The Isle of Earl: The Curse, the Quest, the Climb

By Thomas Doolittle

My manuscript is about the adventures and challenges of an autistic boy. From the age of seven years until he reaches manhood and beyond.
His skill and love of mountain climbing being paramount in his life as he deals with his own disability, which he considers a gift from God.
His family and other social connections along the way, helping to form his ability to overcome his autistic state. Told in his own unique style.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Apr 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481741545

Thomas Doolittle

University graduate with degrees in social psychology and anthropology. Ten years as a community social worker with adolescent males. Several years in the petroleum industry operations and chemical lab analysis departments. Father of four adult children and one sixteen-year-old daughter. Retired at sixty-two years of age. Married to wife employed by the local school district in special needs, including the autistic. Living in the San Francisco Bay area for thirty years. Finding time now to write about life experiences with search and discovery of inner faith.

Book preview

THE ISLE OF EARL

PART ONE THE CURSE

PART TWO THE QUEST

PART THREE THE CLIMB

BY THOMAS L DOOLITTLE

COPYRIGHT NUMBER PRE6234

ISSUED 03/05/2013

AuthorHouse™

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© 2013 THOMAS L DOOLITTLE. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 04/15/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-4154-5 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Contents

PART ONE THE CURSE

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

PART 2 THE QUEST

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

THE ISLE OF EARL

PART ONE THE CURSE

EMTs SCRAMBLED DOWN THE LOOSE DIRT OF THE SHALLOW GULLY. THEN STOPPED ABRUPTLY. THE QUIET SO THICK. AS DUST. FLOATED WAIST-DEEP.

HE HELD HER UNINJURED FACE IN HIS HANDS. LISTENING TO HER LAST WORDS. IN THE LUSH GREEN. BENEATH THE BRIDGE.

WORDS. THAT BURNT HIS EARS. WORDS. THAT HE KNEW HE COULD NOT MAKE A PROMISE. AFTER HEARING THEM.

BE HAPPY SHE SCREAMED. A SCREAM.. THAT ONLY ACHIEVED A WHISPER. THEN. FADED AWAY. WITH HER GHOST. DEAD. GONE.

EARL. AT THAT SECOND. COMPLETELY REALIZED. THE MAGNITUDE OF THE MOMENT. THAT HIS LIFE WITHOUT TANYA. HAD LESS MEANING AND PURPOSE.

THE LOVE HAD BEGUN AT A SILLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DANCE. BOYS ON ONE SIDE. GIRLS ON THE OTHER. BUT THEY KNEW THEIR DESTINY AND REJOICED IN IT. THIS MEETING. OF. LOVE . AND TENDERNESS. THAT ENDED TOO SOON. AND. HE WOULD FOREVER BE HAUNTED BY THOSE FINAL WORDS. TRYING TO FULFILL HER SINCERE WISH. ON HIS LIFE. SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE. BUT HE MUST TRY.

THE FUNEREAL. BEGAN LIKE MOST I SUPPOSE. GLOOMY. AND SURREAL. AND SINCE EARL HAD NOT ATTENDED MANY IN HIS 21 YEARS. HE WASN’T AT ALL. HAPPY. APPROACHING SUICIDAL. AND STAYED AS MUCH. IN THE BACKGROUND.

AS HE POSSIBLY COULD. WITH SO MANY QUESTIONS. AND HE KNEW. THERE WOULD BE FUTURE INSINUATIONS.

THEN A VOICE. FAMILIAR. CAME FROM OVER HIS SHOULDER. AS TANYA’S ROSE—COVERED. AND NEARLY EMPTY. CASKET LAY ON A SMALL KNOLL.

HEY MAN… . .I MISS HER TOO THEN AN INCREDIBLE PAUSE FOLLOWED. FOLLOWED BY. IT HURTS SO BAD. IT WAS RANDY. RANDY WAS AN EARLY CHILDHOOD FRIEND. WHO KNEW. FOREVER. ABOUT EARL’S LOVE FOR TANYA. PROBABLY BEFORE. EVEN TANYA KNEW IT.

HEY, WASN’T THAT WEIRD WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CHAPEL? HE SAID. YEAH EARL REPLIED. A LITTLE SHAKEN BY IT.

A GUST OF WIND HAD COME THROUGH AN OPEN DOOR OR WINDOW BEFORE THE SERVICE ACTUALLY ENDED. AND BLEW DOWN A LARGE STANDING FLOWER ARRANGEMENT. TO THE REAR. AND LEFT OF THE SIMPLE WOOD CASKET. AND TANYA’S MOTHER. ROSE FROM HER SEAT. DISTRAUGHT. UNDERSTANDABLY. AND MUMBLED WORDS. THAT WERE HEARD BY SEVERAL MOURNERS. ANGRY WORDS THAT WERE HEARD BY SEVERAL MOURNERS.

SHE SAID… THAT WAS ENOUGH… GET ON WITH YOUR LIVES.AND TANYA’S DAD HURRIED BEHIND HER. THEIR GRIEF BITTER. IN THE SIERRA FOOTHILLS.

RANDY WOULD DIE IN A SOLO PLANE ACCIDENT IN THE ARIZONA DESERT THE NEXT YEAR.

EARL HAD LIVED IN THE COUNTRY JUST OUTSIDE OF TANYA’S SMALL

TOWN. AND WHEN HE FIRST MOVED THERE HE WAS ELEVEN. SHE WAS TEN. HE WAS IN EIGHTH GRADE. SHE SEVENTH. WHEN THEY ACTUALLY. CROSSED PATHS. AT AN EARLY SCHOOL YEAR DANCE.

HE WAS SMITTEN.

THEY BOTH ENJOYED THE OUTSIDE. AND ONCE. HAD GONE SKIING. TO A SMALL SIERRA RESORT. WHERE THAT DID NOT GO SO WELL.

TANYA WANTED TO LEARN. BUT WAS NOT VERY GOOD. AND EARL THOUGHT. OH MAN. THIS IS NOT AT ALL IMPRESSING HER. IN ANY WAY. IN FACT. SHE MIGHT EVEN HATE HIM.. FOR EVEN MAKING HER COME SKI.. BUT HATE. WAS NOT IN THE EQUATION. HE WAS GLAD.

TOWARD THE END OF THE DAY A YOUNG BOY ABOUT TEN CAME UP A ROAD TO THE PARKING AREA WHERE EARL AND TANYA WERE ENDING THIS RISKY DATE.

MY FRIEND. HE’S HURT… CAN YOU HELP HIM? AND EARL LOOKED AT THE BOY… THEN AT TANYA. WHAT A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE HIMSELF. WORTHY TO HIS SWEET DAMSEL. HE THOUGHT. AND AWAY HE WENT. FOR HALF A MILE WITH THE BOY. ALONG WITH TWO OTHER GUYS. ABOUT EARL’S AGE. SLIDING IN BOOTS. MADE DAMP BY THE EARLY SPRING SNOW MELT.

EARL CONVINCED THE BOY TO ACT MORE INJURED. HOW SHAMELESS HE WAS WITH THAT REQUEST. BUT THE CAUSE WAS ALMOST GALLANT. ANYWAY.THEY CARRIED THE KID. AND EARL’S BLACK SKI-SWEATER. WITH THE RED LINE BLAZING THROUGH IT. COVERED THE BOY.

SO HEROIC. EARL FELT. BUT SHE WAS NOT IMPRESSED. ALTHOUGH LOOKING BACK. THE ORANGE HEADBAND SHE HAD KNITTED. SO SKILLFULLY. DID SHOW HER CARING FOR HIM. HIS EARS APPRECIATED ITS WARMTH. IN THIS SNOWBOUND FOLLY.

BUT WE ALL HAVE OUR TANYA OR TODD. FIRST LOVES. THAT CAN NEVER BE REPLACED. BUT. REPLACED ALL THE SAME. LOVES. THAT TEAR LITTLE CAVERNS. THROUGH YOUR SOUL. AND BEING.

BUT. YOU WOULD NOT GIVE THEM UP FOR ANYTHING. THOSE EXPERIENCES.

EARL. HOPED THAT RANDY KNEW HIS FAIR SHARE OF THEM. SUCH A GOOD FRIEND. PAL EVEN. AND EARL DID NOT WASTE THAT WORD PAL ON MANY. FOR HE DID NOT FEEL IT. USUALLY. AND WHEN HE DID. THEY WERE NOT WORTHY. OF