Love and Knowledge (The Perfect Match)

By Louis Goulet

Strange how opposites can attract! Paul and Eliza came from two completely different backgrounds and grew up in different environments. Somehow though, they seemed to be attracted to each other despite their different backgrounds. Paul met Eliza in college and became fond of her, but realized there were gaps between them, rich verses poor, have's verses have nots, coming from different neighborhoods and the like. Paul worked his way through high school on various jobs and even once in college he still had to work on part-time jobs to meet the cost of his higher education and all the while help his single mom as best he could. His dad died when he was a teenager and his mother never remarried. Despite unfavorable circumstances, Paul insisted that he had to obtain a university degree regardless of the cost and he was determined to see it through despite a financial handicap and limited means.

Eliza on the other hand lived under the protective umbrella of rich parents and enjoyed good times and socializing in her free time after school. She lived in a posh outskirt of town and enjoyed whatever her heart desired at home. Her parents insisted that she must attend university as they did in their younger days, knowing that it would ensure a bright future for her in a competitive world. The question was, where would she attend?
What makes different people meet and become fond of each other? Is it that opposites really do attract? As Albert Einstein once put it, "Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love." Blessed be those who meet and can live and stay together.

This is the story of Paul and Eliza. If we only live once, it's best to choose good, as good is best! One way is to establish good relationships and of course that comes with choice of partners, although sometimes it may not be a question of choice since a special partner may suddenly appear. May Shakespeare's idea of Romeo and Juliette lead the way in every generation!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: May 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9780228813613

Louis Goulet

Louis graduated with a B.A. (Psy) from the University of Ottawa and worked as a staff writer for a while at this university before moving on to Carleton university where he completed an extra two years in math and computer science. He also completed certification in computer networking support in a community college.Louis has travelled throughout Canada, the USA and many countries in Europe.He is an avid cyclist preferring this type of transportation to work and enjoys a good chees game.Fully bilingual, English and French, Louis currently works as a technical writer and proposal writer.

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Love and Knowledge

(The Perfect Match)

A Novel by:

Louis Goulet

Love and Knowledge (The Perfect Match)

Copyright © 2019 by Louis Goulet

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Tellwell Talent

www.tellwell.ca

ISBN

978-0-2288-1362-0 (Hardcover)

978-0-2288-1360-6 (Paperback)

978-0-2288-1361-3 (eBook)

Table of Contents

PREFACE

SYNOPSIS

CHAPTER ONE

PLANNING TO SUCCEED

Paul’s Background

Eliza’s Background

CHAPTER TWO

UNIVERSITY STUDIES

Paul’s Choice

Eliza’s Choice

First Year University, First Meeting

First Year Completed

Second Year, Meeting Again

Second Year Completed

Third Year, Now What?

Third Year Completed

CHAPTER THREE

AFTER UNIVERSITY

What’s Next?

Paul Seeking a Lifestyle

Eliza at Home (Comfort Zone)

CHAPTER FOUR

LOOKING AT HUMANITY

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Paul Wonders, Progress or Doom?

Paul’s Faith in the Greats

Paul Contemplating Messages from Above

CHAPTER FIVE

TRAVELING PLANS

Paul’s Ambition, See the World

World Travel on a Peanut Budget? Nuts!!!

Paul Thinking About Eliza

CHAPTER SIX

JOURNEY AWAY FROM HOME

Paul’s Departure

London, England

England Swings in Many Ways

Paris, France

Brussels, Belgium

Zurich, Switzerland

Vienna, Austria

Berlin, Germany

Hamburg, Germany

Lahr, Germany

Rome, Italy

Florence, Italy

Venice, Italy

Athens, Greece

Corfu Island, Greece

Heading back North in Europe

Amsterdam, Netherlands

CHAPTER SEVEN

TRAVELING FARTHER ON PEANUTS? YIKES!

Paul’s Giant Leap

Tokyo, Japan (From London via Shanghai)

The Shanghai Quickie

Tokyo at Last

Back to Paris

Back to London

CHAPTER EIGHT

MEANWHILE BACK HOME

Eliza’s First Job

Eliza Thinking About Paul

Eliza School Teacher

Eliza’s Mother Knows Best

Paul’s Mother Survives

CHAPTER NINE

ULYSSES RETURNS

Planning the Way Back

Homeward Bound

New York City (Last Stop)

CHAPTER TEN

REFLECTIONS ON LIFE

Paul’s Views (Always Optimistic)

Paul’s Traveling Lessons

What About Now?

Safety with Security Systems?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Paul Reminiscing with Mom

Paul Returns to University

Meeting Eliza Again, Back on Campus

Home Sweet Home

CHAPTER TWELVE

PLANNING FOR THE GOOD LIFE

Appreciation and Gratitude

Romeo and Juliet Revisited

POSTSCRIPT

LOVE AND LEARN

PREFACE

SYNOPSIS

Strange how opposites can attract! Paul and Eliza came from two completely different backgrounds and grew up in different environments. Somehow though, they seemed to be attracted to each other despite their different backgrounds. Paul met Eliza in college and became fond of her, but realized there were gaps between them, rich verses poor, have’s verses have nots, coming from different neighborhoods and the like. Paul worked his way through high school on various jobs and even once in college he still had to work on part-time jobs to meet the cost of his higher education and all the while help his single mom as best he could. His dad died when he was a teenager and his mother never remarried. Despite unfavorable circumstances, Paul insisted that he had to obtain a university degree regardless of the cost and he was determined to see it through despite a financial handicap and limited means.

Eliza on the other hand lived under the protective umbrella of rich parents and enjoyed good times and socializing in her free time after school. She lived in a posh outskirt of town and enjoyed whatever her heart desired at home. Her parents insisted that she must attend university as they did in their younger days, knowing that it would ensure a bright future for her in a competitive world. The question was, where would she attend?

What makes different people meet and become fond of each other? Is it that opposites really do attract? As Albert Einstein once put it, Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. Blessed be those who meet and can live and stay together.

This is the story of Paul and Eliza. May it serve as an example to all of us, regardless of race, color, creed, nationality, religion or language. Let goodness prevail despite behaviors that often leave much to be desired. If we only live once, it’s best to choose good, as good is best! One way is to establish good relationships and of course that comes with choice of partners, although sometimes it may not be a question of choice since a special partner may suddenly appear. This story of Paul and Eliza illustrates this and encourages a better way to live in a world in which many pessimists are screaming: who says life is supposed to be fair? or nothing is promised to anyone! But for those who believe in a better existence, may Shakespeare’s idea of Romeo and Juliet lead the way in every generation! *

*Note: The author references popular movies to present certain views. Since films very often are a reflection of life, this is a way to emphasize certain intended messages in the novel. There is no need however to actually view those movies since the ideas are made clear, but if the reader has seen those movies, the ideas become readily understandable. Popular classic hit songs are also mentioned for the same reason.

CHAPTER ONE

PLANNING TO SUCCEED

Paul’s Background

Born and raised in a modest environment, son of a single mother after his father died in a highway accident when he was a teenager, Paul Paterson graduated from high school but always had to work part-time after school to earn money to pay for an anticipated university education. After his father’s death, Paul and his mother had to leave their home and were left surviving as best they could ending up in an apartment since there was no sufficient income to live in and manage a house. The cost of Paul’s father’s funeral was a setback that he and his mother had to live with, not to mention their emotional trauma dealing with the untimely passing of Mr. Paterson. Paul hated that they had to leave their house knowing he would have to adapt in a dwelling with less space. There was no more backyard to enjoy and no more basement nor attic to store belongings, but the apartment they moved into had room enough for two and included two separate bedrooms and basic kitchen and living room. Quite a change from a house dwelling but Paul’s new room was large enough to accommodate all he needed including a workstation set up with a PC, and he was able to cram any accessories of various sorts such as sporting equipment in a closet along with his clothes. The largest of the two bedrooms was suitable for his mother’s comfort, although a little smaller than she was used to in the house they resided in previously.

Rent was reasonable and included heat and electricity for the new tenants, an all-important savings in this new place of residence for them, given their situation. The apartment was on the second floor of an eight-story building with an easy access using only one flight of stairs rather than wait for the one and only elevator at the far end of the corridor that proved to be rather slow serving eight floors. They also had the luxury, so to speak, of using the back door which was conveniently located right across from their apartment entrance, leading to a staircase and out of the building, allowing them to get out faster. They also had the privilege of using two lockers located in the basement of the building at no extra cost, allowing them additional storage space. This proved to be very handy since they needed as much free space as possible having no money to spare for any additional services. The extra space came in handy to store things temporarily, mostly belongings that were kept in the garage, basement and attic of the house they moved out of, intending to sell most of them eventually.

Thankfully, their new dwelling wasn’t in a seedy part of town and the landlord agreed to have the apartment painted and the door locks changed when they signed the lease. They had one good consolation in their new home, their neighbors, who seemed friendly enough and the premise was quiet without excessive noise as is sometimes the case in multiple units in such rental buildings. Mother even befriended a lady about her own age who lived in the apartment at the end of the hall on the same floor. Occasionally, she would spend a Sunday afternoon for tea with this neighbor and chat about her cat as small pets were allowed in the building. The Patersons’s apartment wasn’t like the comfort and privacy of one’s own house with a patio in a large backyard, but it was a move that was necessary to save money and make ends meet.

Paul not only had to adapt to their almost discouraging situation at times, but he also learned how to be careful in spending hard-earned money and found just about all they needed in second-hand shops where many good items could be purchased, such as clothing, not always of the very latest in fashion but in like-new condition, probably coming from people who change their wardrobes maybe a little too often, or else ditching garments given to them as gifts that didn’t quite fit or not of the right color to satisfy their capricious preferences and idiosyncrasies, but many of which were of excellent quality. Good quality furniture could also be found in those second-hand shops thereby saving a bundle. Lesson learned was why pay more, when one can find perfectly good second-hand and recycled objects in thrifty shops selling goods at greatly reduced bargain prices. Indeed, some of the furniture, appliances and home decorations discovered and purchased in second-hand shops looked like they had never been used or at least seldom used, probably donated by fussy decorators constantly changing their furniture and redesigning their home. Paul learned to be more practical and keep belongings that can serve for a long time without changing them frequently and end up spending money frivolously.

It was a difficult adaptation especially for Paul’s mother, but as life can be unfair sometimes, one doesn’t always have a choice. Unfortunate incidents do happen, and her husband’s untimely death was a crushing blow that she had to accept. Her son was always present however, to help in any way he could in a trying life situation somewhat like Martin Scorsese’s film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Nevertheless, mother and son managed to plan for a decent survival following their setback and as a Kelly Clarkson song suggests: what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Perhaps the lesson to be learned is that no matter how hard life can get, one can surmount difficult situations with creative perseverance and the willpower to carry on and succeed. Easier said than done, true, but no matter how difficult obstacles may appear, the following little anecdote can help people experiencing difficult situations and encourage them to persevere in order to survive:

Late one evening when everyone was off to bed, two mice were scurrying on a kitchen counter looking for scraps of food when they spotted a bottle of milk left on the kitchen table. They both jumped onto the table and into the bottle of milk and gorged themselves with a free drink, but then, they realized that the bottle was now half empty and that they were trapped inside desperately trying to claw their way up to the top and climb out, otherwise they would drown in the bottle half full of milk. They swam and swam around the inside of the bottle and tried to claw the slippery glass interior until they became exhausted. One of them quit and sure enough drowned and sank to the bottom of the bottle while the other kept swimming all night, round and round despite exhaustion, and when the first sun rays appeared through the kitchen window in the morning, she found herself on top of butter and was able to jump out.

Lesson anyone? Like never say die! This seemingly insignificant little story can surprisingly help those who especially for the first time in their life experience a serious setback and are thus forced to adapt and possibly change direction. But we all should learn the where there’s a will there’s a way approach as we must move on in life no matter how devastating a setback may appear to be. Difficulties can teach us to adapt and be better prepared for others that may occur later in life, enabling us to handle any subsequent challenges successfully. Mrs. Paterson and son had to work as a team, joining forces to ensure a decent survival. Now that dad was gone, Paul realized that he was the man of the house who had to help his mother financially.

Throughout his high school years, Paul worked on part-time jobs but always managed to get good grades, taking little time off for socializing. His time was split between work and study and he always made sure that school assignments were properly completed to get good grades required for university entry, which he seriously considered. Taking science and math courses in high school proved to be a little more demanding than some of the other programs but he did well and wished to pursue at the postsecondary level. He worked as a cashier occasionally at a local grocery store where he learned some basic finances and handling money, and he got along well with the owner of the store, Mr. Kelly, who knew his parents and understood his mother’s plight. Paul would also cut grass, load delivery trucks, do painting and cleaning jobs for various people, teaching him some basic chores however boring. He even did door to door and telephone canvassing, many times for peanuts, but every bit counted.

Mr. Nelson, a high school counsellor, had mentioned to Paul once, there’s an easy way and a hard way to accomplish something.

Paul knew this all too well from experience, acquired because of an unfavorable situation being handicapped financially and thus forcing him to earn money any way he could. Luckily, he was in great health and tackling problems as they occurred taught him the importance of keeping cool no matter what, allowing him to be able to analyze trying situations and deal with problems intelligently. Other lesson: the tougher things get the more one must learn to chill and not lose your head to keep things in proper perspective and stay on top of it.

Paul learned to communicate with various people in various situations which taught him to be diplomatic and to listen before speaking out. Too many people it seems resort to bickering and even shouting without listening and their conversations with others often result in poor communication and understanding, let alone negative derogatory and condescending insults fired at each other. Such attitudes are often found in disagreeing couples who end up separated or divorced. Should we not all learn that there is a time to speak up but also a time to listen with an open mind and think before we speak?

Paul knew that there were many students from his high school running off on weekends for cheap thrills, including drinking under age and pleading constantly for the use of their parents’ car or screaming for their own wheels to impress their friends, while he was busy working to earn desperately needed money so that he and his mother could make ends meet, and besides, college was just around the corner if he could afford it. He had heard about road accidents that some young students were involved in while driving their parents’ car, something no one wants especially when serious injuries result, not to mention parents’ frustration due to increased insurance costs.

He also remembered one incident in particular resulting in death of two teenage girls during the summer following their last year in the same high school he attended. Aged 17 and 18 respectively, the girls were returning from a party with friends where alcohol was the culprit. Although he didn’t know them personally, it seems that they had been drinking and the 18-year-old driving the vehicle lost control causing the car to flip and roll several times.

How would parents react to such an accident, Paul wondered?

When he and his mother moved out of the house they lived in, mom sold the family car for the best offer, which helped to pay for dad’s funeral costs. Paul had no worries associated with driving and related insurance costs which he didn’t need anyways since he relied on public transportation to get around. With some of his savings he managed to acquire a good second-hand bicycle that suited him just fine for traveling, being in good health. It also allowed him to stay in shape, killing two birds with one stone, transportation and exercise.

Nothing much happened in terms of romance in high school, perhaps due to his limited means and the fact that he was too busy working in his spare time, but Paul was determined to obtain a university degree and who knows, maybe his luck would change once in a higher-education environment. He didn’t meet anyone at his high school prom either, so he figured he would have better luck in a college setting since he had the grades required to be accepted and was working hard to earn the money needed to pay the tuition fees for at least first year university studies. Many of the girls in his high school classes seemed