the chance to become an independent woman in business came jumping out at me here, and it was an offer that…well it was exactly what I was looking for. I could not afford to turn it down. I am truly a little sorry in one way that I’m not coming back, with mom and pop getting on in years and all, but I’m not so far away that I can’t be there fairly often. It’s only five hours or so by car.

Ellen, honey, you know I’m happy for you if that’s what you want, but the folks and Harry will be disappointed with the news. And what about Sam?

Yeah, I haven’t told Samantha yet, but she’ll be a trooper about it. She’s been my best friend outside of the family for all these years, so she’ll want me to do whatever makes me happy. I’m going to call her in a few minutes, then I’ll call the folks and Harry tomorrow. Will you go ahead and break the news to them for me a little ahead of my calling?

Sure, honey, You know I will, but do call them tomorrow and explain to them about your reasons…the new business and all, will you please? They’ll need to hear all the details from you.

Of course I will, and I’ll do it early tomorrow morning. Thanks so much sis, I owe you one for this.

***

Samantha Simmons and Ellen Hargrove went all through school together in Cedar Rapids and even through college as best friends. They were inseparable right up to the day Sam got married. Ellen was her matron of honor. After the wedding, Ellen thought their friendship might be different, but nothing much changed. They stayed as close as ever. Then seven months later, Ellen married, and Sam was her matron of honor. They hardly missed a stroke in their close friendship for the next several years. They did everything together that was possible for two women married to different husbands could do. They were the truest ofbest friends.

When Ellen and her husband moved to Decatur, the friendship could have started to fray, but even the distance between them couldn’t force it to happen. They remained as close as ever, talking frequently on the phone, then making sure they traded visits to each other’s homes at least twice each year. They truly were the best of friends, even though they were so far apart.

The next day, Ellen called Samantha to tell her of the business venture. Oh Ellen, I’m so happy for you, even if it means that you won’t be moving back here, but I wanted to tell you that Charlie and I may be moving away too. He’s been offered a nice promotion by the company to go down to Alabama, and he has to let them know by next Monday. We have almost decided he must take the job if he intends to continue advancing in his company. You know what happens once you turn down one of these offers in a big company…never see another one.

Gosh, Sam, I never thought you and Charlie would ever leave Cedar Rapids. I’m really surprised. What do the two girls say about it?

Well, you know, at first they just threw an absolute shit tizzy when we asked them their thoughts on it, and it was serious enough that Charlie and I backed off discussing it with them anymore that first evening. We went to bed and talked about it well into the night, and he almost decided that he would have to turn it down because of the problems it caused the girls. We both agreed to just drop it for a couple of days and see if they still felt the same later. The very next evening, Janis came home from school and announced to me that she and Sue had talked it over some more, and they decided it might really be neat to move away and make some new friends. That night at the supper table, after I briefed Charlie on what I learned from Janis, the two girls told him the same thing. We just told the girls to think about it another day or so, then let us know their true desires, and we’d make a family decision based on how we all felt about it. We wanted them to be part of the decision too.

Jesus, Sam, what a neat way to handle it. What happened then?

Well, the girls were quite subdued all the rest of the night and all the next day. But at supper night before last, Sue said she’d like to say something to us about it. Charlie and I told her to go ahead.

She said, Well, mom and dad, Janis and I have talked it all over. We decided we do want to move to Alabama and start in a new school and make new friends. We know we won’t have to give up our old friends here, so you have our blessings if that’s what you want to do. We’re sorry we jumped the gun with our emotions when you first brought it up, but it sort of shocked us. Janis nodded in full agreement.

God, Sam, you actually allowed the girls to make the decision for you.

"Well, not really, but we