Through the Eyes of Hazel

By Mark A. Cherpak

Born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania and still resides. I love spending time with family and friends. I love everything the outdoors has to offer regardless of seasons. I love watching several shows including: Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, The Walking Dead and The X-Files. THROUGH THE EYES OF HAZEL

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark A. Cherpak
• Release date: Mar 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781736669419

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ISBN 978-1-7366694-0-2 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-7366694-1-9 (eBook)

Copyright © 2020 by Mark A. Cherpak

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 publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

This book is a work of fiction. This chronicle is from the imagination of the author and not intended to be based upon authentic occurrences, unexplained phenomenon, or biblical catastrophes throughout! Also, it’s not intended to prophesize Armageddon or other similar objectives! Names of characters, events, and internet are actual as well as fiction. Any resemblance to actual individuals living or deceased is purely coincidental! Government organizations mentioned are genuine and played no immediate involvement.

Wrath of God

A maroon 2010 Range Rover Evoque was traveling on Interstate Eighty bearing west. The occupants inside was a young couple enjoying Mother Nature at her finest! The sky was crystal clear with some dancing clouds accompanied by surging warm air penetrating from the south! The terrain surrounding them had that certain mystical feeling as a few mountains were visible, smiling! In other words, the landscape was a picture perfect postcard! It was as if the old west coexisted saying: ‘welcome my friends! Welcome to the west!’ For the first time in days, she was displaying her good side while just days ago, she was on a mere war path! Her destructive path included exposing high winds of hurricane force along with downpours in addition to hideous appearing skies! Most likely, this was her way of saying: ‘You don’t mess with Mother Nature!’

Just west of Grand Island, Nebraska, the traffic was maneuvering like any other day, fast and furious! Virtually, no one was traveling the state’s required limit. It seemed as though everyone immediately grew a lead foot or their shoes instantly weighed twenty-five pounds! Speed demons! Thank God civilian vehicles were not equipped or built like the famous James Bond car: Aston Martin DB5! The vehicle would develop saying: ‘Get out of my way, or I’ll blow your ass into the next world!’ It would be like James Bond with his recognized lady reaching for that notorious toggle switch inside the floor shifter, flipping it up to engage, then inventing a pun like: ‘he had a short circuit’! Like a dismal routine, hundreds of motorists were in a hurry going nowhere!

Girl, I’ll tell you this… can’t ask for a better day! A man said probing the real estate with a smile. His name was Russell Fitzgerald. This is Mother Nature at her finest… her glory! He paused, and then continued. Just look at those mountains smile… look how the sun gleams off the peaks! Just think… days ago according to the radio… she was on a war path and it showed. We have pissed her off so many times; I’m surprised she hasn’t wiped us off the face of the map!

This is indeed picture perfect! An artist would kill for this! A woman replied sitting in the passenger seat. Her name was Hazel. I’m so glad we took our vacation now! I don’t know about you… but I was getting burned out! Fried! Fried like eggs in a skillet! How do you want your eggs ma’am… well done! There was a pause among them when she breached the special moment. "We waited too long for this! Just think, only a few years ago we were living a pure nightmare! A nightmare in Queens, New York… I kept waiting for Freddy to pop out with his legendary finger blades saying: ‘welcome to Freddy’s playground!’ What a hell hole that was! On one side of the street, gun fire erupted from police to gang lords… the other… prostitution! Drug trafficking! Women and children marketing! What a hell of a life! There were times I was afraid to go outside for some fresh air! Afraid to face life… or expect the unexpected! Virtually, I was afraid I might get raped and the law would look the other way like they normally do! I know what they would have said: why is a nice woman like yourself doing in a place like this? My answer… because I live here! With work and stress from that place, there were times I thought I was going to lose it. Go berserk! I tried my hardest to conceal it; eventually I knew I was going to break! In fact honey, I was hiding it from you. I didn’t want you to think I couldn’t handle the stress and pressure! Actually, I thought one morning I was going to wake up in a rubber room wearing nothing but a strait jacket saying: ‘welcome to the funny farm where life is fun and sweet…’ Then I’ll click my heels together repeating: ‘there’s no place like home… no place like home… no place like home!’ And honey, I know it was affecting you as well. For a while there… merely… you stopped caring, smiling! You began resembling a walking zombie… speechless with a blank expression! Wildlife had more emotions on their face!" Her eyes were piercing back and forth!

Looking at her feeling totally guilty as it showed, he smiled a little which she hasn’t seen in ages! There were stars in his eyes matching his smile.

Oh my god! What the hell is that? She gazed directly at him under a tender response. Is that a smile I see?

Just glaring at his smile which was not forced, instantly she leaned over from her seat, then gently kissed him on the cheek grabbing his free hand in the process!

"I’ll admit… I did stop caring! I’m guilty of that crime! Totally and completely! If there were prisons for that… I’d be locked up for life without parole! Why shouldn’t I stop? So much crime… corruption…addictions so extreme… people were falling apart and still are! They would rather use their monies on their habits rather than survival! To live some kind of normal life! I never had seen so much disparity… man fighting man for power… territorial disputes… supremacy! In fact, man as human species truly gotten out of control! Throughout centuries prior and present, we have stopped caring. Man himself! Since the era of the ‘Roman Empire’, this massive empire ruled and powered under corrupted Caesars until they were defeated by unknown enemies that did not break! Eventually, Rome was given back to the Republics under so many promises and not carried out! It took many bloodbaths to conquer this! When promises were not met, the empire collapsed! From that experience… you would contemplate we would learn something! Centuries later, another came into the picture the dictatorship of a man wanting everything! He wanted the ultimate prize! His name was ‘Hitler’! That son of a bitch was mentally insane! Looney! In fact, he orchestrated his own fucking army to destroy non-believers! If I recall correctly, his army was the ‘SS’ they were a private army in the Third Reich! A Nazi Party! Throughout his domain, a short span… he massacred millions…naming him a conqueror… not a murderer! In this day and age… he would have been placed behind a maximum state penitentiary with the key tossed! The golden key flushed down the toilet! That mother fucker made Napoleon look like a Saint! Then we have the ever growing: ‘Chinese Empire’! This empire is vast and very powerful! If we went back to war with them… us… as the United States would lose! Jesus…they own ninety- percent of the globe! Also, engaging in battles on foreign soil for supremacy for crude oil… man has developed into a hideous, hatred species! In other words, a damn beast! Every day, women… children are being abused… and by whom? The answer, Man! In many countries, United States included… women and children are on the streets starving, waiting for salvation! A prayer! Or perhaps, a miracle! Unfortunately, none are on the horizon! So much misery… you can see it in their eyes! I recall a man wearing a white beard dressed in a red robe descending from a mountain carrying two tablets… on those tablets were the: ‘TEN COMMANDMENTS’! This man… half way down this mountain looked down and saw his people rejoicing over golden statues… a celebration of false Gods…from that day… merely, we threw out these given commandments and wrote our own! And that’s enough to break humanity! When you put all your efforts and heart into treating someone for a mere common cold, a flu virus, broken limb or a gunshot wound… after treatment, you send them home to recover or where ever … a day later… you find them in the morgue under John Doe! He paused in silence wiping away some tears. All this is for what… territory? Territorial disputes? Simply, I got tired of it. All I wanted to do was… make a difference! Make a difference through healing as a medical doctor! If that wasn’t bad enough, here comes some stiff… corrupted… bureaucrat informing us that we can’t allow some patients to be released unless we sign some fucking documents! What has this world come too? It appears that we have lost our rights as individuals! We are no longer humans, we are machines! Machines that are failing as no lubrications are given! Right now, if Christ came back to walk the earth, witnessed what we have done here… destroyed the playground he gave us…he would look into the heavens and demand to return with tears flowing like rivers!"

Honey, that’s all behind us now. We moved to a much better location. I have never felt at ease since we relocated to Erie! She said smiling. Our new place gave us a reason to rejuvenate. Rebuild. Bring back what we lost! The state of Pennsylvania welcomed us with open arms. To me, that says it all!

I agree with you! Not denying that!

So, in your personal observation… man has become his own enemy? She asked contemplating his answer.

Truthfully… yes!

All of a sudden, his thoughts took him back when he was growing up. Reminiscing! In his adolescent years, in middle school, he was considered as an ‘outsider!’ An outcast! During this nightmare, he fabricated a wall around him as others sensed his disorders! He was a small boy without hope, without a caring mother along with a father desperately seeking help! Other students along with his mentors tried hundreds of times to break the bubble and failed! The more they tried, the stronger the bubble became! There were countless of times when his mother informed him, he would not amount to anything! Once he aged to adult life, she informed him he would be a homeless bum living on the streets! In technical terms, in her eyes, he was a born looser and she did not want him! Needless to say, in actual terms, he was motherless with no loving mother for comfort!

During this turbulent time, he kept to himself! Later, his father discovered of what his mother had said… he told him just the opposite. Then came the constant arguing! Constant fighting from his parents! Reaching high school, he was provided with a more positive attitude from his father before his death! Students as well as his mentors acknowledged his past in middle school and commenced to align agendas to get him back on track! Although, in ways he was still considered as an ‘outsider’, however not as severe! It was a working method! In his senior year walking home one day, something major occurred! This occurrence would alter his life forever!

On his way home from a normal day teachers formulating a plan, a bad accident occurred before him. A cargo van was traveling too fast for conditions on Interstate Four- ninety-five through Queens; the van struck the side guardrails sending others in a tailspin! People were scattering out of harms way when the van struck a streetlight! Sparks exploded everywhere as a transformer blew sending out a storm of fireworks! Without hesitation, he rushed to the van, grabbing a brick on the way, then smashing the glass! His adrenaline took over as he pulled the person out of the driver’s window and laid him on the pavement! The person was a man barely alive! Apparently he was heading to a near-by hospital for an appointment! His male instincts erupted as he administered mouth-to-mouth Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)! Utilizing this medical treatment discovering it works, the man’s vital signs improved! Minutes passed when an ambulance showed as paramedics took over! As he recalled, a paramedic said: ‘you just saved this man’s life!’

Since that day, he knew what his calling was: a doctor of medicine! Following his courageous efforts, he was placed in all newspapers as well as news media as: ‘the boy who saved a man’s life’! This news traveled immediately throughout the New York vicinity! Once this occurred and word escaped the area, his high school friends along with his mentors were praising him as a future doctor! This provided him with the esteem he required! Girls of many wanted him as their boyfriend and comrade as he had numerous through sexual activities! To his surprise, there were no complaints regarding his ability! Word enhanced as he had the ability to satisfy any given woman! In other words, he could not count of how many entered his life!

Recalling what his late mother had said along with saving a man’s life, his agenda following school was to attend college. A college of medicine!

2

Out of the blue, their vehicle was maneuvering smoothly on the pavement as it began losing control! It was as if driving through a long serpentine corridor of imaginary, dangerous obstacles! The imaginary obstacles facing them contained mammoth rocks, construction barriers along with pot holes leading to China! Through intervals, the vehicle swerved side to side bouncing up and down avoiding being struck! Immediately, both of his hands grabbed the steering column through instinct as his eyes widen, not blinking at all! They were focused upon the road and nothing else! It was to the point where his own wife vanished as his mind blocked out everything! His focus was completely secured upon the road where if naked woman was thumbing on the shoulder, he would not take notice!

Honey… look… a naked woman is hitch hiking. Want to pick her up? She said humorously.

What? What? Babe, trying to focus here! Don’t want any accidents! He emphasized with his hands planted on the steering column.

There was a term exercising immediate response which every driver, every amateur, veterans along with professional drivers experiences on the Nation’s spaghetti system, this term was acknowledged as: ‘white knuckles!’ This occurs especially through adverse weather conditions such as: snow storms including lake effect (cannot see no more than a foot before you), torrential downpours from either hurricanes or natures deadliest tornados or freezing rain! According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in addition to ‘The Weather Channel’, conditions like these deteriorate rapidly! Circumstances such as these will cause your heart to skip a few beats; your face would be planted at the windshield as your knuckles turn completely white gripping the steering wheel! Deep inside you under whispers, you are inventing words to say! This was where your hands gripped the wheel tightly and don’t let go! In fact, your fingers turn numb to the point where a prey bar may be needed to release your fingers!

At this moment, he acknowledged the phrase as his hands were shaking seriously on the wheel while his vital organ was watching a conductor performing a symphony! Next to him, terrified beyond comprehension, she was clutching onto the equipped handlebars inside the door frame above her and next to her seat as her eyes matched his.

Honey, what are you doing? Her voice trembled, shaking with fear. You’re scaring the hell outa me! Her vital organ was mastering a symphony as well!

Scaring you? Shit… I’m ready to shit my pants here! It’s not me sweetie! Trust me! He declared trying to keep his composure along with stabilizing the vehicle.

Probing the other side protecting his greatest asset, the east bound lane was experiencing the identical issues. Various size vehicles including tractor-trailers were heading for the shoulder and to the median being dismantled resembling chariot cart races in ancient Rome in the Roman Coliseum! It was like a massive carnival of carnage of barbaric proportions without the presence of Gladiators or slaves! However, with this incident, there were no horse driven buggies, or a single person using straps to maneuver horses while standing in a five foot cubicle whipping them screaming: ‘faster… faster… faster!’ They were not snaking through a circumference race track which surrounded the coliseum gathering speed as others smashed into walls with a vast crowd cheering them on! It was just motor driven, expensive autos! It was indeed demolition style!

Watching through a blurred windshield, her eyes widen with tears as her hands covered her mouth witnessing some vehicles over turning directly before them. Instantly, they looked like small grenades exploding as others smashed into each other some feet before them.

Fuck me! Look at that… cars smashing into everything! Something’s wrong! I have no freaking control… and losing power fast!

Just as he concluded this statement, abruptly the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree wonderland resembling Christmas Eve! All the gauges from oil to gasoline manifested from normal operating power to rapidly dying! Alarms indicating engine problems sounded like hungry lions chasing their prey! Still focused piercing out the windshield, her pupils were completely dilated! Needless to say, she was paralyzed through from fear! Through impulse, a typical reaction on human instinct, he slammed down the accelerator pedal to the floor for momentum! For a brief moment, the vehicle gain some stamina as the steering column locked immediately! Spontaneously, the windshield commenced to crack from pressure! It started from the bottom corners, then proceeded to maneuver towards the middle! Without delay, the vehicle became crippled as it headed for the shoulder!

Oh my god…. Oh my god… oh my god! An earthquake! He yelled over the amplified sound. It’s a damn earthquake… a god damn earthquake!

The vehicle completely died unexpectedly reaching its final destination: a dirt covered stretch of narrow road on the shoulder. As they were sitting several feet from the pavement, both of them watched in absolute horror the landscape surrounding them shook violently producing a massive crack! The first layer of earth disappeared into this abyss when the cavity began traveling west! As this massive laceration enhanced, vehicles were being swallowed one by one exploding along with innocent victims running about trying to escape! Their screams were deafening, echoing throughout the vicinity! Within moments, the voices faded away into whispers, then faded completely! Immediately, the highway became treacherous as hundreds of miles vanished beneath the earth!

Honey, what do we do? She said holding back tears. I’m truly scared!

We have to sit tight… wait this out! I’ve never experienced an earthquake before, but it seems safe to stay here!